U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services Extends Comment Period for Yellow-Billed Cuckoo

Earlier this week, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced the extension of the public comment period for its proposal to designate 546,000 acres of critical habitat for the western population of the yellow-billed cuckoo.  The original public comment period ended on October 14, 2014.  The new deadline for submitting public comments is December 14, 2014. 

The proposed habitat spans nine states, and 242,000 acres of private and locally owned property.  The Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, Rep. Doc Hastings (R-WA), sent a letter (along with 17 other Republican House Members) to the USFWS requesting an extension of the comment period.  The USFWS estimates that the bird's critical habitat will cost about $3.2 million per year in "incremental economic impacts," which primarily comprise the cost of consulting with the USFWS for permits and other federal actions.  Republicans have voiced great concerns about the financial impacts, arguing that the USFWS does not take into consideration broader direct and indirect costs.  

The proposal would include land in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming.