Secretary Haaland Announces Removal of Apache Trout, Arizona’s State Fish, from Endangered Species List Due to Collaborative Conservation Efforts

Date: Tuesday, September 4, 2024
Contact: Interior_Press@ios.doi.gov

Mesa, Ariz. — Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland today announced that after more than five decades of recovery efforts by federal, state and Tribal partners, and with $5.1 million from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, the Apache trout is being removed from the federal list of endangered and threatened wildlife. The restoration of Arizona’s state fish marks the first sportfish and the first trout delisted due to recovery, a significant conservation success under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

Secretary Haaland joined Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs, White Mountain Apache Tribe Chairman Kasey Velesquez, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Deputy Director Siva Sundaresan, and conservation partners today at a celebration in Mesa, Arizona, to celebrate the restoration of the species.

“After more than 50 years of devoted efforts among federal, state, Tribal and non-governmental organizations, the incredible recovery of the Apache trout reminds us of the transformational power that collaborative conservation efforts – grounded in Indigenous Knowledge – can have on fish and wildlife,” said Secretary Haaland. “This recovery is a testament to the importance of the Endangered Species Act and its tools and resources that are allowing the Interior Department and the federal government to protect vital species in every corner of America.”

“Thanks to resources from the President’s Investing in America agenda, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and partners were able to reopen over 60 miles of habitat and reinforce existing conservation efforts, resulting in today’s impressive announcement,” said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Martha Williams. “We are making investments like these all across the nation, with benefit to both people and wildlife for generations to come.”

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in the nation’s rivers and streams, benefitting communities and species like the Apache trout. Apache trout projects funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law include the 2022 Apache Trout Recovery Fish Passage Infrastructure Project and the 2023 Crooked Creek Route 55 Culvert Fish Passage Project, both led by the White Mountain Apache Tribe.

The Apache trout is found exclusively in streams of the White Mountains in the eastern part of Arizona. It is one of only two species of trout native to the state and is sacred to the White Mountain Apache Tribe. First described as a unique species separate from Gila trout in 1972, a year later it gained protection under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 due to habitat loss, and introduction of non-native species. It was subsequently downlisted to threatened in 1975. By 1979, 14 known populations occupied 30 miles of habitat. Today, thanks to conservation efforts, 30 populations occupy 175 miles of habitat.

Essential conservation actions, including the removal of non-native trout and reintroduction of Apache trout, have driven this recovery. Apache trout require continual management to maintain conservation barriers and prevent hybridization with non-native species. To address these needs, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service, White Mountain Apache Tribe, Arizona Game and Fish Department, and Trout Unlimited will collaborate under a cooperative management plan to safeguard and sustain Apache trout populations and their habitats over the long term.

The Apache trout’s recovery journey involved an initial recovery plan developed in 1979, followed by a revised plan in 1983, and a second update in 2009. Additionally, a comprehensive species status assessment was conducted, incorporating the latest scientific data to evaluate the species’ current needs, conditions and threats and to model future scenarios. The Service actively engages with Tribes, federal agencies, state and local governments, conservation organizations, communities and private citizens on recovery under the ESA to help inform ideas and innovative ways to conserve and restore imperiled species and carry out on-the-ground recovery implementation actions.  

The ESA has been highly effective and credited with saving 99% of listed species from extinction. Thus far, more than 100 species of plants and animals have been delisted based on recovery or reclassified from endangered to threatened based on improved conservation status, and hundreds more species are stable or improving thanks to the collaborative actions of Tribes, federal agencies, state and local governments, conservation organizations and private citizens.  

The final rule will be available soon in the Federal Register at www.federalregister.gov and regulations.gov by searching under docket number FWS-R2-ES-2022-0115.  

To learn more about the Apache trout, please visit the species profile page.

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