[Pollinator] One of America's Rarest Butterflies Finally Receives Protection under the Endangered Species Act

Wed Apr 11 09:02:39 PDT 2018

Good morning:

Some very cool news from the Pacific Northwest. The US Fish and Wildlife
Service announced today that it is protecting the island marble
butterfly—found only on San Juan Island in Washington State—under the
Endangered Species Act. The official announcement will be made tomorrow,
but the public inspection document is in the Federal Register this morning.

The island marble is among the most imperiled animals in the world. Fewer
than 200 adults were observed during surveys in 2017 and its habitat faces
continued threats.

The Xerces Society has been working to protect this butterfly for more than
15 years. The first petition to the USFWS was submitted in 2002, in
collaboration with the Center for Biological Diversity, Friends of the San
Juans, and the Northwest Ecosystem Alliance. The USFWS did not list the
species. We petitioned again in 2012. That resulted in a 2016 decision by
the USFWS that listing of the butterfly was warranted but precluded by
higher priority listing actions. Today’s news is exciting—and also
confirmation that protecting butterflies needs constant effort!

Our press release is at
https://xerces.org/2018/04/11/one-of-americas-rarest-butterflies-finally-receives-protection-under-the-endangered-species-act/
.

Thank you!

Matthew

***************************

*For immediate release*

*Contact: *

Scott Hoffman Black, Executive Director, The Xerces Society for
Invertebrate Conservation; (503) 449-3792; scott.black at xerces.org

*One of America’s Rarest Butterflies Finally Receives Protection under the
Endangered Species Act*

OLYMPIA, Wash.; April 11, 2018---More than 15 years after the Xerces
Society for Invertebrate Conservation initially submitted a petition asking
for federal protection the island marble, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service (USFWS) announced today that the butterfly warrants protection as
an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act.

The island marble is among the most imperiled animals in the world. Fewer
than 200 adults were observed during surveys in 2017 and its habitat faces
continued threats.

“We are happy that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has taken this
positive step to protect this butterfly under the Endangered Species Act,”
said Scott Hoffman Black, Executive Director of the Xerces Society. “After
years of delay, the Service must move quickly to implement conservation
measures to reverse declines.”

The butterfly is named for the beautiful green and white marbling on the
underside of its wings and because it lives on islands. It has already been
extirpated from Vancouver and Gabriola Islands in British Columbia and from
Lopez Island in Washington State, and now is only found on San Juan Island
in Washington State.

The Xerces Society petitioned the USFWS asking for Endangered Species Act
protection twice. The first time in 2002, with the Center for Biological
Diversity, Friends of the San Juans and the Northwest Ecosystem Alliance.
The USFWS did not list the species.

The Xerces Society petitioned the USFWS again in 2012. That resulted in a
2016 decision by the USFWS that listing of the island marble butterfly was
warranted but precluded by higher priority listing actions.

“The island marble’s extremely small population size, isolation and
restricted distribution place a huge question mark over its survival,” said
Sarina Jepsen, Endangered Species Program Director with the Xerces Society.
“Endangered Species Act protection is this butterfly’s only real hope.”

###

For photos, please contact Matthew Shepherd at matthew.shepherd at xerces.org

For more information about the island marble butterfly visit:
http://www.xerces.org/island-marble/

To read the complete Endangered Species Act petition submitted to the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service visit:
http://www.xerces.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/island-marble-petition.pdf

The Federal Register entry, Endangered and Threatened Species: Endangered
Status for the Island Marble Butterfly and Designation of Critical Habitat,
can be accessed at

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/04/12/2018-07347/endangered-and-threatened-species-endangered-status-for-the-island-marble-butterfly-and-designation

The Public Inspection document of the rule can be downloaded from
https://s3.amazonaws.com/public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2018-07347.pdf

*About the Xerces Society*

The Xerces Society is a nonprofit organization that protects wildlife
through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitat. Established in
1971, the Society is a trusted source for science-based information and
advice. We collaborate with people and institutions at all levels and our
work to protect pollinators encompasses all landscapes. Our team draws
together experts from the fields of habitat restoration, entomology,
botany, and conservation biology with a single focus—protecting the life
that sustains us. To learn more about our work, visit www.xerces.org.

----------

Matthew Shepherd

Communications Director

[image: Email-Outlook_Xerces-logo-CMYK]

Protecting the Life That Sustains Us

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