Stories from the Home Page
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Monarch on New England Aster. Credit: Tom Koerner/USFWS
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Service Announces Listing Determination for the Monarch ButterflyDecember 15, 2020After a thorough assessment of the monarch butterfly’s status, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has found that adding the monarch butterfly to the list of threatened and endangered species is warranted but precluded by work on higher-priority listing actions. With this decision, the monarch becomes a candidate for listing under the Endangered Species Act, and its status will be reviewed each year until it is no longer a candidate. |
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Monarch on New England Aster. Credit: Tom Koerner/USFWS
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Wisdom incubates her newest egg. Credit: Jon Brack/Friends of Midway Atoll NWR
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As Usual, Wisdom the Albatross Returns to Midway AtollDecember 10, 2020Wisdom, the world’s oldest known and banded wild bird, has returned to Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge and Battle of Midway National Memorial. At least 69 years old, Wisdom, a mōlī (Laysan albatross), was first seen at her nest this year at the end of last month. Biologists have confirmed that she has laid an egg. |
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Wisdom incubates her newest egg. Credit: Jon Brack/Friends of Midway Atoll NWR
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Splash-backed poison frogs at the time of seizure. Credit: Alberto J. Gonzalez/USFWS
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Splash-backed Poison Frogs Fly Home to BrazilDecember 4, 2020In September, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wildlife inspectors carefully placed a container of 21 splash-backed poison frogs, including 19 of a rare blue-morph coloration, on a plane home to Brazil. The country doesn’t allow the frogs to be exported, but they are prized by collectors. U.S. wildlife inspectors seized the frogs as part of the fight against wildlife trafficking. In Brazil, the frogs will have a permanent home at the São Paulo Zoo, one of Brazil’s premier institutions. |
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Splash-backed poison frogs at the time of seizure. Credit: Alberto J. Gonzalez/USFWS
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One-to-five-day-old least tern chicks using their camouflage to hide among the sand and wrack. Credit: Helen Manning/USFWS
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Sense of Wonder in the FieldDecember 1, 2020As Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge in Maine celebrates 50 years of conservation, technicians, biologists and others have been reflecting on the legacy of the famed conservationist. |
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One-to-five-day-old least tern chicks using their camouflage to hide among the sand and wrack. Credit: Helen Manning/USFWS
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Video: Desert Tortoise Rescue. Credit: USFWS
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'Zip-tie,' Family Get Helping HandNovember 20, 2020Mojave desert tortoises occur in the Mojave and Sonoran deserts north and west of the Colorado River in southwestern Utah, southern Nevada, southeastern California and northwestern Arizona. They live on a variety of terrain from sandy flats to rocky foothills but face numerous obstacles when seeking suitable habitat in the wild. Roadways are one of the greatest dangers, accounting for the deaths of more than 200 tortoises a year. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works closely with the U.S. Marine Corps and other organizations to treat injured tortoises. |
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Video: Desert Tortoise Rescue. Credit: USFWS
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A Service firefighter lights a prescribed burn at Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Idaho. Credit: Justin Hughes/USFWS
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Trump Administration Reduces Wildfire Risk by Record 5.4 Million AcresNovember 18, 2020The Department of the Interior announced today that it has once again made substantial progress in Fiscal Year 2020 to reduce the risk of wildfire nationwide by treating a ten-year best 1.5 million acres of public lands.In continued efforts to reduce wildfire risk across much of the United States, the Service has exceeded yearly milestones to ensure National Wildlife Refuge System lands remain healthy, resilient and accessible to the public. The Service completed a significant amount of fuels treatments to reduce hazardous fuel loads, provide wildfire suppression efforts across the country, and increase protection of local communities surrounding fire-prone areas. |
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A Service firefighter lights a prescribed burn at Bear Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Idaho. Credit: Justin Hughes/USFWS
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Little brown bat with white-nose syndrome in Greeley Mine, Vermont. Credit: Marvin Moriarty/USFWS
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Service Announces Winner of National Prize Challenge to Defeat Bat-Killing FungusNovember 10, 2020A team of six researchers from Oregon State University and the University of California have won a national prize challenge to combat white-nose syndrome, a lethal wildlife disease that has killed millions of bats in North America and pushed some native bat species to the brink of extinction. The winning team – Emily Dziedzic, Jenny Urbina Gonzalez, Jared LeBoldus, Michael Gordon, A. Marm Kilpatrick and Taal Levi – conceived of an aerosol spray to genetically silence the fungus that causes the disease without harming the bats, the places they hibernate, or other non-targeted organisms. The team will receive $20,000 for its proposal, which is intended to spur collaborations with scientists, designers and engineers to potentially bring the solution to life. |
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Little brown bat with white-nose syndrome in Greeley Mine, Vermont. Credit: Marvin Moriarty/USFWS
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Some of the veterans now with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Credit: USFWS
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Veterans Conserve the Nature of AmericaNovember 9, 2020We, the nation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, owe a huge debt to military veterans. They defend our country and its interests, willing to put their lives on the line. Then, some choose to put their diverse talents to work for the Fish and Wildlife Service. |
