2011 Archives
Threatened and Endangered Species: Achieving Recovery and Preventing Extinction
Salazar Announces Recovery of Gray Wolves in the Western Great Lakes, Removal from Threatened and Endangered Species List; States, Tribes to Assume Management Responsibility
Gray wolf.
Gary Kramer / USFWS
December 21, 2011
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today announced that gray wolf populations in the Great Lakes region have recovered and no longer require the protection of the Endangered Species Act. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is publishing a final rule in the Federal Register removing wolves in Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin, and in portions of adjoining states, from the list of endangered and threatened wildlife and plants. “Once again, the Endangered Species Act has proved to be an effective tool for bringing species back from the brink of extinction,” Secretary Salazar said. “Thanks to the work of our scientists, wildlife managers, and our state, tribal, and stakeholder partners, gray wolves in the western Great Lakes region are now fully recovered and healthy.”
Threatened and Endangered Species: Achieving Recovery and Preventing Extinction
Salazar, Mead Reaffirm Commitment toward Development of Landscape Level Greater Sage-Grouse Conservation Strategy in the West
Great sage-grouse.
Dave Menke/USFWS
December 9, 2011
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Wyoming Governor Matt Mead today convened a meeting with representatives from eight western states to discuss ongoing efforts to conserve the greater sage-grouse and identify next steps in implementing a landscape level strategy that will benefit the species while maintaining a robust economy in the West.
Threatened and Endangered Species: Achieving Recovery and Preventing Extinction
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA’s Fisheries Service Propose Policy to Improve Implementation of Endangered Species Act
Karner blue butterfly.
Joel Trick / USFWS
December 8, 2011
A new federal policy proposed today will help clarify which species or populations of species are eligible for protection under the Endangered Species Act and will provide for earlier and more effective opportunities to conserve declining species. The public is invited to comment on the policy, proposed by the Interior Department’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries), the two federal agencies responsible for administering the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The proposed policy will define the key phrase “significant portion of its range” in the ESA and provide consistency for how it should be applied, aiding the agencies in making decisions on whether to add or remove species from the federal list of threatened and endangered wildlife and plants. Comments will be accepted for the next 60 days.
Threatened and Endangered Species: Achieving Recovery and Preventing Extinction
Latest Endangered Species Bulletin Focuses on the Challenges to Species Recovery in New Online Format
In June 2011, the Las Conchas fire roared through the pine-studded mountains of northern New Mexico.
© Jayson Coil Photography
November 15, 2011
Today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proudly announces the Endangered Species Bulletin has taken on an online exclusive format that will be updated bi-monthly to ensure timely updates regarding endangered and threatened species issues. Each edition will include an in-depth feature article coupled with several supporting articles, a live endangered and threatened species news feed, plus other new and social media offerings.
Threatened and Endangered Species: Achieving Recovery and Preventing Extinction
Service Reopens Comment Period for Chimpanzee Status Review Under the Endangered Species Act
Chimpanzee.
Wikimedia Commons
October 31, 2011
On September 1, 2011, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service published a substantial 90-day finding on a petition to protect all chimpanzees as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Upon publication, the Service initiated a review of the status of the species to determine if listing the entire species as endangered is warranted. The Service is making the petition, and all supporting documents submitted with the petition, available to the public on www.regulations.gov and reopening the comment period for an additional 90 days to allow all interested parties to submit information. Information already submitted does not need to be resubmitted. Comments must be received on or before January 30, 2012.
Threatened and Endangered Species: Achieving Recovery and Preventing Extinction
Service Seeks Proposals from States for FY 2012 Endangered Species Grants
The State of Colorado through a Section 6 funded grant will protect 15,156 acres of essential habitat for the federally listed endangered black-footed ferret.
Ryan Hagerty/USFWS
October 26, 2011
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 (ESA). These projects range from species status surveys, captive propagation, and public education to habitat acquisition, restoration, and the development of conservation plans. Proposals must be submitted to the appropriate Service regional offices by January 27, 2012.
