Center for Biological Diversity

110 Success Stories for Endangered Species Day 2012

Southwest        


American peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus anatum)

Status: Delisted Critical habitat: 8/11/1977
Listed: 6/2/1970 Recovery plan: 6/30/1991
   

Range: AL(m), AK(b), AZ(b), AR(m), CA(b), CO(b), CT(b), DE(b), DC(m), GA(b), ID(b), IL(b), IN(b), IA(b), KS(m), KY(b), LA(m), ME(b), MD(b), MA(b), MI(b), MN(b), MS(m), MO(m), MT(b), NE(b), NV(b), NH(b), NY(b), NM(b), NJ(b), NC(b), ND(m), OH(b), OK(m), OR(b), PA(b), RI(b), SC(b), SD(b), TN(b), TX(b), UT(b), VT(b), VA(b), WA(b), WV(m), WI(b), WY(b) ---

SUMMARY
The use of DDT and other organochlorine pesticides thinned American peregrine falcon eggshells, causing reproductive failure and population declines. The banning of DDT, captive-breeding efforts and nest protections allowed falcons to increase from 324 breeding pairs in 1975 to 3,005 pairs as of 2006. The species was delisted in 1999.

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Apache trout (Oncorhynchus gilae apache)

Status: ThreatenedCritical habitat: 9/9/1977
Listed: 9/9/1977Recovery plan: 6/23/1983
   

Range: AZ(b) ---

SUMMARY
Overfishing, habitat degradation and the stocking of nonnative salmonids reduced the Apache trout's range from 600 miles to fewer than 30 stream miles in 12 streams. Hybridization is an ongoing threat. Due to recovery efforts, the number of Apache trout has increased dramatically. As of 2010, there were 29 self-sustaining populations, nearing the goal of 30 populations outlined in the recovery plan.

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Arctic peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus tundrius)

Status: DelistedCritical habitat: none
Listed: 6/2/1970Recovery plan: 6/30/1991
   

Range: AL(m), AK(b), AZ(m), AR(m), CA(m), CO(m), CT(m), DE(m), DC(m), FL(m), GA(m), ID(m), IL(m), IN(m), IA(m), KS(m), KY(m), LA(m), ME(m), MD(m), MA(m), MI(m), MN(m), MS(m), MO(m), MT(m), NE(m), NV(m), NH(m), NY(m), NM(m), NJ(m), NC(m), ND(m), OH(m), OK(m), OR(m), PA(m), RI(m), SC(m), SD(m), TN(m), TX(m), UT(m), VT(m), VA(m), WA(m), WV(m), WI(m), WY(m) ---

SUMMARY
The Arctic peregrine falcon declined due to the egg shell-thinning effects of DDT and other organochlorine pesticides. Its listing as an endangered species in 1970 (along with other birds of prey) prompted the EPA to ban DDT in 1972. Counts of migratory Arctic falcons increased from 103 in 1976, to 1,017 in 2004. The species was downlisted to threatened in 1984 and delisted in 1991.

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Bald eagle (continental U.S. DPS) (Haliaeetus leucocephalus (Continental U.S. DPS))

Status: DelistedCritical habitat: none
Listed: 3/11/1967Recovery plan: 5/18/1999
   

Range: AL(b), AZ(b), AR(b), CA(b), CO(b), CT(b), DE(b), DC(b), FL(b), GA(b), ID(b), IL(b), IN(b), IA(b), KS(b), KY(b), LA(b), ME(b), MD(b), MA(b), MI(b), MN(b), MS(b), MO(b), MT(b), NE(b), NV(b), NH(b), NY(b), NM(b), NJ(b), NC(b), ND(b), OH(b), OK(b), OR(b), PA(b), RI(b), SC(b), SD(b), TN(b), TX(b), UT(b), VT(b), VA(b), WA(b), WV(b), WI(b), WY(b) ---

SUMMARY
The bald eagle declined throughout the lower 48 states, and was extirpate from most of them due to habitat loss, persecution, and DDT-related eggshell thinning. The banning of DDT, increased wetland protection and restoration, and an aggressive, mostly state-based reintroduction program caused eagle pairs to soar from 416 in 1963 to 11,052 in 2007 when the eagle was removed from the endangered list.

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Black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes)

Status: EndangeredCritical habitat: none
Listed: 3/11/1967Recovery plan: 8/8/1988
   

Range: AZ(b), CO(b), MT(b), SD(b), UT(b), WY(b) --- KS(x), NE(x), NM(x), ND(x), OK(x), TX(x)

SUMMARY
The black-footed ferret was nearly driven extinct due to the elimination of prairie dog colonies by habitat destruction, shooting and plague. It was thought extinct until 1964, extirpated from the wild in 1974, thought extinct again in 1979, then rediscovered in 1981. All ferrets were captured in 1987. A reintroduction program increased wild ferrets from 0 in 1991 to about 1,410 in 2010.

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California brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis californicus )

Status: DelistedCritical habitat: none
Listed: 10/13/1970Recovery plan: 2/3/1983
   

Range: AZ(o), CA(b), OR(s), WA(s) ---

SUMMARY
The California brown pelican declined due to habitat loss, reproductive failure from DDT-related eggshell thinning and toxic exposure to the pesticide endrin. It was listed as endangered in 1970, but continued declining to a low of 466 pairs in 1978. Since then, it as increased, though inconsistently, reaching 11,695 nesting pairs when delisted in 2009. The banning of DDT and protection of nesting areas, especially in Channel Islands National Park, are responsible for its recovery.

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California condor (Gymnogyps californianus)

Status: EndangeredCritical habitat: 9/24/1976
Listed: 3/11/1967Recovery plan: 4/25/1996
   

Range: AZ(b), CA(b) --- NV(x), OR(x), UT(x), WA(x)

SUMMARY
The California condor was nearly driven extinct by DDT, lead poisoning from ingested bullet fragments, and hunting. Lead poisoning remains a major threat to the species. Wild condors declined to nine birds by 1985. A captive-breeding and release program has increased the population to 386 birds as of 2012, including 213 wild and 173 captive birds.

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Gila trout (Oncorhynchus gilae gilae)

Status: ThreatenedCritical habitat: none
Listed: 3/11/1967Recovery plan: 9/10/2003
   

Range: AZ(b), NM(b) ---

SUMMARY
The Gila trout was extirpated from most of its range by habitat loss and competition and hybridization with exotic fish species, most notably rainbow and brown trout. By 1950 it had been reduced to about 20 stream miles. It was listed endangered in 1973. The New Mexico population grew from about 7,600 in 1975 to 37,000 in 2008. The total number of populations increased from five in 1975 to fourteen in 2003. It was downlisted to "threatened" status in 2006 and has since been reintroduced to Arizona.

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Gray wolf (Northern Rockies DPS) (Canis lupus (Northern Rockies DPS))

Status: EndangeredCritical habitat: none
Listed: 3/11/1967Recovery plan: 8/3/1987
   

Range: ID(b), MT(b), eastern OR(b), eastern WA(b), WY(b), northern UT(o)

SUMMARY

Gray wolves were purposefully hunted, trapped and poisoned to near extinction in the western United States, often by the federal government or with the encouragement of private and state bounties. By 1973, no wild wolves remained in the region. They were listed as endangered in 1967 and began  recolonizing the Northern Rocky Mountains from Canada in the early 1980s. Due to prohibition of killing, habitat protection, and reintroductions, the population grew rapidly, was downlisted in 2003, reached 1,679 wolves by 2009, and was delisted in 2011.

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Gray wolf (Southwest DPS) (Canis lupus (Southwest DPS))

Status: EndangeredCritical habitat: none
Listed: 4/28/1976Recovery plan: 9/15/1982
   

Range: AZ(b), NM(b) --- CO(x), OK(x), TX(x), UT(x)

SUMMARY
Hunting and trapping resulted in the extirpation of Mexican gray wolves from the United States by 1970. Wolves captured in Mexico were used to establish a captive-breeding program and as of 2010, there were about 50 Mexican gray wolves in the wild.

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Maguire daisy (Erigeron maguirei)

Status: DelistedCritical habitat: none
Listed: 9/5/1985Recovery plan: 8/15/1995
   

Range: UT

SUMMARY
The Maguire daisy was listed as endangered in 1985 due to its population size and the threat uranium mining, oil and gas exploration, cattle grazing and recreation. Listing and interagency agreements abated the habitat threats. At the time of listing in 1985, the daisy was known from a single site and only seven individuals. By 1995 there were 32 known sites and an estimated population of 5,000. As of 2011, there were 118 known sites and an estimated 164,250 individuals.

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Northern Aplomado falcon (Falco femoralis septentrionalis)

Status: EndangeredCritical habitat: none
Listed: 2/25/1986Recovery plan: 6/8/1990
   

Range: AZ, NM, TX

SUMMARY
Aplomado falcons are threatened by widespread habitat encroachment resulting from control of range fires, intense overgrazing, agricultural development, channelization of desert streams, pesticide exposure and predation. The falcon was completely extirpated from the United States by 1960. In 2011 there were 79 falcons in the reintroduced population in south Texas; there are also experimental populations in west Texas and southern New Mexico.

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Socorro isopod (Thermosphaeroma thermophilum)

Status: EndangeredCritical habitat: none
Listed: 3/27/1978Recovery plan: 2/16/1982
   

Range: NM(b) ---

SUMMARY
The Socorro isopod was reduced to a single spring due to water diversions. It was protected in 1978. After the species was nearly driven to extinction by an accident in 1988, three new populations were established on site and in a research park. All populations were stable as of 2009.

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Utah prairie dog (Cynomys parvidens)

Status: ThreatenedCritical habitat: none
Listed: 6/4/1973Recovery plan: 3/1/2012
   

Range: UT(b) ---

SUMMARY
The Utah prairie dog declined due to habitat loss to livestock and agriculture, a deliberate poisoning campaign, sylvatic plague and drought. Prairie dog population size increased from 3,300 individuals in 1972 to approximately 11,296 in 2010.

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Whooping crane (Grus americana)

Status: EndangeredCritical habitat: 5/15/1978
Listed: 3/11/1967Recovery plan: 3/30/2007
   

Range: CO(m), FL(b), GA(m), IL(m), IN(m), KS(m), KY(m), MT(m), NE(m), ND(m), OK(m), SD(m), TN(m), TX(s), WI(b), WY(m) --- AL(x), AR(x), DE(x), DC(x), IA(x), LA(x), MD(x), MN(x), MS(x), MO(x), NJ(x), NC(x), OH(x), SC(x), UT(x), VA(x), WV(x)

SUMMARY
The whooping crane declined precipitously in the late 1800s and early 1900s due to hunting and habitat loss. It remains threatened by habitat degradation, collisions with power lines, and oil and gas development. When listed as endangerd in 1967, the whooping crane consisted of 43 wild and 7 captive birds. By 2011, it had grown to 437 wild and 162 captive birds.

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