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| The Southwest Region's logo representative of the region's Climate Change initiatives. |
Scientists, Land Managers Grapple with Effects of Climate Change
on Gulf Coast and Southern Plains Wildlife
August 2009
Scientists and land managers gathered in Austin earlier this month at a climate change workshop focused on developing strategies to address the effects of a changing climate on habitat and wildlife in the Western Gulf coast and Southern plains ecosystems. Sponsored by the Southwest and Southeast Regions of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (Service), in collaboration with the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) Central Region, the workshop attracted nearly 300 climate scientists; federal, state and tribal land managers; and representatives from non-governmental organizations and interest groups.
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Public Comments Sought
August 4, 2009
The U.S Fish and Wildlife Service has formally opened a public comment period as part of continuing efforts to develop a mountain lion management plan on the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge in Arizona. A Draft Environmental Assessment for limiting Mountain lion predation on
Desert Bighorn Sheep has been prepared. Comments on the Draft EA will be accepted through Friday, October 2, 2009.
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Draft Environmental Assessment
UPDATE! Public Meeting Scheduled
Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge Designated As Important Bird Area
July 2009
The Oklahoma Audubon Council recently recognized the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge as an Important Bird Area (IBA) to Oklahoma. Important Bird Areas are sites that provide essential habitat for one or more species of birds. IBAs range in size from just a few acres to thousands of acres, but are usually discrete sites that stand out from the surrounding landscape.
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Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge
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Map provided in petition to list the western U.S. population of the northern leopard frog |
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Northern Leopard Frog in West May Warrant Federal Protection
June 30, 2009
The western population of the northern leopard frog may warrant federal protection as a threatened or endangered species, the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announced today. The announcement is the result of an initial review of a petition seeking to protect the northern leopard frog throughout its 19 western states range under the Endangered Species Act.
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A Northern Leopard Frog. Photo Credit: Shaula Hedwall, USFWS |
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Revised Designation of Critical Habitat for the Piping Plover to be Announced
May 18, 2009
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announced today the revised designation of Critical Habitat for the wintering population of the piping plover in 18 specific units in Texas under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. In total, approximately 139,029 acres fall within the boundaries of the revised critical habitat designation. The revised critical habitat is located in Cameron, Willacy, Kenedy, Kleberg, Nueces, Aransas, Calhoun, Matagorda, and Brazoria Counties, Texas. Other previously designated critical habitat for the wintering piping plover in Texas or elsewhere in the United States remains unaffected. This final rule becomes effective on May 18, 2009.
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Climate Change: Simple Changes, Great Impacts
Fish and Wildlife Service Southwest Region Funds 10 Climate Change Projects
Climate change is among the greatest challenges ever faced by conservation community in conserving fish, wildlife, and their habitats. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Southwest Region is providing $48,500 as “seed money” to fund 10 employee-initiated climate change project proposals. The projects will be completed within existing agency funds, and address a variety of climate change initiatives including activities aimed at lowering the Service’s carbon footprint, and developing new information to reduce some of the immediate threats to species and habitat based on the best available science.
Read about the 10 Projects
Learn More about the Southwest Region's Efforts to Address Climate Change
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| With 60 years of service, Edwin "Drum" Drummond stands in front of his Catepillar. Photo credit: USFWS |
60 Year Legacy
The 59,020-acre Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge hosts a rare piece of the past, a remnant mixed with the grass prairie. This refuge is an island where the natural carpet of grass escaped destruction because the rocks underfoot defeated the plow. There is one man who has dedicated a lifetime of service to this great piece of land; His name is Edwin “Drum” Drummond. Drum started his career with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife on March 26 1946: yes 1946. In March 2009, Drum officially celebrated 60 years of service at the Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge.
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| Ed Drummond on horseback at Wichita Mountain NWR. Photo credit: USFWS |
When Drum starts talking about the Refuge, he often tells of the way they use to do things, like using real cowboys to round up the herds, or operating old surplus army equipment such as cable lift dozers, and 1½ yard dump trucks. He has a few stories and places that he describes to every new staff person or volunteer such as the heart rock and the “Oh-so-famous” bison rub rock… One thing that Drum is clearly very proud of is his service as the Foreman of one of the largest maintenance programs in the Refuge System.
