By David Jones, Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands, Colorado State University
Just because a species is delisted doesn’t necessarily mean it drops off the radar and ceases to be a focus of management. The black-capped vireo (Vireo atricapilla), federally listed in 1987 primarily because of nest-parasitism by brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater) and habitat loss, was delisted by the FWS in 2018, after decades of effective management and recovery efforts. Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and Fort Hood, Texas, are two of the four largest publicly-managed areas containing the largest known black-capped vireo populations. Recovery efforts at these installations, in consultation with FWS and other partners, as well as extensive survey data spanning roughly 15 years contributed significantly to the species delisting by FWS.
According to the Final Rule published in the Federal Register (Volume 83 (No.73), May 16, 2018), “Under the authority of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended, [the Service] removes the black-capped vireo (Vireo atricapilla, listed as Vireo atricapillus) from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife due to recovery. This determination is based on a thorough review of the best available scientific and commercial information, which indicates that the threats to this species have been reduced or managed to the point that the species has recovered and no longer meets the definition of endangered or threatened under the Act.”
In its Species Status Assessment (SSA) report, which evaluates the species’ needs, current conditions, and future conditions to support the proposed delisting rule, the FWS determined that inherent uncertainty exists in forecasting future threats and population status scenarios over a 50-year timeframe. To address this uncertainty and ensure the black-capped vireo continues to thrive, the SSA report and proposed rule noted the importance of continued management of known populations of the species. The FWS then obtained commitments from key federal, state, and private conservation partners, who are largely responsible for the recovery of the species, to continue to manage black-capped vireo populations on publicly managed lands and to promote management actions across the breeding range of the species. The FWS explicitly states that the Integrated Natural Resource Management Plans (INRMPs) for Fort Hood and Fort Sill will continue management actions that directly benefit black-capped vireos.
As noted in the final rule for delisting, “The Army continues to be an important partner in the conservation of the black-capped vireo. In particular, Fort Hood has provided a substantial amount of research and management toward the blackcapped vireo, which has had a profoundly positive effect on the population. The Army’s commitment to the species has resulted in the largest known population under a single management authority at Fort Hood.”
Next Page: Ecosystem management and biodiversity conservation
Author
David S. Jones, RA IV, Ecologist/Project Manager
Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands
Warner College of Natural Resources
Colorado State University
The Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan: Foundations and Key Topics
INRMP drivers and underpinnings
Box 5.1: Black-capped Vireo at Fort Hood and Fort Sill: INRMP captures commitments after delisting