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U.S. Forest Service


Making a List and Checking It Twice on the Chippewa NF

By Melissa Rickers on Nov 11, 2010

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The Chippewa National Forest's Regional Forester's Sensitive Species (RFSS)list is getting an update.

The Chippewa National Forest's Regional Forester's Sensitive Species (RFSS)list is getting an update. On the Chippewa, an ID team consisting of three wildlife biologists, fish biologist, botanist, and a District Ranger are hard at work updating the Chippewa's list of RFSS. These employees range in their tenure on the Forest from 1 to 20 years. Detailed risk evaluations (REs) are being prepared to evaluate abundance, distribution, population trend, habitat integrity, and population vulnerability for about 45 species of concern.

The REs are developed by one or two biologists, and then reviewed and discussed by the entire team. A robust process, team members hold each other to task, and debates are often spirited. At the end of the conversation, a conclusion is reached regarding the proposal to add a new species to the list, or remove an existing species from the list.

The RFSS list helps the Forest Service to ensure that its actions do not contribute to a loss of population viability of listed species, and do not cause a species to move towards federal listing under the Endangered Species Act. The RFSS list also can be helpful in establishing priorities for conservation actions.

The development of thoughtful risk evaluations can be a challenge as it is intermixed with all of the other daily responsibilities employees have. But this dedicated team, like others on National Forests across the Region, runs on passion for its work, and a belief in the role of the Forest Service as a conservation leader. The loss of rare species diminishes our biological diversity, and decreases the depth and complexity of the public lands we are entrusted with. A carefully constructed RFSS list, updated periodically, is the backbone to the sensitive species program.

Currently, the Chippewa National Forest has 48 species listed as RFSS Sensitive. They include: 19 plants, 19 birds, 1 amphibian, 1 reptile, 1 mammal, 3 fish, 3 mollusks and 1 insect!