Whooping Crane.Pub

AMERICAN RIVERSWWW.AMRIVERS.ORGCALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANT SOCIETYWWW.CNPS.ORGCENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

30 YEARS OF THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT

PROTECTING OUR WORLD WWW.BIOLOGICALDIVERSITY.ORG

WWW.USPIRG.ORG 30 YEARS OF THE magine an eastern forest without the The Bush administration has hand ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT I sharp pounding of the red-cockaded picked some of the most fervent oppo- ————————— woodpecker, or imagine Yellowstone nents of the Endangered Species Act to 30 SPECIES SAVED FROM without ever being able to hear the howl lead the agencies that administer it. One EXTINCTION of the wolf. Not long ago, these images example, the Department of the Inte- were nearly a reality. Yet today, with rior's Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wild-

the help of the Endangered Species Act life, and Parks, Craig Manson, stated in CENTER FOR NATIVE ECOSYSTEMS NATIVE CENTER FOR of 1973 (ESA), these species and others an interview, “If we are saying that the Each of the species in this are beginning to recover. loss of species in and of itself is inher- report has been saved from ently bad, I don't think we know enough near extinction by the Endan- With the ESA, the federal government about how the world works to say that.” gered Species Act. Some of recognized that America’s diverse wild- these species have recovered life was too valuable to squander. The The Bush administration has also op- so successfully that they have U.S. INTEREST PUBLIC RESEARCH GROUP law acknowledged that threatened or en- posed listing imperiled species. Since been removed from the endan- dangered “species of fish, wildlife, and taking office, the administration has gered species list. However, plants are of esthetic, ecological, educa- listed no species on its own accord. Un- most of these species have tional, historical, recreational, and scien- der court order, the administration has more challenges to overcome tific value to the Nation and its people.” listed 24 species. In comparison, the before they fully recover. WWW.NATIVEECOSYSTEMS.ORG As a result, the United States made a Clinton administration listed nearly WWW.NWF.ORG Included in this report are: commitment to conserve species faced three times as many species without le- with extinction. gal action. Aleutian Canada goose American alligator Furthermore, the ESA suffers from Bald eagle chronic funding shortfalls. The federal Black-footed ferret government acknowledges that $153 California condor Under the ESA, 1821 species of plants million is needed to list and protect a Chinook salmon and animals are currently listed as backlog of more than 200 declining spe- Desert tortoise

threatened or endangered in the United cies, yet the Bush administration has

Devils Hole pupfish OF WILDLIFEDEFENDERS States and abroad. Listing announces requested only $12 million for 2004. Florida manatee that we’ve taken notice of a species’ The ESA can protect species only if the

NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION WILDLIFE NATIONAL Florida panther

plight and intend to protect and recover government provides adequate funding Freshwater mussels Gray bat it. Over the years, there have been suc- and qualified experts to implement it. Gray wolf of the Great Lakes cesses that teach lessons of how to avoid Green sea turtle future extinctions. We need stronger advocates for endan- Grizzly bear gered species in the administration. De-

Karner blue butterfly Many threatened and endangered spe- velopment in the U.S. continues at an WWW.NRDC.ORG WWW.DEFENDERS.ORG Key deer cies have benefited greatly from critical unprecedented rate. Ecosystems altered Lynx in the Southern Rockies habitat provided by the ESA. Designa- by human activity are ravaged by inva- Masked bobwhite quail tion of critical habitat provides protec- sions from non-native species. These Mauna Kea silversword tion to areas essential to the conserva- threats and others demonstrate the folly Peregrine falcon tion of the species. of weakening the ESA. Pima pineapple cactus Pine Hill plants To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the These 30 success stories illustrate that

Piping plover ESA, we have highlighted species that Americans working together with the EARTHJUSTICE Red-cockaded woodpecker have avoided extinction, stabilized, or ESA can recover endangered species. Robbins’ cinquefoil largely recovered due to the Act. The ESA works. With the protections of Seabeach amaranth this law, we can leave a legacy of pre- Shortnose sturgeon Unfortunately, despite the successes of cious wildlife for generations to come.

Utah prairie dog the ESA, the law has opponents, includ-

NATURAL RESOURCESNATURAL COUNCIL DEFENSE Whooping crane ing special interests that stand to benefit from reduced species protections and, most recently, the Bush administration.

WWW.EARTHJUSTICE.ORGENDANGERED SPECIES COALITIONWWW.STOPEXTINCTION.ORGFOREST GUARDIANSWWW.FGUARDIANS.ORG

AMERICAN RIVERSWWW.AMRIVERS.ORGCALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANT SOCIETYWWW.CNPS.ORGCENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

30 YEARS OF THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT

ALEUTIAN CANADA GOOSE WWW.BIOLOGICALDIVERSITY.ORG

WWW.USPIRG.ORG ecovery of the Aleutian Canada Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Ref-

OUTLOOK FOR THE R goose is a remarkable story of co- uge. FUTURE operative conservation efforts under the Endangered Species Act. Recovery suc- Biologists banded birds at the islands to The continued recovery of the ceeded only with coordination of state identify important migration and win- Aleutian Canada goose will and federal wildlife agencies, interna- tering grounds in the lower 48 states, depend on the concern of the

American people for the spe-

tional partners, conservation groups, finding populations in California and ECOSYSTEMS NATIVE CENTER FOR and private landowners. Oregon. Much of this habitat has been cies and the continued commit- protected in National Wildlife Refuges. ment of wildlife agencies, HISTORY OF ENDANGERMENT State and federal officials have also conservation organizations and The Aleutian goose gets its name from worked to keep Aleutian geese from be- private landowners to protect the Aleutian Islands off the coast of ing shot on their wintering grounds dur- its habitat. Although much of Alaska where it breeds. Historically, ing waterfowl hunting season. the breeding, migration and wintering areas have been U.S. INTEREST PUBLIC RESEARCH GROUP there were no mammals on these is- protected, several key areas lands, leaving nests and young birds By 1990, are threatened. Development relatively safe from predators. However, the species of wetlands and farms could beginning in the 1750s, trappers and had im- lead to the loss of the feeding fur-farmers began releasing non-native proved to grounds and food sources for WWW.NATIVEECOSYSTEMS.ORG arctic foxes onto more than 190 islands the point WWW.NWF.ORG the geese. where the birds nest. With no natural that it was defenses from these predators, the goose reclassified Hunting of Aleutian Canada population was decimated. Hunting by from en- geese could be re-opened. The humans on both their breeding and win- dangered Pacific Flyway Council and the tering grounds also diminished the to threat- Fish and Wildlife Service will population. With no geese sighted be- ened. In evaluate plans to hunt the tween 1938 and 1962, scientists began to 2001, the species if requested by a state, fear the species was extinct. Aleutian except in breeding and winter- FWS

Canada ing grounds. In 1962, Robert Jones, a dedicated wild- goose was declared fully recovered and OF WILDLIFEDEFENDERS life biologist, rowed a wooden dory to re- removed from the list of threatened and NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION WILDLIFE NATIONAL

mote, rocky, wind-battered Buldir Island endangered species. near the end of the Aleutian chain and discovered a small population of about CONSERVATION TODAY 200 to 300 Aleutian geese. Buldir was Many private landowners on the Califor- one of few remaining islands with no nia coast and in the Sacramento and San Glen Smart/FWS

foxes and a remnant goose population. Joaquin valleys manage their lands to WWW.NRDC.ORG WWW.DEFENDERS.ORG

So serious was the plight of the subspe- provide wintering habitat for the geese. cies that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Ser- Wheat and corn fields, short-grass pas- vice (FWS) placed the Aleutian Canada tures, and scattered wetlands attract the goose on its very first list of endangered geese to farmland. The FWS has part- species in 1967. nered with local landowners to protect and manage wintering habitat on pri- ROAD TO RECOVERY vate land with a combination of volun- Edward J. O’Neil/FWS

In 1973, the Aleutian Canada goose re- tary programs, conservation easements EARTHJUSTICE ceived protections under the newly- and title acquisition. passed Endangered Species Act. That year, the federal government banned all ECOLOGICAL VALUE hunting of the species. Federal biologists All ecosystems are a delicate balance.

removed foxes from the islands and rein- The decline of the Aleutian Canada

NATURAL RESOURCESNATURAL COUNCIL DEFENSE troduced geese to fox-free islands. All of goose demonstrates that non-native spe-

the nesting islands were protected in the cies can devastate an entire ecosystem. David Menke/FWS

WWW.EARTHJUSTICE.ORGENDANGERED SPECIES COALITIONWWW.STOPEXTINCTION.ORGFOREST GUARDIANSWWW.FGUARDIANS.ORG AMERICAN RIVERSWWW.AMRIVERS.ORGCALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANT SOCIETYWWW.CNPS.ORGCENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

30 YEARS OF THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT

AMERICAN ALLIGATOR WWW.BIOLOGICALDIVERSITY.ORG

WWW.USPIRG.ORG ore than one million American bles other crocodilian species that are

OUTLOOK FOR THE M alligators live in the freshwater still endangered, so the commercial use FUTURE swamps, marshes, ponds, and rivers of of alligator skins is highly regulated by the southeastern United States. The suc- the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. American alligator populations cess of the population is a testament to continue to rise thanks to the resilience of the species, which was ECOLOGICAL & ECONOMIC VALUE Endangered Species Act protec-

near extinction just 25 years ago. There tions. However, alligators live

American alligators are predators at the ECOSYSTEMS NATIVE CENTER FOR is little question that the Endangered top of the food chain. Within their wet- in wetland areas that also Species Act was paramount in the alliga- land ecosystems, they control popula- appeal to humans. Wetlands tor’s recovery. tions of prey species, including fish, tur- attract developers who are tles, and small mammals. The alligators eager to create housing and HISTORY OF ENDANGERMENT thereby keep the ecosystem balance in shopping complexes to accom- Habitat destruction and excessive hunt- check. modate burgeoning population growth in the south. U.S. INTEREST PUBLIC RESEARCH GROUP ing were the primary culprits in the American alligator’s decline. Rapid development is a signifi-

cant problem for alligators, and In the mid-1900s, even before the today’s Florida’s development is a development boom, urban and suburban prime example: by 2020, the WWW.NATIVEECOSYSTEMS.ORG sprawl destroyed and drained the alliga- WWW.NWF.ORG state’s population is expected tor’s wetland habitat. Without proper to increase by 25 percent to habitat, alligators were not able to eat, more than 21 million people. mate, and raise their young. The development to accommo- date this extreme growth will Even worse, however, was the hunting undoubtedly encroach into the that decimated the alligator population. FWS alligator’s habitat. Avoiding To their detriment, American alligators conflicts between humans and produce high-quality leather that was Adult male alligators also create “gator alligators will require that th coveted during the early 20 century. So holes,” small ponds that they excavate conservation groups and agen- many of the reptiles were killed to fuel by clearing vegetation and digging with cies monitor the threats associ- OF WILDLIFEDEFENDERS the skins market that they were listed their mouths, claws, and tails. These de- ated with habitat destruction. NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION WILDLIFE NATIONAL

as endangered in 1967 under the Endan- pressions hold water during dry seasons gered Species Preservation Act. and drought and are a great benefit to other wildlife species. Some species, par- ROAD TO RECOVERY ticularly the Florida red-bellied turtle, The Endangered Species Preservation use the holes to incubate their eggs. The

Act was not strong enough. In fact, it did displaced land around their holes also WWW.NRDC.ORG WWW.DEFENDERS.ORG

not prohibit the hunting or killing of allows new plant growth. listed species, so alligator poaching con- Gary M. Stolz/FWS tinued into the 1970s. Alligator recovery has paid huge economic dividends as well. Today, farmers With the passage of the Endangered raise alligators for commercial purposes Species Act of 1973, American alligator in an industry that contributes millions hunting became illegal, and the species of dollars to the economy. Southern

finally began to recover. It was delisted states are now home to more than 150 FWS EARTHJUSTICE in 1987, 20 years after receiving protec- alligator farms, primarily in Louisiana tion. and Florida.

CONSERVATION TODAY

Although the American alligator has

NATURAL RESOURCESNATURAL COUNCIL DEFENSE been delisted, conservation continues even today. The alligator closely resem- FWS

30 YEARS OF THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT

BALD EAGLE WWW.BIOLOGICALDIVERSITY.ORG

WWW.USPIRG.ORG ur national symbol, the bald eagle, tiated a captive breeding program that

OUTLOOK FOR THE O is making a spectacular comeback produced birds for release into the wild. FUTURE from near-extinction thanks to the En- dangered Species Act. Habitat protection goals were included The bald eagle has now recov- in federal bald eagle recovery plans. Un- ered to the point that it is HISTORY OF ENDANGERMENT der these plans, eagle populations were proposed for delisting. How-

not considered recovered until a certain ever, the proposal has not been

Bald eagles suffered declines before the ECOSYSTEMS NATIVE CENTER FOR 1940s, beginning in the mid-to late amount of adopted because when the 1800s. Biologists estimate that there breeding and eagle’s Endangered Species Act may have been as many as 100,000 bald wintering protections are lifted, there is eagles in the lower 48 states before habitat was no federal law that protects Europeans first arrived. Early popula- secured. habitat. The Fish and Wildlife tion declines coincided with European Also, the Service is revising the Bald and Golden Eagle Act to include U.S. INTEREST PUBLIC RESEARCH GROUP settlement. Large-scale clear cutting op- plans desig- erations and development in Canada nated buffers better habitat protections, but eagles will remain a threatened and the United States destroyed bald around nest species until the Act is eagle nesting habitat. Trophy and sites. These amended. feather collection and shooting extir- habitat pro- WWW.NATIVEECOSYSTEMS.ORG pated some eagle populations, and hunt- tection meas- WWW.NWF.ORG The ongoing problems facing ing of game reduced the amount of car- ures, which the species are habitat loss and rion available to wintering bald eagles. were only toxic contamination of the Persecution and reductions in prey possible be- environment. As development availability caused population declines cause of the moves forward into the eagle’s through the mid-1900s. The passage of Endangered prime habitat, federal, state, the Bald Eagle Protection Act in 1940 Species Act, John & Karen Hollingsworth/FWS and local governments will slowed the rate of decline of bald eagles allowed rein- need to maintain their commit- in most areas. troduction and monitoring programs to ment to acquiring and managing

be successful. vitally important lands. The most drastic decline occurred from OF WILDLIFEDEFENDERS the 1950s to the 1970s. The widespread CONSERVATION TODAY The major sources of contami- NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION WILDLIFE NATIONAL

use of DDT and other organochlorine Bald eagles are now found throughout nation, particularly DDT, have chemicals caused wholesale reproductive the United States. The species was been controlled. However, failure, and by the early 1960s, fewer downlisted from endangered to threat- chemical pollution still poses a than 100 bald eagles were nesting in the ened in the lower 48 states in 1995. In threat to the species. northeastern United States. 1999 there were approximately 5,800

nesting pairs of bald eagles in the conti- WWW.NRDC.ORG WWW.DEFENDERS.ORG ROAD TO RECOVERY nental United States, indicating that The bald eagle first received federal pro- populations of this magnificent raptor tection under the Migratory Bird Treaty may be secure enough to remove it from Act of 1918. It was subsequently listed the endangered species list altogether in under the first federal endangered spe- the near future. Eagles in Alaska and cies law in 1967. But it was not until the Canada are already recovered. Endangered Species Act of 1973 was ECOLOGICAL VALUE passed, under which the eagle was listed EARTHJUSTICE as endangered in most of the lower 48 Bald eagles are keystone predators in an states, that agencies began to implement ecosystem. They help to keep other bird conservation measures to protect the populations, particularly cormorants and bird. gulls, at bay in order to maintain the ecosystem’s balance.

NATURAL RESOURCESNATURAL COUNCIL DEFENSE Under the Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) ini- John & Karen Hollingsworth/FWS

30 YEARS OF THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT

BLACK-FOOTED FERRET WWW.BIOLOGICALDIVERSITY.ORG

WWW.USPIRG.ORG lack-footed ferrets, once thought to cations within their historic range. A sig-

OUTLOOK FOR THE B be extinct, are slowly resurging in nificant obstacle to ferret recovery is the FUTURE the wild. This nocturnal carnivore has lack of large enough prairie dog com- inhabited the mid-continent grasslands plexes (groups of prairie dog colonies in With increasing populations of of North America for the past 30,000 close proximity to each other). Sylvatic reintroduced ferrets at some years. The black-footed ferret remains a plague has severely reduced one of the sites, there is cause for opti-

highly endangered species that would few remaining large complexes located mism. Full enforcement of CENTER FOR NATIVE ECOSYSTEMS NATIVE CENTER FOR likely be extinct without the Endangered on Thunder Basin National Grassland. Endangered Species Act protec- Species Act. Coal-bed methane development and con- tions, including critical habitat tinued extermination of prairie dogs de- designation, which the ferret HISTORY OF ENDANGERMENT grades remaining ferret habitat. lacks, would help ensure the The black-footed ferret’s fate is inextri- recovery of this unique carni- cably linked with that of its primary food CONSERVATION TODAY vore.

U.S. INTEREST PUBLIC RESEARCH GROUP source and habitat provider, the prairie Within the United States, ferrets have dog. Prairie dogs provide 90 percent of been reintroduced into prairie dog habi- Black-footed ferret recovery rests on the protection of its the ferret’s diet, and ferrets cannot sur- tat on federal and tribal lands through- lifeline—the prairie dog. This vive in the wild outside of prairie dog out the west and southwest. Ferrets requires a shift in how federal colonies. Mistakenly thought to be a pest were also introduced into the largest re- and state governments and WWW.NATIVEECOSYSTEMS.ORG on rangeland, prairie dogs have been the maining prairie dog complex in Chihua- WWW.NWF.ORG private parties regard the target of an intensive and highly effec- hua, Mexico. At several sites, ferrets are prairie dog ecosystem. Prairie tive eradication program coordinated by making a comeback, but recovery is fal- dog shooting is still at an all the federal government. The ferret is a tering in most of the areas where ferrets time high in many areas, and notable victim of the relentless cam- have been reintroduced. There is only urban sprawl is claiming many paign. one self-sustaining population of ferrets high-density prairie dog popula- in the wild, located at Buffalo Gap Na- tions. Scientists have predicted With only one known wild population, tional Grassland in South Dakota. “wave of secondary extinc- the black-footed ferret was listed under tions” which would include the

the Endangered Species Preservation black-footed ferret unless Act of 1966. However, that law failed to prairie dog population declines OF WILDLIFEDEFENDERS provide the ferret with urgently needed are halted. NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION WILDLIFE NATIONAL

habitat protection. In 1971, a captive population was taken from the sole As we celebrate the bicenten- known ferret site in South Dakota. After nial of the Lewis and Clark several years of unsuccessful breeding exploration of the west—the attempts, the last captive ferret died in explorers remarked about the extraordinary prairie dog

1979, and no ferrets were known to exist WWW.NRDC.ORG ecosystem and a Great Plains WWW.DEFENDERS.ORG in the wild. Two years later, ferrets were found living among a white-tailed prai- FWS teeming with wildlife—the fate rie dog population in Meeteetse, Wyo- ECOLOGICAL VALUE of a charismatic member of that ming. When this wild population began In addition to its inherent value as a na- ecosystem, the black-footed to plummet from disease, the remaining tive wildlife species, the black-footed fer- ferret, hangs in the balance.

18 ferrets were captured in hopes of pre- ret is an umbrella species for prairie dog venting the species from disappearing ecosystems. A self-sustaining population

altogether. of ferrets requires a 10,000-acre prairie EARTHJUSTICE dog complex. This large amount of prai- ROAD TO RECOVERY rie dog acreage can provide habitat for The ferret was listed as endangered in other species as well, including the 1974. While declines in prairie dog habi- mountain plover, swift fox, burrowing

tat still occurred after the ferret’s listing, owl, and ferruginous hawk, and more

NATURAL RESOURCESNATURAL COUNCIL DEFENSE its formal endangered status helped di- than 100 other wildlife species that FWS rect resources toward a recovery plan benefit from grassland habitat. intended to restore ferrets across ten lo-

30 YEARS OF THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT

CALIFORNIA CONDOR WWW.BIOLOGICALDIVERSITY.ORG

WWW.USPIRG.ORG he California condor is North at the Los Angeles Zoo. Fortunately,

OUTLOOK FOR THE T America’s largest terrestrial bird, California condors breed well in captiv- FUTURE weighing up to 22 pounds with a wing- ity, and by 1991 a sufficient number of span of nine and a half feet. It can reach California condors had reproduced to ini- The California condor has altitudes of 15,000 feet and may fly 140 tiate a release program for the reestab- bounced back from its brush miles a day in search of the carrion on lishment of a wild population. with extinction, but it will be

some time before the species

which it feeds. Endangered Species Act ECOSYSTEMS NATIVE CENTER FOR protections have helped these magnifi- Reintroduction of California condors to nears the point of full recovery. cent birds to recover from near extinc- the wild began on January 14, 1992, It is only through human inter- tion. when two captive-reared juveniles were vention that the condor exists released along with two juvenile Andean at all today and that work must HISTORY OF ENDANGERMENT condors into the Sespe Condor Sanctu- be continued. In prehistoric times, the condor ranged ary in California. Since then, other re-

U.S. INTEREST PUBLIC RESEARCH GROUP from southern British Columbia to Baja leases have occurred in California and Captive breeding programs and California and across the southern Arizona. the aggressive monitoring of wild populations are essential United States to Florida. By the time to preserving the condor for Europeans arrived in North America, CONSERVATION TODAY future generations.

however, the bird’s range was limited to The California condor WWW.NATIVEECOSYSTEMS.ORG

mountains along the Pacific coast, possi- survives today thanks WWW.NWF.ORG Fortunately, the condor has bly due to the extinction of large Ice Age to captive breeding come to symbolize what hu- mammals. programs that mans can accomplish when brought the species faced with the immediate In more recent history, the bird’s decline back from the brink extinction of an animal. Condor can be attributed to shooting and lead of extinction. Captive rescue and breeding programs poisoning. By 1940, only about 100 Cali- breeding programs continue to garner public fornia condors remained, all confined to continue today as do support, and stories about a U-shaped region in the mountains and protection efforts in condor recovery efforts still

foothills north of Los Angeles. the wild. As of 2003, make headlines, further educat- Scott Frier/FWS there are 84 condors ing the public about how close OF WILDLIFEDEFENDERS The California condor was federally in the wild and 135 in captivity, up from we came to losing this amazing NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION WILDLIFE NATIONAL

listed as an endangered species in 1967. 52 total in 1991. bird forever. At the time, it was estimated that the entire wild population ranged from 50 to ECOLOGICAL & ECONOMIC VALUE 60 individuals. When the Endangered The reintroduction of condors to north- Species Act was passed in 1973, the ern Arizona and the Big Sur area of cen-

California condor was included as an en- tral coastal California has lured bird- WWW.NRDC.ORG WWW.DEFENDERS.ORG

dangered species. watchers and other wildlife enthusiasts to these areas. These visits benefit local ROAD TO RECOVERY businesses that enjoy increased tourism In 1985, when the entire wild condor revenues. At the Grand Canyon, where population had been reduced to nine the birds are regularly seen, the Na- birds, all of the remaining wild birds tional Park Service has created special were brought into captivity in order to programs that are offered daily to edu-

David Clendenen/FWS

preserve the species through captive cate people about the plight of this mag- EARTHJUSTICE breeding and reintroduction. The last nificent species. free-flying California condor was captured in April of 1987. Ecologically, scavengers like the Califor- nia condor play an important role in

From 1987 to 1991, the entire population maintaining balanced and healthy eco-

NATURAL RESOURCESNATURAL COUNCIL DEFENSE

of California condors existed in two cap- systems. By feeding on the remains of tive breeding facilities—one at the San dead animals, scavengers help recycle Scott Frier/FWS Diego Wild Animal Park and the other nutrients.

30 YEARS OF THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT

CHINOOK SALMON WWW.BIOLOGICALDIVERSITY.ORG

WWW.USPIRG.ORG hinook salmon are a symbol of the Puget Sound chinook have begun re-

OUTLOOK FOR THE C Pacific Northwest. Like most bounding in the Puget Sound area’s larg- FUTURE Pacific salmon, many populations of est river, the Skagit. This success is Puget Sound chinook remain unhealthy. thanks to the efforts of the utility com- Salmon are the keystone spe- However, recent efforts on the Skagit pany, Seattle City Light, to minimize cies for the region. The Endan- River have helped reduce the harmful river fluctuations caused by peaking op- gered Species Act is not only

critical to the protection and

impacts caused by the operation of Seat- erations of its hydropower dams. Last ECOSYSTEMS NATIVE CENTER FOR tle City Light hydroelectric dams in year saw the greatest return of fall chi- restoration of those fish, but Washington state's second largest nook since 1974, while populations in everything else that depends salmon producing river. other Puget Sound rivers simultaneously upon them. continued to decline. According to the HISTORY OF ENDANGERMENT utility, these flow modifications cost only The Northwest must strike a Puget Sound chinook, an evolutionarily 20 cents per customer. balance between its thirst for

U.S. INTEREST PUBLIC RESEARCH GROUP significant unit (ESU) of salmon, were cheap hydroelectric power and listed as threatened under the Endan- The Endangered Species Act is responsi- its love and respect for wild Pacific salmon. Hydropower gered Species Act in 1999. An ESU is a ble for improvements along the Skagit. dams continue to imperil subpopulation of fish reproductively iso- Changes to dam operations, forest prac- several populations of chinook tices, and habitat restoration have

lated from other populations. ESUs are WWW.NATIVEECOSYSTEMS.ORG salmon. usually genetically distinct or distin- helped to curb the decline of chinook. WWW.NWF.ORG guished by the timing and location of Further implementation of the law in Two ESUs of chinook salmon their migration. the Skagit estuary is critical to fully re- are at perilously low levels in cover these amazing fish to abundance. the Snake River in eastern The decline of Puget Sound chinook Washington. Four dams along salmon can be attributed to many fac- CONSERVATION TODAY the river keep juvenile salmon tors. Logging and mining on public lands Chinook salmon throughout the West from migrating out to the have signifi- remain on the Endangered Species list. ocean; each dam is responsible cantly de- Clearly more work is needed, but efforts for the mortality of five to

graded chi- like those on the Skagit River are catch- fifteen percent of each genera- nook habitat. ing on. Other dam owners and operators tion of young salmon. Providing OF WILDLIFEDEFENDERS As the region are beginning to improve dam operations ample water flow over the NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION WILDLIFE NATIONAL

grows and and even remove some dams. Improved dams or removing the dams urbanizes, flow regimes, habitat restoration, access altogether will help to solve the FWS suburban to spawning grounds, and improved wa- problem of the chinook’s sprawl consumes habitat, and streams ter quality are all going to be necessary decline. are piped underground or polluted by if we are to improve the plight of this

runoff. Hatchery fish also contribute to icon of the Northwest. WWW.NRDC.ORG WWW.DEFENDERS.ORG

wild salmon declines by interbreeding with native fish. ECOLOGICAL & ECONOMIC VALUE A natural indicator of the health of the In some Puget Sound rivers, dams are Puget Sound environment and its com- the biggest threat to salmon runs. Dams munities, chinook salmon have long been destroy habitat, block salmon from tied to the fate of the Pacific Northwest. reaching historic spawning grounds, and They are highly prized by commercial Ice Harbor Dam. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

alter the natural rhythm of river flows fishermen despite other more populous EARTHJUSTICE essential for healthy ecosystem function. species of Pacific salmon, and anglers Dams can also impair water quality by pay tens of millions of dollars annually increasing temperature and decreasing to fish for salmon. dissolved oxygen.

Generations of Native American tribes

NATURAL RESOURCESNATURAL COUNCIL DEFENSE ROAD TO RECOVERY Skagit River Estuary. USGS in the Puget Sound area continue to Even with these threats, it is still possi- depend on chinook salmon both as a ble to rebuild healthy salmon runs. cultural necessity and as a food source.

30 YEARS OF THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT

DESERT TORTOISE WWW.BIOLOGICALDIVERSITY.ORG

WWW.USPIRG.ORG ith a host of dangers threatening Thus, the FWS recovery team recom-

OUTLOOK FOR THE W the desert, even an ancient spe- mended establishing fourteen 2,000 FUTURE cies can be pushed toward extinction. square mile reserves. So The Endangered Species Act HISTORY OF ENDANGERMENT far, FWS prompted federal agencies to The desert tortoise is not adapted to has desig- protect tortoises.

nated ap-

many threats perpetuated by humans, ECOSYSTEMS NATIVE CENTER FOR including development, mining, livestock proximately Active management of desert grazing, off-road vehicle use, vandalism, 16,000 habitat must continue. Desert and military expansion into critical habi- Beth Jackson/FWS square miles tortoises may require barriers tat areas. For example, garbage dumps as critical habitat in Arizona, California, to protect their habitat from near human settlements bring with Nevada, and Utah. human disturbance, as well as them ravens that prey on young tor- patrols to enforce restrictions on activity in tortoise habitat. In U.S. INTEREST PUBLIC RESEARCH GROUP toises. Each of these changes to the na- CONSERVATION TODAY tive ecosystem has contributed to the To implement the recovery plan, the Na- addition, fencing along highways could keep tortoises away from tortoise’s decline. tional Park Service has protected areas traffic. A possible solution to within California's Joshua Tree National tortoises being killed on the Introduced plants threaten the tortoise Park and the Lake Mead National Rec- road is the creation of tunnels WWW.NATIVEECOSYSTEMS.ORG by competing with its preferred native reation Area in Nevada and Arizona. WWW.NWF.ORG that allow tortoises to cross plants and propagating desert fires. The Bureau of Land Management has under the highway. established a Desert Tortoise Research In addition, livestock tramples baby tor- Natural Area in California and protected Overall, however, a better toises and competes with them for food. additional land in Nevada. There are on- long-term solution would be to going efforts to protect even more land reduce the amount of develop- in the future. ment that takes place in close proximity to tortoise habitat The FWS also has approved habitat and for the Bureau of Land

conservation plans (HCPs) for the Management to fully implement tortoise. HCPs are agreements with the recovery plan. OF WILDLIFEDEFENDERS government agencies, private NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION WILDLIFE NATIONAL

companies, and individuals that allow development on nonfederal lands containing tortoise habitat in return for habitat protections elsewhere. Also important for recovery, sheep grazing has

been banned from most critical habitat Beth Jackson/FWS WWW.NRDC.ORG WWW.DEFENDERS.ORG

and cattle grazing has been greatly re- ROAD TO RECOVERY duced.

In 1980, the tortoises on Utah's Beaver California Bureau of Land Managment Dam Slope were listed as threatened un- ECOLOGICAL VALUE der the Endangered Species Act. In The tortoise illustrates how cumulative 1984, conservationists proposed listing impacts can jeopardize the survival of a all desert tortoises, but it was not until species and an ecosystem. For a creature

1990 that tortoises west and north of the

with a thick shell for defense and a 100- EARTHJUSTICE Colorado River were listed as threat- year lifespan, the tortoise should be a ened. great survivor of the desert. Its unfortu- nate decline could spell disaster for the The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service entire desert ecosystem, for tortoises dis-

(FWS) completed a recovery plan to pro- perse undigested seeds through their fe- Beth Jackson/FWS

NATURAL RESOURCESNATURAL COUNCIL DEFENSE tect the species and its habitat. Scien- ces, ensuring that desert plants are re- tists found that viable tortoise popula- newed for another generation. tions require large areas of habitat.

30 YEARS OF THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT

DEVILS HOLE PUPFISH WWW.BIOLOGICALDIVERSITY.ORG

WWW.USPIRG.ORG he Devils Hole pupfish was one of court decision that ruled that groundwa-

OUTLOOK FOR THE T the first species protected under ter pumping in Ash Meadows should be FUTURE the Endangered Species Act. The tiny halted and a minimum water level fish was in danger of extinction when should be set for Devils Hole. In doing Though it was once at the brink development threatened the water so, the court set a precedent, implicitly of extinction, the Devils Hole source for the cave pool in Devils Hole, reserving groundwater for an endan- pupfish has been brought back

to a stable population of 450

the pupfish’s only natural home. gered species. ECOSYSTEMS NATIVE CENTER FOR individuals through the protec- HISTORY OF ENDANGERMENT The land surrounding Devils Hole was tions of the Endangered Species The world’s entire naturally occurring purchased from developers, and the Act. Devils Hole pupfish population resides 22,000-acre Ash Meadows National in southern Nevada in a single small Wildlife Refuge was created in 1984. Be- Unfortunately, there continue pool at the bottom of a limestone cave, cause the pupfish’s habitat remains at to be decreases in the water

U.S. INTEREST PUBLIC RESEARCH GROUP where it has evolved in isolation for risk, two additional populations were level in the cavern, and the fish more than 10,000 years. created to be reintroduced to Devils Hole is constantly threatened by the effects of natural erosion like in the event that a natural disaster surface runoff of silt and sand, eliminates the original population. vandalism, and development in the surrounding area. WWW.NATIVEECOSYSTEMS.ORG CONSERVATION TODAY WWW.NWF.ORG

The protection of the area surrounding Devils Hole helps to ensure that the pupfish will have habitat to survive and thrive. The wetlands, springs, and chan- nels of Ash Meadow National Wildlife Jack Williams Refuge are protected from outside use in In a move to protect the species, Devils an effort to ensure that water levels re- Peter Rissler Hole was designated part of the Death main suitable for the Devils Hole pup-

Valley National Monument in 1952. fish and for other plants and animals However, water use by ranchers and de- that depend on the area for their sur- OF WILDLIFEDEFENDERS velopers near Devils Hole increased un- vival. NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION WILDLIFE NATIONAL

til the size of the pool was so small that ECOLOGICAL VALUE it put a severe strain on the pupfish Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge population. If water levels recede below has the distinction of having the highest E.E. Hertzog/FWS the shelf where pupfish feed and breed, concentration of endemic species of any it would mean certain extinction for the location in the United States. It provides

species. A water shortfall this extreme habitat for at least 24 plants and ani- WWW.NRDC.ORG WWW.DEFENDERS.ORG

nearly happened in the late 1960s and mals found nowhere else in the world, early 1970s when the pupfish population including 12 threatened and endangered dropped as low as 124 individuals. plants and animals.

ROAD TO RECOVERY The refuge and the Devils Hole pupfish The Devils Hole pupfish was listed as played a formative role in today’s envi- endangered in 1967 under the Endan- ronmentalism. The impending extinction of this tiny desert fish caused people gered Species Protection Act, followed by EARTHJUSTICE the Endangered Species Act of 1973. By to question whether new agricultural the 1970s, the plight of the pupfish was and urban development should take national news, and the public began place at the expense of the survival of a pressing the government to protect the species and its ecosystem. The court’s

rare fish and its unique habitat. decision set a precedent that has pro-

NATURAL RESOURCESNATURAL COUNCIL DEFENSE tected numerous species since 1976. Devils Hole

The Endangered Species Act protections for the pupfish were enforced by a 1976

30 YEARS OF THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT

FLORIDA MANATEE WWW.BIOLOGICALDIVERSITY.ORG

WWW.USPIRG.ORG entle and leisurely animals, Within protected areas, boats are re-

OUTLOOK FOR THE G manatees live in shallow, slow- quired to respect slow speed zones to FUTURE moving rivers, estuaries, saltwater bays, prevent boat-manatee collisions. Dock canals, and coastal areas from Texas and marina development is also re- Because the threats to mana- through Florida and as far north as Vir- stricted so that some manatee habitat tees continue to increase with ginia. Endangered Species Act protec- remains pristine. the growing human population

and the sheer number of ves-

tions have allowed southern waters to ECOSYSTEMS NATIVE CENTER FOR become home to an increasing number of sels on the water each year, manatees. conservation groups and concerned citizens need to be HISTORY OF ENDANGERMENT vigilant in enforcing speed Manatees are slow-moving; fortunately, zones. The Florida Manatee they have no natural predators or ene- Recovery Plan has a Manatee

U.S. INTEREST PUBLIC RESEARCH GROUP mies, so they can live up to 60 years in Recovery Team which moni- the wild. Many manatee deaths are hu- tors and assesses recovery efforts and makes recommen- man related, mostly occurring from colli- © Photo courtesy of David and Theresa Schrichte dations to government officials sions with watercraft. Manatees are also on additional manatee protec- CONSERVATION TODAY

crushed or drowned in canal locks and WWW.NATIVEECOSYSTEMS.ORG tion needs as necessary. flood control structures, injured by eat- Even with increased education and WWW.NWF.ORG

ing fish hooks or litter, and killed in crab boater awareness, manatees continue to trap lines. die as a result of collisions with watercraft. In 2002, a record 95 manatees These threats were killed by accidents with boats. combined to reduce the mana- Ultimately, however, loss of habitat is tee population to the most serious threat facing manatees. such low num- Conservation groups continue to seek

bers that the spe- protections for waters essential to the cies was listed as survival and recovery of this delicate sea OF WILDLIFEDEFENDERS endangered in creature. NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION WILDLIFE NATIONAL

1967 under the Endangered Spe- ECOLOGICAL & ECONOMIC VALUE cies Preservation Manatees have voracious appetites per- Act. Subse- fect for cleaning waterways clogged with

Jim P. Reid/FWS quently, West weeds and plants. Photo courtesy of Laura Osteen

Indian manatees WWW.NRDC.ORG WWW.DEFENDERS.ORG

received protection under the Endan- Outdoor recreation and tourism related gered Species Act of 1973 and the Ma- to manatees is growing, particularly in rine Mammal Protection Act of 1972. Florida. Interested citizens can now participate in tours to view and swim with ROAD TO RECOVERY manatees, thereby pumping money into Under the Endangered Species Act, the local economies and invalidating the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service desig- myth that Florida’s economy has been

nated critical habitat for the manatee in negatively affected by the adoption of EARTHJUSTICE 1976 and developed a comprehensive re- manatee protection measures. In addi- covery plan. To complement the preser- tion, there is evidence that property val- vation of critical habitat, a number of ues increase by as much as 15 percent sanctuaries, refuges, and protection ar- with a manatee slow speed zone adjacent

eas have been established for the mana- to the property.

NATURAL RESOURCESNATURAL COUNCIL DEFENSE

tee.

Photo courtesy of Laura Osteen

30 YEARS OF THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT

FLORIDA PANTHER WWW.BIOLOGICALDIVERSITY.ORG

WWW.USPIRG.ORG he Florida panther, one of 30 sub- sively to recover panthers.

OUTLOOK FOR THE T species of cougar, is the most en- Panther kittens have been taken from FUTURE dangered of all of North America’s cats, the wild for captive breeding. In addi- with less than 100 individuals believed tion, for habitat protection, the Florida The Endangered Species Act to remain in the wild. The panther most Panther National Wildlife Refuge set has given the Florida panther a certainly would not exist today if not for aside 24,000 acres of intact land and fighting chance for survival.

However, coordination of

the Endangered Species Act. 56,000 acres of the Corkscrew Regional ECOSYSTEMS NATIVE CENTER FOR Ecosystem Watershed have also been efforts poses a problem for full HISTORY OF ENDANGERMENT preserved. species recovery. When nu- In colonial times, the panther ranged merous agencies work closely throughout the Southeast, from Texas to It is estimated that there are less then together, decision-making and the Atlantic to Tennessee and South 100 panthers left in the wild. This num- implementation can become Carolina. Historically, the panther’s ber is remarkably low, but it is an im- painstakingly slow, as has been

U.S. INTEREST PUBLIC RESEARCH GROUP populations were threatened by hunting provement from the 30 to 50 panthers the case with panther recovery. for sport, their fur, and for the perceived recorded in a 1989 census. Recently, a panel of independ- threat to livestock. ent scientists designated by the CONSERVATION TODAY Fish and Wildlife Service has

These days, the biggest problem for Flor- Conservationists are working to protect WWW.NATIVEECOSYSTEMS.ORG identified significant flaws in the ida panthers is habitat loss and degrada- existing panthers and habitat, build WWW.NWF.ORG manner in which panthers have tion. For habitat, panthers require a public support for the cats, and reintro- been managed in the past large mosaic of forest and other open duce them into suitable areas. several years. The Fish and lands, but agriculture and residential Wildlife Service now has an development consumed a third of Flor- Innovative solutions, like constructing obligation under the Endan- ida's forests between 1936 and 1987. underpasses below Interstate 75, the gered Species Act to update its major highway responsible for high pan- management strategy to reflect Development has ther mortality, have successfully re- these findings of the Scientific fragmented large ex- duced collision incidents. Review Team.

panses of forest into small, unusable ar- To reduce inbreeding and curb the loss Hopefully, this new information OF WILDLIFEDEFENDERS eas of habitat. As a of genetic diversity, scientists introduced will help tackle the problems NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION WILDLIFE NATIONAL

result, panthers Texas cougars, a closely related subspe- Florida panthers face such as must pursue suitable cies, into the Florida panther population sprawling development and habitat and travel in 1995. This program was an attempt habitat degradation, automobile into developed areas. to reverse negative effects of inbreeding, collisions, and environmental Since 1972, 44 pan- and the initial results have been good. contamination, such as mercury pollution.

thers have been There have been increases in population, WWW.NRDC.ORG Defenders of Wildlife WWW.DEFENDERS.ORG killed by cars. signs of improved genetic health, and additional colonization of areas previ- With so few panthers, the species’ small ously unoccupied. gene pool causes reproductive disorders Mark Lotz and increased susceptibility to disease. ECOLOGICAL VALUE Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission The Florida panther is a symbol of van- ROAD TO RECOVERY ishing wilderness. Lands established to

The panther was listed as endangered in preserve the panther's habitat benefit EARTHJUSTICE 1967 and received further protections other imperiled species, including wood under the Endangered Species Act of storks and eastern indigo snakes. 1973. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Ser- vice, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conserva- The Florida panther plays an essential

tion Commission, National Park Service, role in the ecosystem by managing popu- FWS NATURAL RESOURCESNATURAL COUNCIL DEFENSE

Florida Department of Environmental lations of deer and hogs. Protection, and nongovernmental conservation groups have worked exten-

30 YEARS OF THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT

FRESHWATER MUSSELS WWW.BIOLOGICALDIVERSITY.ORG

WWW.USPIRG.ORG reshwater mussels were once re- CONSERVATION TODAY

OUTLOOK FOR THE F markably abundant, but over the The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s FUTURE last hundred years, they have become (FWS) Asheville, North Carolina field among the most endangered of all North office has implemented large mussel re- The Endangered Species Act American species. About 12 percent of covery programs for regional ecosystems. has been instrumental in the mussel species are extinct and 23 per- Through funding under the Endangered slow recovery of some species

cent are threatened or endangered. The of freshwater mussel. For

Species Act, the Ashville field office has ECOSYSTEMS NATIVE CENTER FOR Endangered Species Act has slowed the been operating a cooperative riparian several other species, however, decimation of these species, and recovery habitat restoration project to improve challenges stand in the way of efforts have proven enormously success- the habitats of endangered mussels. recovery. ful in replenishing mussels. In the Southeast, which contains more than 95 Depleted to the brink of extinction, the Decreased water quality has percent of all federally listed mussels, Tan riffleshell mussel, for example, was particularly hurt mussels, and future prospects have appeared U.S. INTEREST PUBLIC RESEARCH GROUP active conservation initiatives have had designated as endangered in 1977. These some impressive success. mussels were raised in captivity over a bleak for the numerous species.

number of years and recently released If wildlife managers focus on HISTORY OF ENDANGERMENT into the Hiwassee River in Tennessee improving water quality, com- The world’s greatest diversity of fresh- through a partnership between govern- bating invasive species, decreas- WWW.NATIVEECOSYSTEMS.ORG water mussels is in the continental U.S., ment agencies, Virginia Polytechnic In- WWW.NWF.ORG ing siltation, and otherwise where populations of these nearly 300 stitute and State University and others. improving mussel habitat, they species once thrived. However, mussel Endangered mussels in two other tribu- could further foster the stabili- populations have been dropping sharply taries of that river have also been aug- zation of mussel species. due to siltation of waterways from devel- mented, in hopes that the populations opment, pollution of waters with toxins, can become sustainable. dredging of waterways for navigation, and encroachment of non-native species A successful refugia program has been such as the zebra mussel. developed for Mississippi River mussels

through which thousands of fish have DEFENDERS OF OF WILDLIFEDEFENDERS

been used as hosts for larval mussels Mike Pinder and released into habitats free of compe- FWS NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION WILDLIFE NATIONAL

tition from non-native zebra mussels. By holding host fish in cages in the river, hundreds of thousands of these mussels have been released.

ECOLOGICAL & ECONOMIC VALUE M.C. Barnhart WWW.NRDC.ORG Unio Gallery, http://courses.smsu.edu/mcb095f/gallery WWW.DEFENDERS.ORG Freshwater mussels are an important food source for many animals. In addi- Zebra mussels. USGS tion, they improve water quality by fil- ROAD TO RECOVERY tering pollutants, particulates, and ex- The assistance of environmental laws, cess nutrients. Due to their sensitivity to federal, state, local, and tribal agencies, water quality, reductions in mussel as well as academic institutions and pri- numbers serve as valuable indicators of

vate parties, have contributed to a num- decreased water quality. Hiwassee River EARTHJUSTICE ber of remarkable recovery efforts. In particular, habitat protections and popu- Mussels also have considerable economic lation augmentation of mussel species value. The mussel shell industry has under the Endangered Species Act have provided tens of thousands of jobs and

been helpful for recovery. an estimated at $40 to $50 million to the

NATURAL RESOURCESNATURAL COUNCIL DEFENSE economy. M.C. Barnhart Unio Gallery, http://courses.smsu.edu/mcb095f/gallery

30 YEARS OF THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT

GRAY BAT WWW.BIOLOGICALDIVERSITY.ORG

WWW.USPIRG.ORG istorically, 2.25 million gray bats other threats had reduced the gray bat

OUTLOOK FOR THE H lived in limestone caves through- population to just 128,000. FUTURE out the southern and Midwestern United States. Aware that gray bats were im- ROAD TO RECOVERY Gray bat populations are on periled by habitat disturbance and faced The FWS has started to reverse the bat’s the path to recovery. However, with extinction, the U.S. Fish and Wild- decline by purchasing and protecting several management activities

must continue to ensure that

life Service (FWS) used Endangered Spe- some of its most valuable habitat. In ECOSYSTEMS NATIVE CENTER FOR cies Act protections to arrest the bat’s particular, the FWS now owns the Blow- entire bat colonies, some of decline. ing Wind and Sauta Caves in Alabama, which constitute large seg- two of the species’ most important sum- ments of the remaining popula- mer roosting sites. The FWS also action, are not wiped out. quired Fern Cave, the site of the greatest population of hibernating bats. The Given the very few caves used by the gray bat, gating of roost- U.S. INTEREST PUBLIC RESEARCH GROUP entrances to these and many other caves ing and hibernating habitat must are gated to keep curious visitors from continue. Where entrance into agitating roosting and hibernating bats. caves is permitted, visitors and

spelunkers must be educated

The gates have proven successful; the about the vulnerability of bats WWW.NATIVEECOSYSTEMS.ORG total gray bat population is estimated to WWW.NWF.ORG and how to avoid disturbing Private Forest Management Team be 1,500,000 individuals. More than them. 250,000 bats live in Sauta Cave alone, HISTORY OF ENDANGERMENT almost double the number left in the Pesticide contamination re- Gray bats are meticulous in selecting country at the time of the bat’s endan- mains a problem for bats. maternity and hibernation caves. Even gered listing. Efforts to rid bat habitat of the with thousands of potential caves, the poison and control its future bats raise their young in only five per- CONSERVATION TODAY spread will pay ecosystem-wide cent of them. Gray bats find ideal mater- Many protected caves and surrounding dividends.

nity and roosting sites only where lands have been designated as National streams run through large, dome-shaped Wildlife Refuges. Management within OF WILDLIFEDEFENDERS caves that collect heat at the ceiling. The these refuges exemplifies the FWS’s eco- NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION WILDLIFE NATIONAL

bat is equally particular about hiberna- system approach to conservation. With tion sites, requiring deep, vertical caves this model, bats are not viewed in isola- that trap cold air. tion; proper management of all living organisms near the cave including

Human activity in or near the caves can plants, animals, and human settlements, Kentucky Bat Working Group

cause the bats to vacate caves entirely or are considered in conjunction with envi- WWW.NRDC.ORG WWW.DEFENDERS.ORG

drop their offspring to the cave floor dur- ronmental factors such as water and air ing the breeding season. Such distur- quality in and around the cave. bance to a single cave could annihilate an enormous percentage of the species. ECOLOGICAL & ECONOMIC VALUE Thus, the gray bat is endangered Gray bats play a vital role in keeping throughout its range. ecosystems in balance. A single bat can catch hundreds of insects during its

Bats also suffer from pesticide use on nightly forage, and bat colonies are EARTHJUSTICE agricultural land. Chemical pesticides known to eat tons of insects each night. flow into the water bodies where bats Some of the prey insects are beetles and forage, poisoning aquatic insects, which moths that can destroy crops, costing the bats eat. farmers hundreds of thousands of dol-

lars.

NATURAL RESOURCESNATURAL COUNCIL DEFENSE

By 1976, the year the species was listed

as endangered, habitat disturbance and FWS

30 YEARS OF THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT

WWW.BIOLOGICALDIVERSITY.ORG GRAY WOLF OF THE GREAT LAKES

WWW.USPIRG.ORG pproximately 3,100 gray wolves coexist quite peacefully amid these re-

OUTLOOK FOR THE A are living in the Great Lake states covery efforts. FUTURE of Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, with the majority occupying forest and ECOLOGICAL & ECONOMIC VALUE The Endangered Species Act remote areas of the region. Gray wolves As carnivores at the top of the food web, has helped gray wolves to were once one of the reigning mammals gray wolves help maintain diverse and recover, but the future of the

in North species may not be so bright.

healthy ecosystems. Wolves improve the ECOSYSTEMS NATIVE CENTER FOR America, gene pool of their prey species over time but their by culling old, sick, and genetically infe- On April 1, 2003, wolves within population rior individuals. In addition, carrion left the Great Lakes region were has been over from wolf kills increases food designated as part of the East- decimated. sources available for a wide range of ern Distinct Population Seg- With En- scavenging species, which may help to ment and reclassified from endangered to threatened. The U.S. INTEREST PUBLIC RESEARCH GROUP dangered increase biodiversity by leaving ade-

FWS Species quate foods available to other species. Fish and Wildlife Service has since proposed delisting this Act protections, recovery efforts have Without wolves and other top predators, wolf population entirely and started to make a difference. the number of herbivores can skyrocket removing its federal protec- leading to overgrazing, decreases in tions. Once delisting occurs, WWW.NATIVEECOSYSTEMS.ORG HISTORY OF ENDANGERMENT ground-nesting bird and small mammal WWW.NWF.ORG wolf management will be Historically, gray wolves once occupied populations, and an unhealthy ecosys- handed over to the states. all or significant portions of the lower 48 tem. states. However, human persecution through hunting and predator control Wolves are also a tremendous tourism programs, the diminished availability of draw for many states. In Ely, Minnesota, prey, and the loss of habitat took its toll. a survey was conducted to assess the im- In the 1960s, wolf populations had pact of a local wolf recovery center on dropped to the point where only 300 the surrounding community. The results

animals could be found in northern clearly showed that wolves are indeed a LuRay Parker/FWS Minnesota, along with an estimated tourist at- OF WILDLIFEDEFENDERS population of 20 wolves on Isle Royale. traction. In NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION WILDLIFE NATIONAL

total, the ROAD TO RECOVERY wolf center In 1974, gray wolves were listed as had $3 mil- endangered. Under these protections, lion impact Great Lakes populations increased on the local

substantially in Minnesota, and wolves economy in WWW.NRDC.ORG FWS WWW.DEFENDERS.ORG naturally recolonized in parts of one year and northern Wisconsin and Michigan’s either di- Upper Peninsula. By 1978, Minnesota’s rectly or in- wolf population was downlisted to directly pro- threatened. Wolves in other parts of the vided the lower 48 states, including the Rockies, Gary Kramer/FWS equivalent of have also benefited from listing under 66 full-time

the Endangered Species Act. jobs. According to the 2001 National EARTHJUSTICE Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wild- John & Karen Hollingsworth/FWS CONSERVATION TODAY life-Associated Recreation, 39 percent of Wolves continue to be one of the more all American adults participate in some popular of our country’s endangered form of wildlife-related recreation, in-

species, and many local and national cluding fishing, hunting, and wildlife

NATURAL RESOURCESNATURAL COUNCIL DEFENSE organizations remain dedicated to watching. Wildlife watchers alone spent

saving these majestic creatures. In the $38.4 billion in 2001. FWS Great Lakes region, wolves and people

30 YEARS OF THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT

GREEN SEA TURTLE WWW.BIOLOGICALDIVERSITY.ORG

WWW.USPIRG.ORG reen sea turtles are among the old- tles, drowning them because they are

OUTLOOK FOR THE G est reptiles on earth; the turtle’s unable to rise to the surface to breathe. FUTURE ancestors began gracing the seas 150 million years ago. The periphery of the ROAD TO RECOVERY The success of green sea tur- green sea turtle’s range can extend as In 1978, green sea turtles were listed as tles in Florida’s Archie Carr far north as New York, though it is endangered in Florida and along the Pa- National Wildlife Refuge dem-

onstrates that habitat protec-

found mainly in tropical areas of the At- cific coast of Mexico and threatened in ECOSYSTEMS NATIVE CENTER FOR lantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. Sev- the rest of their extensive range. To com- tions play a critical role in eral factors contributed to the species’ ply with the Endangered Species Act, species recovery. It also under- decline, and the Endangered Species Act Turtle Excluder scores the importance of has been an important tool to ensure Devices have been protecting more of the turtle’s that green sea turtles survive for mil- added to fishing breeding grounds. As popula- lions more years. nets in order to tion growth explodes in Florida

U.S. INTEREST PUBLIC RESEARCH GROUP allow sea turtles and throughout the south, HISTORY OF ENDANGERMENT to escape. there will be continuous pres- David Vogel/FWS sure to develop more and Historically, green sea turtles were cov- more of the turtle’s habitat. eted as a meat high in protein. Later, Lighting ordinances have been enacted The Endangered Species Act

turtle meat became a delicacy, and green in areas surrounding vital green turtle WWW.NATIVEECOSYSTEMS.ORG remains one of the only mecha- sea turtles became commercially impor- nesting grounds, particularly in Florida. WWW.NWF.ORG nisms available for the on-going tant for cosmetics and leather. protection of the turtle. CONSERVATION TODAY Green sea turtles nest on open beaches Habitat acquisition and protection have There is also a need to further that are vulnerable to erosion, storms, been fundamental in the green sea tur- reform fishing practices to human traffic, and development. Lights tle’s turnaround. The National Marine reduce the unintended capture from vacation resorts along the coast be- Fisheries Service, the U.S. Fish and of sea turtles by longlines and wilder breeding females, discouraging Wildlife Service, state governmental fishing nets. Fishermen often them from coming ashore. The lights agencies, and conservation groups have throw back into the ocean as

also disorient hatchlings, luring them teamed up to recover green sea turtles. much as a quarter of their away from the ocean. In Florida, the Archie Carr National catch, which frequently includes OF WILDLIFEDEFENDERS Wildlife Refuge was established to pro- green sea turtles. NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION WILDLIFE NATIONAL

Green sea turtles can mistake pollution, tect one of the most productive nesting such as plastic bags and styrofoam, for grounds in the world for green sea tur- food that, when consumed, interferes tles. Thirty-five percent of the world’s with digestion and can poison the turtles remaining green sea turtle population with toxic chemicals. nests on the twenty mile stretch of beach

within the refuge. Since the refuge’s des- WWW.NRDC.ORG WWW.DEFENDERS.ORG

ignation in 1991, green turtle nests have gone from zero in 1982 to a remarkable 2,970 nests in 2002. FWS ECOLOGICAL VALUE The problems facing green sea turtles— development, pollution, and poor

regulation of the fishing industry—do EARTHJUSTICE not affect turtles alone. The best available science shows that ecosystems Ryan Hagerty/FWS are intricately intertwined. Therefore, In recent history, commercial fishermen near extinction of green sea turtles could FWS

have had the most devastating effect on decimate other species that depend on

NATURAL RESOURCESNATURAL COUNCIL DEFENSE them for survival in a chain reaction

green turtles, which are often snared by fishing gear intended for other species. that ends with the break down of the en- Longlines and fishing nets entangle tur- tire ecosystem.

