Hawaiian Damselflies Proposed as Endangered |
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Pacific Hawaiian damselfly. Photo credit: Bishop Museum
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July 8,
2009
The Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed listing two Hawaiian damselflies as endangered. Found nowhere else in the world, they are the flying earwig Hawaiian damselfly (Megalagrion nesiotes) and the Pacific Hawaiian damselfly (M. pacificum).
News Release
Federal Register |
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Port Blakely Tree Farms' Safe Harbor Agreement Protects Owl and Murrelet Habitat |
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Northern spotted owl & chicks. Photo credit: U.S. Forest Service
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July 7,
2009
More than 45,000 acres of private timberland in Washington will be managed to create, maintain and enhance habitat for two federally-listed species. The Safe Harbor Agreement gives assurances that if the conditions of the SHA are fulfilled no additional future regulatory restrictions will be imposed.
More information about Safe Harbor Agreements [pdf]
News Release |
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3 Southeastern Mollusks Proposed for Protection under Endangered Species Act |
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Dr. Paul Johnson, Alabama Aquatic Biodiversity Center, releases interrupted rocksnails as a trial reintroduction into the Coosa River in Alabama. Photo credit: Steve Ryder, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
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July 7,
2009
The Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed listing three southeastern freshwater species--the Georgia pigtoe mussel, the interrupted rocksnail, and the rough hornsnail--a mussel and two snails --as endangered. At the same time, the Service has proposed designating parts of eight rivers and streams in Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee, as critical habitat for the species.
Federal Register |
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Five Foreign Bird Species from South America Proposed for Endangered Species Act Protection
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Esmeraldas woodstar. Photo credit: Bertdichrozen
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July 7,
2009
Five species of birds from Colombia and Ecuador are proposed for protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) under a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rule published in today's Federal Register.
News Release
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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Releases 90-Day Finding on 14 Species of Parrots Proposed for Endangered Species Act Protection
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July 7,
2009
Twelve species of parrots ranging in location from Latin America and the Caribbean to Indonesia will undergo an in-depth status review following receipt of a petition to protect 14 species as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The decision by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was published in today's Federal Register.
News Release
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"Walk a Mile in My Boots" Program:
A California Exchange Generates Two “Thumbs Up”
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Biologist Rick Kuyper (left) and Rancher Bruce Hafenfeld at the Hafenfeld Ranch. Photo credit : USFWS
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July 6,
2009
Following a work-exchange, a Kern County cattle rancher and a Fish and Wildlife Service biologist termed the "Walk a Mile in My Boots" program “worthy” and “valuable.” The national program, sponsored by the Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Cattleman's Beef Association, aims to help build conservation partnerships between cattle ranchers and the Service by giving each participant an in-depth look at how the other lives.
Learn More
Southwestern willow flycatcher
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Endangered Species Act Protections to be Reinstated for Western Great Lakes Gray Wolves |
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Gray wolf. Photo credit: Gary Kramer/USFWS
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June 29,
2009
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has reached a settlement agreement in a lawsuit challenging its 2009 rule removing Endangered Species Act protections for gray wolves in the Western Great Lakes. The Service has agreed to provide an additional opportunity for public comment on the rule. Until the rule is finalized, wolves in the Western Great Lakes will again be protected by the Endangered Species Act once the court approves this agreement.
News Release
Question and Answers [pdf]
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Get the Buzz on National Pollinator Week! |
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A leafcutting bee pollinates butterfly weed. Photo credit: Mike Higgins/USFWS
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June 22,
2009
Celebrate National Pollinator Week, June 22-28! View the new video of Service staff and volunteers planting a Demonstration Pollinator Garden at the National Conservation Training Center in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, which provides planting tips for your garden. Often we may not notice the hummingbirds, bats, bees and butterflies that carry pollen from one plant to another as they collect nectar. Yet without them, wildlife would have fewer nutritious berries and seeds, and we would miss many fruits, vegetables and nuts. How many pollinators can you find in your yard?
Learn More
Video
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Service Requests Proposals for Endangered Species Conservation |
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| Whooping Crane. Photo credit: Ryan Hagerty/USFWS |
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June 19,
2009
The Service is now seeking proposals from states and U.S. territories to acquire land or plan for endangered species conservation efforts. Section 6 of the Endangered Species Act provides grants to states and territories to support participation in a wide array of conservation projects for threatened and and endangered species, as well as for species that are either candidates or have been proposed for listing. Proposals are due by August 19, 2009.
News Release
Section 6 Grants [pdf]
Learn More
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NOAA and USFWS Protect More Gulf of Maine Atlantic Salmon to Recover Imperiled Stocks |
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| Nashua Fish Hatchery employee with Atlantic Salmon. Photo credit: Beth Jackson/USFWS |
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June 15,
2009
NOAA’s Fisheries Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today extended Endangered Species Act protection to more Atlantic salmon by adding fish in the Penobscot, Kennebec, and Androscoggin rivers and their tributaries to the endangered Gulf of Maine population first listed in 2000.
News Release
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New Safe Harbor Agreement Will Benefit Three Central California Species |
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| Susan Moore, Field Supervisor, Sacramento Fish & Wildlife Office, and Richard G. Sykes, Manager of Natural Resources for EBMUD, sign the historic Safe Harbor Agreement at Pardee Reservoir in Amador County on June 2.
(Photo credit: Steve Martarano/ USFWS) |
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June 2,
2009
A Safe Harbor Agreement (SHA), covering 28,000 acres of East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) land in the Mokelumne watershed in parts of three counties, was signed on June 2, 2009. The SHA is the largest in California and is among the largest single-owner SHAs in the country. The 30-year agreement will help three species federally listed as threatened: the valley elderberry longhorn beetle, California red-legged frog, and California tiger salamander. Under this SHA, EBMUD will enhance, create, and manage habitat for these three species and receive a permit authorizing the incidental take of these species during specific maintenance and operation activities. SHAs encourage private and other non-federal property owners to conserve the habitat of protected species by assuring that the owners will not incur increased property use restrictions if their efforts attract and help listed species on their property.
Michael Bean, an attorney for the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) who worked to develop the SHA concept, played a major role in bringing the Fish and Wildlife Service and EBMUD together for this agreement. Bean recently joined federal service as counsel to the Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Fish, Wildlife and Parks for Endangered Species Act matters.
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Endangered Fishes Reoccupy Historical Habitat in the Upper Colorado River System |
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| U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Biological Technician Lindsay Lesmeister holds a 26-inch, 2 pound, adult male endangered Colorado pikeminnow captured on April 22, 2009, from the Colorado River downstream of the Grand Valley Project Diversion Dam near Grand Junction, Colorado. (Photo credit: Ann Sugiura/USFWS) |
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May 21,
2009
Biologists conducting research studies this spring for the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program reported the captures of two endangered fishes - the Colorado pikeminnow and razorback sucker - in sections of historic habitat on the Colorado and Yampa rivers where the species had not been collected for decades.
News Release
Photos
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Oregon Chub Proposed for Reclassification of Listing Status on Endangered Species Day |
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| Photo credit: Oregon Chub/Paul Scheerer |
May 15,
2009
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to change the Endangered Species Act classification of the Oregon chub from endangered to threatened.
The Oregon chub is now abundant and well-distributed throughout most of its historical range, which spans the Willamette Valley.
News Release
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Service Celebrates Endangered Species Day |
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| Endangered Species PSA video image. |
May 13,
2009
On May 15, 2009, the Service will honor Endangered Species Day and the numerous nationwide conservation programs underway aimed at protecting America’s threatened and endangered species.
News Release
Learn More
Video [script] |
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Salazar Retains Conservation Rule for Polar Bears |
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| Polar bear adult. Photo credit: USFWS |
May 8,
2009
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced today that he will retain a special rule issued in December for protecting the polar bear under the Endangered Species Act, but will closely monitor the implementation of the rule to determine if additional measures are necessary to conserve and recover the polar bear and its habitat.
News Release
Q and A's [pdf]
Polar Bear Information
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Salazar Rescinds Endangered Species Regulation Changes |
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| Whopping Crane. Photo credit: Ryan Hagerty / USFWS |
April 28,
2009
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke announced that the two departments are revoking an eleventh-hour Bush administration rule that undermined Endangered Species Act protections. Their decision requires federal agencies to once again consult with federal wildlife experts at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration before taking any action that may affect threatened or endangered species.
News Release
Learn More
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Endangered Species Grants Awarded |
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| Desert tortoise. Photo credit: USFWS |
April 20,
2009
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced more than $57.8 million in grants to 27 states to support conservation planning and acquisition of vital habitat for threatened and endangered fish, wildlife and plants. The grants, awarded through the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund, will benefit numerous species ranging from the desert tortoise to the Indiana bat.
News Release
List of Grant Awards
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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Announces Endangered Species Recovery Champion Awards |
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March 20,
2009
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Acting Director Rowan Gould announced the eighteen recipients of the Service's 2008 Recovery Champion award. The award honors Service employees and our many partners for achievements in recovering threatened and endangered species in the United States.
