Why is critical habitat being proposed for the bay checkerspot butterfly now?
A. When we listed the bay checkerspot butterfly as an endangered species in September 1987, we stated that critical habitat was not determinable at that time. In 1999 we finalized a Recovery Plan for Serpentine Soil Species of the San Francisco Bay Area, among them the bay checkerspot butterfly. This recovery plan presents a strategy for what we believe must occur to ensure the long-term survival of the bay checkerspot butterfly and increase its numbers to the point where it no longer needs the protection of the Endangered Species Act and can be removed from the Federal list.
