2012 Archives

Wood storks.

Larry Richardson, USFWS

December 18, 2012

Wood storks in the Southeastern United States no longer face imminent danger of extinction. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to upgrade the status of the U.S. breeding population of wood storks from Endangered to Threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The proposal follows a comprehensive review, conducted by Service biologists, of the best available scientific and commercial information about the species' status.

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Lesser prairie-chicken.

USFWS

November 30, 2012

Based on scientific evidence that the lesser prairie-chicken and its habitat are in decline, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that it is initiating a process to consider whether the species should be recognized as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. State conservation agencies, in partnership with federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Bureau of Land Management and partners such as the Sutton Center, are working on a range-wide, voluntary conservation planning effort that will play a significant role in conserving lesser-prairie chicken habitat. The Service is seeking information from the public and scientific community to inform the final decision.

News Release

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Federal Register Notice

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African Lion.

USFWS

November 26, 2012

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced it is opening a 60-day public comment period and initiating a review of the African lion's status in order to determine whether the lion (Panthera leo leo) requires protection under the Endangered Species Act.

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Successful conservation actions, including through a Candidate Conservation Agreement with the U.S. Forest Service, led to the removal of Christ's paintbrush, found near the near the summit of Mount Harrison, Idaho, from the candidate list.

Gina Glenne / USFWS

November 20, 2012

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced its Candidate Notice of Review, a yearly appraisal of the current status of plants and animals considered candidates for protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). There are now 192 species recognized by the Service as candidates for ESA protection, the lowest number in more than 12 years. This reduction reflects the Service's successful efforts to implement a court-approved work plan that resolves a series of lawsuits concerning the agency's ESA Listing Program. The agreement has significantly reduced litigation-driven workloads and allowed the agency to protect numerous species under the ESA.

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Improving ESA

San Joaquin kit fox family sit among grasses.

B. "Moose" Peterson / USFWS

November 7, 2012

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration's Fisheries Service have reopened the public comment period on a joint proposal to simplify the process of identifying habitat essential to the survival and recovery of species protected by the Endangered Species Act. Due to public interest in this proposal and requests for additional time, the agencies, which jointly administer the ESA, will accept comments and information from the public for an additional 90 days, until February 6, 2013.

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Hawksbill sea turtle.

Laura M. Beauregard / USFWS

October 25, 2012

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking proposals from states and U.S. territories interested in obtaining federal financial assistance to acquire land or conduct planning efforts for endangered species conservation under Section 6 of the Endangered Species Act. These grants support participation in a wide array of voluntary conservation projects for species on the Federal Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants, as well as for candidate species. Proposals must be submitted to the appropriate Service regional offices by January 14, 2013.

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Fact Sheet

An exceptional recovery program involving a diverse group of partners has given the endangered Attwater's prairie chicken a fighting chance.

© Noppadol Paothong

September 21, 2012

The latest edition of the Endangered Species Bulletin highlights the work of Service biologists and our partners working together to protect and restore the Nation's endangered and threatened species.

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Franciscan manzanita flowering.

Shelley Estelle / Presidio Trust

September 5, 2012

The Franciscan manzanita was given protection under the Endangered Species Act and listed as an endangered species by the Service. The Service also published a proposed rule to designate approximately 318 acres as critical habitat for the plant in San Francisco City and County. The last known wild Franciscan manzanita, an evergreen ground cover shrub, was discovered in 2009 during a road renovation project and moved to the grounds of the Presidio for protection. The Service will now work with conservation partners to recover the species.

News Release

Gray wolf.

Gary Kramer/USFWS

August 31, 2012

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that the Wyoming population of gray wolves is recovered and no longer warrants protection under the Endangered Species Act. Beginning September 30th, wolves in Wyoming will be managed by the state under an approved management plan, as they are in the states of Idaho and Montana. "The return of the wolf to the Northern Rocky Mountains is a major success story, and reflects the remarkable work of States, Tribes, and our many partners to bring this iconic species back from the brink of extinction," said Service Director Dan Ashe. "The wolf population has remained healthy under state management in Idaho and Montana, and we're confident that the Wyoming population will sustain its recovery under the management plan Wyoming will implement."

News Release

San Joaquin kit fox family sit among grasses.

B. "Moose" Peterson /USFWS

August 23, 2012

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration's Fisheries Service, the two Federal agencies responsible for administering the Endangered Species Act, are jointly proposing to simplify and clarify the process through which impact analyses are conducted for designations of critical habitat under the ESA. By improving the clarity and consistency of our regulations, the Services can continue to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the ESA.

