SOS Alliance Helps Quadruple Critical Habitat for Endangered Cave Critters Friday, 09 March 2012 11:07 Pat Brodnax The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently announced _the final designation of 4,216 acres of critical habitat_ (http://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/Documents/R2ES/Bexar_Inverts_FINAL_CH_FR_20120214.pdf) for nine species of endangered karst invertebrates in Bexar County—a major increase from the 1,063 acres initially designated under the Bush administration in 2003.
Cokendolpher cave harvestman (photo by Dr. Jean Krejca) The expanded protection is the result of a 2009 lawsuit brought by Aquifer Guardians in Urban Areas (AGUA) and the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD)to challenge tainted Bush-era decisions on twelve endangered species in the Hill Country. SOS Alliance attorneys served as local counsel and helped negotiate _the settlement requiring the revised critical habitat designation_ (http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/cleaning_up_the_bush_legacy/pdfs/Settlement-12-18-2009.pdf) , with technical assistance from staff at the Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance. The nine species benefitting from the revised critical habitat designation consist of three beetles, one daddy long-legs, and five spiders that live in subterranean voids and caves associated with the karst topography of the Edwards Aquifer. Several of the species are known to occur in only one or two caves in Bexar County and nowhere else in the world. The biggest threat to the cave-dwelling species is urban development on the aquifer recharge zone, which destroys habitat by adding pavement and contaminated water to the karst ecosystem. The settlement that SOS Alliance helped negotiate also requires a revised critical habitat rule for three species of freshwater invertebrates that live in four springs: Comal Springs and Hueco Springs in Comal County, and Fern Bank Springs and San Marcos Springs in Hays County. The proposed rule for these aquatic species will be published in October of this year. Comal springs riffle beetle (photo by Joe N. Fries) Under the tainted Bush administration decision on the aquatic species, Assistant Deputy Assistant Secretary Julie MacDonald ordered the removal of subterranean waters of the Edwards Aquifer from the critical habit rule— leaving only small areas around the springs—despite the fact that the primary threat to the species is pumping of groundwater from the Aquifer. It is especially important that the three aquatic species receive comprehensive critical habitat protection in light of the current pressure on the Edwards Aquifer from over-pumping, drought, climate change, and the recent Texas Supreme Court decision (EAA v. Day) upending Texas groundwater law. Species: The nine endangered karst invertebrate species subject to the recent critical habitat designation are: Helotes mold beetle (Batrisodes venyivi), Cokendolpher Cave harvestman (Texella cokendolpheri), Robber Baron Cave meshweaver (Cicurina baronia), Madla Cave meshweaver (Cicurina madla), Bracken Bat Cave meshweaver (Cicurina venii), Government Canyon Bat Cave meshweaver (Cicurina vespera), Government Canyon Bat Cave spider (Neoleptoneta microps), Rhadine exilis (ground beetle, no common name), and Rhadine infernalis (ground beetle, no common name). The three endangered aquatic invertebrate species that will be included in the critical habitat designation rule that will be proposed later this year are: Peck’s Cave amphipod (Stygobromus pecki), Comal Springs dryopid beetle (Stygoparnus comalensis), and Comal Springs riffle beetle (Heterelmis comalensis). Last Updated ( Sunday, 11 March 2012 11:31 ) _http://www.sosalliance.org/component/content/article/1-latest-news/326-sos- alliance-helps-quadruple-critical-habitat-for-endangered-cave-critters_ (http://www.sosalliance.org/component/content/article/1-latest-news/326-sos-alli ance-helps-quadruple-critical-habitat-for-endangered-cave-critters)