Threatened and Endangered Species: Achieving Recovery and Preventing Extinction
Service Releases Annual List of Candidates for Endangered Species Act
A Kittlitz's murrelet chick on a nest in the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska.
USFWS
October 25, 2011
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today released 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. "The candidate list offers the Service and our partners a unique opportunity to address the threats to these species through voluntary conservation efforts on public and private lands," said Service Director Dan Ashe.
Threatened and Endangered Species: Achieving Recovery and Preventing Extinction
Service Proposes to List the Yellow-Billed Parrot as Threatened Under the ESA
Yellow-billed parrot.
Wikimedia Commons
October 7, 2011
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced a proposal to list the yellow-billed parrot as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The species is only found in Jamaica and is one of only two Amazona species endemic to the country. This proposed rule also includes a special rule which would allow some activities otherwise prohibited under the ESA. The Service is seeking comments and information from all interested parties until December 12, 2011.
Threatened and Endangered Species: Achieving Recovery and Preventing Extinction
Service Lists the Ozark Hellbender as Endangered and Moves to Include Hellbenders in Appendix III of CITES
The Ozark hellbender is found in rivers and streams in northern Arkansas and southern Missouri.
Jeff Briggler / Missouri Department of Conservation
October 5, 2011
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today designated the Ozark hellbender as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act and also finalized its decision to list the Ozark and eastern hellbender in Appendix III of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). In combination, these listings will provide significant protection to hellbenders, both domestically and internationally.
Threatened and Endangered Species: Achieving Recovery and Preventing Extinction
Service Proposes Gray Wolf Delisting and Transfer of Gray Wolf Management to the State of Wyoming
Gray Wolf
Gary Kramer / USFWS
October 4, 2011
Following approval of a revised wolf management plan by the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today proposed to remove the gray wolf population in Wyoming from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife. Due to recovery efforts and the provisions of the revised state plan, the Wyoming wolf population is healthy and stable, current and future threats to wolves have been addressed, and a post-delisting monitoring and management framework has been developed.
Threatened and Endangered Species: Achieving Recovery and Preventing Extinction
Service Finds 374 Aquatic-dependent Species May Warrant Endangered Species Act Protection
Florida sandhill crane.
Keenan Adams / USFWS
September 26, 2011
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will conduct an in-depth status review of 374 rare southeastern aquatic, riparian and wetland animal and plant species to determine if any or all of them warrant federal protection as a threatened or endangered species under the Endangered Species Act. The Service will now undertake a more thorough status review before determining whether to propose any of them for listing. Included in the review is the Florida sandhill crane, a long-legged, long-necked gray crane that resembles herons except for the bald patch of red skin on top of its head.
Threatened and Endangered Species: Achieving Recovery and Preventing Extinction
After Nearly a Century, Critically Endangered Species Returns to Remote Pacific Island
Banded millerbird now at home on Laysan Island.
Credit: R. Kohley, USFWS and American Bird Conservancy
September 21, 2011
After an absence of nearly 100 years, two-dozen critically endangered Nihoa millerbirds have returned to a remote island in the Pacific Ocean. The decades- long restoration effort involved many years of research and planning in order to reintroduce the insect-eating birds from Nihoa Island to Laysan Island in the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument.
Promoting Global Wildlife Conservation
Save Vanishing Species Stamp Aims to Stamp Out Extinction
Save Vanishing Species.
Credit: 2011 United States Postal Service. All Rights Reserved.
September 20, 2011
The Save Vanishing Species stamp is now available at 30,000 post offices across the country and at Tigerstamp.com, giving the public an easy way to help protect wild tigers, rhinos, elephants, great apes, and marine turtles around the world. Proceeds from the sale of the stamp will directly benefit the Wildlife Without Borders Multinational Species Conservation Funds, administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Threatened and Endangered Species: Achieving Recovery and Preventing Extinction
Service, NOAA Revise Loggerhead Sea Turtle Listing; Changes will help guide conservation efforts
Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge in Florida was designated to protect habitat for what is the most significant area for loggerhead sea turtle nesting in the Western Hemisphere.
