Habitat Restoration Project Yields More Pecos Sunflowers
October 2008
The Pecos sunflower is a rare wetland annual plant that grows on wet, alkaline soils at spring seeps, wet meadows and pond margins in New Mexico and Texas. New Mexico State Forestry Division purchased and restored 116 acres near Santa Rosa, New Mexico to protect the rare Pecos sunflower. The Service gave a grant of $75,000 under their Recovery Land Acquisition program and the New Mexico Dept. of Transportation granted the other $75,000 to purchase the cienega. The attached report illustrates with ‘before and after’ photos how a natural area is restored to achieve the desired effect – lots of sunflowers.
"Natural cienega wetlands are very rare and threatened habitats in New Mexico,” said State Forestry Division’s Rare and Endangered Plant Program Manager Bob Sivinski. “A cienega is like an oasis in a desert that provides habitat for many unique native plants and animals. By preserving Blue Hole Cienega, we’re protecting a rare habitat and providing a way to help the Pecos Sunflower recover its population. Our goal is to be able to remove this plant from the endangered and threatened lists.”
Blue Hole Cienega
Wildlife Refuges Severely Impacted by Hurricane Ike:
Some Facilities Completely Lost, Remain Closed to Public
September 2008
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is reporting that due to impacts caused by Hurricane Ike, four National Wildlife Refuges (Refuge) on the Texas Gulf Coast remain closed to the public. The Texas Chenier Plains Complex, which includes Anahuac, Texas Point, Moody, and McFaddin Refuges, sustained a direct hit from the hurricane and almost total destruction of all facilities.
Until further notice, all public activities on these four refuges are being suspended. This includes public visitation, and all previously scheduled events and hunts.
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Scientists, Land Managers Grapple with Effects of Climate Change on Southwest Wildlife
August 19, 2008
Scientists and land managers will gather in Tucson this week at a climate change workshop. Sponsored by the Southwest and California/Nevada Regions of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, in collaboration with the U.S. Geological Survey’s Western Region, the workshop will address the effects of a changing climate on habitat and wildlife in arid and semiarid ecosystems.
Press Release
What else the Fish and Wildlife Service is Doing to Address Climate Change
A Message from Service Director H. Dale Hall on Climate Change
Please see our National Fish and Wildlife Service Web site for more information on our activities in other areas of the country.
Please take the time to email Lisa Whittle, Southwest Region Web Manager with your comments regarding the Southwest Region website redesign.
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