2014 Archives

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced it will be conducting a status review of the monarch butterfly under the Endangered Species Act. Monarch butterflies migrate vast distances, a journey becoming more perilous for many because of threats along their migratory paths and on their breeding and wintering grounds. The Service is requesting scientific and commercial data and other information through a 60-day public information period until March 2, 2015.

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The rufa subspecies of the red knot now will receive protection as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act, the Service announced today. “Unfortunately, this hearty shorebird is no match for the widespread effects of emerging challenges like climate change and coastal development, coupled with the historic impacts of horseshoe crab overharvesting, which have sharply reduced its population in recent decades,” said Service Director Dan Ashe.

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Each year, the Service releases its Candidate Notice of Review, a revised list of plants and animals that merit protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) but are precluded from listing due to other, higher priorities. In 2014, 23 species are being added to the candidate list, which helps landowners and natural resource managers work to conserve these species and remove the need for greater protection. There are now 146 species recognized by the Service as candidates for listing under the ESA.

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The Service is asking states to submit grant proposals for conservation projects that aid our most imperiled species. The grants are distributed under the Service's Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund, authorized under Section 6 of the Endangered Species Act, which provides grants to help conserve listed species and species that are candidates for listing under the act. For fiscal year 2015, the President's budget requests $50 million in grant funding.

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Following a review of the best available scientific information, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today proposed listing the African lion as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The agency's analysis found that lions are in danger of extinction in the foreseeable future. African lions are still found across a large range in Africa, but about 70 percent of the current African lion population exists in only 10 major strongholds. "The African lion – a symbol of majesty, courage and strength – faces serious threats to its long-term survival. Listing it as a threatened species will bring the full protections of U.S. law to lion conservation, allowing us to strengthen enforcement and monitoring of imports and international trade," said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe. "It is up to all of us, not just the people of Africa, to ensure that healthy, wild populations continue to roam the savannah for generations to come."

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Thanks to a thirty-year community conservation program in the remote mountains of Pakistan, a key population of the straight-horned markhor, a type of wild mountain goat, has made a remarkable recovery to the point where the subspecies' status is being reduced from endangered to threatened under the Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today in a final rule. Today, the population numbers in excess of 3,500 as a result of the Torghar Conservation Project that uses limited trophy hunting as a means to raise critically needed funds for markhor conservation, while improving habitat for both markhor and domestic livestock and improving the economic conditions for the local tribal community.

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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is extending by 45 days the public comment period on proposed a policy that would give landowners credit for voluntary conservation actions for at-risk species...

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Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell today announced that due to concerted conservation efforts by landowners and other partners, the Delmarva Peninsula fox squirrel, one of the animals included on the first list of endangered species nearly a half century ago, has recovered across many parts of its historic range and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to remove it from the Endangered Species List.

"The Delmarva fox squirrel is a perfect example of how the Endangered Species Act works not only to pull plants and animals back from the brink of extinction but can also provide flexibility to states and private landowners to help with recovery efforts while at the same time supporting important economic activity," Secretary Jewell said. "This success story is the result of a partnership with several state wildlife agencies, conservation groups, landowners and countless other stakeholders working hand in hand with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists to protect the Delmarva fox squirrel. This is a model for how the ESA is designed to work."

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Nearly $35 million in grants from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will enable 20 states to work with interested parties to make conservation happen for threatened and endangered fish, wildlife and plants.

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Once the most abundant bird in North America, the passenger pigeon was hunted to extinction in the early 1900s. The last of its kind, named Martha, died in captivity on September 1, 1914. A century later, her story serves as a somber remembrance of what our nation has lost. The passenger pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius), once numbering in the billions, was thought by some to account for one quarter of all land birds in North America. Such astonishing numbers are hard to imagine today.

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On July 28, 2014, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California approved a settlement agreement between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Center for Biological Diversity (the Center) that will result in the completion of Endangered Species Act (ESA) section 7 consultations that assess the effects of five pesticides on listed species. The five pesticides are: carbaryl, chlorpyrifos, diazinon, malathion and methomyl. This agreement amends a 2013 settlement agreement between these parties. The Service and EPA expect to complete nationwide ESA consultations for three of the five pesticides by December 31, 2017, and for the remaining two pesticides by December 31, 2018.