Credit:Ryan Haggerty / USFWS
September 16, 2011
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA issued a final rule today changing the listing of loggerhead sea turtles under the Endangered Species Act from a single threatened species to nine distinct population segments listed as either threatened or endangered. Scientists believe this will help focus their sea turtle conservation efforts to the specific needs of the distinct populations. The Service and NOAA each share jurisdiction for loggerhead sea turtles listed under the Endangered Species Act.
Threatened and Endangered Species: Achieving Recovery and Preventing Extinction
Fish and Wildlife Service Posts Supplementary Materials on Gray Wolf in the Eastern United States
Gray wolf.
Credit:Gary Kramer/USFWS
September 14, 2011
On August 26, 2011, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced the reopening of the comment period on the May 5, 2011, proposed rule to delist the gray wolf population in the Western Great Lakes and revise the listing to remove all or parts of 29 eastern states where the listed species did not historically occur. Today, the Service is informing the public that supplementary materials are now electronically available at http://www.regulations.gov.
Threatened and Endangered Species: Achieving Recovery and Preventing Extinction
Director Ashe Comments on Approval of Historic ESA Agreement
Taylor's checkerspot butterfly.
Credit: Aaron Barna/ USFWS
September 9, 2011
"The Endangered Species Act has proved to be a critical safety net for Americas imperiled fish, wildlife, and plants. This work plan will give the wildlife professionals of the Fish and Wildlife Service the opportunity to put the needs of species first and extend that safety net to those truly in need of protection. It will also give states, stakeholders, and the public much-needed certainty. This is a great step forward in conservation and I commend Judge Sullivan for approving this historic agreement," said Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe.
Threatened and Endangered Species: Achieving Recovery and Preventing Extinction
Federal Partnership to Help Lesser Prairie-Chickens
Lesser prairie-chicken.
Credit: USFWS
September 8, 2011
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) have completed a conference report under the Endangered Species Act that evaluates the effects of implementing the NRCS Lesser Prairie-Chicken Initiative. The NRCS Lesser Prairie-Chicken Initiative was established to help restore and conserve declining populations of lesser prairie-chickens and their habitat using two popular USDA conservation programs–the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program. The Lesser Prairie Chicken Initiative will give landowners the opportunity to continue their agricultural operation and help conserve the lesser prairie-chicken, which is a candidate for listing under the Endangered Species Act.
Threatened and Endangered Species: Achieving Recovery and Preventing Extinction
Service Announces Bald Eagles Nesting in Sonoran Desert Area of Central Arizona Removed from the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife
Bald eagle.
Credit: USFWS
September 2, 2011
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is issuing a final rule removing the bald eagle in the Sonoran Desert area of central Arizona from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife. Todays action aligns the list with the 2007 delisting decision for bald eagles in the lower 48 states. The bald eagle continues to be protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
Threatened and Endangered Species: Achieving Recovery and Preventing Extinction
Service Initiates Review of the Chimpanzees Status
Chimpanzee.
Credit: Wikimedia Commons
August 31, 2011
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will initiate a status review to determine whether reclassifying all captive chimpanzees from threatened to endangered under the Endangered Species Act is warranted. Currently, the chimpanzee is not endangered in its entirety. Captive populations are listed as threatened, with a special rule allowing activities otherwise prohibited by the ESA. The finding will publish in the Federal Register on September 1, 2011.
Threatened and Endangered Species: Achieving Recovery and Preventing Extinction
Service Reopens Comment Period on Revising the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife for the Gray Wolf in the Eastern United States
Gray wolf.