"The Recovery Champion award recognizes the exceptional conservation accomplishments of the honorees and provides the American people with an opportunity to learn about the hard work of recovering endangered species," said Gould. “These Recovery Champions are dedicated to protecting and restoring our nation's wildlife so that the national heritage we have today will be there for future generations.”
Learn More
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Interior Secretary Salazar Affirms Recovery of Gray Wolves in Western Great Lakes, Portions of Northern Rocky Mountains |
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| Gray wolf. Credit: Gary Kramer / USFWS |
March 6,
2009
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar affirmed the decision by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to remove gray wolves from the list of threatened and endangered species in the western Great Lakes and the northern Rocky Mountain states of Idaho and Montana and parts of Washington, Oregon and Utah. Wolves will remain a protected species in Wyoming.
News Release
Podcast
Learn More:
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Silvery Minnows Return to Texas |
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| Photo by Raymond Skiles/NPS |
January 28,
2009
One of America’s most critically endangered species, the Rio Grande silvery minnow (Hybognathus amarus), began to face a brighter future on December 17, 2008, with the release of more than 430,000 hatchery-raised fish into former habitat in the Big Bend region of west Texas. A bucket brigade of volunteers met a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service fish transportation truck near Rio Grande Village, one of four release sites in and near Big Bend National Park. The Service plans to release additional fish there over the next four years to establish an experimental, self-sustaining wild population in the lower Rio Grande.
Learn More
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Ultralight-Led Whooping Cranes Reach Florida |
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| Seven of 14 in flight led by ultra-light arrives at Florida’s St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge. Photo by Joe Duff/Operation Migration |
January 22,
2009
Seven of 14 ultra-light led migrating whooping cranes arrived at Florida’s St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) on Saturday, January 17 after traveling more than 1,200 miles from their summer grounds at Necedah NWR in Wisconsin. Half of the flock is expected to remain at St. Marks NWR for the winter. The rest of the birds will continue south to Chassahowitzka NWR, 65 miles north of St. Petersburg.
News Release
Video Journey of St. Mark's National Wildlife Refuge. (c) Drew Smith
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Service Releases Interim Update on Status of Greater Sage Grouse |
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| Greater Sage Grouse. Photo by Gary Kramer / USFWS |
January 16,
2009
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is making available an interim update reflecting the Service’s ongoing synthesis of the biological information currently available regarding the status of the Greater sage-grouse. The final decision on whether the Greater sage-grouse should be protected under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) originally due in May 2009, has been delayed pending new information about the species and its habitat. Publication of this new information is currently expected during the summer of 2009.
Learn More
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Service Removes Gray Wolf Populations from Endangered Species List |
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| Gray wolf. Photo by Gary Kramer / USFWS |
January 14,
2009
Deputy Secretary of the Interior Lynn Scarlett
announced today the removal of the western Great Lakes population
and portions of the northern Rocky Mountain population of gray
wolves from protection under the Endangered Species Act. The success
of gray wolf recovery efforts in these areas has contributed to
expanding populations of wolves that no longer require the
protection of the Act.
News Release
Great
Lakes-Big Rivers Regional Office
Mountain-Prairie Regional Office |
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Southern Sea Otters Steadily Increase in Number |
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| Southern Sea Otter, USFWS photo |
January 9, 2009
Hunted for its luxurious pelt during the 18th and 19th centuries and nearly extinct by the early 1900s, the southern sea otter was listed as threatened in 1977 under the Endangered Species Act. The California subspecies now numbers more than 2800 animals.
Learn More
Listen to an interview with the lead sea otter researcher from the U. S. Geological Survey
California Sea Otter Surveys: USGS Web site |
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Partial Finding Announced on Major ESA Petition |
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January 7, 2009
The Fish and Wildlife
Service has announced a negative 90-day finding on a petition that
would add hundreds of species to the Federal Lists of Threatened and
Endangered Wildlife and Plants. The Service made the determination
as a partial response to a petition requesting 475 species be
protected under the Endangered Species Act. The action found that
the petition does not contain substantial scientific data for 270
species.
News Release
Question and Answers
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| Three Bird Species from Latin America and the Caribbean Proposed for Protection |
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| Male Chilean woodstar. Photo by Cristian Estades / USFWS |
January 7, 2009
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently proposed to protect three
species of birds from Latin America and the Caribbean under the
Endangered Species Act.
News Release
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