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Using the best-available science, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has determined the North American wolverine should not be listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Climate change is real, but its effect on the wolverine is unclear. To that end, the Service will continue working on wolverine conservation with state partners and monitor the species for any change that might indicate a need for ESA protection.

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As part of an on-going effort to provide more flexibility under the Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today proposed a new policy that would give landowners credit for voluntary conservation actions for at-risk species. "The proposed policy is a win-win for people and for wildlife species that are in decline but not yet listed as threatened or endangered," said Service Director Dan Ashe.

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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has determined that threatened species status under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) is warranted for the northern Mexican gartersnake (Thamnophis eques megalops) and the narrow-headed gartersnake (Thamnophis rufipunctatus), native species in Arizona and New Mexico. Both species will be listed as threatened throughout their range.

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The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today it is moving forward on a status review for the West Indian manatee following an evaluation of information submitted in support of a 2012 petition to reclassify the species, including its subspecies, the Florida manatee and Antillean manatee, from endangered to threatened.

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The Department of the Interior's U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Marine Fisheries Service today announced a new policy to clarify the interpretation of the phrase "significant portion of its range" in the Endangered Species Act as it applies to decisions to list species as threatened or endangered.

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Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell today announced that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is down-listing the wood stork from endangered to threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), reflecting a highly successful conservation and recovery effort spanning three decades. Jewell made the announcement at the Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge, home to the largest wood stork rookery in Georgia.

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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced the final listing of three cockatoo species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The Philippine cockatoo (Cacatua haematuropygia), native to the Philippines, is listed as an endangered species; the yellow-crested cockatoo (Cacatua sulphurea), native to Indonesia, is listed as an endangered species; and the white cockatoo (Cacatua alba), native to Indonesia, is listed as a threatened species. Each of these species has experienced a significant decline in population, primarily due to poaching from the wild for the pet trade and habitat destruction.

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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Marine Fisheries Service – the two federal agencies responsible for administering the Endangered Species Act – are extending the public comment periods on two rules and a policy to improve the process of designating areas of "critical habitat" and consulting on the effects of federal actions on critical habitat.

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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today the initiation of a status review for two foreign species of tortoise and one species of sloth to determine whether Endangered Species Act protection is warranted. The species include the flat-tailed tortoise (Pyxis planicauda) and spider tortoise (Pyxis arachnoides) of Madagascar, and the pygmy three-toed sloth (Bradypus pygmaeus) endemic to Panama on the island of Isla Escudo de Veraguas.

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In response to the poaching crisis decimating rhino populations worldwide, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today confirmed a final rule to list the white rhino as a threatened species under the "similarity of appearance" provisions of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). This action supports the closure of a significant loophole for those trafficking in all rhino horns. Addition of a foreign species to the Federal List of Threatened and Endangered Wildlife, even as threatened due to similarity of appearance, places restrictions on the importation, exportation and interstate commerce of the animal and its parts.

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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced recipients of the 2013 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. Altogether, 55 people including 4 teams were honored as Recovery Champions for work to conserve species ranging from the polar bear, to the Sonoran pronghorn, to the Kemp's Ridley sea turtle.

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The 9th annual national Endangered Species Day will be celebrated on May 16, 2014, with special events and programs that recognize our nation's efforts to conserve and protect America's most imperiled species. Started in 2006 by the United States Senate, Endangered Species Day is a celebration of our nation's wildlife and wild places, and is an opportunity for people of all ages to learn about the importance of protecting endangered species.

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The Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Marine Fisheries Service – the two federal agencies responsible for administering the ESA – today proposed two rules and a policy to improve the process of designating areas of "critical habitat" and consulting on the effects of federal actions on critical habitat. These proposals are designed to increase the predictability and transparency of the Services' actions related to critical habitat under the ESA.

