Blanding’s turtle hatchling. Credit: Brian Bastarche / Bristol County Agricultural High School
Wilderness Stewardship, Scientists of All Ages
February 12, 2010
In the latest issue of Refuge Update from the National Wildlife Refuge System, read about students engaged in conservation science, raising Blanding’s turtle hatchlings for relocation to Assabet River National Wildlife Refuge in Massachusetts. One student said, “This is worthwhile not just because of a grade. We’re actually helping this species.”
American Pika. Credit: Chris Kennedy / USFWS
ESA Protection Not Warranted for the American Pika
February 5, 2010
Although the American pika is potentially vulnerable to the impacts of climate change in portions of its range, the best available scientific information indicates that pikas will be able to survive despite higher temperatures. Pikas will have enough suitable high elevation habitat to prevent them from becoming threatened or endangered.
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack Establish New Advisory Council on Wildlife Conservation and Hunting Issues. Credit: LaVonda Walton / USFWS
Salazar, Vilsack Establish New Advisory Council on Wildlife Conservation and Hunting Issues
February 4, 2010
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced the creation of the Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council at a ceremony held at the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial in Washington, D.C. in tribute to the great president, hunter and conservationist.
The 2011 Service budget includes funding to restore Chesapeake Bay wetlands, like those pictured here. Credit: Craig Koppie / USFWS
February 1, 2010
The President's FY 2011 budget request of $1.6 billion for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will focus funding on the agency’s highest priority conservation initiatives, while containing costs through management efficiencies and other savings to address government fiscal realities.
A northern pintail drake stands in a nearly dry prairie pothole in north-central South Dakota. Credit: Lawrence Igl / USGS
North America’s Prairie Potholes Vulnerable to Warming Climates
February 1, 2010
The loss of wetlands in the prairie pothole region of central North America due to a warmer and drier climate will negatively affect millions of waterfowl that depend on the region for food, shelter and raising young, according to research published today in the journal BioScience.
News Release (USGS)
Seized elephant ivory carvings, tusks, and mounted tusk tips. Credit: USFWS
(Rollover Image) Seized tools used for carving ivory as well as ivory from walrus and other species. Credit: USFWS
Joint U.S.-Thai Ivory Trafficking Investigation Yields U.S. Indictments, Thai Arrests
January 29, 2010
A cooperative investigation of transcontinental black market trade in African elephant ivory by Service special agents and the Royal Thai Police has resulted in an 11-count Federal indictment in Los Angeles of two individuals involved in internet-based trafficking and the arrest of four suspected ivory dealers in Thailand (including one of the defendants charged in the United States).
News Release on U.S. Indictments
News Release on January 2010 Thai Arrests
News Release on November 2009 Thai Arrests
USFWS/ASEAN-WEN Enforcement Partnership
These stone tools, figurines, and other objects were among the thousands of artifacts discovered when officers searched the defendant's home. Credit: Geoff Donaldson / USFWS
Service Enforcement Officers Foil Artifact Trafficker
January 22, 2010
An Illinois man was sentenced to pay $150,326 in restitution to the Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge in southern Illinois after admitting that he excavated more than 13,000 artifacts from a Native American archaeological site on the refuge so he could sell them and live off his profits.
Archaeological Resources Protection Act
Burnese python. Credit: Roy Wood / NPS
Secretary Salazar Moves to Ban Importation and Interstate Transfer of Burmese Python and Eight Other Giant Invasive Snakes
January 20, 2010
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today announced the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will propose to list the Burmese python and eight other large constrictor snakes that threaten the Everglades and other sensitive ecosystems as “injurious wildlife” under the Lacey Act. More than 1,200 of the snakes have been removed from Everglades National Park since 2000, where they threaten many imperiled species and other wildlife.
Waterfowl survey plane in flight with Vernon Ray (Ray) Bentley and David Sherwood (Dave) Pitkin inside. Credit: Roy Lowe / USFWS
Two Service Biologists Lost in Oregon Plane Crash
January 19, 2010
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service pilot-biologist Vernon Ray (Ray) Bentley, 52, and David Sherwood (Dave) Pitkin, 49, were killed when their plane crashed January 17th near Corvallis, Oregon. The two pilots were participating in the Mid-winter Inventory of waterfowl along the Oregon coast and were returning to Corvallis when the crash occurred. Every winter, select teams of Service pilot-biologists and observers take to the skies to survey North America’s waterfowl during January in one of the oldest wildlife surveys, dating back to the 1930s.
Service law enforcement officers in Portland, Oregon, seized two shipping containers full of unlawfully imported coral in connection with this smuggling investigation. Credit: USFWS / Law Enforcement
Coral Smuggler to Pay More than $35,000 in Penalties
January 19, 2010
A German national who runs a coral export business out of that country has been ordered to pay more than $35,000 in criminal fines, restitution, and community service payments after pleading guilty to smuggling over 40 tons of coral into the United States from the Phillippines. The Philippines bans any export of its coral resources; coral trade is also regulated under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.
