Recovery Champions | 2019

Nēnē Recovery Action Group

Cathleen Bailey
Haleakala National Park

Dr. Paul Banko
Pacific Islands Ecosystem Research Center

Stephanie Franklin
Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources

Dr. Darcy Hu
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Thomas Kaiakapu
Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources

Steve Kendall
Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge

Dr. Annie Marshall
USFWS Pacific Islands Fish & Wildlife Office

Bryce Masuda
Hawaii Endangered Bird Conservation Program

Raymond McGuire
Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources

John Medeiros
Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources

Joey Mello
Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources

Kathleen Misajon
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Kanalu Sproat
Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources

Joy Tamayose
Haleakala National Park

Kim Uyehara
Kauai National Wildlife Refuge Complex

Members of the Nēnē Recovery Action Group have worked tirelessly over the years to help move the endangered Hawaiian goose, or nēnē, toward recovery. Working closely with private landowners and local, state, and federal agencies, this diverse team of partners has accomplished significant milestones for the conservation of the species through implementation of critical management actions. Actions have included successful reintroductions of the bird to Kaua'i, Maui, and Moloka'i islands; habitat restoration; and predator control measures. The dedication of team members to the species' recovery has resulted in an astounding population increase from 30 nēnē in 1950, to approximately 3,000 today. The improved status of the nēnē led to the recent reclassification of the species from endangered to threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

Doug Duncan
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Doug Duncan is recognized as a 2019 Recovery Champion for his leadership in the recovery of the endangered Gila topminnow and desert pupfishes. Since 1999, Duncan has helped implement innovative recovery strategies that have transformed public understanding and appreciation of the roles these fish play for southwestern ecosystems. His collaborative recovery actions have included developing the groundbreaking Pima County Multi-species Conservation Plan, partnering with Arizona Game and Fish Department and Pima County Health Department to use Gila topminnow to control mosquitoes and limit transmission of West Nile and Zika viruses, and working to re-establish viable populations of these species within their historical ranges. Returning the topminnow to streams in southern Arizona, southern California, and northern Mexico has been instrumental in moving the species toward recovery.

Houston Zoo

Dr. Joe Flanagan

Dr. Kendra Bauer

Andrea Lee

Katie Plaeger

Jennifer Atkinson

Jessica Jones

George Brandy and Team

Sophie Darling and Team

Cody Macon

Andy Krauss

Since the early 1980s, Houston Zoo staff have dedicated their time and expertise to the treatment, protection, and conservation of the endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtle and other listed sea turtle species. In 2019, staff expanded their commitment by implementing an urgently needed sea turtle rehabilitation response in Galveston, Texas. Working with partners, Zoo staff treated sick, injured, and cold stunned sea turtles, leading to multiple successful reintroductions of fully recovered individuals back into the wild. The Zoo also helped develop emergency response procedures during sea turtle cold stunning events – when strong cold fronts hit the Texas coast – that have been instrumental in saving hundreds of stranded sea turtles. In addition to veterinary and rehabilitation care, efforts in debris removal and public education have been vital to the recovery of sea turtle species on the upper Texas coast.

Tamara Smith
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Tamara Smith is recognized as a 2019 Recovery Champion for her leadership in the recovery of multiple threatened and endangered species in the Midwest. Smith's relentless pursuits in rusty patched bumblebee conservation were integral to the development of a Species Status Assessment—a significant conservation milestone for the species. Her efforts to form and maintain multiple species working groups – with representatives from federal and state agencies, universities, and non-governmental organizations – resulted in the production of guidance, survey protocols, and outreach documents to support recovery efforts. For example, the prairie butterfly conservation meeting she spearheaded resulted in a reintroduction plan for the endangered Poweshiek skipperling, development of captive rearing and headstarting efforts for the species at Minnesota and Assiniboine Park Zoos, and wild release of the first captive-reared skipperlings in 2018.

Rich Baker
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

Throughout his career, Rich Baker has supported the recovery of Minnesota's most imperiled species. By initiating multiple field surveys and research projects – including foundational prairie butterfly surveys for the Dakota skipper and Poweshiek skipperling in the 1990s and 2000s – he helped uncover the affects native prairie destruction and degradation have on wildlife. Data from the butterfly surveys highlighted the steep declines in those species within Minnesota and surrounding states and has helped guide conservation efforts. Baker's research has also fostered highly effective conservation partnerships between the Service, other agencies, and institutional and independent researchers—a critical element to successful and sustained recovery implementation. For example, highly collaborative northern long-eared bat surveys, in which he played a pivotal role in securing more than $1 million in funding, were instrumental in identifying bat roost locations and roosting tree species selection in Minnesota forests.