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A grant in Washington will ensure the permanent protection of over 4,000 acres in southern Asotin County, including four miles of critical bull trout habitat along the Lower Grande Ronde River and three miles or riparian habitat along Cougar Creek.

Joel Sartore/National Geographic Stock with Wade Fredenberg/USFWS

August 14, 2012

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced nearly $33 million in grants to 21 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, under Section 6 of the Endangered Species Act, will benefit numerous species, ranging from bull trout to Kirtland's warbler.

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Service Director Dan Ashe presents Recovery Champion Award to Ted Turner.

USFWS

August 9, 2012

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe presented Ted Turner and the Turner Endangered Species Fund (TESF) with the Service's 2011 Recovery Champion Award at an event at the Ladder Ranch in Caballo, New Mexico. The award was given in recognition of TESFs conservation initiatives, which continue to play a significant role in the recovery of numerous endangered species.

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Director's Blog
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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists and Yakama Nation personnel conduct defishing activities prior to the Upper Hancock Spring Channel restoration project in north-central Washington.

USFWS

August 9, 2012

The latest edition of the Endangered Species Bulletin illustrates that conservation successes are rarely achieved through the actions of a few, but rather the collaborative work of many. Partnerships for protecting and recovering endangered and threatened species occur between the Service and other federal and state fish and wildlife agencies, state governments, conservation groups, American Indian tribes, the business community and private landowners.

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Straight-horned markhor.

Nausherwan Sarshar Ahmed

August 7, 2012

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today proposed to reclassify the straight-horned markhor, a subspecies of wild goat that inhabits the mountains of Balochistan Province, Pakistan, from endangered to threatened under the Endangered Species Act. In addition, the Service proposed a special rule for the markhor that, if adopted, would allow the import of straight-horned markhor trophies, through a limited hunting program, which will help fund successful, ongoing community-based conservation efforts. The proposal recognizes the substantial contribution made by recovery actions now occurring in the Torghar Hills, a chain of rugged sandstone ridges located within the Toba Kakar Range in Pakistan. Here, locals have implemented a wildlife management plan called the Torghar Conservation Project, an innovative, community-based conservation program that allows for limited trophy hunting to conserve local populations of markhor, improve habitat for both markhor and domestic livestock, and improve the economic conditions for local tribes in Torghar.

Fact Sheet

Queen Charlotte Goshawk adult male. Photo Credit: Rich Lowell,

ADF&G

July 31, 2012

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today its final rule to list the British Columbia distinct population segment (DPS) of the Queen Charlotte goshawk (Accipiter gentilis laingi) as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The species is not being listed in the U.S. due in part to protections provided by the U.S. Forest Service's Tongass Land Management Plan. The Endangered Species Act provides this flexibility so that protections can be tailored to where they are needed.

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Junn grebe.

Courtesy of American Bird Conservancy and
ECOAN, Peru.

July 24, 2012

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced a final rule to protect six South American bird species as endangered under the Endangered Species Act, including the ash-breasted tit-tyrant, JunÍn grebe, JunÍn rail, Peruvian plantcutter, royal cinclodes, and white-browed tit-spinetail. Two of these species, the ash-breasted tit-tyrant and royal cinclodes, are native to Peru and Bolivia, while the remaining four species occur only in Peru. The primary factor leading to the listing of these species is habitat destruction and degradation.

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The wing band on this little brown bat will help biologists and researchers identify individual bats from year to year.

Ann Froschauer / USFWS

July 9, 2012

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced grant awards totaling $962,981 to thirty states for white-nose syndrome projects. State natural resource agencies will use the funds for surveillance and monitoring of caves and mines where bats hibernate, preparing state response plans and other related projects.

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Scarlet macaw.

© Steve Milpacher / World Parrot Trust. All Right Reserved.

July 6, 2012

The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced a proposal to protect four foreign macaw species — the great green macaw, hyacinth macaw, military macaw and scarlet macaw — as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. These species occur in nearly 20 countries throughout Central America, South America and Mexico, and face significant threats, particularly due to habitat loss and degradation and poaching.

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Piping plover with chick.

Dave Frederick / USFWS

June 21, 2012

The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Endangered Species Program has launched a new, web-based interactive map with information about endangered species success in every state: stories of species making strides towards recovery, audio interviews and podcasts with Service biologists about on-the-ground endangered species conservation, and videos that highlight the Services partners.

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Dunes sagebrush lizard.