Gary Kramer / USFWS
August 25, 2011
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced the reopening of the comment period on the May 5, 2011, proposed rule to delist the gray wolf population in the Western Great Lakes and revise the listing to remove all or parts of 29 eastern states where the listed species did not historically occur. The action will allow for additional public review and the inclusion of any new information.
Threatened and Endangered Species: Achieving Recovery and Preventing Extinction
Salazar Announces $53 Million in Grants to Support Habitat Acquisition and Conservation Planning for Endangered Species
Section 6 funding protects lands that support a diverse mosaic of habitat types and serve as important wildlife corridors for many listed species, such as the Karner blue butterfly.
J & K Hollingsworth / USFWS
August 24, 2011
Secretary of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar today announced more than $53 million in grants to 17 states to support conservation planning and acquisition of vital habitat for threatened and endangered fish, wildlife, and plants. The grants, awarded through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund under Section 6 of the Endangered Species Act, will benefit numerous imperiled species ranging from the Peninsular bighorn sheep to the Karner blue butterfly.
Threatened and Endangered Species: Achieving Recovery and Preventing Extinction
Southern Sea Otter Translocation Program to End; Range Expected to Expand Naturally
Southern sea otter.
USFWS
August 17, 2011
The Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to end a 24-year-old southern sea otter translocation program in California following an in-depth evaluation that found the program is not meeting its objectives and restoring the species. This keystone species of the California marine ecosystem is presently listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act and is considered a depleted species under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The species is expected to naturally expand into their historic range in southern California.
Threatened and Endangered Species: Achieving Recovery and Preventing Extinction
Salazar Announces Successful Recovery of Lake Erie Watersnake
A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist and a local volunteer help count and measure Lake Erie watersnakes during the annual census.
USFWS
August 15, 2011
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today announced that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service removed the Lake Erie watersnake, a harmless species found on offshore islands in western Lake Erie in Ohio and Ontario, from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife. The snake becomes the 23rd species to be delisted due to recovery. Under the Endangered Species Act, the Service has worked to successfully stabilize our nations most imperiled species in part by fostering partnerships, employing scientific excellence, and developing a workforce of conservation leaders who promote conservation programs that help species recovery.
Threatened and Endangered Species: Achieving Recovery and Preventing Extinction
Six Foreign Bird Species Receive Endangered Species Act Protection
Slender-billed curlew
Wikimedia Commons
August 11, 2011
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today a final rule to protect six foreign bird species found on islands in French Polynesia and in Europe, Southeast Asia, and Africa as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. The rule implements federal protections provided by the ESA for the Cantabrian capercaillie, Marquesan imperial pigeon, Eiao Marquesas reed-warbler, greater adjutant, Jerdons courser, and slender-billed curlew.
Threatened and Endangered Species: Achieving Recovery and Preventing Extinction
Service Emergency Lists Miami Blue Butterfly as Endangered
Miami blue butterfly.
National Park Service
August 9, 2011
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that it is taking emergency action to protect the Miami blue butterfly. Upon publication of the emergency rule on August 10, 2011 in the Federal Register, the Miami blue becomes listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. The emergency listing immediately protects the butterfly for 240 days. Concurrently, the Service is issuing a proposed rule to permanently put into place the protections for the Miami blue beyond the 240-day emergency period.
Threatened and Endangered Species: Achieving Recovery and Preventing Extinction
Fish and Wildlife Service Releases Finding on Four Parrot Species
White cockatoo.
Wikimedia Commons
August 9, 2011
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today its findings regarding a petition to protect four foreign parrot species found on islands in the Philippines, Fiji and Indonesia, including the crimson shining parrot, Philippine cockatoo, white cockatoo and yellow-crested cockatoo, as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act.
Threatened and Endangered Species: Achieving Recovery and Preventing Extinction
Recovery Edition of Endangered Species Bulletin
August 8, 2011
A lot goes into recovering our Nations endangered and threatened species. The Fish and Wildlife Service, with support from conservation partners, uses a range of tools to arrest a species decline, stabilize or increase its populations, and recover it to the point in which the protection of the Endangered Species Act is no longer necessary. This edition of the Bulletin outlines the entire recovery process from beginning to end.
