Habitat and Population Evaluation Teams Receive Inaugural Science Award from Director
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."
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.
Winning the Rachel Carson Award for Scientific Excellence for a group are the Habitat and Population Evaluation Teams (HAPET) from the Service's Bismarck, North Dakota and Fergus Falls, Minnesota offices. These teams provide science support for conservation efforts in the Service's Mountain-Prairie and Midwest 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 two Habitat and Population Evaluation Teams will split $50,000 between their field stations to be used to support additional scientific work.