© Michael T. Hill

June 13, 2012

As a result of unprecedented commitments to voluntary conservation agreements now in place in New Mexico and Texas that provide for the long-term conservation of the dunes sagebrush lizard, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has determined that the species does not need to be listed under the Endangered Species Act. After a careful analysis of the scientific data and the protections provided by the voluntary conservation efforts, Service biologists determined the lizard is no longer in danger of extinction, nor likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future.

News Release

Federal Register Notice

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A tree in the sandalwood family.

© Hank Oppenheimer,
Plant Extinction Prevention Program

June 11, 2012

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced it is implementing an ecosystem-based approach to the proposed listing and designation of critical habitat in Hawai'i — which leads the nation in the number of federally listed and candidate species — to better prioritize, direct, and focus conservation and recovery actions. The 40 species proposed or reevaluated for listing under the Endangered Species Act include 37 plant and three animal species. The proposed critical habitat designation is comprised of 100 multi-species units totaling approximately 271,062 acres, and includes occupied and unoccupied habitat. Public comments on this proposal will be accepted until August 10.

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Cluster of hibernating gray bats.

Ann Froschauer / USFWS

May 29, 2012

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has confirmed, for the first time, the presence of white-nose syndrome in federally endangered gray bats (Myotis grisecens) in Hawkins and Montgomery counties in Tennessee.

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Morelet’s Crocodile.

USFWS

May 23, 2012

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced removal of the Morelet’s crocodile from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) due to recovery of the species. The species is found in Mexico, Belize and Guatemala. Overharvest for commercial purposes was the primary reason for the Morelet’s crocodile being listed under the ESA and its inclusion in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The species remains protected under CITES.

News Release

Under the Endangered Species Act, we can celebrate the successful recovery of the once thought extinct black-footed ferret.

Ryan Hagerty / USFWS

May 15, 2012

On May 18, 2012, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and numerous organizations will honor Endangered Species Day, and the nationwide conservation efforts underway protecting America’s threatened, endangered and at-risk species. The bald eagle, brown pelican, American alligator and Maguire daisy are all species that were on the brink of extinction, but have successfully rebounded. These species are just a few examples of those benefiting from the protections afforded by the Endangered Species Act and the dedicated people who work to ensure their continued existence.

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Partners for Fish and Wildlife

USFWS

May 11, 2012

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced the extension of a public process exploring the expansion of incentives for voluntary partnerships with private landowners and other land stewards to help conserve imperiled wildlife. This effort is part of the Service’s commitment to use innovative approaches to restore and protect the habitats for wildlife and improve implementation of the Endangered Species Act. The comment period will now close on July 13, 2012.

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This piping plover may look like it has many legs, but it is keeping two chicks under its wing to keep them warm.

Photo Credit: © Jim Fenton, 2010

April 23, 2012

The latest edition of the Endangered Species Bulletin highlights the work of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists and partners to ensure that future generations may continue to enjoy the many benefits that birds bring to our lives. Birds play a significant ecological, economic and cultural role in our lives. Success in recovering endangered bird populations — and those of so many other imperiled species — depends on collaboration. A key part of the effort to recover these species has been our partnerships with state and local governments, other federal agencies, non-government organizations and private citizens who come together with a shared mission to conserve birds and the habitat they depend on.

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Woodland Caribou, painted by Sky Waters from Minnesota, was selected as the grand prize winner of the 2012 Endangered Species Day Youth Art Contest. Credit: copy from Endangered Species Coalition.

Credit: copy from Endangered Species Coalition.

April 19, 2012

The grand prize winner of the Endangered Species Day Youth Art Contest is 11-year old Sky Waters from Minnesota. His painting of a woodland caribou was selected from more than 2,100 submissions. Five winners were also selected based on grade categories. This art contest is a partnership between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Endangered Species Coalition, Association of Zoos and Aquariums and Ogden Museum of Southern Art/University of New Orleans, and is an integral part of the seventh annual national Endangered Species Day on May 18, 2012.

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Biologist collects swab sample from an Indiana bat.

Ann Froschauer / USFWS

April 6, 2012

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced seven grant awards totaling approximately $1.4 million to continue the investigation of white-nose syndrome (WNS) in bats, and to identify ways to manage it. The disease has killed more than 5.5 million hibernating bats in eastern North America since it was discovered near Albany, New York in 2006.

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Miami blue butterfly.

Holly Salvato

April 5, 2012

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is formally listing the Miami blue butterfly, a small, coastal, non-migratory butterly, as endangered. This action permanently protects the butterfly under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and follows and emergency listing which had temporarily protected it for 240 days.

News Release

In a historic initiative, a recovery team released 24 endangered Nihoa millerbirds on Laysan Island in the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument culminating decades of research and planning to save a species from extinction.