Threatened and Endangered Species: Achieving Recovery and Preventing Extinction
Conservation Success: Tennessee Purple Coneflower Delisted
Tennessee Purple Coneflower.
USDA NRCS
August 4, 2011
Thanks to the efforts of many partners who have worked together for more than 30 years to expand and protect this sunflowers colonies, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is removing the Tennessee purple coneflower from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants. The recovery of the Tennessee purple coneflower represents the best in endangered species conservation," Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said. "When this plant faced extinction, the people of Tennessee - from private partners to landowners to federal and state fish and wildlife agencies - rolled up their sleeves to bring it back from the brink. They all played key roles in helping conserve an important part of our nations natural heritage. Today, we can celebrate an endangered species success story thanks to their years of hard work and dedication.
Threatened and Endangered Species: Achieving Recovery and Preventing Extinction
Salazar, Ashe Finalize Agreement with Wyoming on Revised Gray Wolf Management Plan
Gray wolf.
Gary Kramer/USFWS
August 3, 2011
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe today announced that the Service has reached an agreement with the State of Wyoming that will result in revisions to the states management plan for the gray wolf. The points of agreement, first announced in principle in early July, promote the management of a stable, sustainable population of wolves and pave the way for the Service to return wolf management to Wyoming.
Threatened and Endangered Species: Achieving Recovery and Preventing Extinction
Service Strengthens Work Plan to Restore Biological Priorities and Certainty to Endangered Species Listing Process
Wolverine.
Steve Kroschel / USFWS
July 12, 2011
The Department of the Interiors U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that it is further strengthening a work plan that will allow the agency to focus its resources on the species most in need of protection under the Endangered Species Act. "For more than 35 years, the Endangered Species Act has prevented the probable extinction of hundreds of species across the Nation and contributed to the recovery of many others," said Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe. "The ESA represents a commitment to protect and preserve our natural heritage out of a deeply held understanding of the direct link between the health of our ecosystems and our own well-being. This work plan will allow the Service to more effectively focus our efforts on providing the benefits of the ESA to those imperiled species most in need of protection."
Threatened and Endangered Species: Achieving Recovery and Preventing Extinction
National Zoo Welcomes Ambassador Rocky the Whooping Crane
Rocky the whooping crane at the Smithsonian's National Zoo.
Mehgan Murphy / National Zoo
July 6, 2011
After an 88-year-long hiatus North America's tallest bird, the statuesque whooping crane, protected under the Endangered Species Act, joins the Smithsonian's National Zoological Park in the Nation's Capital. An 11-year-old male whooping crane, named Rocky, will serve as an educational ambassador for his species. U.S. whooping crane populations are managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. According to the 2010 census, nearly 400 whooping cranes reside in captive and protected wild areas, such as Aransas National Wildlife Refuge.
Threatened and Endangered Species: Achieving Recovery and Preventing Extinction
Reintroduction of Bull Trout in Clackamas River
Bull Trout.
Joel Sartore, National Geographic Stock with Wade Fredenberg
July 5, 2011
Bull trout will soon return to Oregons Clackamas River, one of their home waters from which they were completely wiped out nearly 50 years ago. As part of an overall recovery strategy for this threatened species, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife will reintroduce the native fish to this major tributary of the Willamette River near Portland over the next month. Reestablishing bull trout in this area of its former range also may lead to other bull trout reintroductions in the future to reconnect isolated populations.
Threatened and Endangered Species: Achieving Recovery and Preventing Extinction
Plan Marks New Route for Recovering Northern Spotted Owl and Promoting Healthy Northwest Forests
Northern spotted owl.
