Is recovery & delisting possible for conservation-reliant species? A case study of the Apache Trout in Arizona

Authors: Jess Newton

Year: 2022

Abstract

It is increasingly common for species listed under the Endangered Species Act to be considered “conservation reliant” for the foreseeable future. Conservation-reliant species are defined as requiring some level of management to remain viable as a species even when recovery goals for self-sustaining populations are met. This raises questions about the possibility of delisting species that remain vulnerable to ongoing threats. We present a case study of an endemic trout in the arid southwest, the Apache Trout (Oncorhynchus apache). The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently recommended delisting of the Apache Trout due to recovery. Apache Trout fits the definition of a conservation-reliant species because some threats will persist or periodically reappear into the future, such as competition and predation by nonnative fish, hybridization, and wildfire. The recommendation to delist was partially influenced by the implementation of a voluntary in-perpetuity Cooperative Management Plan that outlines partner commitments to Apache Trout conservation regardless of listing status. The development of cooperative management plans is an emerging method of addressing the recovery and delisting needs of conservation-reliant species.