Species Listing Process - Q&A

QUESTIONS - General

What is the FWC’s listing process and how does it work?
The listing process is a petition-initiated process the FWC uses to classify imperiled wildlife species in Florida. There are three imperiled species classifications: endangered, threatened, and species of special concern. The imperiled species list classifications identify those species facing the greatest risk of extinction, they do not dictate the level of protection a species receives.

The process follows this outline:

An external or internal individual or group can petition to have a species classification reviewed.
Once the Commission accepts a petition, a team of FWC biologists and non-FWC professionals conduct a biological status review following the FWC’s listing process.
The biological status review team is comprised of 3, 5, or 7 biological and professional experts, most of whom are not with the FWC.
The classification recommendations are peer reviewed by other biologists to see if they agree.
The peer-reviewed classification recommendations are presented before the FWC’s Commissioners at a meeting open to the public.
If the recommendation is accepted, a detailed management plan and recommended rule changes for each species are developed, with public input, to guide species recovery.
No change in status will occur until the FWC’s Commissioners approve the management plan and vote on species-specific rules recommended in the plan. Development of the plan can take more than a year.

Why does the FWC use this listing process?
From 1972 through 1999, Florida’s listing process was intuitive with no fixed criteria and no standardized formal review process. There was no listing process rule, the definitions were considered somewhat vague, and listing actions were done through rule changes.

Questions were raised on this process and the then-Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission (GFC) agreed to improve it. From 1994, the GFC implemented a self-imposed moratorium on listing actions until a new process would be approved.

In 1998, the GFC appointed an 11-member stakeholder panel (a mix of environmental, development, agricultural and recreational user groups) to review the issues and provide a list of desired characteristics for a listing process.

Staff used the stakeholder input to draft the process, which was adopted in 1999, and supported by the stakeholders with no major objections. The 1999 process was adopted by the GFC just prior to the constitutionally mandated merger, and did not address marine species. As a result, the newly formed FWC reconvened the Stakeholder Panel in September 2002 with new marine membership to address concerns during implementation of the 1999 process and new marine issues the agency faced, and issued another moratorium on reviewing listed species.

In April 2005, the FWC adopted new guidelines for classifying species based on International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) standards. The scientific community worldwide has rigorously tested these standards on more than 30,000 species. At least 30 countries are using IUCN standards as the basis for their own imperiled species classification process.

The FWC listing process is driven by Florida-specific data and clear standards consisting of measurable biological criteria, peer reviewed by panels of experts, agreed upon by FWC’s Commissioners, and strengthened by species-specific management plans that are tailored to the unique conditions and needs of each species.

What are the current criteria used for listing species in Florida?
The listing process uses five main criteria developed by the IUCN. These criteria focus on the rate of decline, area inhabited, population size, and probability of extinction of a species. To view the specific criteria, see the definition section of the condensed rules:
http://myfwc.com/imperiledspecies/listingproceduresanddefinitions.pdf

Why is the FWC evaluating the status of the bald eagle, gopher tortoise, manatee and Panama City crayfish?
The FWC received petitions to assess the status of the bald eagle, gopher tortoise, manatee, and Panama City crayfish from 2001-03. In April 2005, the listing process was updated and the Commission directed staff to evaluate these species under the new listing process rules.

When will the biological status reviews be completed?
The final peer-reviewed biological status reviews of the bald eagle, Florida manatee, gopher tortoise and Panama City crayfish are complete online for public review and will be presented at the June 2006 meeting of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in West Palm Beach.

Are all four biological status reviews be identical?
No. The biology, life history and available data on each species vary greatly. Species experts, both within and outside of the FWC, used the best available science, data and information to evaluate each species. The reviews considered the unique risks each species faces so that the appropriate imperilment category could be identified. To strengthen this review recommendation, all information and findings were evaluated by independent (non-FWC) scientists to ensure that the biological review panel made sound science-based recommendations (a process used by scientists called “peer review”).

How long have the manatee and bald eagle been protected in Florida?
Florida’s manatee protection laws date back to 1893. The bald eagle has been protected since 1940.

If the FWC’s Commissioners decide that a reclassification change is warranted, when will this change occur?
The status change for any species will occur only after a species management plan is developed, professionally and publicly reviewed, and accepted by the FWC’s Commissioners. The development of a species management plan can take more than a year.

What does it mean if a species is reclassified from “endangered” to “threatened?”
A reclassification from “endangered” to “threatened” means that a species is no longer in imminent danger of extinction, but still has a very high risk of extinction. It also means that the species’ biological data no longer meet the criteria for endangered, but they do meet the criteria for threatened.

If a species is reclassified, does it mean that species protections change?
It could. The classification categories in Florida’s listed species rule describe the relative risk of extinction, not level of protection. The protections for any reclassified species will be defined in a species-specific management plan that guides species recovery. The public will be asked to provide input about what should be in the management plans prior to their development. Public input will also be sought after the draft management plans are completed.

Is it true that the listing process is flawed because there are no assurances that management plans would be adequately funded?
No, this does not mean the process is flawed, but adequate funding for management plans is a legitimate concern. Funding and resources for wildlife conservation have always will be limited. The FWC has a successful track record with species that have gone through the new process. After the Common snook was removed from the list, the bag limit was decreased, and the stock is doing well.

Despite changing the red-cockaded woodpecker (RCW) to a lower imperilment category, the FWC is currently doing more for RCW than it was before the listing action. FWC will sign a statewide Safe Harbor agreement in July. Staff has developed a database that tracks the progress of all known RCW in Florida, and biologists are undertaking work with RCW on wildlife management areas.

Under the old process, not only was funding limited, there was no management plan to clearly identify conservation needs and prioritize actions as funding became available.

Will it be overly difficult to modify management plans once they are written and approved?
No. The listing process rule requires a plan be drafted for every species that goes through the process. Any modification to a management plan that does not require a rule change can be made with the approval of the Executive Director (or his delegate).

How will the FWC’s new imperiled species listing process affect the protection of imperiled species at the local government level?
Many county governments have linked local wildlife ordinances and other protections to the FWC imperiled species list. Before developing a management plan, the FWC seeks public input on the needs of the species. Any individual or organization that is aware of a potential loss of protection for a species because of the reclassification should provide this input during the comment period. The FWC will continue to work with local governments to ensure that the management plans are developed adequately to cover local issues relevant to the management needs of the species.

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