John and Karen Hollingsworth / USFWS
June 30, 2011
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today released a final revised recovery plan for the threatened northern spotted owl, stepping up actions that so far have helped stem but not reverse the old-growth forest raptor’s decline. The revised plan identifies three main priorities for achieving spotted owl recovery: protecting the best of its remaining habitat, actively managing forests to improve forest health, and reducing competition from barred owls, a native of eastern North America that has progressively moved into the spotted owl’s range in Washington, Oregon, and northern California.
Threatened and Endangered Species: Achieving Recovery and Preventing Extinction
Service Announces ESA Protection May Be Warranted for Two Bat Species
Northern long-eared bats.
Shelly Colatskie / Missouri Department of Conservation
June 28, 2011
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today the eastern small-footed and northern long-eared bats may warrant federal protection as threatened or endangered species, following an initial review of a petition seeking to protect the species under the Endangered Species Act. The Service will initiate a more thorough status review for both bats to determine whether these species should be added to the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife.
Threatened and Endangered Species: Achieving Recovery and Preventing Extinction
Service Proposes Broadened Florida Manatee Protections in Kings Bay
Manatee
Jim Reid/USFWS
June 21, 2011
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today a proposal to expand federal protection areas for manatees in Citrus County, Florida, by creating a manatee refuge including all of Kings Bay in Crystal River. The proposed area of the Kings Bay manatee refuge has not changed from what was identified in the emergency designation. The manatee refuge would include all waters of Kings Bay, its tributaries and adjoining water bodies upstream of the confluence of Kings Bay and Crystal River.
Threatened and Endangered Species: Achieving Recovery and Preventing Extinction
Fish and Wildlife Service, NOAA Fisheries Launch Effort to Improve Implementation of the Endangered Species Act
Black-Footed Ferret
Ryan Hagerty/USFWS
May 26, 2011
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced today that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA Fisheries Service have launched a joint effort to identify and implement administrative changes to the Endangered Species Act aimed at accelerating recovery of imperiled species, enhancing on-the-ground conservation delivery, and better engaging the resources and expertise of partners to meet the goals of the ESA.
Threatened and Endangered Species: Achieving Recovery and Preventing Extinction
Service Announces ESA Protection Provided to Vulnerable Indonesian Bird
Salmon-crested
cockatoo.
Wikimedia Commons
May 26, 2011
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced the salmon-crested cockatoo is now protected as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), following publication of a final listing determination in the Federal Register. Also published with the final listing rule is a final special rule allowing for the import and export of certain salmon-crested cockatoos into and from the U.S., as well as interstate commerce for birds already in the United States.
Threatened and Endangered Species: Achieving Recovery and Preventing Extinction
Service Celebrates 2011 Endangered Species Day!
Endangered Species Day logo
Jennifer Hennessey/USFWS
May 16, 2011
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and numerous conservation organizations will observe Endangered Species Day on May 20, 2011, to recognize conservation efforts underway across the nation aimed at helping America’s imperiled species. To date, the Endangered Species Act, which became law in 1973, has helped to prevent the extinction of hundreds of species. Co-administered by the Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the purpose of the Act is to conserve imperiled species and the ecosystems upon which they depend.
Threatened and Endangered Species: Achieving Recovery and Preventing Extinction
Winner of National Endangered Species Day Youth Art Contest Announced
Painting of a green sea turtle by Amy Cheu, San Diego, CA (grades 9-12).
Endangered Species Coalition
May 11, 2011
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Endangered Species Coalition, Association of Zoos and Aquariums and Ogden Museum of Southern Art proudly announce the winners of the 2011 national Endangered Species Day art contest. The winner of the Endangered Species Day Art Contest was chosen by an incredible panel of artists, photographers and wildlife experts.
Threatened and Endangered Species: Achieving Recovery and Preventing Extinction
Service Announces Work Plan to Restore Biological Priorities and Certainty to Endangered Species Listing Process
M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge.
