News Center
Sniffing Out Zebra Mussels
Fresh zebra mussels are used to train detection dogs. (Credit: Minnesota DNR)
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced last week that it will start using dogs to assist inspections of recreational watercraft for zebra mussels — a non-native species that has invaded 65 of the state’s lakes and could spread rapidly if preventative measures aren’t taken, putting native mussels and other aquatic life at risk. This makes Minnesota the second U.S. state to implement a program that enlists dogs to sniff out the invasive species.
About six years ago, California became the first state to use specially trained sniffer dogs to inspect watercraft for zebra mussels. Dogs’ noses can be far more efficient than the human eye at detecting the tiny mussels, which can be less than two inches long. Earlier this year, experienced K-9 officers with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) began training Minnesota DNR staff to use dogs, whose strong sense of smell has proven invaluable for tracking invasive and endangered species. CDFW officers look for breeds and individuals in shelters that are healthy, sociable, and have a strong search drive.
DNR dog Brady picks up the zebra mussel scent. (Credit: Minnesota DNR)
Lynette Shimek, the K-9 unit coordinator and dog handler with the CDFW’s Law Enforcement Division in Sacramento, taught two Minnesota DNR officials how to acclimate a dog to a new target odor — a skill dogs can learn in only five to 20 minutes. Using fresh zebra mussels, Shimek trains the dogs to recognize the odor and to alert the trainer that the odor has been detected. “As soon as the dog sniffs the odor out of curiosity, we raise the source up slightly, the dog sits, and we give them a reward,” Shimek said. Watch Minnesota DNR conservation officers demonstrate a boat search using their newly trained dogs, below.
Once trained, the dogs must then learn to locate the odor under different environmental conditions — a skill that requires additional weeks of training. Environmental conditions include the presence of other odors in the search area; variations in weather, temperature, wind, and humidity; noises and other distractions; unstable footing; and handler distractions.
Brady checks for zebra mussels in a boat hitch.
(Credit: Minnesota DNR)
In California, the program has not only succeeded in detecting infested boats, but it has also streamlined the inspection process. Whereas a person takes 10 to 20 minutes to properly check a single boat, a dog can do the job in two to three minutes. Boat owners are also more willing to submit to inspections when dogs are involved. “They are fascinated by watching the dog search, and by the relationship between the handler and the dog,” Shimek said.
But for all of the benefits dogs confer, they have limitations. The summer months, when inspections take place, tend to be stifling. The dogs can only work a short time before they get overheated and have to take a break. “Checking 300 boats a day isn’t possible,” Shimek said. “We look for boats with moisture on them or boats that are coming from areas where there has been an infestation” of zebra mussels.
It’s unclear if any studies assessing the efficacy of dogs as an invasive species management tool will be conducted, but anecdotal evidence suggests they are effective. “I think it’s a really good tool to have,” said Dan Swanson, a Minnesota DNR species biologist. There are currently three dogs in Minnesota’s new program and more may be added later if the program proves successful. Swanson is hopeful that the dogs will be used as soon as this week at lakes throughout the state.
Zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) — a freshwater species native to Eastern Europe and Russia — were first brought to the U.S. in the ballast water of freighters that made their way to the Great Lakes through connecting waterways from the Atlantic Ocean. The mussels were first discovered in 1988 at Lake St. Clair in Canada, and in just two years they had spread to the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River. Now, zebra mussels are hitching their way across the U.S. on boats, barges, and other recreational watercraft, wreaking havoc on aquatic ecosystems along the way.
The filter-feeding mussels can impact natural food webs when present in high densities. They remove plankton, microorganisms, and other nutrients from the water, depriving zooplankton and larval fish of food and increasing competition for resources between native mollusk species and zebra mussels. The mussels also attach themselves to any solid surface within a body of water, often adhering to native mussels — including endangered Higgins eye mussels (Lampsilis higginsii) — and killing them. Nearly three-quarters of North America’s 297 native freshwater mussel species are endangered, according to the National Resources Conservation Center, and an estimated 35 species are already extinct.
Minnesota DNR conservation officers show how dogs will be used to sniff out zebra mussels. (Credit: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources)Elephants Slaughtered at World Heritage Site
Forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis) at Dzanga-Bai in the Central Afriacan Republic. (Credit: Cristián Samper/WCS)
As many as 200 forest elephants of Dzanga-Ndoki National Park in the Central African Republic are in mortal danger. In late April, 17 Sudanese commercial poachers invaded the park, and reports from the field indicate the poachers are shooting elephants from towers where scientists and visitors have observed elephants for decades. Unless the poachers are stopped, they could inflict one of the largest elephant massacres since February 2012, when an estimated 300 elephants were killed in Cameroon’s Bouba N’Djida National Park, according to World Wildlife Fund (WWF) officials.
“The elephant poaching crisis — driven by insatiable ivory demand — is so severe that no area is safe, not even the World Heritage Site Dzanga-Sangha where both WWF and WCS have now worked for the conservation of elephants for decades,” said WWF Director General Jim Leape in a recent statement. “Heroic rangers are standing firm in the face of immense danger, but they alone cannot safeguard the special species and places the world treasures.”
So far, at least 26 elephants have been slaughtered including four calves, but it is unclear if any more have been killed. The poachers are killing the elephants for their ivory tusks and meat, which are sold at local villages and on the black market. Meat from an adult male could fetch up to $5,000 and a single adult carcass with large tusks could earn poachers double that price, according to a report by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and CITES Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE) program. Populations of forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis) have declined 62 percent over the past decade.
The Central African Republic has been in turmoil since March when the Seleka rebels overthrew the country’s president Francois Bozize. As violence escalated, in late April the Wildlife Conservation Society and other conservation organizations operating in the area were forced to evacuate the region. Conservationists are calling on the Central African Republic government and newly installed President Michael Djotodia to take action against poaching. They are also encouraging surrounding countries including Cameroon and the Republic of Congo to provide support. So far, no action has been taken.
Wildlife News Roundup (May 4-May 10, 2013)
Two women fly fishing in a Michigan River (Credit: Michigan Department of Natural Resources)
Michigan Governor Signs Bills to Better Manage Michigan Wildlife
(WBUP-TV)
Legislation authorizing the state Natural Resources Commission to designate game species in Michigan was signed by Gov. Rick Snyder. Senate Bill 288, sponsored by state Sen. Tom Casperson, gives the commission the responsibility to establish managed open season hunts for wild game and authority to regulate the taking of fish. It exempts the taking of mourning doves, pets and livestock. The Legislature maintains its ability to both add and remove species on the list. More
NEWS FROM NORTH AMERICA
Canada’s Declining Biological Wonders Focus of Species at Risk Meeting
(Canada Newswire)
Twenty-six Canadian wildlife species, from whales to snails, were assessed as at risk at the recent Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada meeting held April 28-May 3 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. These assessments bring the total number of wildlife species recognized by COSEWIC as at risk to 676. Canada’s at-risk species include icons like Polar Bear, Caribou and Killer Whale. The species assessed at this meeting highlight that many of our declining species are inconspicuous and largely unknown. More
With Many Parrots Endangered, Team Sequences Macaw Genome
(Phys.org)
In a groundbreaking move that provides new insight into avian evolution, biology and conservation, researchers at Texas A&M University have successfully sequenced the complete genome of a Scarlet macaw for the first time. The team was led by Drs. Christopher Seabury and Ian Tizard at the Schubot Exotic Bird Health Center in the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences at Texas A&M. More
Alabama Considering Changes for Wildlife Rehabilitation
(WHNT-TV)
State conservation officials in Alabama are working on new guidelines that could change the way wildlife rehabilitators do their job in terms of which animals they’ll be allowed to rescue. This follows a letter they sent to members of the North Alabama Wildlife Rehabilitators in April, making sweeping new changes that came without warning or discussion. More
New Species of Bass Discovered Right Under Our Noses
(redOrbit)
Scientists in Florida recently announced that they have discovered a new species of black bass in the southeastern United States. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission researchers say they discovered the newly christened “Choctaw bass” during a genetic study of bass in 2007. Scientists discovered a DNA profile that did not belong to any species while testing other bass species in the Chipola River in 2007. More
The Bears are Back in British Columbia!