30 YEARS OF THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT WWW.BIOLOGICALDIVERSITY.ORG

GRIZZLY BEAR

xperts agree that the grizzly bear CONSERVATION TODAY OUTLOOK FOR THE E would have disappeared in the lower Conservation organizations are working FUTURE 48 states but for protections afforded in to protect remaining habitat and ensure 1975 by the Endangered Species Act. ecological connections between Yellow- The grizzly is still threatened by

WWW.USPIRG.ORG stone and other ecosystems to the north energy development, rural HISTORY OF ENDANGERMENT and west, including Canada. Experts sprawl, logging, and motorized

vehicle use, which are mounting

As many as 50,000 to 100,000 grizzlies maintain that expanding and reconnect- ECOSYSTEMS NATIVE CENTER FOR roamed the west before Europeans ar- ing fragmented habitat could support in previously secure habitat. rived, but fewer than one thousand (or perhaps 3,000 grizzlies in the lower 48 one to two percent) remained in the states, which, if achieved, would consti- Out of the five remaining lower 48 at the time of listing in the tute sustainable populations. grizzly populations, the Cabinet Northern Rockies and North Cascades. Yaak population is now on the The primary reasons for this precipitous verge of extinction, with as few decline were destruction of habitat and as 10 to 15 grizzlies. A pro- excessive killing of an animal with one of posed mine in key habitat would, if built, likely lead to the the lowest reproductive rates in North extinction of this tiny popula- America. tion. U.S. PUBLIC INTERESTU.S. PUBLIC RESEARCH GROUP

WWW.NATIVEECOSYSTEMS.ORG

ROAD TO RECOVERY The Glacier grizzly population Endangered Species Act protections is threatened by energy devel- stopped grizzly hunting. The law also opment along the Rocky Moun- prompted cleanup of garbage dumps and tain Front, as well as mounting other sources of human foods, thereby Zooprax Productions off road vehicle use.

WWW.NRDC.ORG minimizing grizzly-human conflicts. And the Endangered Species Act’s “look be- Considerable effort is now focused on re- In Yellowstone, development fore you leap” requirements led to: 1.) ducing human-bear conflicts and hu- pressures, global warming, and mitigating harmful developments; 2.) man-caused bear mortalities, which introduced diseases threaten

reducing road- have recently ranged between 20 and 40 key grizzly food sources such as building and log- each year. Strides are being made in whitebark pine seeds and OF WILDLIFEDEFENDERS ging in key habi- some areas, particularly through gar- Yellowstone cutthroat trout. tat, and; 3.) re- bage management and education. Loss of these key foods in core ducing domestic grizzly habitat will force the sheep grazing, ECOLOGICAL & ECONOMIC VALUE bear to roam more widely, which was a ma- Because grizzlies require large areas of expanding the size of habitat jor source of hu- secure habitat in order to survive, pro- needed for recovery.

man-bear con- tection of their habitat means that habi- flicts and grizzly tat is maintained for all other wildlife, If the Fish and Wildlife Service WWW.DEFENDERS.ORG NATURAL DEFENSE RESOURCES COUNCIL

mortality. large and small, from the wolf and lynx removes the Yellowstone to fish and songbirds. As pioneering bear grizzly from the endangered species list, oil and gas develop- Zooprax Productions Grizzly recovery researchers Frank and John Craighead has been slow, said, saving the Great Bear will save ment, logging and roadbuilding, and other harmful extractive and the size of the two most robust of their wildland ecosystem. industries will have easier the remaining populations (Yellowstone

access to grizzly habitat. Fur-

and Glacier) have only increased slightly A 2001 national recreation survey con- EARTHJUSTICE ther, a grizzly bear hunt will be since 1975. The other three popula- ducted by the Department of Interior re- WWW.FGUARDIANS.ORG renewed in Idaho, Montana and tions—the Selkirks, Cabinet Yaak, and vealed that 82 million U.S. residents 16 Wyoming. Together with North Cascades—are so small that the years old and older participated in wild- habitat loss, this hunt could U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has deter- life recreation and spent $38.4 billion push the grizzly closer to mined they are “warranted” for up- pursuing these activities, including extinction in the long-run. listing to endangered status, a designa- nearly $3.5 million in the Rocky Moun- tion not granted due to other agency pri- tain region. orities.

WWW.EARTHJUSTICE.ORGENDANGERED SPECIES COALITIONWWW.STOPEXTINCTION.ORGFOREST GUARDIANS AMERICAN RIVERSWWW.AMRIVERS.ORGCALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANT SOCIETYWWW.CNPS.ORGCENTER FOR BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

30 YEARS OF THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT

KARNER BLUE BUTTERFLY WWW.BIOLOGICALDIVERSITY.ORG

WWW.USPIRG.ORG he Karner blue butterfly lives in rate interests, private landowners, and

OUTLOOK FOR THE T pine barrens of the upper Midwest governmental agencies. The plan estab- FUTURE and Northeast. Efforts under the Endan- lishes guidelines that allow landowners gered Species Act to restore butterfly to engage in development activities, even Under the Endangered Species habitat may spark its recovery. on butterfly habitat. For example, the Act, management at the state Department of Transportation can help level may save the Karner blue

HISTORY OF ENDANGERMENT butterfly survival by adopting a mowing butterfly from extinction. CENTER FOR NATIVE ECOSYSTEMS NATIVE CENTER FOR The key to regime that avoids lupine areas from However, the species’ numbers Karner blue mid-April through September when the are still perilously low and survival is butterflies need the plants. habitat restoration continues, wild blue but with difficulty. lupine, a Habitat restoration programs in New wildflower Hampshire also have paid dividends for The butterfly’s pine barren habitat is naturally maintained U.S. INTEREST PUBLIC RESEARCH GROUP that grows the Karner blue. The state Department in pine bar- of Fish and Game, working closely with by fire. Recreating that process can pose problems, as human rens and the New Hampshire Army National development often borders the oak savan- Guard, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, targeted restoration areas. nas. The and the city of Concord, has a prescribed Habitat managers go to great WWW.NATIVEECOSYSTEMS.ORG Karner blue fire program that restores butterfly WWW.NWF.ORG Ann Swengel/FWS lengths to protect surrounding butterfly habitat. In 2000, the last remaining wild communities from fire. lays its eggs on the blue lupine, and its butterfly populations had been caterpillars feed exclusively on its extirpated from the state. With eggs The greatest problem that leaves. Pristine pine barrens and oak from New York, the Department began plagues the butterfly is develop- savannas are mosaics of woody vegeta- rearing and breeding the butterfly in ment that sprawls from urban tion and open grasslands, maintained by captivity to reintroduce into the wild. areas into open space. When wildfires that keep hardwood trees at For the first time, in 2003 the butterfly habitat is used for commercial bay. This ecosystem provides ideal habi- began mating and reproducing in the and residential development,

tat for the Karner blue because, in addi- wild. As early as next year, wildlife butterfly populations quickly tion to blue lupine, resident species like managers expect significantly improved decline. Fragmented habitat— OF WILDLIFEDEFENDERS dogbane and New Jersey tea supply nec- populations. small areas of ideal habitat NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION WILDLIFE NATIONAL

tar to the adults. separated by roads or other CONSERVATION TODAY development—keep butterfly Development, fire suppression, and con- Reintroduction and habitat restoration populations from expanding version of land for agriculture have de- programs in Wisconsin and New Hamp- and colonizing nearby pine stroyed these delicately balanced areas. shire have helped to save Karner blue barrens.

Logging, grazing, and urbanization—all populations. In addition, researchers are WWW.NRDC.ORG WWW.DEFENDERS.ORG

driven by rapid population growth— studying the butterfly to determine ways further damage butterfly habitat. to better manage the land for the butterfly’s survival. The Karner blue was listed as an endangered species in 1992. Biologists believe ECOLOGICAL VALUE the species is now extinct in Massachu- The Karner blue butterfly shares its Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources setts, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and perhaps habitat with other rare species, includ-

Illinois. There have been few occur-

ing the frosted elfin butterfly, Blanding's EARTHJUSTICE rences in Michigan, New York, New turtle, and loggerhead shrike. These spe- Hampshire, and Minnesota. The largest cies’ survival prospects are improved by remaining concentration is in Wisconsin. restored Karner blue habitat.

ROAD TO RECOVERY

NATURAL RESOURCESNATURAL COUNCIL DEFENSE The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has launched a habitat con- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources servation plan that coordinates corpo-

30 YEARS OF THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT

KEY DEER WWW.BIOLOGICALDIVERSITY.ORG

WWW.USPIRG.ORG ompetition between man and deer ROAD TO RECOVERY

OUTLOOK FOR THE C for limited land on Big Pine Key, The National Key Deer Refuge was es- FUTURE Florida is the story of the Key deer and tablished in 1957. At the refuge, wildlife its decline. The slow recovery of the spe- managers monitor the health of the spe- Without the Endangered Spe- cies in the midst of scarce land demon- cies, restore and enhance the deer’s lim- cies Act, Big Pine Key could be strates the cooperative nature of the En- ited habitat with prescribed fire, and devoid of Key deer. Although

dangered Species Act. the species is staging a come-

control the spread of invasive, non- ECOSYSTEMS NATIVE CENTER FOR native species that can wreak havoc on back, the threats of living so the ecosystem. Through the Endangered close to human development Species Act and the refuge, the Key deer continue to plague the species. population today numbers over 500. One of the biggest problems CONSERVATION TODAY these days is illegal roadside feeding. Hand feeding makes U.S. INTEREST PUBLIC RESEARCH GROUP In the National Key Deer Refuge, the FWS is helping Key deer to recover deer less wary of humans, leading to poaching, health through a combination of land acquisi- problems from non-natural tion, habitat restoration, and wise land food, and the spread of disease management. The Endangered Species between deer that congregate WWW.NATIVEECOSYSTEMS.ORG John Oberheu/FWS Act provides for the FWS to pay private WWW.NWF.ORG in likely feeding areas. Further- landowners a reasonable price for their more, road kills account for 70 HISTORY OF ENDANGERMENT land, which the federal agency manages percent of the deer’s mortality, Key deer are a smaller, salt-tolerant to promote the species' survival. as they are fed near highways subspecies of the white-tailed deer. Key by motorists. deer originally ranged throughout the The Endangered Species Act has also southern Florida Keys, but were hunted allowed private Population growth in Florida is to near extinction during the 1900s. By landowners and not expected to subside. In 1950 only about 25 deer remained. In local govern- fact, the state is experiencing

1973, when Congress passed the Endan- ments in the its fastest population growth gered Species Act, the Key deer was Keys to work ever. Even though habitat OF WILDLIFEDEFENDERS among the first species listed. out a coopera- protections have improved the NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION WILDLIFE NATIONAL

tive agreement Key deer’s chances of survival, In 1970 Big Pine Key was sparsely popu- with FWS, increasing development contin- lated with barely 1200 residents, and called a Habi- ues to jeopardize the species. the Key deer pinelands were virtually tat Conserva- untouched. In the 1970s, tourism, road tion Plan,

building, and housing increased dra- which attempts WWW.NRDC.ORG WWW.DEFENDERS.ORG matically. At the time, the U.S. Fish and to provide long FWS Wildlife Service (FWS) estimated that term solutions all privately owned land would be to conflicts between human development cleared within 20 years if the rapid rate desires and species habitat needs. of development continued. ECOLOGICAL & ECONOMIC VALUE Defenders of Wildlife Habitat loss to roads and highways The Key deer are the centerpiece of the

poses another

unique ecosystem which has evolved in EARTHJUSTICE threat to the the Florida Keys pinelands. Key deer, as many are In addition to their biological value, they killed by traf- are also a popular tourist attraction,

fic on the drawing 90,000 visitors annually to the

NATURAL RESOURCESNATURAL COUNCIL DEFENSE Keys. National Key Deer Refuge. FWS Defenders of Wildlife

30 YEARS OF THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT

WWW.BIOLOGICALDIVERSITY.ORG LYNX IN THE SOUTHERN ROCKIES

WWW.USPIRG.ORG lthough Canada lynx historically program is now celebrating the first

OUTLOOK FOR THE A ranged across the Southern Rock- known wild lynx births in the region. At FUTURE ies, sustained trapping and habitat deg- last count, 16 lynx kittens had been radation and loss reduced lynx in the re- found in the spring of 2003, the first Although the birth of wild lynx gion to very small numbers and possibly documented lynx reproduction in dec- kittens is a critical milestone, extirpated them altogether. Colorado ini- ades. the future depends on both

tiated a release effort in 1999 that has, habitat protection and human CENTER FOR NATIVE ECOSYSTEMS NATIVE CENTER FOR so far, enjoyed significant success. Al- tolerance and acceptance of the though recovery of lynx in the region is species. Forests with large trees still uncertain, the birth of wild lynx kit- and woody debris on the tens in the spring of 2003 marks a key ground provide the best habi- milestone in this effort. tat. Unfortunately, these areas are often targeted for commercial logging. U.S. INTEREST PUBLIC RESEARCH GROUP HISTORY OF ENDANGERMENT Canada lynx once lived throughout the Roads and motorized recrea- mountains of Colorado, northern New tion also take a toll. Lynx are Mexico, southern Wyoming, and occa- Sinapu killed in collisions with vehicles; sionally the Uinta Mountains of Utah. competitors like coyotes and WWW.NATIVEECOSYSTEMS.ORG While possibly never occurring in high CONSERVATION TODAY WWW.NWF.ORG bobcats use motorized routes numbers, they clearly existed in much The future for lynx in the Southern to travel into lynx habitat; and greater abundance at the beginning of Rockies looks promising if land manage- roads fragment and degrade the 20th century than at the beginning of ment agencies like the Forest Service habitat. Ski resort development the 21st. Trapping devastated popula- protect lynx habitat and if state agencies continues to devastate key lynx tions of lynx and other native carnivores. adopt and implement programs to mini- habitat, and other land uses, Habitat loss, degradation, and fragmen- mize accidental lynx deaths. The Endan- such as oil and gas develop- tation exacerbated their decline. If in- gered Species Act has played an impor- ment, also pose a serious digenous lynx remain in the region, they tant role in encouraging and facilitating threat.

occur in extremely small numbers. the lynx recovery effort in the Southern Rockies. The Endangered Species Act While habitat degradation and OF WILDLIFEDEFENDERS ROAD TO RECOVERY ensures that shooting and trapping lynx loss pose the greatest threat, NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION WILDLIFE NATIONAL

In 1999, while an Endangered Species remain illegal and provides incentives lynx continue to be shot and Act listing petition for the Canada lynx for states like Colorado to adopt pro- trapped by humans. Because of was pending, the state of Colorado un- grams aimed at reducing the likelihood the lynx's status as a threatened dertook an effort to recover the lynx in of accidental deaths. Endangered Spe- species under the Endangered the Southern Rocky Mountains. In hopes cies Act protection for the lynx is also Species Act, it is no longer legal to kill lynx. However, lynx are

that the lynx would begin reproducing, resulting in increased attention to pro- WWW.NRDC.ORG mistaken for bobcats by hunt- WWW.DEFENDERS.ORG the Colorado Division of Wildlife trans- tecting lynx habitat. ported and released animals from the ers and sheepherders, and traps northern part of the range into the ECOLOGICAL VALUE set for other carnivores easily south. As a result of rapid human population kill lynx. As a result, hunting Through growth, rampant urban sprawl, poorly and trapping, which decimated native lynx populations, remain this ef- managed recreation, and unchecked re- a threat. fort, the source extraction, we have wiped out vir-

state tually every top carnivore in the South- EARTHJUSTICE has re- ern Rockies ecoregion. Restoring the leased a lynx means conserving critical old total of growth forest habitat, managing recrea- 129 lynx Colorado Division of Wildlife tion and motorized travel, and protecting

in southwestern Colorado over the last key wildlife linkages.

