AGENCY AIMS TO SAVE ISLAND SPECIES.Byline: Cecilia Chan Staff Writer A long-term blueprint for restoring 13 endangered or threatened native plants of the northern Channel Islands and Santa Catalina Island San·ta Cat·a·li·na Island or Catalina Island An island off southern California in the southern Santa Barbara Islands. Discovered in 1542, it has been a noted resort center since the 1920s. was released Thursday by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Some native species already have vanished from the islands, including the five - Anacapa, Santa Barbara Santa Barbara (săn'tə bär`brə, –bərə), city (1990 pop. 85,571), seat of Santa Barbara co., S Calif., on the Pacific Ocean; inc. 1850. , Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, city, United States Santa Cruz (săn`tə kr  z), city (1990 pop. 49,040), seat of Santa Cruz co., W Calif., on the north shore of Monterey Bay; inc. 1866. , San Miguel San Miguel (sän mēgĕl`), city (1993 pop. 118,214), E El Salvador, at the foot of San Miguel volcano (6,996 ft/2,132 m). It has textile, rope, and dairy-products industries. The region produces cotton, henequen, and vegetable oil. and Santa Rosa islands - that are in a national marine sanctuary. The Santa Cruz Island San·ta Cruz Island An island off southern California in the northern Santa Barbara Islands. monkey flower and the Santa Barbara Island Santa Barbara Island is the smallest of the eight Channel Islands of California at 640 acres (2.6 km²). It is part of Channel Islands National Park. Highest peak of the island is Signal Hill, at 634 feet (193 m). The island is formed by underwater volcanic activity. song sparrow have become extinct, authors of the plan noted. ``It's important to protect what's left,'' said Lois Grunwald, Fish and Wildlife Service spokeswoman. She said the plan is a guide for public agencies, if they can get the funding, to help protect remaining native species of the islands. Animals whose nonnative ancestors were brought to the islands in the 19th century and later - such as sheep, rabbits, donkeys and pigs - are eating and trampling the plants, she said. ``Wild pigs are very destructive to the environment,'' she said. ``They will chew up and really grind up the soil.'' Native plants have also lost ground to other species, she said. She said the plan includes recommendations to support and intensify programs to cultivate seeds from indigenous plants and to control the nonindigenous animals - for example, remove them - and the competitive weeds. Federal and state agencies are not required to implement the plan. ``It's something they can pick up and use to help recover these species,'' Grunwald said. ``So it's a valuable tool.'' For a free copy of the plan, call (805) 644-1766 or log on to www.r1.fws.gov |
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