(The Province)
A series of bear sightings in Surrey, British Columbia, has prompted a renewed call for B.C. residents to take steps to reduce bruin run-ins. A bear cub was sighted near a school. The RCMP notified school district officials just before 7 a.m. so they could alert parents to use precautions when taking their children to school. Also, a woman reported a bear knocked over her curbside organic waste bin and began rooting through it near her South Surrey home. More
WILDLIFE HEALTH AND DISEASE NEWS
Fear of Extinction Grows as Numbers of Little Brown Bats Dwindle in New Jersey
(The Record)
New Jersey’s little brown bat population, once as high as 30,000 at the state’s largest hibernation site, hit a new low of only 600 in a recent count, as the population continues its deep spiral caused by a fungal disease sweeping through Eastern states. The recent count showed that little brown bats at Hibernia Mine had dropped another 20 percent over the past year, down from an already alarming low of 750, state officials said. More
Seafood Diet Killing Arctic Foxes on Russian Island
(Nature)
An isolated population of Arctic foxes that dines only on marine animals seems to be slowly succumbing to mercury poisoning. The foxes on Mednyi Island — one of Russia’s Commander Islands in the Bering Sea — are a subspecies of Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) that may have remained isolated for thousands of years. They were once numerous enough to support a small yet thriving group of fur hunters. More
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Cameroon National Park Preparing for Elephant Massacre
(International Business Times)
A national park in Cameroon is concerned it is about to face one of the “biggest elephant massacres” in the country since 300 elephants were slaughtered last year. The WWF has warned that 17 armed poachers entered the Dzanga-Ndoki National Park earlier this week. The park is home to one of Africa’s most unique elephant habitats and the poachers were heading towards Dzanga Bai, which is known as the village of elephants — up to 200 gather there in a large clearing to drink mineral salts from the sands every day. More
Climate Change Already Affecting UK Wildlife
(Phys.org)
U.K. wildlife is already feeling the effects of climate change, scientists say. According to a report, with input from many of the U.K.’s top environmental scientists, many species are now found further north and at higher altitudes than in previous decades. Climate change may also be making it easier for species from foreign shores to invade, often to the cost of native wildlife. More
Alarm Among Activists After Malaysia Kills Nearly 100,000 Monkeys
(Los Angeles Times)
Tourists adore them. Homeowners bemoan them. And the Malaysian government has killed them — by the tens of thousands. They are macaca fascicularis, mischievous monkeys with unusually long tails that give them their common name: long-tailed macaque. Malaysian wildlife officials killed more than 97,000 of them last year. Nearly 88,000 were culled the year before, according to the nation’s wildlife department. More
DNA from Tiger Scat Aids Conservation Efforts in Nepal
(The New York Times)
By Andrew C. Revkin: I’ve drawn attention periodically to the output of Kashish Das Shrestha, a talented photographer and writer who splits his time between New York City and Nepal. He’s filed an interesting new piece on the Nepal Tiger Genome Project, developed with funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development, which is using genetic tools to help conserve Nepal’s hemmed-in tiger population. More
Comment Period Open for Black-Footed Ferret Draft Recovery Plan
An adult female black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes) with her prey, a juvenile black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) (Credit: David Eads/TWS 2012 Photo Contest entry)
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has announced the release of a draft recovery plan for the black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes). The comment period is open until June 24, 2013. The original recovery plan was approved in 1978 when the ferret was believed to be extinct in the wild, and revised in 1988 prior to implementing reintroduction efforts. Despite the highly imperiled history of this species, the announcement notes that downlisting could be accomplished in 10 years, and delisting could be possible by 2040, or even 2022 with intensive reintroduction efforts.
Currently it is estimated that the wild population of ferrets is at least 270 breeding adults (270 adults at self-sustaining sites, and a total of 364 wild animals) in four “successful” populations (see Table 3, pg. 22 of the draft recovery plan). Therefore the downlisting goal of establishing a population of 1,500 free-ranging adults is 18 percent complete, and the establishment of 10 successful populations is 40 percent complete. Although the delisting goal is set for 2040, delisting could occur by 2022 with rigorous reintroduction efforts focused on six new reintroduction sites per year over 10 years, along with improved conservation efforts for prairie dogs (the ferret’s specialized prey and keystone species).
Comments on the draft recovery plan should be mailed to the Recovery Coordinator at the National Black-Footed Ferret Conservation Center, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 190, Wellington, CO 80549.
Sources: USFWS Black Footed Ferret Recovery Plan 1988, USFWS Black-Footed Ferret Draft Recovery Plan 2013, Black Footed Ferret Recovery Program, Safe Harbor Agreement Factsheet, USFWS Black-Footed Ferret Draft Recovery Plan Announcement, USFWS Species Profile: Black-Footed ferret, (Infographic created with Pictochart v2).
Comment Period Open for ESA Listing of the Lesser Prairie-Chicken
Lesser-Prairie Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) (Credit: Doug Holt/FWS)
On May 6, 2013, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) reopened the comment period on its 2012 threatened species listing proposal of the Lesser Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) for 45 days, ending on June 20, 2013. Comments are being accepted on the original listing proposal, and the proposed special 4(d) rule for the take of Lesser Prairie-Chickens. The 4(d) special rules would allow for (1) incidental take from activities conducted under state-coordinated or state-developed conservation programs, as long as they provide a net conservation benefit; and (2) incidental take from agricultural activities within Natural Resources Conservation Service lands with their Lesser Prairie–Chicken Initiative (these would still require a permit).
The FWS is also announcing and inviting comments on the Draft Range-wide Conservation Plan for the Lesser Prairie-Chicken, prepared by the Lesser Prairie-Chicken Interstate Working Group. They have listed 14 specific areas for which they are seeking comments.
A 90-day comment period and four public meetings were held following the proposed rule publication of the Lesser Prairie-Chicken on December 11, 2012. A final listing determination is to be made by September 30, 2013, pursuant to a settlement agreement regarding “Endangered Species Act Section 4 Deadline Litigation” between the FWS and WildEarth Guardians. However, if the Secretary of the Interior finds that “substantial disagreement exists regarding the sufficiency or accuracy of the available data relevant to the listing determination,” then the final listing is to be made by March 31, 2014.
Comments may be submitted until June 20, 2013, electronically (docket number FWS-R2-ES-2012-0071, click on “Comment Now!” to submit your comment), or by mail (to: Public Comments Processing, Attn: FWS-R2-ES-2012-0071, Division of Policy and Directives Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, MS 2042-PDM, Arlington, VA 22203).
Sources: Conservation Plan of the Lesser Prairie-Chicken by the Lesser Prairie-Chicken Working Group, Federal Registry Notice (May 6, 2013), USFWS News Release (May 6, 2013), USFWS FAQ on Reopened Comment Period of Lesser Prairie-Chicken Listing Proposal.
Previous TWS articles: Comment Period: Proposed Lesser Prairie Chicken Listing.
