Here are 3 Utah conservation success stories for this year's Endangered Species Day
SALT LAKE CITY () — In honor of Endangered Species Day, here are three species in Utah that have made great strides in their recovery over the last five years.
An endangered species is identified as any species that faces a serious risk of extinction in a specific area, or throughout all of its natural habitat. Threatened species are defined as any species that is likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future.
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Currently, there are 41 wildlife, fish and plant species in Utah that are on the federal endangered species list. But, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR) shares that several species have been able to make significant progress.
'Since 2001, our agency and other partners have helped prevent 20 wildlife species from being listed as endangered or threatened through conservation efforts guided by the Utah Wildlife Action Plan,' said Director Sarah Seegert of DWR Recovery Programs.
DWR works with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on the conservation of federally listed species in Utah. The department says that it has jurisdiction over all wildlife in Utah and works to maintain healthy, sustainable populations to prevent them from becoming listed under the Endangered Species Act.
Here are a few success stories DWR has recently shared:
The June sucker is a native fish species only found at Utah Lake and its tributaries. According to DWR, overharvesting by early settlers, water-flow alterations and drought, habitat changes, and being preyed on by exotic fish species led to its decline.
At its lowest, the June sucker population dropped to fewer than 1,000 fish, with fewer than 300 spawning individuals, and it was put on the endangered species list in 1986.
In 2021, the fish species was moved from endangered to threatened. DWR attributes this change to ongoing efforts, such as the recently finished by several partnering agencies involved in the June Sucker Recovery Implementation Program. An estimated number of 30,000 to 45,000 fish are in the spawning population of Utah Lake.
The humpback chub is known for the pronounced hump it has behind its head. It's a relatively small fish, with its maximum size being about 20 inches and 2.5 pounds. It can live more than 30 years in the wild.
In 1973, the humpback chub was listed as endangered after large dams and human water use impacted the river's flow.
DWR said that through efforts from partnering agencies in the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program, the humpback chub was moved from endangered to threatened in 2021.
The Ute ladies'-tresses is an orchid plant with a long spike of small white flowers in a gradual spiral. Ute ladies'-tresses became threatened in 1992 when it was only known to be found in Utah and Colorado.
DWR said that through additional surveys, habitat management, and protection, the plant is now known to grow in eight Western states (Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming), as well as southern British Columbia, and Canada.
It was proposed to be delisted from the Endangered Species Act in January 2025.
'We are extremely grateful to our many partners who coordinate with us on recovery efforts for these unique, native species,' Seegert said. 'Helping keep these species on the landscape ensures they can be enjoyed by future generations and also improves the overall habitat and ecosystem, which benefits other species as well.'
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