The Wall Street Journal
4 February 2014
The Oregon chub made history Tuesday, as the minnow became the first fish proposed for removal from the federal endangered-species list thanks to its recovery.
“This is a huge compliment to Oregonians and our history of conservation leadership,” said Gov. John Kitzhaber, a Democrat. “I’m proud that the first fish species proposed to be delisted under the Endangered Species Act is an Oregon native.”
The chub, whose formal name is Oregonichthys crameri, joins the bald eagle, the gray wolf and American alligator, among some 30 species that have recovered sufficiently to be dropped from the roster of plants, animals and insects compiled since the Endangered Species Act was passed in 1973.
The chub was listed as “endangered” in 1993 and a recovery plan was published in 1998. In 2010, its classification on the endangered list improved to “threatened.”