Submitted by Thurston County Chamber
Earlier today, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (“USFWS”) announced its intent to delay final action on the proposed listing of four subspecies of Mazama pocket gopher in Thurston and Pierce Counties for Endangered Species Act protection for up to six months, or until March 31, 2014.
The Thurston County Chamber of Commerce was one of many public and private commenters who questioned the accuracy and sufficiency of scientific information relied on in the USFWS’s proposed listing rule for the Mazama pocket gopher, which was originally released on December 11, 2012 with intent to be final by September 30, 2013. The accelerated listing timeline for the Mazama pocket gopher was the result of a larger litigation settlement with environmental groups over USFWS listing processes.
According to USFWS, today’s decision to delay final action on the proposed Mazama pocket gopher listing resulted from “substantial disagreement regarding the interpretation of the available information used to determine the status and trends of the four subspecies of Mazama pocket gopher, and the extent of threats to these subspecies.”
In March 2013, the Chamber, together with a coalition of public and private partners, submitted a request to USFWS Director Dan Ashe to extend the rulemaking timeline for the Mazama pocket gopher by up to six months in order to allow full consideration of new and developing scientific information critical to the agency’s listing decision.
“Today’s action responds to our request and recognizes that there are significant questions regarding the science supporting the proposed listing of the Mazama pocket gopher. We are very pleased that USFWS has decided to take the time necessary to seek additional scientific information and public comment before making its final decision given the significant impact that listing would have on the future of community planning and economic development in Thurston County,” said David Schaffert, Thurston County Chamber’s President and CEO. “We look forward to continuing to work with USFWS to inform the agency’s decision-making process,” Schaffert continued.
The Chamber, together with a coalition of public and private partners, has been actively involved in the listing process for the Mazama pocket gopher since 2011.
