Community forest lands within fisher habitat
The proposed listing rule is on view at the Federal Register and was officially published Oct. 7, opening a 90-day comment period to gather scientific information and comments from the public and stakeholders. The Service seeks information on a number of topics, including the designation of the West Coast Distinct Population Segment (DPS) as a threatened species and also on DPS alternatives as described in the proposed listing. A DPS is a vertebrate population or group of populations that is discrete from other populations of the species and significant in relation to the species as a whole.
The listing proposal, which is based on the best scientific data available, cites the potential of direct and indirect exposures from the illicit use of anti-coagulant rodenticides on public and community forest lands within fisher habitat as a significant threat to the species. Rodenticide use has been verified at illegal marijuana cultivation sites within occupied fisher habitat on public, private and tribal lands in California.
Although the Service does not know the full extent to which rodenticide exposure causes injury or mortality of fishers, rodenticide exposure in fishers has been documented in fisher populations in the Klamath Mountains and Southern Sierra Nevada, as well as in the reintroduced population at Olympic National Park in Washington.
The Service also indicated that some types of timber harvest and alteration of fisher habitat will continue to be a concern, and the Service is hoping to work with federal, state and industry partners to manage this threat.