$5,000 Reward for Information on Bald Eagle ShootingFebruary 26, 2013 
The wounds to the eagle were too severe for survival, so it had to be euthanized. Photo: Paul Windham, MDWFP. Photo available by contacting Elsie_Davis@fws.gov. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP) are investigating the shooting of a bald eagle in Neshoba County, Mississippi. A reward of up to $5,000 is being offered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Humane Society of the United States, and the Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the shooting.
Undercover Wildlife Operation Cracks Down on Poaching in North Carolina, GeorgiaMulti-Agency Operation Something Bruin Charging More Than 80 ViolatorsFebruary 20, 2013 
A black bear at Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, NC. Photo: Steve Hillebrand, USFWS. Download. RALEIGH, N.C. — State and federal wildlife officials announced today an undercover operation involving more than 80 wildlife violators and as many as 900 wildlife violations detected. Primary violations stem from illegal bear hunting but include an array of wildlife and game law charges. The investigation continues and more charges are possible. The four-year investigation targeted poachers in North Carolina and Georgia, with some work in adjacent states. Officers with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission infiltrated poaching circles to document violations including bear baiting, illegal take of bears, deer and other wildlife, illegal use of dogs, operation of illegal bear enclosures in North Carolina, and guiding hunts on national forest lands without the required permits. Officers began making arrests Tuesday. Operation Something Bruin partners also include the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service. Read the full story...
Training for Innovative New Program Leaves Law Enforcement Officers “Dog Tired”February 20, 2013 By Amir Lawal, USFWS for our Open Spaces blog 
Viper is one of four dogs being trained to sniff out smuggled wildlife. Photo: USFWS. I just finished one more day that involved running, jumping, cleaning, and hitting targets. But if you think I just enlisted in the Marine Corps, you’d be wrong. I’m one of four U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wildlife inspectors learning how to be the Service’s first professional wildlife inspector/canine handlers. We’ve been logging hours at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Detector Dog Training Center near Atlanta, Georgia. It’s fulfilling – but exhausting – work so far. Each day involves running and jumping with our dogs. We also have to care for them and keep them clean, of course. And we have to train them to “hit the target”, which means getting the dogs to detect the scents they’re being trained to find. Read the full story on the Open Spaces blog...
Injured Whooping Crane to be Released Back into the Wild at Hiwassee State Wildlife Refuge in Meigs County, TennesseeFebruary 11, 2013 
Photo: Dan Hicks. Download. Thanks to the helpful veterinarians and wildlife staff from Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Florida, an injured endangered whooping crane is free again, and in the company of other cranes. The Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership (WCEP) first heard there was a problem with one of the 111 whooping cranes in the Eastern Migratory Population from members of the public who first reported a whooping crane limping around the outskirts of North Miami.
New Deputy Regional Director Named for the Southeast Region of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceFebruary 4, 2013 
Mike Oetker. Photo: USFWS. Download. Mike Oetker, a fisheries biologist with extensive experience in interstate water issues, will be the new Deputy Regional Director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Southeast Regional Office in Atlanta. Oetker, a 13-year Service veteran, has been the Assistant Regional Director for the Fisheries Program in the Service’s Southwest Region since 2008. “Mike has a track record of cultivating strong, effective partnerships, particularly in the controversial and complex Colorado River Basin,” Southeast Regional Director Cindy Dohner said. “I’m excited to bring his leadership, expertise and partner experience to the Southeast. He will fit in wonderfully, helping us continue a proud tradition of building rock solid relationships and producing conservation results with our State and Federal partners, as well as Tribes, non-governmental organizations and private landowners.”
Sandy Emergency Supplemental To Fund Repairs at Refuges, HatcheriesFebruary 1, 2013 
Rhode Island National Wildlife Refuge complex staff view the breach at Trust Pond National Wildlife Refuge caused by Hurricane Sandy's storm surge. Photo: Ashley Spratt, USFWS. Download. In the Hurricane Sandy Supplemental funding bill signed this week by President Obama, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will receive $68.2 million to make repairs to 25 national wildlife refuges and 3 national fish hatcheries from Florida to Maine. The funds will be invested to restore facilities to their pre-Sandy condition. Projects will include debris field clean-up, rebuilding roads, trails, and other public access facilities, and restoring important ecosystems that benefit communities as well as wildlife. In many areas, the Service will restore facilities to be more resilient and withstand future storms and rising sea-levels. The Service will now develop project implementation plans and timelines. A list of facilities to be repaired is available at www.fws.gov/hurricane/sandy. In the Southeast Region, this list includes affected refuges in North Carolina and Florida. Investments in refuges are investments in people, community, and jobs. Visitors to refuges spend dollars in local communities. For example, a 2011 study found the 553 national wildlife refuges across the nation created $4.2 billion in economic activity and created 32,000 jobs (Southwick Associates, for the Nation al Fish and Wildlife Foundation). |
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Recovering from the Deepwater Horizon Oil SpillLast updated:
February 26, 2013