H. Freifeld /USFWS

March 20, 2012

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced recipients of the 2011 Recovery Champion award, which honors Service employees and partners for outstanding efforts to conserve and protect endangered and threatened species of fish, wildlife, and plants. A total of 56 teams and nine individuals were honored as Recovery Champions for work to conserve species ranging from the polar bear in Alaska to the Appalachian elktoe mussel and spotfin chub in North Carolina.

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Partners for Fish and Wildlife

USFWS

March 14, 2012

The Department of the Interior today announced the start of a public process to explore expanding incentives for voluntary partnerships with private landowners and other land stewards to help conserve imperiled wildlife. The effort is part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's commitment to use innovative approaches to restore and protect the habitats for wildlife, improve implementation of the Endangered Species Act, and to strengthen local economies by preserving working lands.

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Partners for Fish and Wildlife

USFWS

March 8, 2012

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today announced a new $33 million partnership with farmers, ranchers and forest landowners to use innovative approaches to restore and protect the habitats for wildlife, including seven at-risk species and other vulnerable game species. Under this strategy, federal, state and local wildlife experts jointly identify at-risk species that would benefit from targeted habitat restoration investments on private lands. The announcement of the Working Lands for Wildlife partnership follows last week's White House Conference on Conservation that spotlighted community-driven conservation efforts as part of President Obama's America's Great Outdoors Initiative.

News Release

Working Lands for Wildlife Species Map (USDA)

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Northern Spotted Owl

USFWS

March 1, 2012

In compliance with an order from a U.S. District Court, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced a science-based critical habitat proposal for the northern spotted owl that begins a public review process to determine what forest lands should be designated as critical habitat in a final rule that will be published in November. This proposal recommends substantially increasing active management of forests, consistent with ecological forestry principles, in areas designated as critical habitat.

News Release

Fact Sheet

Presidential Memorandum

Barred Owl Draft EIS

Northern Spotted Owl Proposed Revised Critical Habitat

Map of the Proposed Critical Habitat for Northern Spotted Owl

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The mountain yellow-legged frog, listed as endangered since July 2, 2002, as depicted by Amanda Garcia from Murrieta, California, one of the 2011 Youth Art Contest semi-finalists.

Endangered Species Coalition

February 8, 2012

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Endangered Species Coalition, Association of Zoos and Aquariums and Ogden Museum of Southern Art/University of New Orleans announce the launch of the 2012 Endangered Species Day Youth Art Contest. The competition offers K-12th grade students an opportunity to learn about endangered species and express their knowledge and support through artwork. Endangered Species Day, taking place on May 18, 2012, recognizes the conservation programs nationwide aimed at protecting America's threatened and endangered species. Entries for the contest must be postmarked by March 15, 2012.

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Karner blue butterfly.

Joel Trick/USFWS

February 2, 2012

The Interior Department's U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service, the two federal agencies responsible for administering the Endangered Species Act, today announced a 30-day extension of the public comment period on a draft policy interpreting the phrase "significant portion of its range" (SPR) in the ESA's definitions of "endangered species" and "threatened species." The notice will publish in the Federal Register on February 07, 2012. Comments must be received on or before March 08, 2012.

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Salt marshes at Quivira National Wildlife Refuge in provide habitat to over 311 bird species, including the endangered whooping crane.

USFWS

February 2, 2012

World Wetlands Day occurs each year on February 2 to highlight the importance of wetlands to wildlife and people around the globe. Thirty sites across the United States are designated Wetlands of International Importance by the Ramsar Wetlands Convention. Many factors go into designation, but all of the sites have unique biology, incredible diversity, and provide important habitat for some of our nation's rarest species.

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List of U.S. Ramsar Sites

Scimitar-horned oryx.

© National Zoo

January 30, 2012

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recognizes the important contribution captive breeding has made to the continued survival of three African antelope species—the scimitar-horned oryx, addax, and dama gazelle. Many game ranches within the United States have been breeding and maintaining these species on their properties and, as a result of strong management practices, have offered hunting of these species as a way to manage the size and health of their herds. As a result of a Court ruling, the Service published a final rule on January 5, 2012, to require ranchers to obtain permits for these activities under the Endangered Species Act with U.S. captive-bred animals and sport-hunted trophies of the three endangered African antelope species. The rule goes into effect on April 4, 2012. The agency is actively working to streamline the permitting process and minimize any burden on the public with regard to issuing permits and authorizations for activities under the ESA. Working together we can ensure that United States ranches continue in the long tradition of wildlife conservation for the benefit of these endangered species.

Myths and Facts

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