Bill Seeks to Change Texas Deer Breeding Authority
Captive-bred fawns grazing in a field at a deer breeding facility. (Credit: USDA/FSA)
In a move similar to the feral pig legislation proposed in Pennsylvania, Texas legislature is considering a bill that would change the regulatory authority for deer breeding facilities from Texas Parks and Wildlife to the Texas Animal Health Commission. Sponsored by State Representatives Kuempel and Springer, the bill (HB 2092) is supported by the Texas Deer Association, an organization that is working to ease restrictions on the Texas deer breeding industry. Captive deer breeding and hunting generates over $650 million annually in Texas. The Texas Deer Association believes the change would benefit the industry because the health commission has more expertise in animal health and disease prevention and that the deer breeding industry should be classified as an agricultural enterprise. Additionally, there have been disagreements between the industry and Texas Parks & Wildlife in regard to tagging regulations.
Though all deer within Texas belong to the state and are a public resource, it is legal to breed and sell white-tailed deer on private property as well as run hunting operations with a permit. Those that oppose the proposed bill
Normal
0
false
false
false
EN-US
X-NONE
X-NONE
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
— including the Texas Wildlife Association and the Texas Chapter of The Wildlife Society — fear that such a change in regulatory authority would be a large step away from the North American Model of wildlife management, especially its central tenet, the Public Trust Doctrine, as well as the concept of fair chase. Deer are a public resource and should be managed as such. Doug Slack, emeritus faculty at Texas A&M Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences and the executive director for the Texas Chapter of The Wildlife Society says that the Texas Chapter “continues to believe that management and regulation of wildlife needs to be carried out by trained wildlife professionals.”
Prior to the establishment of game policy in the 1930s, market hunting threatened to eliminate many game species, including white-tailed deer. During the Industrial Revolution, the demand for meat created an unsustainable market for hunting game. Concerned sport hunters and leading conservationists organized to protect game populations from market hunting. This resulted in the development of codes of conduct and ethics known as fair chase as well as the North American Model of wildlife management.
Additionally, there are concerns about disease transmission and genetic transfer from captive bred deer to wild populations. Opportunities for the transmission of diseases including Chronic Wasting Disease and Bovine Tuberculosis can occur through fence to fence contact, a wild animal entering the captive facility, or the escape of a captive animal. The escape of a captive cervid or a wild animal entering a reserve could also lead to the transfer of genetic traits that may be maladaptive to free-ranging wildlife.
Public hearings for HB 2092 were held on April 3, 2013, and the bill has been listed as pending in the House Committee on Culture, Recreation, and Tourism since that date. Other proposed legislation under consideration this session would establish a clearer appeals process for revoked breeder permits, allow breeders to sell venison, and increase the amount of time between the release of a captive deer and hunting from 10 to 60 days.
To learn more about issues concerning captive deer breeding and the public trust doctrine, please see the following TWS materials: Captive Deer Breeding fact sheet, The North American Model of Wildlife Conservation position statement, and The North American Model and Public Trust Doctrine technical reviews.
Sources: New York Times (April 4, 2013), Texas Bill HB 2092, History of The Wildlife Society
Wildlife News Roundup (April 27-May 3, 2013)
A western honey bee (Apis mellifera) carries pollen back to its hive. (Credit: Muhammad Mahdi Karim/Wikimedia)
US Rejects EU Claim of Insecticide as Prime Reason for Bee Colony Collapse
(The Guardian)
A U.S. government report blamed a combination of factors for the disappearance of America’s honeybees and did not join Europe in singling out pesticides as a prime suspect. The report, by the Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency, blamed a parasitic mite, viruses, bacteria, poor nutrition and genetics, as well as pesticides, for the rapid decline of honey bees since 2006. Researchers said it was not clear whether a certain class of pesticides was a major cause of the colony collapse. More
NEWS FROM NORTH AMERICA
Ontario Government Rescues Experimental Lakes Area
(Environment News Service)
The Ontario Government has stepped in to save a unique freshwater research facility in the Experimental Lakes Area after the Canadian government cut off funding as of March 31. Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne announced that her Liberal government would provide operating support and work toward an agreement with the nonprofit International Institute for Sustainable Development, IISD, based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, to take over operations of the research area. More
Michigan House Vote Leaves State a Step Closer to Wolf Hunt in Upper Peninsula
(Michigan Live)
Michigan officials may be allowed to establish a wolf hunt in the Upper Peninsula no matter what happens with a pending statewide referendum on the issue. The Michigan House approved Senate Bill 288 by a 72-38 vote. The legislation would allow the state’s Natural Resources Commission to decide on its own what species could be hunted. Michigan’s current law requires the Legislature to designate a game species, which then gives the NRC permission to establish a hunt. More
Cold Weather Forces Wildlife & Fisheries Commission to Delay Inshore Shrimp Seasons
(The Times-Picayune)
This has been the second-coldest spring in the last century, and as a result, brown shrimp have grown more slowly than the U.S. economy. That put the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission in a tight squeeze when setting the dates for the 2013 inshore shrimp seasons. On the one hand, if they voted to open the seasons too early, the shrimp wouldn’t be big enough for market, but if they elected to wait too long, the shrimp might all move out to the open Gulf. More
Florida Wildlife Officials Release Plan to Conserve 16 Species
(NBC Miami)
Florida’s wildlife officials released action plans to conserve 16 imperiled specials including the Florida burrowing owl, Florida sandhill crane and Big Cypress and Sherman’s fox squirrels. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is looking for public input to help create plans to ultimately help 60 species. Other species included in the plans were the brown pelican, gopher frog, Florida pine snake, Florida mouse, Sherman’s short-tailed shrew, short-tailed snake, Florida bog frog, Georgia blind salamander, Atlantic sturgeon and mangrove rivulus. More
Agency Offering Grants to Landowners to Boost Duck Habitat
(The Times-Picayune)
If you’re a landowner, and you’d like to see some additional funds in your bank account to improve your duck habitat, the Natural Resources Conservation Service would like to help. A division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the NRCS is offering technical and financial assistance to agricultural producers in 22 parishes to develop and enhance habitat for migrating birds. This opportunity is being offered through the Louisiana NRCS Migratory Bird Habitat Initiative, a partnership with Ducks Unlimited. More
For Sand Tiger Sharks, a Deadly, Cannibalistic Battle Inside the Womb is Part of Evolution
(The Washington Post)
It’s a tough world from the moment of conception for a sand tiger shark. When a female gets pregnant, it’s usually with multiple offspring of several different male sharks. As soon as the fetuses are old enough, they begin a cannibalistic battle for primacy in utero, with only one surviving. Now scientists have concluded that this is not just a response to crowded conditions but represents an evolutionary strategy that allows the most aggressive male sharks to father the successful baby and thereby outcompete sexual rivals. More
WILDLIFE HEALTH AND DISEASE NEWS
Scientists are Divided Over Threat to Pacific Northwest Salmon
(The New York Times)
Like mariners scanning the horizon from the crow’s nest, scientists have for years been on the lookout in the Pacific Northwest for signs that a dreaded salmon-killing disease, scourge to farmed salmon in other parts of the world, has arrived here, threatening some of the world’s richest wild salmon habitats. Most say there is no evidence. But for years, a biologist in Canada named Alexandra Morton — regarded by some as a visionary Cassandra, by others as a misguided prophet of doom — has said definitively and unquestionably that they are wrong. More
Study Shows Human-Wildlife Microbe Exchange and Multidrug Resistance in Wildlife in Protected Areas in Africa
(Environmental Research Web)
A team of Virginia Tech researchers has discovered that humans are passing antibiotic resistance to wildlife, especially in protected areas where numbers of humans are limited. In the case of banded mongoose in a Botswana study, multidrug resistance among study social groups or troops was higher in the protected area than in troops living in village areas. The study also reveals that humans and mongoose appear to be readily exchanging fecal microorganisms, increasing the potential for disease transmission. More
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Large Bat Collected in South Sudan Belongs to a Genus All Its Own
(The Washington Post)
Researchers in the grasslands of South Sudan were taken by surprise when they first spotted a beautifully patterned bat with pale yellow spots and stripes on dark black fur. DeeAnn Reeder, an associate professor of biology at Bucknell University, and Adrian Garside, a program officer from the conservation group Fauna & Flora International, were working in Bangangai Game Reserve with South Sudan’s Ministry of Wildlife Conservation and Tourism. One evening, while observing bats on rocky grassland next to a stagnant pool, Reeder spied the creature. More
UPDATE: European Commission May Ban Three Neonicotinoids to Protect Bees
Imidacloprid structure overlaying honeycomb of the Western honey bees (Credit: Williamseanohlinger/Wikimedia, and Waugsberg/Wikimedia)
The European Commission (EC) may soon adopt a proposal banning the use of three neonicotinoid pesticides (clothianaidin, imidacloprid, and thiametoxam) for seed treatments, soil application, and foliar treatment on plants, which attract bees, for two years starting December 1, 2013. These neonicotinoids were identified as “high acute risks” to bees in the European Food Safety Authority’s report, and to birds in the American Bird Conservancy’s report. The proposal failed to reach qualified majority on March 15, but achieved enough supportive votes during the April 29 Appeal Committee vote, (15 yes, 8 no, and 4 abstentions) for the Commission to potentially be adopted. The procedural responsibility of whether or not to adopt the proposal is now with the EC.