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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Endangered Species Coalition, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the International Child Art Foundation proudly announce the winners of the 2014 Endangered Species Day Youth Art Contest. The contest is an integral part of the 9th annual national Endangered Species Day and engages school children in grades K-12 in expressing their appreciation for our nation's most imperiled wildlife.

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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking proposals from eligible states and Native American tribes for demonstration projects intended to reduce and address the impact of wolves on livestock operations...

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Full Announcement »

The island night lizard, a soft-skinned reptile found on three of the Channel Islands off the southern California coast, is recovered and no longer requires the protections of the Endangered Species Act, the Service declared today. The decision to remove the lizard from the Federal List of Threatened and Endangered Wildlife follows decades of collaborative on-the-ground conservation efforts led by the U.S. Navy and National Park Service to remove non-native species from the islands and restore native habitat.

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In response to rapid and severe declines, the Service today announced the final listing of the lesser prairie-chicken as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The Service also announced a final ESA special rule that will limit regulatory impacts on landowners and businesses from this listing.

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Federal Register Document (Listing) »

Federal Register Document (Special Rule) »

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Following receipt of an independent scientific peer review, the Service is reopening the comment period on its proposal to list the Mexican wolf as an endangered subspecies and to remove the gray wolf from the Endangered Species List. The peer review report is now available for public review (see below). Beginning Feb. 10, interested stakeholders have 45 days to provide information that may help the Service make a final determination on the proposal.

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Wolf recovery information and peer review report »

December 2013 marked the ruby anniversary of the Endangered Species Act, which has achieved remarkable successes over the last four decades. While we celebrate 40 years of endangered species protections this year, we are really celebrating 47. Congress passed the Endangered Species Preservation Act in 1966 – the first piece of comprehensive endangered species legislation – and the following March, 14 mammals, 36 birds, six reptiles and amphibians, and 22 fish debuted as the "Class of 1967." This edition of the Endangered Species Bulletin reflects on the conservation stories for some of these "first chosens" for federal protection.

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In a monumental success for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and all Americans concerned about the health of our nation's wildlife, the Service has proposed to delist the Oregon chub from the Endangered Species Act. If finalized, it would be the first fish ever removed from the ESA due to recovery. "This is an excellent example of how the Endangered Species Act is intended to function—partners working together to recover an endangered species."

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The Fish and Wildlife Service, Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, Caribbean Landscape Conservation Cooperative, San Diego Zoo Global, and Island Conservation are collaborating to help save Caribbean island iguanas. The region-wide effort stemmed from a workshop held in Puerto Rico this past December which brought together 61 participants from 16 nations to identify the most critical issues facing these imperiled species.

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To commemorate the Endangered Species Act's 40th Anniversary, each week we feature a different state and its unique story to highlight our continued success in recovering threatened and endangered species. This week, we learn about efforts to protect the Coral Pink Sand Dunes tiger beetle in Utah. By working with our partners, we were able to protect the beetle and its habitat, preventing further decline and the need to list it as an endangered species.

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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today the initiation of a status review for 19 foreign species to determine whether listing as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) is warranted.

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As part of the Service's commemoration of the Endangered Species Act's 40th anniversary, each week we feature a different state and its unique story to highlight our continued success in recovering threatened and endangered species. This week, we learn about the Puerto Rican crested toad, called "sapo concho puertorriqueño" in Spanish. Thanks to the work of our partners over the last 20 years, the crested toad is returning to areas where it had once disappeared.

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Get to Know Your Species »

To commemorate the Endangered Species Act's 40th Anniversary, each week we feature a different state and its unique story to highlight our continued success in recovering threatened and endangered species. This week, we learn how Arizona residents are helping lesser long-nosed bats. Following a widespread failure in the agave bloom, these bats were forced to use hummingbird feeders. Luckily for them, Tucson citizens embraced their new visitors.

ESA 40th Anniversary »

Get to Know Your Species »

To commemorate the Endangered Species Act's 40th Anniversary, each week we feature a different state and its unique story to highlight our continued success in recovering threatened and endangered species. This week, we learn about work on Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge in West Virginia to monitor and restore the mountain red spruce habitat of the Cheat Mountain salamander.

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Get to Know Your Species »