WPEF Statement on Prosposed Threatened Species Status Listing Under the ESA

On December 2, 2020, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service published the proposal to list whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) as a Threatened Species under the Endangered Species Act (Federal Register, Vol. 85, No. 232, pp. 77408-77424). The Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation (WPEF), Missoula, MT, strongly supports the proposed listing of whitebark pine as Threatened. The WPEF finds the process and proposed listing decision to be well-grounded in scientific fact and whitebark pine biology and ecology. The listing is a critically important step in reversing the accelerating losses of whitebark pine communities and promoting restoration of the species. We commend the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service for recognizing the important role of restoration treatments for whitebark pine under discussion of Sec. 4(d) in the proposal, given that these treatments are integral to all effective recovery strategies.

Have questions about factors supporting the listing, why critical habitat was not designated, or the prohibitions and allowances for management and restoration? Read the entire WPEF statement on listing HERE

You can submit a comment to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Regarding the Proposed Threatened listing until February 1, 2021

Featured Photo: Quinn Lowrey