Scott Hereford
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Scott Hereford is recognized as a 2019 Recovery Champion for his leadership in the recovery of the endangered Mississippi sandhill crane. During his 25-year tenure as the Supervisory Wildlife Biologist of the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge, Hereford's innovation, work ethic, and unwavering stewardship of sandhill cranes has resulted in numerous conservation impacts for the species. For example, his implementation of drones as a nest-monitoring tool, in conjunction with real-time nest searching, allowed for successful prescribed burning of crane habitat during the nesting season. Additionally, his implementation of two new types of crane capture devices increased marking success of wild-hatched juveniles. Hereford's relentless support of Mississippi sandhill crane management and recovery directly resulted in record crane reproduction on the Refuge in 2019, as evidenced by the 40 breeding pairs and 15 fledged chicks recorded.

Dr. Miguel "Toño" Garcia-Bermudez
Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources

Dr. Miguel Garcia-Bermudez's dedication to the recovery of the formerly endangered Monito gecko has been evident since his early career as a field biologist with the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources. His successful implementation of the first scientific surveys for the species, in partnership with colleagues, resulted in early detection of the population collapse due to predation by invasive rats. Consequently, his tireless execution of some of the earliest and most successful eradications of invasive rats on Monito Island in 1990s, made him a pioneer of island invasive species eradication efforts and have set the precedent for future island conservation efforts. His involvement in the Monito Geko Recovery Team provided invaluable historical knowledge and expertise that was instrumental in the development of a five-year status review and the full recovery of the species.

Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge Piping Plover Team

Matt Baliey

Kevin Bronson

Art Coppola
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Dale Hudson
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Annabella Larsen
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Julie McCall

Jeffrey Newcomer
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

Hollis Provins

Stormy Vandeplas
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Stephanie Warshawsky
Delaware Department of Natural Resources

The Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge Piping Plover Team has worked tirelessly to conserve piping plovers on the ground, and the efforts of Team members have resulted in establishment of a productive population of plovers and a new nesting location for the species on the Refuge. The Team has implemented a number of critical recovery actions, including the restoration of 1.5 miles of beach on the Delaware Bay shoreline as part of a tidal wetland restoration project on the Refuge that, upon completion in 2016, a pair of plovers immediately established a nest. Ever since, the number of nesting plovers has increased yearly. In 2019, the Team's efforts resulted in 15 nesting pairs fledging 44 chicks, at a productivity rate of 2.93 chicks per pair, exceeding the 1.5 chicks per pair target outlined in the recovery plan for the species.

J. Christopher Ludwig
Flora of Virginia Project

Chris Ludwig is recognized as a 2019 Recovery Champion for his many contributions to the recovery of imperiled plant species in Virginia. Ludwig's new "Flora of Virginia" field guide provides an in-depth, science-based understanding of the state's 3,164 plant species, and serves as the informational backbone for recovery efforts for federally listed plant species. Given that the previous edition was published in 1762, his work filled a major void and has been widely recognized as setting a new standard for state flora publications. Additionally, his efforts to expand the Natural Heritage Program's Natural Area Preserve System supported 750 rare species and communities. Other notable accomplishments include identifying important conservation areas for the threatened northeastern beach tiger beetle and endangered smooth coneflower, documenting previously unknown populations of the threatened sensitive joint-vetch, and surveying for endangered shale barren rock cress within the George Washington National Forest redefined the role small population sizes play in recovery efforts.

Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Quick and decisive action taken by Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge staff to curtail the spread of sylvatic plague safeguarded the Refuge's resident black-footed ferret population—a vital population that plays a significant role for the recovery of the species. The plague's notorious impacts on black-footed ferrets, directly through infection and indirectly through starvation due to prairie dog mortality, had the potential to cause dramatic ferret population declines. After the plague was confirmed in a prairie dog colony on the Refuge in July 2019, staff began implementing the plague emergency response procedures that required daily, intensive application of insecticide in and around all prairie dog burrows across 1,300 acres of the refuge over the course of several weeks. Fall surveys highlighted the success of these efforts as the plague was never detected in ferrets or prairie dogs occupying the areas treated with insecticide.

