Comment from Towers Saint Amand , TerryAnn

Re: FWS-R1-ES-2026-0463 – Proposed Conservation Benefit Agreement and Enhancement of Survival Permit for the Columbia Basin Pygmy Rabbit I support the proposed Conservation Benefit Agreement and Enhancement of Survival Permit for the Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit and encourage the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to continue supporting collaborative, science-based conservation efforts that restore habitat and improve the species' long-term recovery. The Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit is one of the most endangered mammals in North America. Its survival depends not only on protecting individual animals but on restoring and connecting the shrubsteppe ecosystems upon which it relies. Habitat fragmentation remains one of the greatest long-term threats to recovery, making landscape-scale conservation especially important. Voluntary conservation agreements can provide valuable opportunities for private landowners, agencies, Tribes, conservation organizations, and local communities to work together toward shared conservation goals. When designed with strong monitoring, transparency, and adaptive management, these partnerships can expand habitat, improve connectivity, and strengthen recovery while encouraging broader participation in conservation. I encourage the Service to ensure that habitat quality, not simply acreage, remains a central measure of success. Healthy sagebrush communities, native vegetation, predator dynamics, invasive species management, and long-term ecological resilience should all be considered when evaluating conservation outcomes. Monitoring should continue throughout the life of the agreement using transparent, science-based performance measures. Recovery efforts should remain adaptive so that management can respond to new scientific information, changing environmental conditions, wildfire, invasive species, drought, and the effects of climate change. The Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit also represents the importance of conserving entire ecosystems rather than focusing solely on individual species. Protecting and restoring shrubsteppe habitat benefits numerous plants and animals while strengthening biodiversity and ecological resilience across the region. Finally, I encourage continued collaboration with Tribes, state agencies, landowners, researchers, and conservation organizations throughout implementation. Long-term recovery will depend upon sustained partnerships, transparent reporting, and public confidence that conservation measures are producing measurable ecological improvements. I appreciate the Service's efforts to pursue proactive conservation before further declines occur and support continued investment in habitat restoration and recovery for the Columbia Basin pygmy rabbit. Thank you for considering my comments. TerryAnn Towers Saint Amand