NATURAL RESOURCESNATURAL COUNCIL DEFENSE five years. Initial mortality rates were high, but they have since dropped. The Colorado Division of Wildlife

30 YEARS OF THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT

MASKED BOBWHITE QUAIL WWW.BIOLOGICALDIVERSITY.ORG

WWW.USPIRG.ORG ne of Arizona’s most famous birds, populations to Mexico, and the mainte-

OUTLOOK FOR THE O the masked bobwhite quail was nance or increase of the existing popula- FUTURE saved from extinction by the Endan- tion in Mexico. gered Species Act. The recovery plan for the In 1985, Arizona’s Buenos Aires Na- masked bobwhite estimates HISTORY OF ENDANGERMENT tional Wildlife Refuge, containing ap- that downlisting should be

proximately 118,000 acres of savannah initiated in 2003. However,

The known range of the masked bob- ECOSYSTEMS NATIVE CENTER FOR white in the United States includes the grassland in the Altar Valley, was cre- downlisting criteria have not Altar and Santa Cruz valleys in Arizona. ated for the masked bobwhite. It con- been met. In particular, only The masked bobwhite was first identi- tains the only population of the birds in one population of masked fied in 1884 and was recognized as the United States. bobwhites exists in the wild in highly endangered just a short while the United States, and this later. The primary cause of this bird’s CONSERVATION TODAY population persists only because of repeated release of U.S. INTEREST PUBLIC RESEARCH GROUP imperilment was cattle grazing, which There are nearly 1,000 masked bob- depleted native grasses and forbs vital whites in a breeding facility on the Bue- captive-bred birds. Without any viable populations of masked for bobwhite nesting and foraging cover. nos Aires National Wildlife Refuge, the bobwhites in the United States, In addition, cattle grazing caused the chicks from which are annually released and decreasing populations in invasion of scrub into the desert grass- into the wild. Population estimates Mexico, there is grave cause for WWW.NATIVEECOSYSTEMS.ORG land almost irreversibly destroying in the wild at the refuge are approxi- WWW.NWF.ORG concern. In addition, depend- masked bobwhite habitat. mately 300 to 500 individuals. No cattle ence on captive breeding as a grazing or quail hunting is permitted on longterm recovery strategy is By the early the Buenos Aires refuge. In addition, problematic given the potential 1900s, the habitat restoration on the refuge in- for genetic problems related to masked bob- cludes prescribed burning to restore na- captive propagation. white was tive grasses, inhibit woody vegetation, feared extinct. and stimulate the growth of important However, without the protec- Occasional bobwhite food plants. However, the ref- tive provisions of the Endan-

sightings con- uge has not been able to sustain a vi- gered Species Act, masked tinued through able, breeding population. Although re- bobwhites would likely have OF WILDLIFEDEFENDERS the early 20th cent prescribed burns have resulted in vanished altogether. With more NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION WILDLIFE NATIONAL

century, and a some native grasses re-emerging, more habitat protection and contin- population was habitat restoration is urgently needed. ued conservation efforts, the found in the masked bobwhite can have a wild near ECOLOGICAL & ECONOMIC VALUE second chance. Sonora, Mexico FWS Conservation of the masked bobwhite

in 1964. Some masked bobwhites were has provided collateral protection to a WWW.NRDC.ORG WWW.DEFENDERS.ORG

captured from the Sonora site to provide wide range of wildlife species in the a breeding stock for a captive propaga- southwest. The Buenos Aires National tion program in the United States. Wildlife Refuge provides refuge to more than 325 bird species, 53 species of rep- ROAD TO RECOVERY tiles and amphibians, and 58 mammal The masked bobwhite quail was first species, many of which are endangered. John & Karen Hollingsworth/FWS listed under the Endangered Species In a 2001 survey, the U.S. Fish and

Conservation Act of 1969 and was subse- Wildlife Service found that some 66 mil- EARTHJUSTICE quently designated as an endangered lion American adults watch wildlife an- species under the Endangered Species nually and spend $38.4 billion per year Act of 1973. The masked bobwhite recov- in expenses related to this activity. In ery plan provides for the establishment addition to its striking appearance and

of two viable populations in the United high public profile, the masked bobwhite

NATURAL RESOURCESNATURAL COUNCIL DEFENSE States, cooperation with the Mexican is very popular to bird watchers in the

government to reintroduce two or more southwestern United States. Prescribed burning. FWS

30 YEARS OF THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT

MAUNA KEA SILVERSWORD WWW.BIOLOGICALDIVERSITY.ORG

WWW.USPIRG.ORG he Mauna Kea silversword, a plant plants have been removed from the

OUTLOOK FOR THE T subspecies that grows on the high silversword’s forest reserve, and the FUTURE slopes of Hawaii’s Mauna Kea volcano, is plants have begun to increase in num- a dramatic plant covered in foot long ber. The outlook for the Mauna Kea dagger-like leaves silversword, once bleak, is now and silvery hairs CONSERVATION TODAY bright.

that grow to form

Reduced to a single naturally occurring ECOSYSTEMS NATIVE CENTER FOR a rosette two feet population outside of the Waipahoehoe There are, however, a number in diameter. To- Gulch, today’s conservation efforts are of challenges still to overcome. day, scarcely four seeking to Grazing livestock pose a threat dozen of the establish to the species. Exotic insects plants survive, new popula- are also a continuing problem, but management tions of the as ants and wasps not native to the island devastate populations U.S. INTEREST PUBLIC RESEARCH GROUP © Gerald D. Carr efforts following species to the plant’s endangered listing are help- help it re- of yellow-faced bees, the natural pollinator of the silvers- ing the species to recover. claim some words. of its former

HISTORY OF ENDANGERMENT territory. However, continued efforts WWW.NATIVEECOSYSTEMS.ORG The decline of the Mauna Kea silvers- WWW.NWF.ORG targeted at introducing popula- word is primarily the result of grazing Other con- tions into the wild should mammals that were introduced to the servation remain successful and will help island by humans. Feral sheep and measures ensure the survival of this island goats, as well as mouflon sheep imported that have plant species. for sport hunting, have reduced the been put in © Gerald D. Carr silversword’s range to steep cliffs, which place include hand pollination of the constitute about one percent of its origi- plants by biologists and the subsequent nal range. collection and propagation of seeds from

the flowers. This assisted propagation, Secondarily, the silversword’s reproduc- coupled with other projects designed to OF WILDLIFEDEFENDERS tion has slowed due to decreased levels protect the plants and their habitat from NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION WILDLIFE NATIONAL

of pollinators. exotic species, offer the best hope for the continued survival of the Mauna Kea The root of the silversword. problem lies in

human im- ECOLOGICAL VALUE © Gerald D. Carr

pacts on natu- The ecological value of the Mauna Kea WWW.NRDC.ORG WWW.DEFENDERS.ORG

rally rare and silversword comes from this plant’s rela- specialized tively unique life cycle. After germina- species. The tion, it can take up to 50 years for the silversword silversword to bloom, which it does only illustrates the once before dying. fate that awaits—or has The plant itself is a beautiful, majestic

already over- specimen that produces a five-foot tall EARTHJUSTICE taken—many stalk of one-inch flowers. Dramatic and M. Bruegmann/FWS island species. beautiful, silverswords are popular tourist attractions in Hawaii. ROAD TO RECOVERY

The Mauna Kea silversword was feder-

NATURAL RESOURCESNATURAL COUNCIL DEFENSE ally listed as an endangered species in M. Bruegmann/FWS 1986. Since then, mouflon sheep and feral goats that grazed and trampled the

30 YEARS OF THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT

PEREGRINE FALCON WWW.BIOLOGICALDIVERSITY.ORG

WWW.USPIRG.ORG eregrine falcons were listed as en- trauma from collisions with vehicles and

OUTLOOK FOR THE P dangered in 1970 and removed from aircraft, environmental contamination, FUTURE the list in August 1999. Though consid- and loss of habitat. ered fully recovered, peregrine falcons Since the peregrine is no longer will continue to be monitored under the ROAD TO RECOVERY protected by the Endangered Endangered Species Act through 2013. The pesticide DDT was banned in 1972, Species Act, there is no federal

law that protects peregrine

a few years after the peregrine was ECOSYSTEMS NATIVE CENTER FOR HISTORY OF ENDANGERMENT listed as an endangered species. Without breeding habitat. States are Before 1940, there were an estimated the threat of DDT and with the protec- continuing to try to minimize 3,875 pairs of breeding peregrine falcons tion of the Endangered Species Act, disturbance at nesting sites and in North there was hope for re-establishing pere- protect habitat for the long America. grines. term, but there is no federal As many law backing these protections.

U.S. INTEREST PUBLIC RESEARCH GROUP as 350 Under the Endangered Species Act, the pairs were U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Following the final rule to delist the peregrine falcon nation- estimated and its recovery teams produced four re- wide, the Fish and Wildlife to exist in gional recovery plans. Each plan in- Service developed a post- the east- cluded the release of captive-bred young FWS delisting monitoring plan, which WWW.NATIVEECOSYSTEMS.ORG ern United to historic nesting sites (excluding WWW.NWF.ORG addresses issues such as har- States. In the 1940s, however, peregrine Alaska), the protection and enhance- vesting for falconry and the use falcons started suffering significant de- ment of critical breeding and wintering of falcons in sample surveys to clines due to indiscriminate use of the habitat, increasing and maintaining pro- monitor population trends. pesticide DDT. ductivity in the wild, preventing human disturbance to nesting sites, and identi- The monitoring plan is meant In the 1800s and early 1900s, prior to fying causes of mortality and reduced to ensure that healthy falcon the DDT-induced decline, eastern pere- productivity. populations are maintained. grine populations began to decline pri- Unfortunately, the population

marily due to egg collection, nestling col- Reintroduction continued during the assessments that warrant the lection, and intentional shooting. Shoot- 1990s. A total of 6,000 peregrines were take of the chicks for falconry OF WILDLIFEDEFENDERS ing of adult peregrines was thought to released in 34 states from 1974 to 1997. were derived from outdated NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION WILDLIFE NATIONAL

have caused the most significant mortal- data that may allow too many ity in most areas, but in some states bi- CONSERVATION TODAY chicks to be taken. As a result, ologists estimated that egg collectors re- By 1997, there were more than 1,400 falcon counts in Nevada, New duced populations by as much as 33 per- pairs of peregrines maintaining breeding Mexico, and Utah have indi- cent. For example, at least 49 clutches territories in North America, more than cated that peregrine numbers are on the decline.

were taken from one Massachusetts double the original recovery goal of 631 WWW.NRDC.ORG WWW.DEFENDERS.ORG

nesting site from 1864 to 1931, and as pairs. These recovery efforts were many as three clutches were taken in deemed so successful that the FWS re- one breeding season. moved the peregrine falcon from the list of endangered species in August 1999. By 1970, only 10 to 20 percent of the historical falcon population remained. Al- ECOLOGICAL VALUE though the decline was nearly global, the As a top predator in its ecosystem, the

eastern U.S. and European populations peregrine falcon helps to control popula- EARTHJUSTICE suffered the greatest losses. A 1964 sur- tions of its prey species, mostly smaller vey documenting the decline in North birds, and keep the ecosystem in bal- America did not find a single occupied ance. cliff in the eastern states or Canadian The falcon’s rapid decline after the wide-

maritime provinces. NATURAL RESOURCESNATURAL COUNCIL DEFENSE spread use of DDT also identifies the Modern threats to peregrines are direct species as an indicator of environmental human disturbance to nesting birds, health. FWS

30 YEARS OF THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT

PIMA PINEAPPLE CACTUS WWW.BIOLOGICALDIVERSITY.ORG

WWW.USPIRG.ORG he Pima pineapple cactus was once vidual cacti where they are found. How-

OUTLOOK FOR THE T abundant throughout its small ever, it was not until recently that a FUTURE range in the lower Sonoran Desert of comprehensive plan to protect the habi- southern Arizona. Over time, the growth tat was proposed. Currently, the Sono- The survival prospects for the of several cities and surrounding com- ran Desert Conservation Plan, a habitat Pima Pineapple cactus and all munities endangered the cactus and its conservation plan for 5.9 million acres in native species within their

range have greatly improved

habitat. The Endan- southern Arizona, proposes to manage ECOSYSTEMS NATIVE CENTER FOR gered Species Act human development and open space to with endangered species listing. saved the Pima pine- protect habitat for the Pima pineapple apple cactus from ex- cactus and a multitude of other species, While the increasing population tinction, and a con- as well as preserving the character of of Pima county, with a growth servation plan is in the desert as a whole. rate of 25 percent every 10 the works to protect years, continues to encroach

U.S. INTEREST PUBLIC RESEARCH GROUP the remaining habi- CONSERVATION TODAY on more habitat, the proposed Photo by Lorena B. Moore, Sonoran Desert Conservation www.mineralarts.com tat for the cactus. The cactus has now been listed as En- Plan provides hope for the dangered for ten years. Although it is far cactus and other endangered HISTORY OF ENDANGERMENT from recovered, its prospects have vastly species, as well as the desert in

The Pima pineapple cactus naturally oc- improved with protections from the En- WWW.NATIVEECOSYSTEMS.ORG general. Without such a plan, curs only within a 50-mile by 45-mile dangered Species Act and subsequent WWW.NWF.ORG conservation efforts will likely area of Sonoran Desert grassland and funding for management and monitor- continue to be piecemeal at scrub in southern Arizona and northern ing. best, and populations will very Sonora, Mexico. Only about 1,500 indi- probably decline as more vidual cacti remain in the United States. The Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan desert habitat is lost under will offer habitat protection for the cac- uncontrolled development. Over the past 150 years, urban sprawl, tus and other endangered species, set livestock grazing, mining, the introduc- guidelines for land management within tion of non-native grasses, and modifica- the habitat, and bring in federal funding

tion of the fire regime have radically al- for surveys and land acquisition for the tered the landscape of the Sonoran de- protection and recovery of threatened OF WILDLIFEDEFENDERS sert grassland and scrub habitat. Tram- and endangered species. NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION WILDLIFE NATIONAL

pling by cattle and off-road vehicles also are serious threats to the cactus. ECOLOGICAL VALUE The Pima Pineapple cactus is an integral The primary threat, however, is sprawl- part of the Sonoran Desert ecosystem. ing development in several urban areas; Beautiful silky yellow flowers bring color Photo by Lorena B. Moore, www.mineralarts.com

an estimated 75 percent of the cactus’s to the desert each WWW.NRDC.ORG WWW.DEFENDERS.ORG

current range could be lost to urban de- summer. The succu- velopment around Tucson in the next lent fruits provide an few years. essential source of food and water to sev- ROAD TO RECOVERY eral desert animals. The Smithsonian Institution recom- mended in its 1975 report on 1,726 im- The protection of the Daniel Patterson periled plants that the Pima pineapple Pima pineapple cactus EARTHJUSTICE cactus be listed as threatened. However, Tom Newman/FWS is one of the issues like many other plants in that petition, driving the Sonoran Desert Conserva- the cactus languished unprotected for tion Plan, which offers to protect habitat years as populations declined further. It for 19 other threatened and endangered

was finally listed as endangered in 1993. species. It is widely accepted that this is

NATURAL RESOURCESNATURAL COUNCIL DEFENSE

necessary to maintain ecological integ- Since that time, agencies and individu- rity, quality of life, and economic growth Jim Rorabaugh/FWS als have made attempts to protect indi- in the area.