Sources: EFSA Press Release (Jan 16, 2013), European Commission Health and Consumers: Animals (April 30, 2013), Grist (April 29, 2013), The Independent (April 29, 2013)
Previous TWS articles: Capitol Hill Briefing on Neonicotinoids, Birds and Bees (April 1, 2013)
New Secretary of the Interior: Sally Jewell
Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell (Credit: DOI)
Sally Jewell was confirmed in a Senate vote of 87 to 11 on April 10 and sworn in as the 51st Secretary of the Interior on April 12, 2013, by retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. She will be overseeing an estimated $11.9 billion budget (as proposed by the President’s FY14 request), over 70,000 employees, and a department which is estimated to contribute $385 billion to the nation’s economy and support 2.4 million American jobs.
The Senate confirmation vote occurred after Senator Jim Risch (R-ID) lifted a hold he placed on her nomination, upon receiving written assurance from former DOI Secretary Ken Salazar that the DOI would support using the best science in a collaborative way in the recovery of the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). This is the second last minute agreement the former secretary had to make for the confirmation of his successor to proceed, the first being the agreement to revisit the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS) decision on the emergency road through Izembek National Wildlife Refuge.
The greater sage-grouse was added in 2010 as a candidate species for the endangered species list. Although listing was warranted it was precluded based on “the need to take action on other species facing more immediate and severe extinction threats.” The FWS must decide whether to list the greater sage-grouse by 2015.
Greater sage-grouse lek (Credit: NPS)
The conservation management of the greater sage-grouse encompasses many of the management challenges Jewell will immediately face. The greater sage-grouse’s primary threats — habitat loss and fragmentation from wildfire, energy development, and invasive species — along with competition for grazing permits have necessitated complex management regimes. While much of Jewell’s confirmation questioning focused on the same balancing act of conservation and energy development, recent budget committee hearings have focused on departmental needs for wildfire management and mitigation.
Several DOI agencies (FWS, National Park Service, and Bureau of Land Management) share oversight of the greater sage-grouse and its habitat with other federal agencies (Natural Resource Conservation Service and U.S. Forest Service), states, tribes, and local and private entities. FWS recently released a report to help guide greater sage-grouse conservation actions by these entities with regards to permitting or land management authority information. For more information on the organization of management players see “Who’s on the Lek.”
Sources: Beginner’s Guide to the Greater Sage-Grouse (FWS 2010), CBS: Senate Confirms Sally Jewell as Interior Secretary (April 10, 2013), DOI page: About Secretary Jewell, DOI News Release: President Proposes $11.9 Billion Budget for Interior (April 10, 2013), DOI News Release: Sally Jewell gets to work as Secretary of the Interior (April 15, 2013), Roll Call: Interior Pick Moves Forward After Sage-Grouse Dispute (April 10, 2013), The Wildlife Society’s Comments on FS/BLM EIS of the Greater Sage-Grouse (Feb. 7, 2013), The Wildlife News: Governor Letter to Brian Kelley (3/14/2013), USFWS News Release: Report to Help Guide Greater Sage-Grouse Conservation Objectives (March 25, 2013), USFWS Endangered Species: Greater Sage-Grouse.
Previous TWS articles: Sally Jewell, CEO of outdoor Retailer REI nominated for Interior Secretary, Policy News Update – Sally Jewell Confirmation Hearing, Policy News Update – Sally Jewell Passes First Hurdle.
Comment Period Open for Use of GMCs on Refuges
Genetically modified crops (GMCs) on National Wildlife Refuges in the southeast region.
(Credit: USFWS)
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is now accepting comments on the development of their programmatic environmental assessment (PEA) of the effects of using and cultivating genetically modified crops (GMCs) on National Wildlife Refuge System Lands. The PEA will concentrate on refuges in the southeast region (Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and the Caribbean) which have used GMCs in the past or may soon. According to the Federal Register Notice published on April 30, 2013, refuge farming has occurred primarily through cooperative farming agreements. Corn and soybean GMCs had been cultivated on refuge lands to provide food for migrating waterfowl, shorebirds, doves, and cranes that use the refuges, but this ceased in 2012 until a National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis can be conducted, as part of a settlement in Center for Food Safety v. Salazar (D.D.C. 2011).
Six public scoping meetings will be held with dates, times, and locations to be locally published. Meeting sites include: Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge (North Carolina); Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge (Alabama); Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge (Tennessee); Vicksburg, Mississippi; and Alexandria, Louisiana.
Comments must be received by July 29, 2013, and can be submitted by email, online portal, or by mail to Richard Warner, NEPA Coordinator, GMCPEA, 1875 Century Boulevard, Suite 420, Atlanta, GA 30345.
Sources: Federal Register Notice (April 30, 2013), San Francisco Gate (April 30, 2013), Greenwire (April 30, 2013), USFWS Farming on Refuges (May 1, 2013).
Fences and Footprints
Alexandra E. Sutton
Jambo (hello), and welcome to my field notes blog! I’m a Ph.D. student at Duke University (and a former TWS policy intern), and I’ll be sharing here some of my research reports, personal experiences, and discussions about some of the current challenges facing East African wildlife conservation.
I’ll be in the field from April to July 2013, landing in Nairobi and heading straight down to the Maasai Mara National Reserve — best known as the host of the Great Migration and home to thousands upon thousands of wildlife species.
This field season kicks off my dissertation research, and to get started, I’ll be working with a local charity (the Anne K. Taylor Fund) that’s recently received a grant from National Geographic’s Big Cats Initiative to build predator-proof cattle fences along the western side of the Mara. I’m tasked with collecting data about the fence program, hoping to answer some fundamental questions about the project — namely, just how well these fences work.
Cattle grazing in the Maasai Mara.
Cattle fences may not sound like conservation, but these kinds of programs are a critical part of resolving the human-wildlife conflict that threatens lion, leopard, and cheetah populations across Africa.
It’s important to know that apex predator populations are in decline worldwide, and big cats are particularly at risk (Dickman 2010, Mogensen et al 2011). In the human-dominated pastoral landscapes of East Africa, the ranges of large predators often overlap with human activity, and human-wildlife conflict arises most often in the form of livestock depredation.
Because depredation poses a significant threat to livelihoods, it often leads to the retaliatory killing of predators — a major challenge to the sustainability of local populations (Patterson et al. 2004, Kolowski & Holekamp 2006, Kissui 2008, Hazzah et al. 2009). This type of conflict has contributed to the precipitous decline of the African predator population over the past 50 years (Riggio et al. 2012).
Two black-backed jackals (Canis mesomelas)
Two female lions napping in the shade.
