News

Hine's Emerald Dragonfly to Get Critical Habitat Designation?

In late July, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) proposed designating approximately 27,689 acres of land in Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, and Wisconsin as critical habitat for the federally endangered Hine's emerald dragonfly. The dragonfly measures up to three inches in length and has brilliant green eyes. The larval stage is aquatic, occupying rivulets and seepage areas within wetland systems.

The Hine's emerald dragonfly inhabits marshes and sedge meadows fed by calcareous groundwater seepage and underlain by dolomite bedrock. Adults also feed along shrub and forest edges near wetlands. In Chicago Wilderness, for example, Hine's emerald dragonflies have been recorded at Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve, a rare dolomite prairie.

"Critical habitat" identifies areas considered essential for the conservation of a threatened or endangered species and may require special management considerations or protection. The designation of critical habitat does not affect land ownership or establish a refuge, wilderness, reserve, preserve, or other conservation area, nor does it allow government or public access to private lands. Much of the proposed critical habitat is on lands that are managed by local, state, or federal agencies, such as the U.S. Forest Service or state departments of natural resources. From the total area proposed as critical habitat, the FWS is considering excluding 1,306 acres in Missouri and 12,963 acres in Michigan because public land managers are already conserving the Hine's emerald dragonfly under existing land management plans.

There are 2,995 acres in Illinois (all within Chicago Wilderness) and 9,040 acres in Wisconsin (all in northern Door County) being proposed as critical habitat for the Hine's emerald dragonfly. The proposed rule results from a lawsuit filed against the FWS by the Center for Biological Diversity and other organizations. According to the FWS, past experience has shown that designation of critical habitat has provided little additional protection for most listed species, but it has prevented the FWS from using scarce conservation resources for activities with greater conservation benefits.

In many cases, recovery of listed species has come through voluntary cooperative partnerships and not regulatory measures such as critical habitat designation. The FWS has expressed concern that existing partnerships among state agencies and property owners could dissolve and future conservation efforts may diminish if critical habitat is designated.

A copy of the proposed rule and other information about the Hine's are available online. Public comments will be accepted until September 25, 2006. Send written comments to John Rogner, Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Chicago Illinois Ecological Services Fish and Wildlife Office, 1250 S. Grove, Suite 103, Barrington, IL 60010 or by fax to (847) 381-2285. Send e-mail comments to hedch@fws.gov. The FWS is preparing a draft economic analysis of the proposed critical habitat, to be released for public review at a later date.