Update On Bug's Status Could Remove Land Rules
By
Steve Milne
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
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Some Sacramento area land-use restrictions could be lifted if federal wildlife officials follow through on a proposal to remove a local bug from the Endangered Species List.
Today federal officials said they're reopening the comment period on a plan announced three months ago to remove the valley elderberry longhorn beetle from its current status as threatened.
Robert Moler is with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
"We want to make sure that when we move to a final rule that our decision is based on all available scientific and commercial information."
The inch-long red and black beetle lives in the Sacramento
area and depends on elderberry shrubs for food and shelter.
Damien Schiff is an attorney with the Pacific Legal Foundation
which filed a lawsuit in 2011 on behalf of levee districts and
landowners to take the beetle off the endangered
list.
"Levee districts can't maintain levees the way they
otherwise would because of the buffer zones, landowners who may
want to develop their property are restricted in developing that
property."
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will accept comments until
February 22nd. A final decision is expected within 12
months.