Utah Prairie Dog Recovery Team

Chris Keleher
Utah Department of Natural Resources

Adam Kavalunas
Utah Division of Wildlife Resources

Jessica Kinross
Utah Division of Wildlife Resources

Ron Rodriguez
U.S. Forest Service (retired)

Jake Schoppe
U.S. Forest Service

Lisa Church
Bureau of Land Management

Mark Graham
Bryce Canyon National Park (retired)

Erica Wightman
Panoramaland Resource Conservation and Development

Elaine York
The Nature Conservancy

Brian Bremner
Garfield County Public Works Department

These members of the Utah Prairie Dog Recovery Team, in coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Utah Field Office, have demonstrated tremendous leadership in the recovery of the threatened Utah prairie dog. The Team, with individuals from multiple federal, state, county, non-government organizations, and non-profit entities, has implemented various conservation efforts for the species, including the acquisition, protection, and restoration of more than 1,800 acres of Utah prairie dog habitat. The establishment of 280 acres of conservation easements via the Utah Prairie Dog Habitat Exchange Program significantly increased habitat connectivity for the species across its range. Additionally, the Team has worked to implement translocation programs, apply plague abatement efforts, and develop local education programs. Collectively, these efforts have helped Utah prairie dog populations increase nearly 10 fold over the last 20 years within the Paunsaugunt Recovery Unit.

Kate Martin
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Kate Martin is recognized as a 2019 Recovery Champion for her leadership in the recovery of threatened spectacled eiders and Alaska-breeding population of Steller's eiders. Since 2016, Martin's contributions to the Services' Fairbanks Field Office and the Eider Recovery Team, have been instrumental in the successful implementation of spectacled eider and Steller's eider recovery efforts. Her persistence in securing recovery funding are a testament to her hard work and dedication to the species. Her support and positive attitude have been integral to keeping crews motivated during long and challenging days of fieldwork that helped inform our understanding about various biological aspects of the species. Additionally, her expertise in sea duck biology has been instrumental in developing research efforts to inform management decisions for both species and guide revision of the Steller's Eider Recovery Plan.

Dr. Mark Lindberg
University of Alaska Fairbanks

Dr. Mark Lindberg is recognized as a 2019 Recovery Champion for his valuable contributions to the recovery of threatened spectacled eiders and Alaska-breeding Steller's eiders. During his tenure as a professor of wildlife ecology at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, his research significantly increased our understanding of both species. His recent studies on breeding site fidelity in Steller's eiders provide valuable information on the connectivity of Alaska-breeding and Russia-Pacific-breeding eiders, an aspect of this species that is challenging to study and important for making informed conservation decisions. Similarly, his scientific studies on spectacled eider productivity have been essential in increasing our general knowledge of the species and informing recovery actions. Lindberg has also built a highly successful conservation partnership and fostered local support for the species – a vital component for successful conservation – by implementing collaborative field projects on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta.

Hidden Lake Bluecurl Team

Dr. Naomi Fraga
Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden

Ken Kietzer
California State Parks

Jonathan Snapp-Cook
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Over the past two decades, Dr. Naomi Fraga, Ken Kietzer, and Jonathan Snapp-Cook have worked to move the needle for the Hidden Lake bluecurl toward recovery. This dedicated Team has implemented various conservation efforts vital to the successful recovery of the species, while annual population census' and habitat monitoring efforts produced necessary data for estimating species population size. The Team's collection of bluecurl seeds and establishment of an ex situ seed bank provides long-term insurance of species persistence in the event of future catastrophic loss. Additionally, the early work of Team members to develop a conservation strategy for the subspecies identified important recovery steps instrumental in guiding a post delisting monitoring plan for the species.

Paiute Cutthroat Trout Recovery Team
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Trout Unlimited, and JC High Country Outfitters

The tireless efforts of the Paiute Cutthroat Trout Recovery Team have been instrumental in reintroducing the rarest trout in North America back into its historical native habitat after an almost 100-year absence—a significant recovery milestone for the species. Over the past 30 years, the team has implemented various conservation efforts for the species that were vital for its successful reintroduction into Silver King Creek in 2019. Efforts to restore habitat through management of livestock grazing and non-native fish removal within the watershed, along with diligent planning, collection of effectiveness monitoring data, Wilderness Act compliance, and funding acquisition efforts were critical in ensuring the project's success. In addition, the provision of supplies, including nourishment for the 50-person team within the remote wilderness, were key in ensuring successful reintroduction implementation.