Giant Palouse Earthworms: They are alive, but are they endangered?

Discovery of live Giant Palouse Earthworms caught the attention of the national media last month. The worm was featured in the New York Times, dozens of regional publications and was defended on the Comedy Central series “The Colbert Report.”

The discovery may also lead to more movement in the efforts to have the worm listed as an endangered species.

“Now that there’s new information, there’s definitely the potential for a new petition to be filed,” said Gary Macfarlane with Friends of the Clearwater, one of several local conservation groups that petitioned the federal government in 2006 to put the endangered tag on the worm.

One of the worms discovered March 27 on Paradise Ridge south of Moscow was killed to verify it as a Giant Palouse Earthworm. A juvenile and three infants are alive and are being kept at the University of Idaho.

“I think this changes things, actually,” said Macfarlane. “I think it gives us more proof that the worms are not extinct and are indeed endangered.”

That petition was denied by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service because it lacked enough information about the worm and its habitat. The petitioners appealed that denial to the U.S. Ninth Circuit of Appeals in February. A ruling has yet to be issued.

“We included every piece of information ever written on the worm,” said Steve Paulson of Lenore, Idaho, one of the prime authors of the petition.

The same groups filed a second petition with more information in October of last year.

While encouraged by verification of the worm’s existence, Paulson said he believes it does not change the group’s stance.

“Not from our point of view. We’ll see what it does from the Fish and Wildlife point of view,” he said.

Michelle Eames, biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Spokane, said nobody seems to know if the finding would have any impact on the petition.

“We really haven’t had the chance to look into it yet,” she said. “Off hand, I don’t know that it would change anything.”

Listing as an endangered species would, petitioners hope, strengthen efforts to preserve the few remaining pockets of native Palouse Prairie.

That has worried some farmers and ag officials that their land would be impacted by regulations on the endangered species.

Macfarlane noted most of the Palouse Prairie has been tilled up for farming. The only live specimens have been found in forests and untouched prairie pockets.

“Really, the only impact to farming would be if they wanted to move into native areas,” he said.