278 



However, if this seabtrd becomes downlisted as "endangered" no incident permits will be issued — 

 the resuk could be widespread job loss and unemployment among commercial net fishermen 

 coastwide. The more onshore old-growth habitat is lost for the bird's recovery, the more likely it is 

 to be downlisted, thus afifecting net fisheries firom Northern California to the Puget Sound, WA. 



At least 59 rider-revived clearcut sales in murrelet nesting areas (canceled as illegal under the old 

 laws, but which under the rider now no longer apply) must now go forward under their original 

 (previously illegal) terms. According to USFWS scientists, these timber sales will wipe out 14% of 

 all known marbled murrelet nesting sites in California, Oregon and Washington. In the Siuslaw, 

 one of the best remaining reiuges for the bird in the Northwest, these clearcuts will wipe out 25% of 

 all known nesting sites in the refuge. Altogether, we are talking about 6.4 square miles of old- 

 growth clearcut right in key nesting areas. All this is after the loss of almost 95% of iu habitat 

 already. According to USFWS sworn statements in court: 



'In conchision, it b my belief based upon the best available scientific information that serious 

 and irreparable harm to the threatened marbled murrelet will occur if the Forest Service and 

 BLM sales at issue are harvested .... Murrelet population trends are downward and continue 

 to be of grave concern. We know of no areas where murrelet numbers are stable or 

 increasing. Continued loss of occupied nesting habitat is a primary cause of this downward 

 trend and is the greatest threat to the species' continued survival. Therefore, it is critical to 

 protect high quality occupied nesting habitat such as that contained in these sale units. From 

 the perspective of marbled murrelet conservation and recovery, this Ugh quaGty habitat is 

 irreplaceable..." (Declaration of Nfichad J. Spear, Regional Director, USFWS Pacific 

 Region) 



These :learcuts make it abnost certain that the marbled murrelet will be downlisted to "endangered" 

 in the near future. As timber harvests wipe out more and more of its native old-growth habitat on 

 shore, its numbers will inevitably continue to decline and additional pressure will be placed on the 

 fishing industry to protect the remnants. Downlisting would likely terminate all incidental take 

 permits for the Puget Sound net fishery, ending that valuable fishery — perhaps forever. 



Right now the commercial fishing industry is going to heroic and expensive efforts to avoid even 

 accidental "taking" of these seabirds at sea. Meanwhile federally subsidized operations by the timber 

 industry under the rider continue to wipe out their last habitat onshore. This makes absohitely no 

 sense! 



I^ throu^ continued k>ss of habitat, tUs ehisive seabird is forced fiuther toward extinction, then the 

 prospects for ultimate recovery dramatically decrease, the expense of recovery efforts mounts 

 diamaticaDy, and additional pressure on commercial fisheries to save the last remnants will result in 

 major season closures, with considerable ecoix>mic loss and dislocation coastwide. 



