FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, January 23, 1997
CONTACT:
Mike Markarian, (301) 585-2591, MikeM@fund.org
Eric Glitzenstein, (202) 588-5206, EGlitz@aol.com
This week, The Fund for Animals and the Department of the Interior filed a joint stipulation to resolve disputes in a landmark 1992 settlement agreement that sped up the pace of listing for hundreds of animal and plant species under the Endangered Species Act.
In the stipulation, the defendants agree to make a listing decision on 41 highly imperiled candidate species by April 1, 1998; those species include the Spotted Frog, the Northern Idaho Ground Squirrel, and the Riparian Brush Rabbit. By December 31, 1998, the defendants agree to make listing decisions on 43 additional imperiled species, and also to take action on the rare Florida Black Bear, which has suffered from habitat loss and sport hunting while awaiting listing for nearly two decades.
"Because of politics interfering with the endangered species listing process, critically imperiled species such as the Florida Black Bear have been last place in triage," says Mike Markarian, Director of Campaigns for The Fund for Animals. "We can only hope that this joint stipulation will prompt the Fish and Wildlife Service to protect these species before it is too late."
For a copy of the 10-page stipulation, please contact The Fund for Animals at (301) 585-2591 or MikeM@fund.org.