The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD), alongside conservation leaders, Gov. Katie Hobbs, and U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, recently celebrated the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS) decision to remove Apache trout from the federal Endangered Species List.
The delisting announcement was made by Secretary Haaland at a special event in Mesa on Sept. 4.
Gov. Katie Hobbs signed a proclamation to celebrate the delisting of Arizona’s state fish and designate Sept. 5 as “Apache Trout Day.”
“The recovery of Apache trout is a culmination of more than five decades of hard work and the cooperation of many partners, and it’s truly an amazing conservation success story,” said AZGFD Director Ty Gray.
Apache trout, one of only two native trout species in Arizona, were found in streams across the White Mountains in east-central Arizona before their populations began to rapidly decline during the late 19th century and the first half of the 20th century. The White Mountain Apache Tribe was the first to recognize the loss of this critical species and took steps to protect them on tribal lands.
AZGFD’s efforts to protect Apache trout began in the 1960s through a controlled propagation program in collaboration with the Tribe and the FWS. Apache trout became one of the first species to be federally listed as endangered in 1967, before successful conservation work and a greater knowledge of existing populations allowed the species to be downlisted from endangered to threatened in 1975. This downlisting created the ability to allow limited fishing opportunities for Apache trout in specific areas, giving anglers the chance to directly support the conservation of the species.
AZGFD worked side-by-side with representatives from the Tribe, the FWS, and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to form an Apache Trout Recovery Team in 1979 to develop a long-term plan for the species’ survival, updated in 1983 and 2009, and that close collaboration continues today. AZGFD has worked with its partners for decades to establish new and maintain existing recovery populations, improve habitat, construct and maintain fish barriers, and successfully propagate Apache trout at the Tonto Creek and Silver Creek hatcheries.
“Our work is not done yet,” said Julie Carter, AZGFD’s Aquatic Wildlife Branch Chief. “We are still working to restore Apache trout populations to new locations and continuing to protect and enhance our existing populations. This achievement honors the current employees and retirees from all of the agencies who devoted countless hours to conserving and protecting Apache trout. Their dedication and perseverance made this possible.”
The most recent five-year status review of the Apache trout concluded that the species has recovered significantly since the time of its listing and recommended that it be considered for delisting. The Cooperative Management Plan (a collaborative effort between AZGFD, the Tribe, the FWS, the USFS, and Trout Unlimited) signed in 2021, outlines the management actions needed to ensure the long-term management of the species. While Apache trout are no longer listed, efforts will continue to establish, enhance, and maintain healthy populations while continuing to provide sportfishing opportunities for anglers across Arizona.
