Nearly two dozen species of birds, fish and other wildlife are set to be declared extinct and removed from the endangered species list
By Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN
The ivory-billed woodpecker, along with 22 other species of birds, fish, mussels and other wildlife, is set to be declared extinct and removed from the endangered species list, US federal wildlife officials announced Wednesday.
“For the species proposed for delisting today, the protections of the (Endangered Species Act) came too late, with most either extinct, functionally extinct, or in steep decline at the timing of listing,” the US Fish and Wildlife Service said.
Also slated for delisting are the Bachman’s warbler, two species of freshwater fishes, eight species of Southeastern freshwater mussels and 11 species from Hawaii and the Pacific Islands.
“The circumstances of each also underscore how human activity can drive species decline and extinction, by contributing to habitat loss, overuse and the introduction of invasive species and disease. The growing impacts of climate change are anticipated to further exacerbate these threats and their interactions,” the wildlife agency said.
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland further underscored the need to take action to prevent extinction and protect biodiversity.
“With climate change and natural area loss pushing more and more species to the brink, now is the time to lift up proactive, collaborative, and innovative efforts to save America’s wildlife,” Haaland said Wednesday in a statement. “The Endangered Species Act has been incredibly effective at preventing species from going extinct and has also inspired action to conserve at-risk species and their habitat before they need to be listed as endangered or threatened.
“We will continue to ensure that states, Tribes, private landowners, and federal agencies have the tools they need to conserve America’s biodiversity and natural heritage.”
The proposal to delist these 23 species will be open for public comment until the end of December, the agency said.
Ivory-billed woodpecker relied on scarce habitat
Almost 3 billion birds have been lost in North America since 1970, according to a US Fish and Wildlife Service news release.
The ivory-billed woodpecker was never known as a common bird because it depended on large southern swamps with lots of space and food to thrive, according to the American Bird Conservancy.
Once its habitat began to disappear because of uncontrolled logging, the woodpecker became scarce. It was frequently shot by hunters and collectors, which also likely contributed to its disappearance, the conservancy said.
Some of the last sightings of the ivory-billed woodpecker came from the 81,000-acre Singer Tract of Louisiana, the largest piece of old-growth swamp forest left in the South, according to the conservancy.
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CNN’s Liz Stark contributed to this report.