Thus, with an eye toward preserving the remaining predator populations, conservationists working throughout East and Southern Africa have sought to reduce the threat posed by lions (and other large predators) by implementing projects to help fortify or redesign livestock fence enclosures, or “bomas.”
A boma (fence) keeps predatory wildlife off of private lands, reducing livestock-wildlife conflicts and retaliatory attacks on sensitive wildlife species.
Several organizations have reported anecdotal success with reducing predation through the creation of these fortified bomas; however, to date, very few studies have measured the effectiveness of these structures in preventing livestock loss and stopping retaliatory lion killing.
The Anne K. Taylor Fund (AKTF) operates in the TransMara and Mara North regions of Kenya, and over the past three years, has fortified more than 300 Maasai bomas (using aluminum and chain-link fencing) in villages along the western border of the Masai Mara National Reserve. In 2012, the founder of this organization, Anne Kent Taylor, received a grant from the National Geographic Society’s Big Cats Initiative that will support the fortification of many more existing Maasai bomas.
Sutton (middle) and the research team from the Anne K. Taylor Fund.
Understanding the exact impact of boma fortification on livestock loss means that I can work with AKTF to better design, implement, and assess the next phase of their Boma Fortification Project — and can advise other conservationists on best practices for building bomas in other parts of Africa.
I look forward to sharing my notes and experiences with you here, and am always happy to hear comment from the TWS community!
Asante (thank you),
Alexa
P.S. Want to know more? Follow me on Twitter (@aesutz) or check out my blog A Lion’s Life For Me.
Brief Bio: Alexandra Sutton is a Ph.D. student at Duke University, working on predator conservation in sub-Saharan Africa with Stuart Pimm, chair of Conservation Ecology at the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University.
Citations & Further Reading:
Hazzah L., Borgerhoff Mulder M., and L. Frank. 2009. Lions and Warriors: Social factors underlying declining African lion populations and the effect of incentive-based management in Kenya. Biological Conservation 142: 2428 – 2437.
Kissui, B.M. 2008. Livestock predation by lions, leopards, spotted hyenas, and their vulnerability to retaliatory killing in the Maasai steppe, Tanzania. Animal Conservation 11: 422–432.
Kolowski, J.M., and K. E. Holekamp. 2006. Spatial, temporal, and physical characteristics of livestock depredations by large carnivores along a Kenyan reserve border. Biological Conservation 128: 529 – 541.
Mogensen N.L., Ogutu J.O., and T. Dabelsteen. 2011. The effects of pastoralism and protection on lion behaviour, demography and space use in the Mara Region of Kenya. African Zoology 46: 78-87.
Ogada M.O., Woodroffe R., Oguge N., and L.G. Frank. 2003. Limiting depredation by African carnivores: the role of livestock husbandry. Conservation Biology 17: 1521 – 1530.
Patterson B.D., Kasiki S.M., Selempo E., and R.W Kays. 2004. Livestock predation by lions (Panthera leo) and other carnivores on ranches neighboring Tsavo National Parks, Kenya. Biological Conservation 119: 507–516.
Riggio J., Jacobson A., Dollar, L., Bauer, H., Becker, M., Dickman, A., Funston P.,Groom R., Henschel P., de Iongh H., Lichtenfeld L., and S. Pimm. 2013. The size of savannah Africa: a lion’s (Panthera leo) view. Biodiversity and Conservation 22: 17-35.
Woodroffe R., Lindsey P., Romanach S., Stein A., and S.M.K. ole Ranah. 2005. Livestock predation by endangered African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) in northern Kenya. Biological Conservation 124: 225 – 234.
Wildlife News Roundup (April 20-26, 2013)
Wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) (Credit: Dimus/Wikimedia)
Turkey Virus Alert in New York and Maine
(Outdoor Life)
Officials in both New York and Maine have issued alerts asking spring turkey hunters to help them identify birds that may be suffering from Lymphoproliferative Disease Virus. The virus, which causes Elephant Man-like lesions on a turkey’s head and legs, has already been found in the Maine population, while biologists in New York are seeking further information to determine whether the disease has impacted their flock. More
NEWS FROM NORTH AMERICA
Utah Unveils Plan to Conserve 90 Percent of Greater Sage Grouse Population
(Deseret News)
Utah Gov. Gary Herbert’s office rolled out its conservation plan for the imperiled greater sage grouse, setting up 13 distinct management areas it hopes will prevent the animal from being named to the Endangered Species List. Such a federal classification would have substantial economic impacts to Utah, invoking limitations on development, natural resource extraction and grazing — limits top state officials have been fighting to prevent. More
Oilsands Pollution Levels Not a Concern, say Federal, Alberta Governments
(Canada.com)
Contaminants from the oilsands industry are polluting air and water in the region, but the current levels are “not a cause for concern,” the federal and Alberta governments said as they launched a website for a new monitoring program. The statement was part of a summary of the early results of the joint monitoring plan, which was introduced in response to criticism from scientists that an earlier, industry-led monitoring program was inadequate. More
Bill Would Reauthorize Volunteer Programs at Wildlife Refuges
(Asbury Park Press)
Rep. Jon Runyan touted a bill that would allow thousands of volunteers to continue working at national wildlife refuges around the country, including the Edwin B. Forsythe refuge in New Jersey. “Volunteers are the backbone of national wildlife refuges and the refuge system could not function adequately without their contributions,” the Mount Laurel Republican told members of the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs. More
Conservation Groups Ask White House to Save the Whales
(The Hill)
Animal rights groups are meeting with the White House to ensure that regulations protecting an endangered whale species do not expire in December. The rule says that large boats traveling in specific areas along the Eastern Seaboard need to travel 10 knots — or 11.5 miles per hour — to avoid hitting the North Atlantic right whale, a relatively slow-moving animal that eats by filtering small organisms through its open mouth. More
Hunter Allowed to Import Rhino Trophy into U.S. for First Time in 33 Years
(Scientific American)
For the first time in more than 30 years, an American hunter has been allowed to import a trophy from a black rhino he shot in Africa back into the country. Animal-rights groups argue that this is a precedent-setting setback for efforts to preserve the endangered species. Hunters, on the other hand, argue that this is actually a victory for conservation. Black rhinos have been protected under the Endangered Species Act since 1980. More
Flipperbot: A Hybrid Intersection of Wildlife Conservation and Robotics
(Nature World News)
The unusual convergence of wildlife conservation and robotics research has yielded a strange hybrid creation. Researchers developed the “Flipperbot” with the aim to better understand the physics behind movement across a granular surface, such as sand. The Flipperbot mimics the movements of sea turtle hatchlings scooting across the sand towards water. The data the Flipperbot yields could lead to better ways to protect beaches and the animals that live or nest in the sand. More
WILDLIFE HEALTH AND DISEASE NEWS
Humans Passing Drug Resistance to Animals
(Health24)
A team of Virginia Tech researchers has discovered that humans are passing antibiotic resistance to wildlife, especially in protected areas where numbers of humans are limited. In the case of banded mongoose in a Botswana study, multidrug resistance among study social groups, or troops, was higher in the protected area than in troops living in village areas. The study also reveals that humans and mongoose appear to be readily exchanging faecal microorganisms, increasing the potential for disease transmission. More
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
France Pledges Commitment to Help Kenya’s Conservation Efforts
(Global Times)
The French government said it would support Kenya’s wildlife conservation effort through the installation of a digital radio network and solar systems to beef up the security of visitors and wildlife. The Kenya Wildlife Services said the security gadgets are to be installed in the Southern, Tsavo and Central Rift Conservation areas. Visiting officials said the French government will ensure that the East African nation curb rampant poaching, which has increased in the recent past. More
Orangutans Found in Indonesian Villages After Forest Clearing
(The Jakarta Globe)
Wildlife conservation authorities in Indonesia have taken custody of two orangutans found in human settlements in two separate cases. Danang Anggoro, the head of the Balikpapan Natural Resources Conservation Agency, said that a local resident, Heri Sutanto, had brought a 2-year-old orangutan to the BKSDA office after finding it loitering in his neighborhood in the East Kutai district. More
House Delves into USFWS FY14 Budget Request
USFWS Director Dan Ashe (Credit: FWS)
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Fiscal Year 2014 (FY14) budget request was the subject of two House of Representatives hearings on Thursday April 18, 2013. One hearing was within the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Affairs and the other was within the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans, and Insular Affairs.
The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Affairs hearing was an opportunity for in-depth questioning of the FWS’s FY14 budget request and included discussions regarding funding for international wildlife conservation and illegal trafficking efforts, land owner partnerships, and endangered species listing and delisting, among other issues. Chairman Simpson (R-ID) opened the hearing by repeating the themes of other recent hearings — that Congress has tough choices to make and needs to focus on necessary programs such as education, drinking water, responding to and mitigating disasters, and looking at expired authorizations.
In defense of the agency’s budget request of $1.55 billion, an increase of $76.4 million over the enacted fiscal year 2012 levels, FWS Director Dan Ashe reminded the committee that the FWS is unique in that its mission is global, and that it needs an increased capacity to match the increased capabilities of the new generation of wildlife traffickers, who are often linked to syndicated crime. The FWS requested an increase in funds for law enforcement training and international programs. Due to recent budget cuts the agency had to reduce their training program by more than 20 officers.
Most of the budget hearing focused on endangered, threatened, and candidate species. In response to concerns surrounding the impacts of potential listing of the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus), Ashe responded that he is confident about the development of effective greater sage-grouse management strategies, even if listed, because of all the good work that has been accomplished through partnerships and state conservation plans. He also added that the FWS, along with BLM, had recently sent letters to Idaho and Wyoming to support their state grazing plans.
Rep. Herrara Beutler (R-WA) questioned whether an ecosystem approach to the management of endangered and threatened species listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) would be more effective in light of the spotted owl, while also expressing her concerns about employment impacts to the “endangered American wage earner” in her state as a result of the spotted owl listing. Rep. Valadao (R-CA) also criticized the application of the ESA in the San Francisco Bay Delta Region, considering the biological opinions that had been thrown out of court (although the FWS is still operating under a standing biological opinion).
The House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans, and Insular Affairs hearing primarily focused on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) satellite budget, fisheries stock assessment, and natural disaster preparedness as well as the Council on Environmental Quality’s National Ocean Policy Implementation Plan. Chairman Fleming (R-LA) did voice some concern over the FWS’s FY14 budget request. Chairman Fleming’s primary concern was over the increase in requested funds to acquire new lands, stating that the FWS cannot adequately manage their current holdings within current budget constraints. Chairman Fleming did, however, compliment the FWS on their proactive measures in response to budget cuts and sequestration.
Deputy Director Stephen Guertin echoed Director Ashe’s comments when asked how the FWS will use the requested increase in funds to combat the rise in global poaching and wildlife trafficking, noting that they will use the funds to train law enforcement and for education and outreach.
When questioned about impacts from the sequester during Thursday’s hearings, both Director Ashe and Deputy Director Guertin stated that they have managed the cuts by not filling open positions and activating a hiring freeze, leaving 400 positions unfilled, as well as closing public hunting access at 29 wildlife refuges. Ashe noted, however, that they would like to systematically start re-hires for their needs rather than leaving positions open that were simply opportunistic cuts. They would also like to reinstate public hunting access to many refuges where recreation planners had to be cut.
Sources: Environment & Energy Daily (April 19, 2013), USFWS News Release: President Requests $1.6 Billion in Fiscal Year 2014 for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (April 10, 2013), FWS 2014 Budget Justifications
New Wildlife Information Tool from USGS
The U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) new wildlife information tool “BISON”
Normal
0
false
false
false
EN-US
X-NONE
X-NONE
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
— Biodiversity Information Serving Our Nation
Normal
0
false
false
false
EN-US
X-NONE
X-NONE
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
— is a product of the USGS’s Core Science Analytics and Synthesis Program. BISON is a web-based resource for resource managers, researchers, and interested members of the public that combines once disparate biological occurrence information into a single searchable database. BISON lets users access the database, explore data through its mapping interface, and download species occurrence information from across the U.S. and its territories.
A screenshot of a query for Bison bison. (Credit: USGS)
As of March 25, 2013, BISON contained 110,233,486 records, of which 100,983,917 are georeferenced. These records include information about 72,571 unique taxa from 253 data providers. Data providers range from federal agencies to international agencies and organizations, museums, universities, nonprofits, and collaborative networks (like the Avian Knowledge Network and their eBird program). You can search by region or species (scientific or common name), or query data providers and access search statistics. The interactive map is easy to use and since it is web-based, no special software is needed. As you can see from the screen shot of a query of Bison bison, hundreds of results of specimens, fossils, and observations are returned and referenced on the interface, labeled with their source, and dated.
Sources: USGS News Release (4/18/2013), BISON
TWS’ Executive Director Gives Testimony to House Appropriations Subcommitteee
TWS Executive Director Ken Williams. (Credit: Jessica Johnson/TWS)
The Wildlife Society’s (TWS) Executive Director Ken Williams gave public testimony during Public Witness Day, April 16, at the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies. His oral testimony, which was accompanied by written testimony submitted for the public record, focused on the importance of sustained or increased funding to several programs within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Geological Survey, and Bureau of Land Management. Representatives Simpson (R-ID), Moran (D-V), Cole (R-OK), and Herrera Beutler (R-WA) also listened to five-minute presentations by leadership from the Wildlife Conservation Society, Friends of Camas National Refuge, Defenders of Wildlife, World Wildlife Fund, Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Partners for Conservation, and Marine Conservation Institute.
Williams spoke about the importance of the Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units to each of the states represented by the subcommittee (except Ohio), as well as funding for the Bureau of Land Management’s Horse and Burro Program, echoing similar principles of science-based management that were recommended by the National Horse and Burro Rangeland Management Coalition. Williams emphasized the importance of using science to inform the management of our federal lands, and the critical need for funding to “keep common species common,” and recover listed species to sustainable levels.
Recommendations from TWS included strong funding for the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants Program, increased funding for the National Wildlife Refuge System to aid in their operations and maintenance backlog, and continued funding for programs supporting threatened and endangered species management.
After the witnesses’ presentations, the subcommittee members and witnesses engaged in an informal discussion on the Endangered Species Act (ESA), initiated by Chairman Simpson. Both Representatives Simpson and Herrera Beutler voiced their support for the ESA but questioned its efficacy in light of the few number of de-listed and recovered species compared to the number listed. They questioned the panel regarding suggestions to revamp or rewrite the act and when it would or should be reauthorized. “Issues raised in the discussion concerning the Endangered Species Act have been discussed in many forums, and their lack of resolution suggests that perhaps it is time to frame them in a somewhat different context,” Williams said after the hearing.
In Williams’ written testimony, he also commented on the need to increase law enforcement to control illegal activities like poaching on refuges. This sentiment was echoed by both Emily Douce of the Marine Conservation Institute in regard to the Pacific Island National Monuments, and by Will Gartshore of the World Wildlife Fund in regard to the international wildlife community. Witness testimony about the rise of the illegal wildlife trade and the dramatic increase in elephant and rhino poaching sparked the Committee’s interest. More information was provided by Mary Beth Beetham of Defenders of Wildlife regarding the several billion dollar illegal wildlife trade that also impacts national security by “diversifying the portfolios” of those involved in other illegal activities including drug and human trafficking and the illegal arms trade.
