TUCSON - The process to possibly down-list the Gila trout from federally endangered to threatened could begin later this year if everything falls into place, the Arizona Game and Fish Commission was advised March 18 during its meeting here.

Terry B. Johnson, the Arizona Game and Fish Department's Nongame Branch and Endangered Wildlife chief, told the commission that the Gila Trout Recovery Plan says, "Down-listing to threatened status will be considered when all known indigenous lineage's are replicated in the wild."

In addition, he explained that the recovery plan also says Gila trout must be established in a sufficient number of drainages so that "no natural or human-caused event may eliminate a lineage."

Gila trout recovery efforts have been underway in New Mexico for quite some time and populations have been established in a number of streams. With the reintroduction of Gila trout (the Spruce Creek lineage) in Dude Creek near Payson last September, all three recognized lineages of this endangered native trout have now been replicated.

"The success of the Dude Creek stocking was confirmed as recently as Feb. 7 with the observation by department biologists of Gila trout persisting in many pools along Dude Creek. We will continue to keep a close watch on that population," Johnson said.

Johnson also explained that there is a possible fourth strain of Gila Trout in New Mexico's Whiskey Creek, but that population has fewer than 100 fish and analysis has showed little genetic differentiation from other lineage's. "However, the Gila Trout Recovery Team has decided to stock Whiskey Creek fish into the recently renovated Little Creek, which is also in New Mexico, and will not proceed with a proposal for down-listing until that occurs."

New Mexico Game and Fish biologists have indicated that a stocking in Little Creek is possible prior to the fall.

Johnson added that the Gila Trout Recovery Team is comfortable moving ahead with a down-listing recommendation to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service later this year even without direct evidence of Gila trout reproduction success in Dude Creek.

"Recovery team members could not recall a single Gila trout reintroduction that did not result in natural reproduction. Thus, it seems likely that Dude Creek reproduction will have been confirmed and the Whiskey Creek strain will have been replicated into Little Creek before a Federal Register down-listing package goes to public review, possibly sometime this autumn or even next spring," Johnson told the commission.

That wasn't all the Gila trout news. Arizona may be getting more Gila trout next month as part of an effort to establish a second population in Arizona.

The Spruce Creek Gila trout lineage is the most vulnerable to a possible catastrophic event - a future wild fire. Arizona wildlife officials want to establish two replicas of the Spruce Creek lineage in this state to minimize the chance for a setback to recovery. "We are now pursuing the establishment of an additional, fully protected population in Raspberry Creek," Johns said.

Raspberry Creek is a tributary of the Blue River south of Alpine in eastern Arizona near the New Mexico border.

The current plan is to obtain 75 to 100 Gila trout from Spruce Creek next month, then bring them to an appropriate federal hatchery, spawn them, and immediately transfer the adult fish to Dude Creek. Then in September or October, Raspberry Creek could be stocked using young-of-year fish from the hatchery if everything comes together, including meeting all the necessary National Environmental Policy Act requirements.

Arizona Game and Fish officials have met with the likely participants in the Raspberry Creek stocking, including the livestock permittee, U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "We have had discussions with the livestock operator in that area. To date, everyone supports the proposal to place Gila trout in the Raspberry Creek drainage so the outlook is favorable," Johnson said.