Ed Drummond is known as one of the kindest and fairest people refuge staff have the pleasure of working with. Read a few comments from some of the Refuge staff.
Drum was born and raised on the Refuge where his father, Earl Drummond, worked as an animal handler. This legacy of father and son service to this agency is testament that this agency is like a family. Drum’s father worked for Ernest Greenwalt; Greenwalt’s son Lynn and Drum grew up together on the Refuge; 60 years later, Drum continues to work on the Wichita Mountains Refuge and Lynn went on to serve as the Director of the Agency. Maybe there’s something in the water at the Refuge—or as Lynn has been known to say, "Maybe it’s the dirt."
Wichita Mountains NWR
Contact Bruce Booth for more information.
Find a Refuge Near You
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Refuges thoughout the nation
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Recovery Act funding will help restore habitats for a variety of birds and animals including the masked bobwhite quail. Photo credit: USFWS.
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 129 Projects in Southwest Announced Under President’s Economic Recovery Plan
April 27, 2009
From the deserts of Arizona to the Gulf Coast of Texas, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will undertake more than 129 construction, energy efficiency, habitat restoration and other improvement projects at national wildlife refuges, fish hatcheries and other public and private lands to create jobs and ensure our nation’s fish and wildlife resources, treasured landscapes, and rich heritage are conserved for future generations. These projects total approximately $29.9 million for improvements within the Southwest.
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Learn about Recovery projects throughout the Department of Interior
Submit questions, comments or concerns to recoveryact@fws.gov.
Secretary Salazar Announces $57.8 Million in Grants to Support Land Acquisition and Conservation Planning for Endangered Species
April 21, 2009
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar today 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. Seven of those grants will go to support projects in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (Service) Southwest Region. The grants, awarded through the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund, will benefit numerous species ranging from the desert tortoise to the Indiana bat.
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Interior Secretary Salazar Announces Award of $9 million in Grants
to States for Imperiled Species Conservation
April 21, 2009
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced today the award of nearly $9 million to 12 state wildlife agencies to help conserve and recover imperiled fish and wildlife species through the State Wildlife Grants (SWG) Competitive Program. The federal funding will be matched by more than $7 million in non-Federal funds provided by states and their partners for projects helping imperiled fish, wildlife and plant species.
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Sustainable Population Targets Proposed for Endangered Silvery Minnow
-Fish and Wildlife Service Seeks to Amend Species Recovery Plan-
April 9, 2009
The USFWS today announced that the interagency Rio Grande Silvery Minnow Recovery team has developed a scientific model to determine when endangered Rio Grande silvery minnow populations are self-sustainable and are now seeking peer review and public comments on the population viability analysis (PVA) model and the recovery criteria that are proposed for revision based on the model’s results. A final recovery plan is scheduled for completion later this year.
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| Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle. Photo Credit: USFWS |
Sea Turtle Nesting Season Begins on the Texas Coast
April 1, 2009
Look out for Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles on the Texas coast this spring and summer, and help protect the most critically endangered sea turtle in the world. Sea turtle nesting season began on April 1, 2009. Throughout nesting season, employees and volunteers representing several federal, state and county agencies, and volunteer organizations will be patrolling Texas Gulf beaches daily from April through July. They will be working to find and protect nesting sea turtles and their eggs to ensure their survival and promote continued population growth. Patrols will be held during the day since these two-foot-long turtles come ashore for nesting mostly during daylight hours. The public is encouraged to report sea turtle observations by calling 1-866-TURTLE 5.
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A Tobusch plant in fruit.
Photo Credit: J. Poole |
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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Announces Endangered Species
Recovery Champion Awards
March 19, 2009
The 2008 Recovery Champion award recipients have been announced. The Recovery Champion award recognizes U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employees and their partners for contributions to the recovery of threatened and endangered species in the United States. The Service congratulates Southwest regional award recipients Tom Stehn and Jackie Poole.
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Please see our National Fish and Wildlife Service Web site for more information on our activities in other areas of the country.
Please take the time to email Lisa Whittle, Southwest Region Web Manager with your comments regarding the Southwest Region website redesign. |