Check back soon, to read TWS’s written testimony for more information regarding specific funding level requests. Similar written testimony is scheduled for submission to both the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on Agriculture and in the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies.
Wildlife News Roundup (April 13-19, 2013)
Wolf pup (Canis lupus lupus). (Credit: Alaska Fish and Wildlife Service)
Alaska, Feds Continue Sparring Over Wildlife Policies
(Alaska Public Media)
The National Park Service released its compendiums for 2013 this week. They outline this year’s designations, closures and restrictions for national parks and preserves. Some of the changes to Alaska’s compendiums come in response to state policies regarding predators like wolves and bears. The National Park Service received more than 59,000 comments last year as the agency set to work compiling changes and revisions to this year’s rules and regulations regarding Park Service managed land. More
NEWS FROM NORTH AMERICA
New Study Provides First Evidence of Feral Cats Killing Endangered Hawaiian Petrel
(Salem News)
A new study by federal and university scientists has provided the first direct videographic evidence of depredation of the endangered Hawaiian Petrel by feral cats. The study affirms large amounts of earlier anecdotal evidence that feral cats are an important factor in population declines of the species and provides important additional information on the behavior of cats at petrel burrows. More
Giant Snails Invading Florida, ‘Major Threat’ to Crops
(National Geographic)
A new outbreak of giant, disease-carrying snails is threatening Florida’s crops, experts say. The giant African land snail is finding itself right at home in the Sunshine State, whose hot and humid climate resembles the species’ tropical Nigerian habitat. Now found throughout the world, including the contiguous United States and Hawaii, these invasive plant-eaters pose a particular danger in Florida because of its vibrant agricultural industry. More
Wildlife Center Gets Funding to Respond to Deadly Bat Disease
(Calgary Herald)
A Canadian funding commitment will better help scientists respond to the threat of white-nose syndrome, a fungal disease threatening the bat population across North America. Environment Canada has announced $330,000 over the next four years toward the Canadian Co-operative Wildlife Health Centre in Saskatoon. “We take our role in protecting and conserving species in Canada very seriously,” Environment Minister Peter Kent said. More
Bison Relocation Suit Heard in Montana
(Great Falls Tribune)
Backers of a government-sponsored conservation effort to transplant Yellowstone National Park bison to tribal reservations in Montana say a state judge erred in blocking the relocations because state law doesn’t apply to moving bison on tribal lands. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Defenders of Wildlife and the National Wildlife Federation made the argument to the Montana Supreme Court in an effort to have lifted a state judge’s injunction preventing the bison relocations. More
California Department of Transportation, Bird Advocates Disagree on Fix for Bird Netting
(Argus-Courier)
California Department of Transportation officials said that a contractor has fixed a problem with netting being improperly installed under Highway 101 bridges in Petaluma, which was resulting in dozens of migratory birds getting trapped and dying. Wildlife advocates, however, remained skeptical, saying they had found dead swallows in the netting as late as Wednesday, and continued to call for the netting’s removal. More
Desperate Officials Launch Program to Save Florida Grasshopper Sparrow
(Tampa Bay Times)
In a desperate bid to save a nearly extinct species, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that it is launching a captive breeding program for Florida’s grasshopper sparrow. If they do nothing, experts predict the sparrow will go extinct in three to five years, just like its cousin, the dusky seaside sparrow. The dusky disappeared from the Earth in 1987 when the last survivor died at Disney World. More
Will Synthetic Biology Benefit or Threaten Wild Things?
(The New York Times)
Please look below for a “Your Dot” missive on an emerging force that will, in ways both direct and indirect, shape the face of what we used to call “nature” or “wildlife.” The post was sent by Cristián T. Samper, the president of the Wildlife Conservation Society, from a meeting held this week at Cambridge University to examine this question: “How will Synthetic Biology and Conservation Shape the Future of Nature?” More
WILDLIFE HEALTH AND DISEASE NEWS
DEC Reports: Salmonellosis Affects Redpoll Birds Throughout New York
(New York State Department of Environmental Conservation)
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has confirmed that Salmonellosis, an infection with the bacteria Salmonella, has been the cause for mortality in Common Redpoll birds throughout the state during the last few months. Salmonellosis is among the most common diseases associated with birdfeeders. The organism can be spread from bird to bird through direct contact, or through ingestion of food or water contaminated with feces from an infected bird. More
Washington Tick Found with Pathogen that Causes Lyme Disease
(Peninsula Daily News)
Pack the bug spray for that next hike into the woods. Of the two ticks in Washington state that tested positive for the bacteria that causes Lyme disease out of 261 sampled in 2012, one was from Indian Valley east of Lake Crescent. “Lake Crescent and the area around Lake Crescent is tick heaven,” said Dr. Tom Locke, public health officer for Clallam and Jefferson counties, at the Clallam County Board of Health meeting. “People report tick bites from around there all the time.” More
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Seabirds Affected by Second Wave of Sticky Pollution ‘Could Number Thousands’
(The Guardian)
The numbers of seabirds affected by a sticky substance in the sea off south-west England over the past week could be far greater than those harmed by a similar — or possibly the same — spill earlier this year. Wildlife agencies in Devon and Cornwall said numbers of birds killed or rendered helpless could reach “thousands” and that “a whole generation of seabirds” may have been wiped out in a single pollution incident. More
Russians: Canadian Documents Helping Polar Bear Poachers
(The Canadian Press)
Russian officials are becoming increasingly concerned about polar bear poachers in their country using Canadian documents to disguise illegally hunted pelts. “I think it is a real problem,” said Nikita Ovsyanikov, one of Russia’s top polar bear scientists. Ovsyanikov claims that Canadian documents required to bring hides into the country are being separated from the shipments they originally accompanied and sold separately. More
Costa Rica Wildlife Act Not in Force 4 months After Approval
(The Costa Rica News)
The Wildlife Act, passed Dec. 10, has failed to take effect, because the executive branch has not sent its publication in La Gaceta. La Gaceta is the government’s official newspaper, and new decrees, and laws must be published there for the public before the laws can officially take effect. Deputy Claudio Monge sent an official letter to President Laura Chinchilla, requesting publication of the law and seeking explanations for the delay in its publication. More
Russian Forests and Tigers Left Floored by Illegal Logging
(WWF)
The forests of the Russian Far East are being pushed to the brink of destruction due to pervasive, large-scale illegal logging, largely to supply Chinese furniture and flooring manufacturers, according to a new report by WWF-Russia. This widespread timber theft is threatening the long-term survival of the endangered Amur tiger, while providing a conduit for illegal timber to find its way into the United States, Europe and Japan. More
Legislation in Pa. Could Re-Define Status of Captive Feral Pigs
Normal
0
false
false
false
EN-US
X-NONE
X-NONE
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
Feral pigs damage vegetation while foraging, rooting, and wallowing. The resulting damage promotes weed invasions, changes dominant vegetation types, and increases erosion. (Credit: USFS)
The fate of a Pennsylvania bill (SB 644) that would amend the term “wild animal” to exclude any species or variation of swine, pig, or boar held in captivity remains uncertain. The bill was introduced in the State Senate as the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) is considering a statewide ban on feral hogs, including those held in hunting preserves. If the bill is passed, captive feral pigs will no longer be under the jurisdiction of the PGC.
The PGC says that feral pigs are a serious threat to wildlife, including threatened species, as well as to native vegetation. As such, they are committed to the eradication of feral hogs throughout the state. Though the exact population of feral pigs within Pennsylvania is unknown, the PGC feels that the population is small enough that eradication is still possible. However, they have a relatively small window within which to act due to the fruitful nature of these animals. Feral pigs can have two litters of four to eight piglets per year. Furthermore, feral pigs are notoriously hard to eliminate because of their intelligence — they wise up to hunting and trapping efforts quickly and adjust their routines accordingly.