USFWS
May 10, 2011
The Department of the Interior’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today unveiled a work plan that will reduce litigation-driven workloads and allow the agency to focus its resources on the species most in need of protections under the Endangered Species Act. “For the first time in years, this work plan will give the wildlife professionals of the Service the opportunity to put the needs of species first and extend that safety net to those truly in need of protection, rather than having our workload driven by the courts. It will also give states, stakeholders, and the public much-needed certainty,” said Deputy Secretary of the Interior David Hayes.
Threatened and Endangered Species: Achieving Recovery and Preventing Extinction
Interior Announces Next Steps in Protection, Recovery, and Scientific Management of Wolves
Gray wolf.
Tracy Brooks / USFWS
May 4, 2011
The Department of the Interior’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that it is proposing to delist biologically recovered gray wolf populations in the Western Great Lakes, and – in accordance with recently enacted legislation – reinstating the Service’s 2009 decision to delist biologically recovered gray wolf populations in the Northern Rocky Mountains. “Like other iconic species such as the whooping crane, the brown pelican, and the bald eagle, the recovery of the gray wolf is another success story of the Endangered Species Act,” said Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. “The gray wolf’s biological recovery reflects years of work by scientists, wildlife managers, and our state, tribal, and stakeholder partners to bring wolf populations back to healthy levels.”
Threatened and Endangered Species: Achieving Recovery and Preventing Extinction
Service Releases Annual List of Foreign Candidates under Endangered Species Act
As part of the annual review, the Service is soliciting additional information on 20 foreign species, including the Uvea parakeet, pictured feeding on a papaya at the edge of a forest on the island of Uvea, New Caledonia (a territory of France) in the South Pacific Ocean.
Wikipedia Commons
May 3, 2011
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today released its Annual Notice of Review of Foreign Species, a yearly appraisal of the current status of foreign plants and animals that are considered candidates for protection under the Endangered Species Act ESA.
Threatened and Endangered Species: Achieving Recovery and Preventing Extinction
Service Announces a Proposal to Delist the Morelet’s Crocodile Due to Recovery of the Species
Morelet's Crocodile
USFWS
April 27, 2011
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced a proposal to remove the Morelet’s crocodile from the Federal List of Threatened and Endangered Wildlife under the Endangered Species Act due to recovery of the species. The species is found in Mexico, Belize and Guatemala.
Threatened and Endangered Species: Achieving Recovery and Preventing Extinction
Service Makes Information on Northern Spotted Owl Recovery Plan Habitat Modeling Available for Public Review
Northern Spotted Owl
John and Karen Hollingsworth / USFWS
April 21, 2011
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today it is opening a 30-day public comment period, beginning April 22, 2011, on updated information compiled in Appendix C of the draft revised recovery plan for the threatened northern spotted owl.
Threatened and Endangered Species: Achieving Recovery and Preventing Extinction
Fish and Wildlife Service Announces Gray Wolves in the Western Great Lakes Have Recovered
Gray wolf.
Gary Kramer/USFWS
April 15, 2011
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced a proposal to remove gray wolves in the Western Great Lakes area – which includes Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin – from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife because wolves have recovered in this area and no longer require the protection of the Endangered Species Act.
Threatened and Endangered Species: Achieving Recovery and Preventing Extinction
Service Announces Two Caribou Species May Warrant Protection under the ESA
Peary caribou in the Arctic.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
April 5, 2011
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced two subspecies of caribou, the Peary caribou and the Dolphin and Union caribou, will undergo an in-depth status review following receipt of a petition to list them as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. The two species inhabit islands in the far northern Arctic regions of Canada.
Threatened and Endangered Species: Achieving Recovery and Preventing Extinction
Service Announces Endangered Species Recovery Champion Awards
Volunteers from the Yamashina Institute for Ornithology feed a short-tailed albatross chick that was translocated from the historic nesting colony on Torishima Island to the new colony location on Mukojima Island. Credit: Yamashina Institute for Ornithology.
