The public is invited to comment on the proposed revision released Nov. 4 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to benefit the endangered fisher.
The revision is to the 2021 critical habitat proposal that would designate more acres in southern Sierra Nevada to the fisher, a member of the weasel family, according to a Nov. 4 news release. Under the revision, approximately 595,495 acres of critical habitat would be designated in portions of Fresno, Madera, Kern, Mariposa, Tuolumne and Tulare counties in California. That would be an increase of 41,041 acres from the initial proposal.
“The public comment process is an important step in developing critical habitat,” Michael Fris, field supervisor for the Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office, said in the release. “In this case, we received valuable new science that helped us identify areas that are essential to the species’ conservation.”
The proposed revision was created in part because of information gleaned from public comment on the initial proposal, which made the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service aware of high-quality habitat not included in the initial proposal, the release said.
A member of the weasel family, a fisher is related to mink, martens and otters, the National Park Service said. They weigh between 4.5 and 12 pounds and are from 2.5 to 3.5 feet long. Their long, bushy tails “make up about a third of their total length.”
“The southern Sierra Nevada [distinct population segment] of fisher is estimated to consist of 100 to 500 individuals,” the release said. “Habitat loss and fragmentation resulting from catastrophic wildfire is one of the biggest threats to the species. Tree mortality and prolonged drought are also a concern as females use tree cavities for denning.”
More than 90% of the revised proposed critical habitat is on federal lands managed by the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management, the release said.
“The revised proposal is not expected to restrict recreational access on public lands,” the release said.
The 45-day comment period opened Nov. 7 with the publication of the proposed rule in the Federal Register. The deadline for submitting comments is Dec. 22. Previously submitted comments don’t have to be resubmitted.
“The revised proposal, legal boundaries, GIS shapefiles and information on how to submit comments will be available on regulations.gov by searching under docket number FWS-R8-ES-2021-0060,” the release said.
