Arizona State and Local Government Documents Collection

With the passage of the Federal Endangered Species Act in 1973, the stage was set for a confrontation between urban development and the provisions of Federal Law. Language was amended to the Act that established standards that a plan would have to meet before the Fish and Wildlife Service could approve it and issue a permit for the take of a listed species. In those jurisdictions that have adopted this approach, conservation of natural resources is no longer an afterthought but a major element that has to be considered during the regular land use permitting process.

Mr. Proudfoot, the leading pygmy-owl biologist in the United States, has worked for the last two years to gather and analyze the data that allows us to address issues regarding the genetic viability of ferruginous pygmy-owls in Arizona and to establish a framework for future management efforts. The two major questions addressed are (1) do populations of concern lack genetic variation relative to putative healthy populations, and (2) how unique are geographically distinct populations within a species of special concern?