Can we remove the red-cockaded woodpecker from the endangered species list?
Recovery is a real possibility. We have the land base that we need and we know how to increase the species’ population via translocation and artificial cavities — we have no barriers. And we can’t say that about all species. What does endangered status give the red-cockaded woodpecker? The woodpecker is protected under the Endangered Species Act. Federal agencies must consult on projects, and no one can “take” the species. Hopefully, in addition to the legal protection, it also gives the species and its ecosystem a high priority for funding. How do recovery efforts for the red-cockaded woodpecker relate to southern pine forests, particularly longleaf pine ecosystem conservation and restoration? The red-cockaded woodpecker is the best representative for the ecosystem – being its primary keystone species and distributed in 10 states, 12 ecoregions, on 54 federal properties, 45 state properties and dozens of private tracts. The red-cockaded woodpecker is a keystone species — the best re