March 18, 2011
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced 29 recipients of the 2010 Recovery Champion award honoring Service staff members and their partners-in-mission for conserving endangered and threatened species. This year, for the first time, an international organization, Japan’s Yamashina Institute for Ornithology, has been selected as a Recovery Champion for achievements on behalf of the short-tailed albatross, a seabird that spends time in Alaska and migrates in the North Pacific.
Threatened and Endangered Species: Achieving Recovery and Preventing Extinction
The Mysterious Marbled Murrelet
Marbled Murrelet.
March 15, 2011
Rarely seen by humans, murrelets spend the majority of their lives at sea to forage, rest, and mate. For years, ornithologists did not know where this mysterious bird nested. It wasn't until 1974 that the first marbled murrelet nest was discovered in North America. Generally, they nest in coastal old-growth forests, characterized by large trees with multiple canopy layers and moderate to high canopy closure. Two videos were released this week that look at the marbled murrulet, its life cycle and the threats the declining population faces.
Threatened and Endangered Species: Achieving Recovery and Preventing Extinction
ESA Protection Provided to Rare Penguin Species
Southern rockhopper penguin.
Wikimedia Commons
February 22, 2011
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced the New Zealand/Australia distinct population segment of the southern rockhopper penguin is now protected as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The population size of this species has declined by approximately 90 percent since the 1940’s and continues to shrink.
Threatened and Endangered Species: Achieving Recovery and Preventing Extinction
Whooping Cranes Return Celebrated In Louisiana
This adolescent chick, hatched and raised at the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, Maryland, is one of ten whooping cranes released in the White Lake Wetlands Conservation Area located in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana.
USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
February 22, 2011
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife is proud to partner with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Canadian Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey and International Crane Foundation in celebrating the return of ten whooping cranes to the marshes of southwest Louisiana. This re-introduced population, under the provisions of the Endangered Species Act, marks the first presence of whooping cranes in the wild in Louisiana since 1950.
Threatened and Endangered Species: Achieving Recovery and Preventing Extinction
Pacific Walrus to be Designated a Candidate for Endangered Species Protection
Pacific walrus bull.
Joel Garlich-Miller/USFWS
February 9, 2011
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has determined that the Pacific walrus warrants protection under the Endangered Species Act, but an official rulemaking to propose that protection is currently precluded by the need to address other higher priority species. As a result, the walrus will be added to the agency’s list of candidates for ESA protection and its future status will be reviewed annually. The review found that the walrus is primarily threatened by the loss of sea ice in its arctic habitat due to climate change. The threats to the walrus are real, but its greater population numbers and ability to adapt to land-based haulouts make its immediate situation less dire than those facing other species.
Threatened and Endangered Species: Achieving Recovery and Preventing Extinction
Service Announces Launch of 2011 National Endangered Species Day Youth Art Contest
2010 Art Contest Grand Prize Winner: Drawing of polar bear and beluga whale, Carter Chroeder Anchorage, AK.
Endangered Species Coalition
February 1, 2011
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 2011 national Endangered Species Day art contest. The competition offers young people an opportunity to learn about endangered species and express their knowledge and support through artwork. Endangered Species Day, taking place on May 20, 2011, recognizes the conservation programs nationwide aimed at protecting America’s threatened and endangered species.
Threatened and Endangered Species: Achieving Recovery and Preventing Extinction
An Endangered Species Success Story: Service Announces Delisting of Maguire Daisy
Michelle Dela Cruz /National Park Service
Maguire daisy.
January 18, 2011
Highlighting a 25-year conservation effort involving a number of federal agencies, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife today announced the Maguire daisy will be removed from the list of threatened and endangered species under the Endangered Species Act. The population of the daisy was known to number seven plants when it was listed as endangered in 1985 but now numbers 163,000 plants within 10 populations in Utah. It is the 21st species to be delisted due to recovery.