The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in coordination with the National Marine Fisheries Service, completed an evaluation of a petition to list the American eel as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. 

Since enough data existed to warrant further research, an American Eel Status Review Committee was formed.  La Crosse FRO employee Heidi Keuler assisted Region 5 with the Status Review from June of 2005 to the end of May 2006. 

Keuler worked with nine status review steering committee members from Regions 2-6, along with Coordinator Heather Bell from Region 5, Kim Damon-Randall, NOAA Fisheries Representative, Marie Maltese, the FWS International Representative, D.J. Monette, a Tribal Liason from Region 5, and Eric Holmes from Region 5 Law Enforcement.

Keuler was representative of the Mississippi River Watershed and Gulf States and Mike Twohey, also from Region 3, was representative of the Great Lakes. 

Data was first gathered from biologists across the country; then some committee members wrote summaries on what was found or where more material could be referenced if needed.  Keuler wrote the Mississippi River Watershed section, which consisted of data from several southern states, Wisconsin commercial harvest, and the Upper Mississippi River Conservation Committee (UMRCC). 

After the Status Review was completed, Keuler helped with editing and comments.  The American Eel Status Review Committee’s decision whether to propose the listing of the American Eel  will be posted near the end of August, 2006.

The American eel begins its life in the Sargasso Sea located in the Atlantic Ocean.  Eels migrate to freshwater rivers or coastal waters and live for seven to 30 years. The eel transforms from a glass eel, to elvers, to yellow and finally silver eels. 

When eels reach maturity, they return to the Sargasso Sea to spawn and die.  This species lives its life partially in both salt and freshwater and for this reason the National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service work together to review the petition and data collection.