What are the threats to the St. Mary-Belly River and Coastal-Puget Sound populations?
A. The Coastal-Puget Sound population segment is threatened by habitat degradation, dams and diversions, and interactions with non-native fishes. The St. Mary-Belly River population segment is threatened by the effects of water management (such as reduction of flow for water diversion, diversion fish of into a ditch or canal, and passage barriers at diversion structures), and interactions with introduced non-native fishes. Q. Previously, the Service reviewed and listed the bull trout by each distinct population. In this rule, the species is being listed coterminously. Why? A. Typically, species are listed throughout their entire range or, coterminously (i.e. in the lower 48 states). To allow more flexibility, especially for a wide-ranging species such as the bull trout, the Service has a policy which allows us to list a distinct population segment of that species’ range, rather than its entire range. A distinct population segment is a discrete population that is identified as significa
