March 17, 2003
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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Laramie, WY - Today, four local and regional conservation groups filed an emergency petition asking the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to immediately list the Black Hills population of American dipper, an aquatic songbird, as an endangered species. The status would give the bird protection under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.

The American Dipper U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

The dipper population in the Black Hills has declined significantly over the years. It once inhabited several permanent streams in the Black Hills. Today, only Spearfish Creek in the northern Black Hills supports a healthy population of dipper. Even French Creek and Rapid Creek, which once supported thriving populations of dipper, have not supported breeding populations for years. In 1996, the dipper was listed as a Threatened Species by the State of South Dakota.

Water pollution and stream habitat degradation appear to be the major causes of the dipper's decline in the Black Hills. The dipper is extremely sensitive to stream pollution and is an important indicator of water quality. Known causes of pollution include livestock grazing, logging, roads and road construction, mining, and sewage systems - all of which ultimately harm the dipper. Dams and water diversions have also degraded dipper habitat by reducing stream flows and in many cases destroying nest sites. The extremely small size of the Black Hills dipper population is another concern, because it makes the bird more vulnerable to extinction from natural events like flooding and wildfire.

"Healthy populations of American dipper mean healthy streams," explained Jeremy Nichols, Black Hills Conservation Coordinator with Biodiversity Conservation Alliance. "The decline of the dipper speaks directly to how livestock grazing, logging, road construction, mining, and other developments have taken a devastating toll on water quality in the Black Hills."

The lack of adequate protection measures has also been cited as a reason for the bird's decline in the Black Hills. Agencies like the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Reclamation at Pactola Dam, and the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources are responsible in some way for protecting the American dipper and water quality in the Black Hills. "Unfortunately, these agencies have given entirely inadequate attention to the dipper and declining water quality in the Black Hills," said Jacob Smith, Executive Director of the Center for Native Ecosystems.

"A declining population, combined with habitat destruction and a lack of agency attention is a recipe for extinction," said Erin Robertson, staff biologist with the Center for Native Ecosystems. "The best scientific information tells us that without Endangered Species Act protection, the Black Hills population of American dipper faces imminent extinction."

Described by the naturalist John Muir in 1894 as "the mountain stream's own darling" and "the hummingbird of blooming waters," the American dipper is widely known for its characteristic dipping behavior, as well as its amazing ability to live, feed, and play in the rapids and cascades of cool streams in the mountains of western North America. The Black Hills of South Dakota is the easternmost mountain range where the species lives. The dipper population in the Black Hills is unique in that it is isolated from populations in other mountain ranges by 200 miles of grasslands.

"The dipper is a very special bird and it is an irreplaceable part of the Black Hills. It's loss would be a tragedy." said Nancy Hilding, President of Prairie Hills Audubon Society of Western South Dakota.

Endangered Species Act protection for dipper would mean that its habitat - including water quality - in the Black Hills would be protected and improved. It would also require the federal government to develop a recovery plan.

This citizen petition was filed pursuant to the emergency listing provisions of the Endangered Species Act, which require the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to act promptly to protect any species that faces an imminent risk of extinction. Although the Service typically cites budget constraints as the reason for ignoring citizen listing petitions, the request for emergency protection allows the agency to rely on funds specifically set aside for emergency purposes. This petition was also filed under provisions of the Endangered Species Act that allow for protection of distinct population segments of a species. The Black Hills population of American dipper is a distinct population segment because it is isolated from other populations, due primarily to the bird's inability to migrate long distances and the geographic isolation of the Black Hills.

The petitioners, led by Laramie-based Biodiversity Conservation Alliance, include Prairie Hills Audubon Society of Western South Dakota, the Black Hills Regional Office of Native Ecosystems Council, and Center for Native Ecosystems.