FWS employees spawn threatened Lahontan cutthroat trout at the Lahontan National Fish Hatchery, Nevada. (photo: USFWS)

Erica Szlosek, External Affairs
The California and Nevada Region of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has awarded $2,101,027 to the California Department of Fish and Game, Nevada Division of Forestry and Nevada Department of Wildlife under Section 6 of the Endangered Species Act for conservation projects that protect candidate, proposed or listed species.

Because more than half of all species currently listed as endangered or threatened spend at least part of their life cycle on privately owned lands, the Service recognizes that success in conserving species will ultimately depend on working cooperatively with landowners, communities and Tribes to foster voluntary stewardship efforts on private lands. State agencies play a key role in these efforts. These Conservation Grants are available through the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund.

The following grants have been funded:

California Department of Fish and Game:
Monitoring lead exposure in the California condor: $750,000
This is a new grant that funds research to document all sources of lead exposure in California condors following the July 2008 ban on lead in condor range.
Implementing recovery for federally-listed species in the state: $420,000
This grant funds recovery and conservation activities for a number of imperiled species.
Control threats to colonies of the California least tern: $250,000
From the Mexican border to the San Francisco Bay, provide surveillance and protection to tern colonies, as well as obtaining data to monitor their population and nesting success.
Santa Cruz Island fox recovery: $250,000
A multi-agency effort is under way to increase the population of the Island fox.
Management and recovery of endangered plants on the Santa Rosa Plains: $96,542
This funds an investigation of the reproductive ecology of Burke's goldfields, Sonoma sunshine, and Sebastopol meadowfoam.

Nevada Department of Wildlife:
Fish recovery: $194,102
This grant includes recovery activities for sensitive fish species in the White River Valley, Pahranagat Valley, Railroad Valley, Virgin River, Muddy River, as well as recovery actions for the Pahrump poolfish, razorback sucker and bonytail, Devils Hole pupfish and Lahontan cutthroat trout.
Bull trout assessment: $37,483
The grant funds recovery activities related to bull trout in the Jarbidge River and Lower Slide Creek.
Breeding bird surveys: $27,900
Funds survey and monitoring efforts related to the southwestern willow fly-catcher and yellow-billed cuckoo

Nevada Division of Forestry:
Seed Banking Program: $37,500
Funds long-term seed storage grant for sensitive plant species, including the Churchill Narrows buckwheat, which is a federal candidate species.
Nursery propagation for rare and sensitive butterfly host plants: $37,500
Funds the nursery propagation of rare plants and sensitive butterfly host plants for at risk species habitat restoration, including the Las Vegas buckwheat, which is a federal candidate species.