30 YEARS OF THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT

PINE HILL PLANTS WWW.BIOLOGICALDIVERSITY.ORG

WWW.USPIRG.ORG he Pine Hill plant community is a tive plant society established the Pine

OUTLOOK FOR THE T collection of native plants, includ- Hill Preserve. The Preserve provides a FUTURE ing eight rare species, which have safe and stable habitat for the preserva- adapted to unusual soil and climate con- tion of the Pine Hill rare plants and the The Endangered Species Act ditions in a small area in the foothills of ecosystems in which they live. saved Pine Hill plants from an the Sierra Nevada. Approximately 740 almost certain extinction. But

distinct plant species have been recorded When complete, the Preserve will com- protecting enough habitat for CENTER FOR NATIVE ECOSYSTEMS NATIVE CENTER FOR in the Pine Hill area, and five Pine Hill prise about 5,000 acres of habitat. Pine Hill plants to recover is an plant species are protected under the Though only about one sixth of the origi- ongoing challenge. The plants Endangered Species Act. nal reach of the plant community, this are part of a unique community area should be large enough to maintain of nearly 10 percent of the HISTORY OF ENDANGERMENT the viability of the species. By covering native plant species in Califor- Habitat loss has been as much of the gabbro soil region as pos- nia. All of these plants are confined to an area of 30,000 U.S. INTEREST PUBLIC RESEARCH GROUP the most significant risk sible, the Preserve maximizes the bio- factor for Pine Hill logical integrity and diversity of the acres, making it a nationally significant site of species diver- plants. Extensive hous- original plant and animal communities. sity. ing construction and

commercial develop- CONSERVATION TODAY Three rare plants are endemic WWW.NATIVEECOSYSTEMS.ORG ment have reduced A centerpiece of the Preserve’s manage- WWW.NWF.ORG to the Pine Hill region, meaning their habitat to a small ment is its fire plan. In order to keep the that they grow nowhere else in fraction of original gab- risk of catastrophic fire to a minimum the world. Thus, if we lose even bro soils, which are gen- and to maintain the health of the fire a small portion of this habitat, erally deep red, mildly dependent rare plant community, an on- these plants could quickly be acidic, rich in iron and going program of fuel reduction and extinct. magnesium, and low in careful prescribed burning on Preserve calcium. lands is critical. Protection of human life The Pine Hill Preserve encom- and property is the highest priority. passes 3,100 acres, more than

In addition, human sup- 60 percent of the ultimate goal pression of fire, once a natural process in ECOLOGICAL & ECONOMIC VALUE for protected land. Procuring OF WILDLIFEDEFENDERS the California foothills, has restricted All native plants are inte- the remaining land and continu- NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION WILDLIFE NATIONAL

the normal reproduction of fire-adapted gral to the function of eco- ing to fund management of the species and allowed other plants to move systems. For humans, their Preserve is the key to the into the ecosystem. Non-native plants inherent beauty and diver- species’ survival. threaten Pine Hill plants by competing sity attracts wildflower with them for water, nutrients, and watchers and naturalists.

sunlight. Declines in native wildlife such But plants also offer an ir- WWW.NRDC.ORG WWW.DEFENDERS.ORG

as native insect pollinators further im- replaceable bank of chemi- peril the rare plants. cal products and genetic traits—over half of all In 1996, concern about five Pine Hill medicines are derived from plants—Pine Hill ceanothus, Stebbins’ wild plants. Humans al- morning glory, El Dorado bedstraw, Pine ready rely on the genetic Hill flannelbush, and Layne’s butter- diversity in wild plants to

weed—resulted in their listing as threat- protect crops from disease EARTHJUSTICE ened or endangered under the Endan- and climate change. Because the rare gered Species Act. plants in the Pine Hill Preserve thrive on inhospitable and infertile soils, they ROAD TO RECOVERY may eventually teach us lessons about

To protect this unique plant community, rehabilitating degraded lands and using

NATURAL RESOURCESNATURAL COUNCIL DEFENSE a consortium of state and federal agen- marginal lands. cies, local governments, and the local na-

30 YEARS OF THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT

PIPING PLOVER WWW.BIOLOGICALDIVERSITY.ORG

WWW.USPIRG.ORG amed for its melodic call, the pip- vegetation encroachment in certain ar-

OUTLOOK FOR THE N ing plover, like many other shore- eas, while in certain rivers, agency ma- FUTURE birds, is threatened by habitat loss and nipulation of river levels has reduced the human disturbance. The Endangered early spring floods that maintain Piping plover populations would Species Act has provided for intensive sparsely vegetated sandbar habitats again decline if the protections management of important nesting areas while summer releases wash out nests for nesting areas and habitat

were discontinued. Human

reversing the decline of the Great Lake and flightless chicks. ECOSYSTEMS NATIVE CENTER FOR and Atlantic populations. The Great population growth in coastal Plains population is declining, however. Recent surveys estimate the Atlantic areas continues to increase population at 1690 pairs, the Great threats from habitat destruc- HISTORY OF ENDANGERMENT Lakes population at 51 pairs, and the tion and disturbance. The piping plover nests on beaches of Northern Great Plains at 1291 pairs. the northeast Atlantic coast, shorelines Some off-road vehicle users

U.S. INTEREST PUBLIC RESEARCH GROUP of the Great Lakes, and river sandbars ROAD TO RECOVERY continue to oppose piping and lake shorelines of the Great Plains. In 1986, the Atlantic Coast and North- plover protections. Long run- ning disputes regarding agency The plover winters from North Carolina ern Great Plains breeding populations manipulation of river levels on to eastern Mexico. were listed as threatened, and the Great the Great Plains raise significant Lakes breeding population was listed as concerns about political inter- WWW.NATIVEECOSYSTEMS.ORG Piping plovers originally disappeared endangered. The Great Plains and Great WWW.NWF.ORG ference with recovery efforts. due to excessive hunting for the milliner Lakes breeding populations and the win- However, overall, extensive trade, but they recovered partially after tering range have critical habitat; all conservation efforts have been the enactment of the Migratory Bird three populations have recovery plans. very helpful for the piping Treaty Act. However, after the 1940s, Monitoring of nesting populations has plover. Without the Endan- the populations again declined sharply. provided information that aids conserva- gered Species Act’s significant tion efforts, but additional studies are legal protections, the future for Coastal de- needed, particularly of migratory and this beautiful shorebird would velopment wintering plovers. be in question.

has destroyed CONSERVATION TODAY OF WILDLIFEDEFENDERS much of the State and federal agencies, environ- NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION WILDLIFE NATIONAL

piping mental organizations, and local citizens plover's are protecting piping plover nesting ar- beach habi- eas on public and private lands through tat on the the management and monitoring, reduc-

Coast during tecting natural processes that that sus- WWW.NRDC.ORG WWW.DEFENDERS.ORG

the past 60 years. Human disturbance tain habitat. Threats still remain, par- causes birds to repeatedly leave or even ticularly to migratory and wintering abandon nests, exposing eggs or chicks habitats as well as Great Plains breed- to the summer sun and predators. Off- ing habitats. road vehicles provide increased access to previously remote beach areas, cause ECOLOGICAL VALUE disturbance, and can crush eggs or The piping plover is an integral compo- © Sidney Maddock 2003 nent of several beach, river, and lake

chicks. Dogs and cats can harass and kill EARTHJUSTICE the birds, and gulls and fox, which feed ecosystems. Protecting areas critical to on our fish and food scraps, also can kill the piping plover will help preserve the chicks. Efforts to stabilize beaches by natural character of our disappearing building large storm berms to protect beaches, as well as aid numerous threat-

development from storms allow vegeta- ened and endangered species such as the

NATURAL RESOURCESNATURAL COUNCIL DEFENSE tion to overgrow open sand nesting ar- roseate tern, loggerhead sea turtle,

eas. In the Great Plains, extensive northeastern beach tiger beetle, and sea- © Sidney Maddock 2003 drought has dried habitat and allowed beach amaranth.

30 YEARS OF THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT

RED-COCKADED WOODPECKER WWW.BIOLOGICALDIVERSITY.ORG

WWW.USPIRG.ORG educed to only one percent of its ROAD TO RECOVERY

OUTLOOK FOR THE R former range, the red-cockaded By the 1960s, studies indicated that the FUTURE woodpecker has become as rare as its species might soon become extinct. Con- beleaguered habitat. However, the En- sequently, the bird was added to the En- Building on Endangered Species dangered Species Act is providing hope dangered Species List in 1970. Even af- Act protections, management for the restoration of an important eco- ter listing, however, traditional logging of the woodpecker’s habitat

system and the woodpecker itself. must continue for the species

practices on public lands allowed the ECOSYSTEMS NATIVE CENTER FOR harvesting ancient pines. to fully recover. HISTORY OF ENDANGERMENT In the early 1900s, vast stands of centu- Over the past 25 years, the Endangered The Sandhills area of North ries-old pines stretched from the Atlan- Species Act has placed restrictions on Carolina is home to two popu- tic coast to Oklahoma. The red-cockaded habitat modifications. Consequently, the lations, found on Fort Bragg woodpecker is U.S. Forest Service and the military, and Camp Mackall, separated

U.S. INTEREST PUBLIC RESEARCH GROUP dependent on both of which have lands containing by several miles. Restoration these mature large woodpecker populations, have of the intervening habitat on forests for adopted better woodland management. private lands is key. Fortu- nately, well over 30,000 acres both nesting For example, Camp LeJeune Marine of these intervening lands are and feeding. Corps Base has an active conservation now being voluntarily managed WWW.NATIVEECOSYSTEMS.ORG The birds use program to restore woodpecker habitat WWW.NWF.ORG for the bird by private land- their sharp while still maintaining lands for military owners through incentives beaks to ham- training. under the Endangered Species mer nesting Act. cavities into CONSERVATION TODAY living pines. Although stabilizing red-cockaded wood- Holes drilled pecker populations on public lands is im- around these portant, it is only a part of the effort to cavities cause Jim Hanula/U.S. Forest Service conserve the species. The U.S. Fish and

sap to run down the tree trunks in rivu- Wildlife Service has looked to private lets, helping to prevent predators from landowners to help the species survive. OF WILDLIFEDEFENDERS climbing up to the nests. NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION WILDLIFE NATIONAL

Since 1995, over 500,000 acres of private Woodpeckers search for their insect food lands have been enrolled in conservation in pine stands at least 30 years old. To- programs designed to benefit the wood- Ralph Costa/FWS day, these old pine forests are largely pecker. Also, many forest product com- gone, as trees are often cut before they panies have developed habitat conserva-

mature. Only one percent of the wood- tion plans for the woodpecker. WWW.NRDC.ORG WWW.DEFENDERS.ORG pecker's habitat remains; logging and deforestation have claimed the rest. Fire Efforts on both public and private lands suppression has also adversely altered have benefited from new techniques, the woodpecker’s habitat. supported by Endangered Species Act funding, to drill artificial nest cavities In the past, these birds ranged from and to reintroduce birds into restored New Jersey to Florida and west to Okla- habitat. homa. Today, fewer than 15,000 survive. EARTHJUSTICE The species has been completely wiped ECOLOGICAL VALUE out in New Jersey, Kentucky, Tennes- The woodpecker’s diligent work creating see, Maryland, and Missouri. Across the cavities in pine trunks is beneficial for rest of its range, the woodpecker exists several species in the ecosystem. The cavities frequently provide shelter to

in isolated groups requiring careful man- NATURAL RESOURCESNATURAL COUNCIL DEFENSE other birds, as well as a variety of rep- agement. Ralph Costa/FWS tiles, amphibians, bees, wasps, and squirrels.

