Endangered California Condor to Return to its Original Habitat After a Century
Endangered California condor will discover the skies of its original habitat in the Pacific Northwest. A final rule that will help facilitate the establishment of a new release facility in the Yurok Ancestral Territory and Redwood National Park, as announced by the collaborators behind the condor's release, according to a Fox News report. These collaborators are namely the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Yurok Tribe, and National Park Service.
The said bird has been absent in their ancestral habitat for nearly a century. Meanwhile, the announcement of the final rule is a monumental step for the birds who were once on the brink of extinction, according to an OPB report.
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California Condor in Pacific Northwest skies
Although the birds are still considered to be endangered, the new rule will put the condors under a program that is a nonessential, experimental population, in adherence to the 1973 Endangered Species Acts. This will allow flexibility in managing and protecting the reintroduced population, as well as facilitating cooperative conservation, according to The Yurok Tribe.
Paul Souza, the regional director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service noted that the release of the endangered birds symbolizes the possibility of bringing back the population of an endangered species through partnerships.
Tianna Williams-Claussen was moved by the announcement of the release of the birds in their natural habitat. Williams-Claussen noted that the hard work in her entire adult career is driven by the release of the endangered birds. Williams-Clausen is the director of the Wildlife Department of the tribe.
Meanwhile, The Yurok Tribe has deemed the California condor as their sacred animal, and this has led their group to exert efforts in making the species return to their area for more than a decade.
The rules that were announced encompasses the prohibition of certain activities within 656 feet of the condor's nest. Habitat alterations and significant visual or noise disturbance are also not allowed.
Souza also expressed his gratitude to the Yurok Tribe, National Park Service, state partners, and others who have made the project possible. Souza pointed out that collaborations will help conserve the birds for the future generation. Souza added that through collaborative efforts, the endangered California condor will be conserved for future generations.
"We are excited to work with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Redwood National Park on the final stages of the project and beyond," said Yurok Tribe Chairman, Joseph L. James.
Endangered California Condor
The California condor has a wingspan that can measure up to 10 feet. It is also deemed as the largest soaring land bird that can be found in North America. It faced the brink of extinction in the mid-twentieth century because of poaching and poisoning. In 1982, only 23 condors are reported to survive worldwide and by 1987, the remaining population of the bird was placed in a captive breeding program.
In the present, there are over 300 Endangered California condors in the wild that can be seen in Utah, California, Baja California and Arizona.
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