The Bloomington Ecological Services Field Office, Indiana, in cooperation with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), developed a habitat restoration information letter that was mailed in July to approximately 50 landowners in the Fish Creek watershed. 

Fish Creek is home to the federally threatened northern copperbelly water snake (Nerodia erythrogaster neglecta).  

The letter provided information about the Partners for Fish and Wildlife program, the USDA’s Wetland Reserve Program, and various opportunities including funding for reforestation offered through TNC. 

The group's goal is to identify landowners in the Fish Creek Watershed area who want to work cooperatively with the growing partnership to restore habitat and further conservation of the copperbelly water snake.  Response thus far has led to identifying approximately 50 acres of restorable wetland and associated upland habitat suitable for the copperbelly.