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Protecting South Dakota's Endangered and Threatened Species
South Dakota Ag Connection - 09/30/2016

By working together, South Dakota farmers, ranchers and other landowners have been able to make a positive impact on our state's resources.

"South Dakota's farmers and ranchers have significant influence on the management of our state's natural resources, especially grasslands, water and the species that inhabit these areas," said Pete Bauman, SDSU Extension Range Field Specialist.

Bauman pointed to the continuing efforts made to protect water quality through implementation of buffer strips by South Dakota farmers, ranchers and other landowners.

"This promises to serve as yet another reminder of the importance of natural resources management for the greater good," he said.

Bauman explained that although today's environmental resource and species issues are more complex than in the past - the solutions are equally less straight-forward.

"Because of this complexity, many organizations who might have been at odds in the past are now working well together to find reasonable and sustainable solutions," Bauman said.

He shared the example of how several western South Dakota rancher participated in the Sage Grouse Initiative.

"These ranchers embraced the concept that the private landowner is a key to long-term species conservation, including the ability to prevent species listing through management partnerships that can provide important habitat while maintaining profitable farm and ranch operations," he said.

In 2014, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed two small prairie butterflies under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The Poweshiek Skipperling was listed as endangered and the Dakota Skipper as threatened. Both species rely on diverse native prairie/pastures in eastern South Dakota and other states. The butterflies both saw dramatic population declines over the last 10 to 15 years.

"Again, listing decisions were only made after years of data gathering and conversations with affected parties - including input from South Dakota's ranching community through groups like the South Dakota Grassland Coalition," Bauman said.

The result of those conversations was to list the species, while at the same time recognizing the impact sound grassland management practices made by landowners, as vitality important for the long term conservation of these species.

Accordingly, the Dakota skipper used a section 4(d) rule at the time of listing which exempted "take" of this species for all normal ranching activities.

"So, while these species were ultimately listed, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recognized that the habitat remaining was not in spite of ranchers - but because of them," Bauman said.

Bauman added that increased loss of native grassland habitats is a reality that will eventually impact all South Dakotans.

"Not only because of the actual loss of this valuable natural resource, but also because of the national-level impact, loss of native grasslands has on other speices," Bauman said. "These two small prairie butterflies should not be viewed as the exception, but rather should be studied as a cautionary prelude to what is likely to come with continued grassland loss."

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service understands well that the best strategy for species conservation is to prevent them from becoming threatened or endangered in the first place.

Recently, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced updates to its national work plan for conducting more than 350 assessments.

"Inclusion in the work plan does not necessarily mean a species will be listed, but instead that a status assessment for that species will be conducted," Bauman said. "In South Dakota, we have recent examples of this with the greater sage grouse and Sprague's pipit."

In both cases, Bauman explained that the assessments found those species did not require listing under Endangered Species Act.

He added that several South Dakota species will be evaluated over the next seven years.

Birds on the list include the black-backed woodpecker (Black Hills region) and the golden winged warbler (eastern SD). Mammals include the prairie gray fox, northwestern moose, plains spotted skunk, and little brown bat. Also on the evaluation list is Blanding's turtle and several insects including the western bumble bee, yellow banded bumble bee, monarch butterfly and regal fritillary butterfly.

"While the black-backed woodpecker and northwestern moose are not reliant on healthy and diverse grasslands and wetlands, many of the others are," Bauman said. "If we fail to retain a diversity of native vegetation in our farming and ranching operations, including native flowering pollinators, we can only assume we will be faced with a growing list of species concerns in the future."

Bauman reminded landowners that diversity can be profitable. "Species diversity on the farm or ranch can be a great indicator of ecological balance and healthy, profitable systems," he said.


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