Feds Work to Protect Endangered Species Only When Sued

The Nooksack Dace is one step closer to protection with the re-release of a recovery strategy that identifies habitat critical to its survival and recovery Janet Winters VANCOUVER, BC The Nooksack Dace, an endangered fish found in small streams in BC’s Fraser Valley, is one step closer to protection with the re-release of a recovery strategy that identifies habitat critical to its survival and recovery (“critical habitat”). The federal government identified the dace’s critical habitat only after being sued by a coalition of leading Canadian conservation groups. The revised recovery strategy was released March 12. Under the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA), critical habitat must be identified in recovery strategies to the fullest extent possible. Most species listed under the Species at Risk Act have suffered severe habitat loss or destruction, and critical habitat identification and protection is crucial to their recovery. MORE