Endangered Species Law & Policy

On October 7, 2011, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ("Service") announced that the California state fish, the California golden trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss aguabonita), did not warrant listing under the federal Endangered Species Act because "conservation measures throughout the trout's historic range have done much to protect the species."   

In 2000, Trout Unlimited petitioned the Service to list the California golden trout citing habitat degradation from grazing, hybridization and introgression threats from introduced rainbow trout, predation and competition from brown trout, inadequate regulatory protections, and Whirling disease.  (See California Golden Trout Protection Not Warranted Questions and Answers (pdf).)  Two years later, the Service found (pdf) that the petition presented substantial scientific or commercial information to indicate that listing may be warranted. 

In the recent 12-month finding (pdf) declining listing, the Service noted a number of conservation measures that have taken place since the 2002 determination, including the completion of a revised Conservation Assessment and Strategy for the California Golden Trout (pdf), an agreement between the California Department of Fish and Game and the Forest Service to implement the Conservation Assessment and Strategy, and a number of coordinated activities undertaken pursuant to the agreement intended to benefit the species.  In light of these activities and their impact on the species, the Service determined that the California golden trout does not warrant listing at this time.