ContactsJoshua Winchell
703 358-2279
joshua_winchell@fws.gov
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director H. Dale Hall recently recognized the outstanding contributions of Service employees to science-based management of the Nation's fish and wildlife resources. Hall announced the Service's first ever science awards during a broadcast to employees.
"Science underpins everything we do as an agency," Hall said. "These awards recognize employees who exemplify excellence and innovation in using science to make a difference for conservation."
Ken Berg, Project Leader at the Western Washington Fish and Wildlife Office in Lacey, Washington, is the recipient of the Science Leadership Award. This national award
recognizes Service managers who exemplify the Service's efforts to practice and support scientific activities designed to improve the knowledge and management of fish and wildlife resources within the agency.
Berg, who has led the Lacey office since 2001, is recognized for his successful efforts to develop a science-based approach to making workload decisions involving consultations with other agencies and organizations required by the Endangered Species Act. His office developed a methodology for evaluating and prioritizing its workload that has lead to greater conservation for every dollar invested, a better balanced workload and greater job satisfaction for staff. Wider use of this approach promises to change how the Service strategically applies staff resources to maximize conservation benefits.
In this endeavor, Berg's effort made use of structured decision making, training, and support at the Service's National Conservation Training Center, and received exceptional support and guidance from the U.S. Geological Survey's Patuxent Wildlife Research Center (PWRC). Dr. Sarah Converse, research ecologist at the PWRC, provided crucial scientific support. "Structured decision-making promotes cooperative relationships between scientists and managers, and through the leadership of people like Ken Berg, it reaches its full potential to provide innovative solutions to challenging, real world problems," according to Dr. Sarah Converse.
The Rachel Carson Award for Scientific Excellence recognizes Service employees who exemplify the best in scientific contribution and application to achieve extraordinary results in fish and wildlife conservation. Each year the Rachel Carson Award goes to one individual and one group.
Rachel Mair is the inaugural individual recipient of the Rachel Carson Award for Scientific Excellence. A biologist at the White Sulphur Springs National Fish Hatchery in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, Mair developed efficient, highly-successful culture systems and feeding regimens for propagation of endangered freshwater mussels. The federally endangered northern rippleshell, James spinymussel and oyster mussel were all successfully cultured at White Sulphur Springs as a result of Rachel's commitment and expertise.
Freshwater mussels are among the most threatened species nationally and globally. For example, the Northern riffleshell is currently found in only 5 percent of its historic range. The research by Mair is keystone for potential recovery of species like the Northern riffleshell. Successful recovery requires the ability to propagate healty and genetically diverse stocks for reintroduction. Mussel propagation is a difficult and technically complex endeavor. Mair?s work is an extraordinary step forward for these endangered aquatic species.
Winning the Rachel Carson Award for Scientific Excellence for a group are the Habitat and Population Evaluation Teams (HAPET) from the Service's Fergus Falls, Minnesota and Bismarck, North Dakota offices. These teams provide science support for conservation efforts in the Service's Midwest and Mountain-Prairie Regions by conducting scientific studies, and developing biological models that are used to help direct habitat conservation delivery toward areas that will result in the greatest biological gains. All members are field biologists with special skills in spatial modeling, geographic information systems and study design. Studies and model applications conducted by the teams have been used to identify 1.4 million acres of priority wetland habitat and 10.4 million acres of priority grassland habitat needed to maintain waterfowl populations. A recent Government Accounting Office audit suggested that Congress consider the information provided by these teams as it debates funding legislation for waterfowl conservation in the Prairie Pothole Region.
The HAPET offices are a window to the future of conservation. Their capacity to understand population status, habitat requirements, and factors driving population change are key ingredients of success in dealing with large-scale challenges like climate change. The HAPET offices are sources of scientific support to design and drive conservation at landscape scales, and build strong lasting partnerships.
The members of these award-winning teams are: Andrew A. Bishop, Michael E. Estey, Sean P. Fields, Diane A. Granfors, Daniel R. Hertel, Dawn L. Johnson, Susan M. Kvas, Charles R. Loesch, Neal D. Niemuth, Fred T. Oslund, Anthony J. Rondeau, Brian Wangler.
Along with the honors bestowed on the winners, the awards carry a real benefit for their work. The individual winners will each take back $50,000 that will be used at their field stations to support additional scientific work. The two Habitat and Population Evaluation Teams will split $50,000 between their field stations to be used for the same purpose.
The awards are part of a much larger Service effort to re-energize, and re-emphasize, the agency?s commitment to science-driven fish and wildlife conservation. As part of this effort, the Service has established a Service Science Committee and launched a number of initiatives, including:
- creation of a new state-of-the-art electronic access system for scientific literature;
- establishment of peer-review procedures and policy that are among the very best in government;
- development of a new and expanding curricula in subjects like structured decision making, modeling, statistical analysis and conservation biology;
- implementation of a Scientific Code of Professional Conduct that clearly articulates the roles and responsibilities of Service scientists and managers in the responsible development and use of scientific documents;
- resurrection of the Service?s scientific publications, which will soon be accepting articles and monographs for peer review and publication; and
- support for and involvement with professional societies like the Wildlife Society, American Fisheries Society, and the Society for Conservation Biology.
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.
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