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Some of the veterans now with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Credit: USFWS
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Bison with calf at Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge in Iowa. Credit: Doreen Van Ryswyk/USFWS Credit: Doreen Van Ryswyk/USFWS
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Trump Administration Provides 5th Grade Students with Free Entrance to National Parks, Refuges and Other Public LandsOctober 29, 2020While at Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge, U.S. Secretary of the Interior David L. Bernhardt signed a Secretary’s Order that waives entrance fees to national parks, national wildlife refuges and other public lands and waters managed by the Department of the Interior for 5th grade students and their families from now until Aug. 31, 2021. |
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Bison with calf at Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge in Iowa. Credit: Doreen Van Ryswyk/USFWS Credit: Doreen Van Ryswyk/USFWS
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Gray wolf. Credit: ary Kramer/USFWS
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Trump Administration Returns Management and Protection of Gray Wolves to States and Tribes Following Successful Recovery EffortsOctober 28, 2020More than 45 years after gray wolves were first listed under the Endangered Species Act, the Trump Administration and its many conservation partners are announcing the successful recovery of the gray wolf and its delisting from the ESA. State and tribal wildlife management agency professionals will resume responsibility for sustainable management and protection of delisted gray wolves in states with gray wolf populations, while the Service monitors the species for five years to ensure the continued success of the species. |
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Gray wolf. Credit: ary Kramer/USFWS
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The homepage for the new and improved permit application system. Credit: USFWS
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Service Launches New Electronic Permitting System to Streamline and Improve Permitting ProcessOctober 21, 2020To simplify, expedite and improve the permit application process, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is launching “ePermits,” a new and modern electronic permitting system. The public can now submit, track and pay for permit applications online. Permits promote conservation efforts such as facilitating scientific research and allowing wildlife management and rehabilitation activities to move forward. By applying for permits, the public can help conserve and protect imperiled species throughout the world. |
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The homepage for the new and improved permit application system. Credit: USFWS
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Hurry to Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge in northern Maine. The foliage peaks earlier there because of cold weather. Credit: Keith Ramos/USFWS
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Following Fall: A Foliage Tour of the NortheastOctober 13, 2020Love the fireworks shows of the Fourth of July but hate the hot weather? As the weather cools, nature starts putting on its own brilliant show. Take a fall foliage road trip through your area’s National Wildlife Refuges. The link gives you options if you are in the Northeast, but it is a wonderful time to stop by refuges nationwide as we celebrate National Wildlife Refuge Week through October 17. |
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Hurry to Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge in northern Maine. The foliage peaks earlier there because of cold weather. Credit: Keith Ramos/USFWS
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New regulations provide greater access on America's public lands. Credit: Lori Iverson/USFWS Credit: Lori Iverson/USFWS
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New Regulations Pave the Way for More People to Experience Bicycling on Public LandsOctober 2, 2020The Department of the Interior (DOI) today announced that it finalized electric bike (or e-bike) regulations that help land managers allow more people, especially older Americans and those with physical limitations, to experience bicycling on public lands managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other DOI bureaus. Bicycling is an excellent way to experience America’s rich natural heritage, and e-bike innovations in bicycle design open possibilities to more people. |
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New regulations provide greater access on America's public lands. Credit: Lori Iverson/USFWS Credit: Lori Iverson/USFWS
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A young man exploring John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and one of 101 urban national wildlife refuges. Credit: Lamar Gore/USFWS
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Celebrate Your Public Lands During National Wildlife Refuge Week: October 11-17October 2, 2020Enjoy stellar outdoor recreation and the country’s wildlife heritage during National Wildlife Refuge Week, October 11-17, 2020. Celebrate your access to nature on the nation’s largest network of public lands dedicated to wildlife conservation, the National Wildlife Refuge System, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. |
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A young man exploring John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and one of 101 urban national wildlife refuges. Credit: Lamar Gore/USFWS
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Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge in Albuquerque, New Mexico, was “established, designed and built by the community for the community,” Refuge Manager Jennifer Owen-White says. Credit: Ian Shive/USFWS
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You Belong HereOctober 1, 2020What makes you feel welcome at national wildlife refuges and other outdoor spaces? We asked five people to share their thoughts and experiences. Why do we ask? Because ensuring access to nature benefits everyone even as it grows the ranks of tomorrow’s conservation stewards. |
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Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge in Albuquerque, New Mexico, was “established, designed and built by the community for the community,” Refuge Manager Jennifer Owen-White says. Credit: Ian Shive/USFWS
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