LAKEPORT — The Chi Council for the Clear Lake Hitch was informed that the petition to protect the fish must go through an initial review process to determine whether it has merit.
The council spent much of its 100-minute meeting Wednesday discussing the petition by an environmental conservation group to seek federal and state Endangered Species Act protection for the fish.
The Center for Biological Diversity (CBD), a nonprofit organization working to secure a future for all species hovering on the brink of extinction, announced the petition Tuesday.
Greg Giusti, an advisor at the University of California Cooperative Extension and council member, explained the petition to the eight members present.
He said there is an initial 90-day review period in which the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and California Fish and Game Commission are charged with finding if the petition has merit.
He said he expected the process to be slow and a ruling issued in about 120 days.
Giusti said he spoke to Jeff Miller, a conservation advocate with CBD, who was confident the petition would warrant further review.
If further review is required, Giusti said additional findings could come within two years, allowing for time to conduct public hearings and getting input from as many groups as possible.
Giusti said there were a lot of “what ifs” coming from many groups that could be affected if the hitch is given protection, and he said it was too early to speculate on potential impacts.
The impact of predators, including native birds and non-native fish species, on the hitch was also discussed.
Council member Victoria Brandon suggested improving vegetation near creek mouths to allow hitch to better hide from predators.
Council member Terry Knight, outdoor columnist for the Record-Bee, said a lot of data existed for hitch surviving in streams, but not much was known of the fish”s ability to survive in Clear Lake.
The impact of creek barriers such as road bridges was discussed.
Tom Smythe, an engineer for the county Water Resources Department, said bridges in the county dated back to the 1940s and didn”t impact the fish then, so it had to be another factor affecting the hitch.
The discussion eventually turned to the council”s role in the review process.
One suggestion was to hold a public meeting with Miller and officials from the state Department of Fish and Game and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to educate people on the petition.
The council members agreed the meeting should be held in the Board of Supervisors” chambers at the Lake County Courthouse.
The members agreed the meeting should be held in early November, during the middle of the week and in the evening.
The members agreed to work toward securing the public meeting.
For more information on the council, visit its website at http://lakelive.info/chicouncil/.
Kevin N. Hume can be reached at kevin.n.hume@gmail.com or call directly 263-5636 ext. 14. Follow on Twitter: @KevinNHume.
