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AGREEMENT REACHED TO RE-ESTABLISH
CRITICAL HABITAT FOR ENDANGERED ARIZONA PYGMY OWL
To head off future litigation and ensure that habitat
is protected for Arizonas endangered cactus ferruginous pygmy owl,
the Center for Biological Diversity and Defenders of Wildlife have reached
an agreement with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service that calls for
the re-designation of critical habitat for the owl within 16 months. The
agreement was submitted to a federal judge for approval on 11-1-01
Through scientific petitions and litigation, the Center won federal protection
for the tiny but fierce owl in 1997 and the designation of 731,000 acres
of critical habitat in 1999. The habitat protection, however, was struck
down on technical grounds on 9-21-01. Based on new biological research,
we expect the new critical habitat designation to be significantly larger
than the previous.
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