Event commemorating this remarkable conservation success story was held today at Bass Pro Shops in Mesa

MESA, Ariz. - Governor Katie Hobbs and officials from the Arizona Game and Fish Departmentjoined Kasey Velasquez, chairman of the White Mountain Apache Tribe and other conservation partners today at a special event at which Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced removal of the Apache trout from the federal Endangered Species list thanks to successful recovery efforts. 

“This is a historic day that is the result of decades of collaboration and partnership,” said Governor Katie Hobbs. “Preserving the Apache Trout, our state fish, is a testament to what is possible when leaders work together toward a common goal. Thank you to the hard work of the White Mountain Apache Tribe, Arizona Game & Fish, the Interior Department and everyday Arizonans on the ground who all played essential roles in making today possible.”

Apache trout became one of the first species to be federally listed as endangered in 1967. Early collaborative conservation work, successful culturing in captivity, and greater knowledge of existing populations led to the downlisting of Apache trout in 1975 from endangered to threatened.

The State of Arizona has been a long-standing partner in Apache trout recovery. Representatives from the Arizona Game and Fish Department, White Mountain Apache Tribe, US Fish and Wildlife Service and USDA Forest Service formed the Apache Trout Recovery Team to develop a recovery plan in 1979 that would recover the species and ensure its long-term survival in its historical range. Recovery actions have continued since the time of listing and the recovery plan was updated in 1983 and 2009.

The 2021 Apache Trout Cooperative Management Plan (with shared responsibilities by the Arizona Game and Fish Department, White Mountain Apache Tribe, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service and Trout Unlimited) outlines the management actions and step-down activities to achieve recovery and delisting of the Apache trout. It provides for long-term management when delisted to maintain a recovered status while providing sportfishing opportunities for the citizens of Arizona.

Other speakers at today’s event included Siva Sundaresan and Amy Leuders, deputy director and southwest regional director, respectively, of the U.S Fish and WIldlife Service; Kasey Velasquez, chairman of the White Mountain Apache Tribe; Michael Martinez, Ecosystem Staff Officer, U.S. Forest Service; and Chris Wood, president and CEO of Trout Unlimited.

For more information about Apache trout, visit www.azgfd.gov or https://www.fws.gov/.