News Release (DOJ)
Wild American ginseng is highly valued for its roots, which are believed to have medicinal properties. Credit: USFS
Rollover Image - The Service investigation documented the illegal sale of ginseng roots valued at over $109,000. Credit: USFS
Ginseng Dealer Sentenced to Prison Term, Fine
January 15, 2010
A North Carolina man who illegally sold and transported American wild ginseng in violation of State law and the Federal Lacey Act will spend one year in Federal prison and pay a $50,000 fine. A Service undercover agent documented this trafficking during a three-year investigation focused on the illegal take and interstate sale of ginseng and bear parts in the southern Appalachian region.
News Release (DOJ)
Seated from left: USGS Director Marcia McNutt and FWS Director Sam D. Hamilton. Standing from left: FWS Deputy Director Rowan Gould, USGS Associate Director for Biology Dr. Sue Haseltine and FWS Deputy Director Dan Ashe. Credit: Tami Heilemann/DOI
Service, USGS Strengthen and Expand Science-Management Relationship
January 14, 2010
In the face of global climate change and other 21st-century resource threats, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) are taking steps to strengthen and expand their science-management relationship to conserve fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats.
Pair of wolves. Credit: Corel
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Investigating Wolf Killings in Three States
January 13, 2010
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement, is investigating 16 incidents of wolves being killed illegally in November and December of 2009 in Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Ian Drobney, son of research and demonstration biologist Pauline Drobney, collects native seeds at Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge in Iowa. Credit: Pauline Drobney / USFWS
To Green Your Garden, Go Native
January 12, 2010
How ‘green’ is your garden? Well now may be the time to ensure that it is truly sustainable. You can order seeds of wildflowers native to your region that will give you low-maintenance blooms this spring and all summer long. Not only will they thrive — they’ll support native birds, insects and other pollinators that depend on familiar, home-grown species for a healthy ecosystem.
Red knots. Credit: Gregory Breese / USFWS
Red Knots, Horseshoe Crabs and Climate Change
January 11, 2010
The red knot, a bird the size of a coffee cup, stakes its future on the ready abundance of eggs laid by tens of thousands of horseshoe crabs. Climate change could play a key role in that future.
Learn More
Red Knot Information
Horseshoe Crab Fact Sheet
FWS Climate Change Website
These endangered radiated tortoises (native only to Madagascar) were among the hundreds of rare reptiles smuggled into the United States during Operation Chameleon -- a successful Service investigation that exposed large-scale trafficking in protected species from Africa and Asia. Credit: Ernest Mayer / USFWS
National Geographic Probes Asian Wildlife Trafficking
January 7, 2010
A feature article in the January 2010 issue of National Geographic takes an indepth look at illegal wildlife trade in Asia, spotlighting a Service investigation that snared one of the world's largest wildlife dealers. The writer, who spent several years investigating wildlife trafficking, provides his own insights into, and conclusions about, the inner workings of this complex black market.
Rachel Mair of White Sulphur Springs National Fish Hatchery with a tank holding mussels. Credit: David Garst / USFWS
January 7, 2010
The current issue of Eddies provides an in-depth look at the people behind the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Fisheries Program—each person working towards one goal—fulfilling the Service’s mission to protect our nation’s fish and wildlife resources.
Chief of Staff, Meghan Conklin. Credit: Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
January 5, 2010
Fish and Wildlife Service Director Sam Hamilton has named Meghan Conklin as Chief of Staff. Conklin brings to the position a wealth of experience gained while working in the Interior Department’s Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs and on Capitol Hill, as well as for several environmental organizations. In her new position, she will work on policy and facilitate communications among the Service, other agencies and branches of government.
Greater Adjutant in Guwahati, Assam. Credit: Wikipedia / © yathin
Six Species of Birds from Europe, Asia, and Africa Proposed for Endangered Species Act Protection
January 5, 2010
Six species of birds found on islands in French Polynesia, Europe, Southeast Asia, and Africa are being proposed for protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Galápagos Petrel and Heinroth’s Shearwater Receive Endangered Species Act Protection
January 5, 2010
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service published in the Federal Register a final rule to list the Galapagos petrel (Pterodroma phaeopygia) previously referred to as (Pterodroma phaeopygia phaeopygia); and the Heinroth’s shearwater (Puffinus heinrothi) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act).
Service Withdraws Proposal to List Cook’s Petrel Under the Endangered Species Act
January 5, 2010
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced its intention to withdraw its 2007 proposal to protect the Cook’s petrel as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.
Salt panne habitat on the Madsen-Ridge Conservation Easement in Essex, Massachusetts. Credit: Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar Announces More Than $19 Million in Grants to Protect Coastal Wetlands Across the Nation
December 29, 2009
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced today the award of $19.2 million to support 25 conservation projects benefiting fish and wildlife on more than 6,100 acres of coastal habitat in 11 states through the 2010 National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program.
Cover of the National Wildlife Refuge Coloring Book. Credit: USFWS
December 23, 2009
What kind of habitat do certain animals need? How can children help? Youngsters can learn the answers to those questions and many more in the pages of a new National Wildlife Refuge System Coloring Book, designed for children and illustrated by a student from the Art Institute of Washington, D.C.
