Attwater Prairie Chicken (APC) National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) staff and Student Conservation Association (SCA) interns once again intensely managed APC broods that hatched on the refuge, providing fresh insects every 1 to 2 hours.  As a result, a total of 10 APC chicks were raised to 6 weeks of age, the most chicks documented since the early 1990's.  Two chicks that hatched on the refuge in 2004 survived through the 2006 breeding season.

In partnership with several Texas zoos, a record number 160 captive-bred Attwater's prairie chickens were released on the APC NWR and the Texas City Prairie Preserve (Nature Conservancy property in Galveston County, Texas) from late July to late September.  Breeding facilities involved in this effort include Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, Houston Zoo, Abilene Zoo, San Antonio Zoo, Caldwell Zoo, and Sea World of Texas.

With the help of additional funding, recovery of the Attwater's prairie chicken was enhanced in FY 2006 by addressing needs for disease research (vaccine development against reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV)), genetic analysis, and captive diet enhancement.