Now found in at least 35 states, feral pigs are a growing concern for agencies tasked with controlling this prolific invasive species. The USDA reports that feral pigs are a cross between released domestic pigs first brought to the U.S. by Spanish explorers in the 1500s and wild Eurasian boars imported for hunting. There are an estimated 5 million feral pigs in the U.S., which cause over $1 billion in damages annually. Feral pigs root and wallow, damaging vegetation and increasing erosion. The resulting disturbed ground is often re-populated by invasive plant species.
Feral pigs also cause extensive damage to agricultural fields. (Credit: USDA/APHIS)
Feral pigs also have a voracious appetite and consume row crops and livestock feed as well as many small animals such as ground nesting birds. Feral pigs are capable of transmitting more than 30 diseases and 37 parasites to livestock, people, pets, and wildlife. Livestock producers are concerned about the introduction of new diseases such as classical swine fever as well as the reintroduction of eradicated diseases like swine brucellosis.
Proponents of the bill, which passed the Senate (32-18) on March 19, claim that captive feral pigs are not a threat to wildlife or agriculture because such pigs are screened for disease and hunting preserves are careful to comply with USDA regulations as they are inspected regularly. Additionally, some of these captive hunting preserves sterilize males to prevent reproduction should they escape. After passing the Senate, the bill made it through the House Game and Fisheries Committee with a vote of 16-7. The bill was then removed from the table in the House to be considered at another time. An amendment to the bill that would have required the sterilization of male swine held for the purpose of recreational hunting failed to pass (10-13) in the House Game and Fisheries Commission.
The PGC was set to discuss a possible ban on feral pigs this week. Michigan imposed a statewide ban on feral pigs in 2012 and other states are considering similar legislation.
Sources: Feral Swine Impacts on Agriculture and the Environment (Seward et al., 2004), Feral Swine: Damage and Disease Threats (USDA, 2011), Philly.com (March 26, 2012), The Sentinel (January 13, 2013), PA S 644 (March 8, 2013), Philly.com (March 23, 2013).
Thoughts from the Executive Director
TWS Executive Director Ken Williams. (Credit: Jessica Johnson)
On April 16, I testified before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies in Washington, D.C.
The Subcommittee is chaired by Congressman Simpson from Idaho, with Congressman Moran from Virginia serving as vice-Chair. I was one of nine representatives on a panel providing public testimony; other organizations represented on the panel included Defenders of Wildlife, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Wildlife Conservation Society, Partners for Conservation, World Wildlife Fund, Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, and several others.
As is often the case, Subcommittee members filtered in and out during the course of the hearing, to cast votes and attend to other activities. For the most part participation was limited to the Chair and vice-Chair, along with a few other members.
Panel discussants focused on a range of issues, with some overlap but also some differences in emphasis. Common themes included endangered species, State and Tribal Wildlife Grants, and international conservation programs.
In my testimony for TWS, I mentioned funding needs in 4 agencies, namely the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Geological Survey, and U.S. Forest Service. I emphasized the importance of programs that “help keep common species common,” help prevent the listing of species, and contribute to species recoveries.
I also asked for appropriations for National Wildlife Refuge operations and maintenance, for management of wild horses and burros on BLM lands, for science in USGS on Ecosystems and the Cooperative Research Units, and for integrated resource restoration in the Forest Service. Each of the organizations that testified provided the Subcommittee with more comprehensive written testimony for the record.
After the panel testimony, a discussion ensued among Subcommittee members about the Endangered Species Act and the need and potential for the Act to be reauthorized. All Subcommittee members in attendance expressed support for the Act and voiced a commitment to its continuation as a critical foundation for conservation.
However, there was considerable difference of opinion about whether and how the Act would need to be revised to make it more effective. Issues that were mentioned included problems with the single-species focus of the Act, the need to have a broader ecosystem focus, the imbalance between the number of species listed versus the number recovered, the need for a stronger focus on recovery, and the prospects of the Act surviving a push for re-authorization in the current political climate.
Many of the issues raised during the panel discussion have been addressed may times in many forums, and their lack of resolution to date suggests that perhaps it is time to frame those issues in a somewhat different context. The most recent issue of The Wildlife Professional focuses on the Act, and includes discussions about these and many other issues 40 years after it was signed into law.
Overall, there were few surprises in the hearing, except for some truly startling data on international poaching in Africa and Asia and its devastating effects on some of the world’s most charismatic fauna. There seemed to be genuine concern about this problem, and general support for funding international efforts to help address it.
On the other hand, issues on the domestic front concerning science and management of natural resources on public lands were greeted with polite attention but little follow-up during the hearing. Of course, that by itself does not negate the value of these hearings to TWS; I continue to believe it is useful for us to participate, if only for the exposure of TWS to Congress, the sharing of our priorities and concerns, and the opportunity to network with other organizations in the conservation community.
More generally, the role of outreach in TWS continues to be an issue of active concern to TWS leadership and members. I believe that greater outreach to other conservation organizations is one important way to amplify our voice and increase our influence. Similarly, active engagement with Congressional members and staff on important funding and legislation is needed for us to have a voice with federal and state governments on key issues.
Just as communication between TWS and the Society subunits is fundamental to our future, so is outreach to Congress, the agencies, and the conservation community critical in making TWS the force for conservation that we all seek.
And of course, there’s always a chance that a staffer who reviews all that written testimony will be persuaded by the Society’s write-up, and give our recommendations top billing to Congressman Simpson. You just never know.
Council Meeting Highlights
The Wildlife Society 2013 midyear Council Meeting was held March 24-25 during the 78th Annual North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference in Arlington, Virginia. New TWS Executive Director, Ken Williams, was welcomed and introduced to Council and members attending the meeting. Executive Director Williams briefed Council on his activities for the last three weeks and gave his impressions of the issues confronting TWS.
Council members voted on or agreed to implement various new initiatives and activities.
The TWS fiscal year will be changed to start 1 July 2014.
A new computer infrastructure and membership portal software will be purchased that will enhance member services.
The proceeds of the 2013 Investors Campaign will be dedicated to partially funding the new TWS computer infrastructure and membership portal.
The Renewable Energy Working Group request for official status was approved.
The Range Working Group request for interim status was approved.
The Wetlands Working Group request for a six-month extension of interim status was approved.
Thomas A. Roberts was approved for a seat on the Certification Review Board.
An initiative to encourage more active collaboration with Mexican colleagues and members will be initiated.
TWS staff will be developing a plan for generating more frequent press releases on TWS journal papers that may have broad interest.
The Celebrate our Wildlife Conservation Heritage (COWCH) videos will be given a presence on the new online Retirees Center, and the Center’s content will be enhanced with content that’s relevant to TWS retirees.
The Policy Priorities for 2013 were approved. They are:
- Climate Change and Adaptation
- Endangered Species Recovery
- Energy Development and Wildlife
- Federal employee participation in professional societies
- Funding for Wildlife Conservation and Management
- Invasive Species Prevention and Management
- North American Model / Public Trust Doctrine
- Strategic Conservation Planning
- Wetlands Conservation
- Wildlife Health
Annual Conference News
Associated Meetings and Working Groups
We are currently accepting requests for Associated Meetings for Working Groups, alumni groups, and special interest groups. Reserve your space today by filling out this form.
Quiz Bowl
Registration for The Wildlife Society Annual Conference Quiz Bowl is open. Register now to ensure that your team competes this year in Milwaukee. More information.
Pages
Centers
 |
News Center |
|
|
Membership Center |
|
|
Action Center |
|
|
Mentorship Center |
|
|
Career Center |
|
|
Retirees Center |
Connect
|
|
TWS-L Listserv |
News Center
Donate
Your contribution to TWS helps support the many programs that benefit wildlife conservation.