Coloring Book - Spanish version now online!
Resident Harris' hawk at the Carolina Raptor Center. Credit: Gary Peeples, USFWS
Hawks Seized in North Carolina Get Plane Ride Home to Texas
December 18, 2009
A pair of Harris’ hawks, unlawfully captured in Texas and brought to North Carolina, are being treated to a plane ride back to their south Texas home today, the culmination of nearly two months of effort on the part of wildlife law enforcement officers, raptor biologists, and Delta Air Lines.
Whooping crane numbers (once as low as 16) have slowly increased thanks to decades of recovery efforts, but the species remains critically endangered, with only some 500 individual birds left,in the world. Credit: Brian Spears / USFWS
Service, State Seek Whooping Crane Killer
December 16, 2009
Fish and Wildlife Service special agents and investigators from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources are joining forces to track down the person who shot and killed the only female whooping crane that has hatched a chick that has successfully migrated from captivity.
Whooping Crane Video and Audio
Grandpa and grandson enjoying their big catch, a 17" rainbow trout. Alaska. Credit: S. Eckert
Create Holiday Memories in Nature
December 16, 2009
The weather may be chilly, but it’s still a great time to get outside and see birds, mammals and a host of other wildlife species. This holiday season, create lifetime memories by getting outdoors with your camera and capturing photos of yourself and your family and friends exploring nature and upload your photos to our image mosaic project.
Kevin Kilcullen, Chief of Visitor Services, and USFWS Director, Sam Hamilton. Credit: Rebecca Halbe / USFWS
Fish and Wildlife Service Visitor Services Chief Receives Department of the Interior Meritorious Service Award
December 16, 2009
Kevin Kilcullen, chief of visitor services for the National Wildlife Refuge System, was recently honored for more than 30 years of outstanding achievement including innovations in cultural resource protection with the Department of the Interior's Meritorious Service Award, the second highest honor an employee can receive.
Tundra swan at Harrison, Idaho, on Lake Coeur d'Alene, part of the Bunker Hill settlement. Credit: Brian Spears / USFWS
Environmental Damage Settlement Provides $194 Million for Federal, State and Tribal Wildlife Restoration
December 10, 2009
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced that an environmental damage settlement with ASARCO LLC, a North American mining conglomerate, would provide about $194 million for the recovery of wildlife and other natural resources at more than a dozen sites managed by the Interior, state and tribal governments.
News Release (DOI)
Pelican Island. Credit: George Gentry / USFWS
Secretary Salazar Dedicates Refuge System Centennial Trail, Highlights Dangers of Climate Change
December 8, 2009
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar walked the Centennial Trail at the nation’s first National Wildlife Refuge – Pelican Island Refuge in Florida – and laid three new planks honoring the newest units within the Refuge System: Wake Island Atoll, Mariana Arc of Fire and the Mariana Trench, all U.S. territories in the Pacific Ocean.
News Release (DOI)
Little brown bat. Credit: Photo courtesy Ryan von Linden/New York Department of Environmental Conservation
Cave Closures, Other Actions Recommended to Stem Spread of White-Nose Syndrome in Bats
December 4, 2009
The Fish and Wildlife Service has released a report recommending the closure of human access to caves and mines where bats with white-nose syndrome are hibernating in areas susceptible to spread of the disease.
Sea Otter. Credit: Dave Menke/USFWS
Service Sea Otter Investigation Secures Second Guilty Plea
December 1, 2009
An Alaska man has pleaded guilty to two Federal felony counts in connection with the unlawful take and sale of sea otters -- a species safeguarded under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Information about Sea Otters in Alaska
International Affairs Employee Cyndi Perry recruits veterans. Credit: USFWS
Division of Human Capital Celebrates Veterans
November 30, 2009
On Thursday, November 12th, 2009, the Branch of Equal Opportunity and Diversity hosted the second annual Veterans Reception as part of the Veterans Day Holiday to honor and celebrate the Service's veterans.
Lizards seized in foiled smuggling attempt. Credit: USFWS
Lizard-laden Smuggler Arrested in Los Angeles
November 24, 2009
Service special agents arrested a California resident who arrived at Los Angeles International Airport from Australia with 15 lizards strapped to his torso.
Siamese crocodiles. Credit: wikipedia.org. Used under the Creative Commons license
Salazar Announces Nearly $650 Thousand in Grants to Conserve Critically Endangered Wildlife Around the Globe
November 23, 2009
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today announced nearly $650,000 in grants to conserve and protect 30 critically endangered species in 15 countries around the world ranging from the Siamese crocodile in Asia to the Siberian crane in Russia to the Ethiopian wolf in Africa.
African elephant. Credit: J&K Hollingsworth/USFWS
Cooperative Thai-U.S. Investigation Secures Ivory Trafficking Arrests
November 20, 2009
A cooperative undercover investigation by the Service Office of Law Enforcement and the Royal Thai Police resulted in the arrest of two individuals in Bangkok for trading in African elephant ivory.