30 YEARS OF THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT

ROBBINS’ CINQUEFOIL WWW.BIOLOGICALDIVERSITY.ORG

WWW.USPIRG.ORG he Robbins' cinquefoil, an alpine two to three years before mature plants

OUTLOOK FOR THE T plant species of the rose family, is are transplanted in the autumn. FUTURE found only at two locations on the cold slopes of the White Mountains of New Thanks to this cooperative recovery ef- The Robbins’ cinquefoil, though Hampshire. The plant grows in some of fort, the Robbins' cinquefoil population no larger than a quarter when the harshest conditions found anywhere rebounded from 1,801 in 1973 to over in bloom, has fought the worst

of nature’s elements. With

in New England. Though the plant can 14,000 in two separate populations on ECOSYSTEMS NATIVE CENTER FOR withstand freezing temperatures and Mount Washington and the Franconia protections from the Endan- high winds, it required Endangered Spe- Ridge in 2002. The plant was removed gered Species Act, the plant has cies Act protections to escape extinction. from the endangered species list in Au- also withstood human destruc- gust 2002. tion of its environment. HISTORY OF ENDANGERMENT In 1819, the Crawford Path was com- The species has now recov-

U.S. INTEREST PUBLIC RESEARCH GROUP pleted as a bridal path ascending Mount ered, but management will not Washington in the White Mountains of immediately end. For five years, until 2007, plant managers will New Hampshire. In 1824, the Robbins' continue to supplement the re- cinquefoil was discovered there. Approxi- established population and

mately 95 percent of the cinquefoil’s WWW.NATIVEECOSYSTEMS.ORG monitor its success to ensure known habitat was found on just one WWW.NWF.ORG that it does not fall into an- acre of the mountain. Throughout the other downward spiral. 19th and most of the 20th centuries, the cinquefoil began to disappear from the trampling of horses and hikers and from commercial plant collectors. FWS ROAD TO RECOVERY CONSERVATION TODAY In 1980, the Robbins' cinquefoil was The Appalachian Mountain Club, U.S.

listed as endangered under the Endan- Forest Service, and U.S. Fish and Wild- gered Species Act. The cinquefoil’s life Service continue to monitor the Rob- OF WILDLIFEDEFENDERS known habitat was designated as critical bins' cinquefoil. The Robbins' cinquefoil NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION WILDLIFE NATIONAL

habitat under the Act. is a success story of bringing an endangered species back from the brink of ex- The Appalachian Mountain Club and the tinction through its Endangered Species New England Wild Flower Society Act listing, designation of critical habi- teamed up with the U.S. Fish and Wild- tat, development of a recovery plan, and

life Service and the U.S. Forest Service implementation of the recovery plan WWW.NRDC.ORG WWW.DEFENDERS.ORG

to relocate the Crawford Path, educate with the cooperation of government the public, and reestablish healthy popu- agencies and concerned citizens. FWS lations of the Robbins' cinquefoil. The Appalachian Mountain Club was in- ECOLOGICAL VALUE volved in monitoring the plants, collect- Robbins' cinquefoil is an important coming seeds from the plants, and educating ponent of the fragile alpine ecosystem of the public about how to avoid disturbing the Appalachian Mountains.

them. EARTHJUSTICE The species has aesthetic value for many In 1982, the New England Wild Flower people, and its recovery has provided sci- Society instituted a reintroduction pro- entific and educational value as we’ve Crawford Path gram. With collected seeds, they began come to have a greater understanding of

growing the Robbins’ cinquefoil at their the ecosystem.

NATURAL RESOURCESNATURAL COUNCIL DEFENSE

Garden in the Woods in Framingham, Massachusetts. The plants are raised for

30 YEARS OF THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT

SEABEACH AMARANTH WWW.BIOLOGICALDIVERSITY.ORG

WWW.USPIRG.ORG or many plants, Endangered Species dangered Species Act protection, but it

OUTLOOK FOR THE F Act listing can mean the difference was not listed because of insufficient in- FUTURE between slipping unnoticed into extinc- formation to support a proposed rule. By tion and receiving the attention neces- time the amaranth was listed as threat- The seabeach amaranth contin- sary to spur conservation efforts. Such is ened in 1993, the plant was believed to ues to be threatened by con- the case with the seabeach amaranth, have been eliminated from six of the struction of sea walls and dune

which is now found in relatively secure states in its range. fencing, development, fragmen- CENTER FOR NATIVE ECOSYSTEMS NATIVE CENTER FOR numbers only in North Carolina. tation of habitat, heavy recrea- An Endangered Species Act listing drew tional use, and off-road vehicle HISTORY OF ENDANGERMENT attention from scientists and land man- use. The seabeach amaranth occupies a very agers to the special needs of the species limited niche on barrier island beaches. and encouraged conservation actions The seabeach amaranth’s As such, it is vulnerable to natural from federal, state, and private agencies, recovery plan calls for more research into the plant’s ecol- U.S. INTEREST PUBLIC RESEARCH GROUP events such as hurricanes and to human conservation groups, and individuals. At alteration of its habitat. the time of listing, almost half of the ogy. Increased knowledge about the plant will better equip known populations occurred on federal wildlife managers to monitor land. Therefore, federal agencies had to the plant, search for new popu- consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife lations, and re-establish popula- WWW.NATIVEECOSYSTEMS.ORG Service (FWS) to ensure that any activi- WWW.NWF.ORG tions within suitable habitats in ties authorized, funded or carried out on its historic range. the land did not jeopardize the species or adversely modify its habitat.

In 1996, the FWS approved a recovery plan for the seabeach amaranth that set goals, defined its habitat needs, and pro- Bill Adams/FWS vided measures to protect existing popu-

Like most imperiled plants, the seabeach lations and essential habitat from de- amaranth is threatened primarily by structive alterations. Bill Adams/FWS OF WILDLIFEDEFENDERS continued habitat loss, particularly NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION WILDLIFE NATIONAL

beach stabilization by bulkheads, sea- CONSERVATION TODAY walls, or artificial dune construction. On Recently, the plant has naturally re- Assateague Island National Seashore, in established itself in Maryland and Dela- Maryland and Virginia, the amaranth ware where it had not been seen for 100 disappeared soon after the park service years. The amaranth’s seeds can survive

built sand dunes in the mid-1960s to for decades. When dispersed by the wind WWW.NRDC.ORG WWW.DEFENDERS.ORG

block storm surges from crossing the is- or ocean currents, its seeds can colonize Barton College land. areas far from existing populations. Ef- forts are now underway to restore the Once development limited suitable habi- plant on barrier islands throughout the tat, the remaining populations of sea- mid-Atlantic and to supplement pioneer beach amaranth became highly vulner- populations in areas where the plant has able to natural catastrophes. Beginning re-established itself.

with Hurricane Hugo in 1989, a series of EARTHJUSTICE strong storms caused substantial storm- ECOLOGICAL VALUE related erosion that threatened the Seabeach amaranth has been described heart of the amaranth’s last large popu- as a dune builder because it grows closer www.delawarewildflowers.org lations in the Carolinas. to the high tide line than any other

coastal plant. Once established, it binds

NATURAL RESOURCESNATURAL COUNCIL DEFENSE ROAD TO RECOVERY sand within its roots. One large plant As early as 1983, seabeach amaranth can create a sand mound of two to three was recognized as a candidate for En- cubic yards, helping to stabilize beaches.

30 YEARS OF THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT

SHORTNOSE STURGEON WWW.BIOLOGICALDIVERSITY.ORG

WWW.USPIRG.ORG efore the dinosaurs existed, the likely the most efficient way to restore

OUTLOOK FOR THE B shortnose sturgeon filled rivers, es- shortnose sturgeon to their historic lev- FUTURE tuaries, and coastal waters. The species els, a recovery plan released in 1998 by continues to survive along the east coast the National Marine Fisheries Service Even though removal of Ed- of North America from New Brunswick, closes the shortnose sturgeon fishery for wards Dam greatly improved Canada to Florida. Over time, human two decades or more, seeks to reduce and the chance of recovering short-

nose sturgeon in the Kennebec

activities have almost wiped out the eliminate the accidental catch of stur- ECOSYSTEMS NATIVE CENTER FOR shortnose sturgeon entirely, but Endan- geon, and protects spawning sites. River, the species is far from gered Species Act protections are help- full recovery. ing to recover this resilient species. CONSERVATION TODAY In 1999, the Federal Energy Regulatory The shortnose sturgeon recov- HISTORY OF ENDANGERMENT Commission made the decision to deny ery plan developed under the Shortnose sturgeon are born in freshwa- the operating license for the Edwards Endangered Species Act calls

U.S. INTEREST PUBLIC RESEARCH GROUP ter rivers and streams, migrate out to Dam on the for separate management of the ocean where they spend most of the Kennebec populations in different rivers. While focusing on rivers where year, and return upstream to spawn sev- River, finding shortnose sturgeon are already eral times throughout their lives. Heavy that the found—they have been extir-

damming of many spawning rivers has benefits from WWW.NATIVEECOSYSTEMS.ORG pated from all but 16 rivers— posed an impassible obstacle for migrat- the small WWW.NWF.ORG fisheries managers can narrow ing shortnose sturgeon, contributing amount of en- their work. However, before Edwards Dam most significantly to their decline. By ergy gener- settlers arrived in North Amer- altering the natural flow of streams, ated by the ica, the sturgeon were found in dams hinder the spawning journey and dam were not nearly all east coast rivers. increase water temperatures, sometimes great enough Restoring habitat and reintro- to lethal levels. to allow the ducing the fish throughout continued more of their historic range will Development near the river and estuary harm to the further ensure that the short-

habitat of the shortnose sturgeon has Kennebec River after dam removal ecosystem. nose sturgeon survives for created several problems. Residential future generations. OF WILDLIFEDEFENDERS and commercial development, in addi- With the removal of the dam, shortnose NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION WILDLIFE NATIONAL

tion to agricultural and forestry prac- sturgeon are migrating to their historic Fisheries managers will need to tices, have contributed to siltation and spawning grounds, a journey that was be patient in their recovery pollution in the sturgeon’s waters. impossible since the dam was commis- efforts. Because shortnose sioned in 1837. Federal authorities pre- sturgeon can take between six Overfishing of the shortnose sturgeon dict that removal of the Edwards Dam and 18 years to reach sexual maturity, recovery of the

was an additional factor in the species’ will boost the shortnose sturgeon popu- WWW.NRDC.ORG species will be slow. In fact, the WWW.DEFENDERS.ORG initial decline, as its eggs were once a lation in the Kennebec to more sustain- significant source of domestic caviar. able levels. shortnose sturgeon recovery plan estimates that the species Shortnose sturgeon numbers declined so ECOLOGICAL VALUE may not reach sustainable levels precipitously that they were first listed Sturgeon are bottom feeders; they suck until 2024. as endangered in 1967 and they subse- small plants and animals into their quently received protections under the tube-like mouth. This reliance on the

Endangered Species Act of 1973. simplest building blocks makes them a EARTHJUSTICE good indicator of ecosystem health and Juvenile Shortnose sturgeon. Univ. of Massachusetts ROAD TO RECOVERY viability. Given that shortnose sturgeon Dams can so greatly alter river ecosys- have lived successfully for millions of tems that their costs can sometimes out- years, outlasting even dinosaurs, hu-

weigh their benefits. As a result, more mans should be alarmed that we have

NATURAL RESOURCESNATURAL COUNCIL DEFENSE University of Massachusetts

than 500 outdated dams have been re- nearly caused their extinction in a mere moved from rivers since 1912. In addi- 200 years. tion to removing dams, which is most

30 YEARS OF THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT

UTAH PRAIRIE DOG WWW.BIOLOGICALDIVERSITY.ORG

WWW.USPIRG.ORG he Utah prairie dog, located in numbers, yet the

OUTLOOK FOR THE T southwestern Utah, exists today U.S. Fish and FUTURE largely because of protection provided by Wildlife Service the Endangered Species Act. (FWS) downlisted While saved from extinction by the species to the Endangered Species Act, we HISTORY OF ENDANGERMENT threatened in must address certain problems

1984, in response in order to ensure that the

The U.S. Bureau of Biological Survey ECOSYSTEMS NATIVE CENTER FOR decreed in 1902 that prairie dogs rob to steady pres- Utah prairie dog will persist and cattle of 50 to 75 percent of their forage. sure from the recover. Thus ensued a tremendous extermina- state of Utah. tion effort, largely implemented by the The primary obstacle to recovering the Utah prairie dog may federal government, which featured as Had it not been National Park Service many as 120,000 people employed to poi- for the Endan- be the recovery program itself. The recovery strategy is to U.S. INTEREST PUBLIC RESEARCH GROUP son prairie dogs in some years in the gered Species Act’s slowing down of the 1930s. This eradication effort was quite eradication program aimed at the Utah move the species from private land to habitat on federal lands. successful, with prairie dog acreage prairie dog, this species would likely Unfortunately, due to poor dwindling by 98 to 99 percent in the first have vanished altogether. translocation protocol and half of the 20th century. continued habitat destruction WWW.NATIVEECOSYSTEMS.ORG CONSERVATION TODAY WWW.NWF.ORG on public lands, the relocation With the smallest range of the four prai- The Utah prairie dog colony in Bryce program has been unsuccessful. rie dogs inhabiting the U.S., the Utah Canyon National Park is one of the most More than 19,000 prairie dogs prairie dog was especially harmed by robust populations left, and it has been have been moved to public this poisoning campaign, shooting, and intensively studied. Research has found lands, yet populations are lower the threat of sylvatic plague, which first that prairie dogs reproduce slowly rela- on public lands now than they appeared within the range of the Utah tive to other rodents, thus underscoring were in the 1980s and 1990s. prairie dog the need to increase protections for this Private land populations are in 1936. As small mammal. also declining.

a result, the Utah prairie Other researchers are trying to devise The New York Times Magazine OF WILDLIFEDEFENDERS dog dwin- ways to confront the threat of plague, cited the Utah prairie dog as NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION WILDLIFE NATIONAL

dled from which is suspected to be a significant one of six species that likely occupying limiting factor in Utah prairie dog recov- won’t survive the 21st century. 448,000 ery. Prairie dogs have no immunity to Utah prairie dogs should be acres to this exotic disease. returned to endangered status only 6,977 instead of their current threatened status under the Endan-

acres by Efforts are also underway by conserva- WWW.NRDC.ORG gered Species Act. This will WWW.DEFENDERS.ORG 1995. Popu- tion organizations to upgrade the Utah lation num- prairie dog’s status to endangered and to ensure full protection of the bers dove enhance private landowner incentives to species and the ecosystems of from 95,000 conserve the species on private land. which it is a part.

individuals before the ECOLOGICAL VALUE eradication Research on prairie dogs indicates that Jess Alford programs to they have the most complex communica- EARTHJUSTICE only 3,300 by 1972. tion system of any non-human animal. The Utah prairie dog, like other types of ROAD TO RECOVERY prairie dogs, plays a keystone role in its Endangered Species Act protections in ecosystem by creating habitat and serv-

1973 prohibited the take of the prairie ing as a prey base for as many as 140 Jess Alford NATURAL RESOURCESNATURAL COUNCIL DEFENSE dog, helping the population to nearly tri- other wildlife species, including raptors, ple by 1981 to 9,300 individuals. Subse- grassland songbirds, small mammals, quent years saw declines in prairie dog herptiles, and a variety of predators.

30 YEARS OF THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT

WHOOPING CRANE WWW.BIOLOGICALDIVERSITY.ORG

WWW.USPIRG.ORG he whooping crane has been experi- sites. There are currently seven captive

OUTLOOK FOR THE T encing a difficult but successful re- flocks in the U.S. and Canada. FUTURE bound from the brink of extinction. Im- pressive efforts by the U.S. Fish and Excess eggs have been removed from the Recent whooping crane rein- Wildlife Service (FWS) and conservation wild and raised in captivity while artifi- troduction efforts offer hope. groups in recent decades have led to sig- cial insemination has also proven suc- The whooping crane partner-

nificant recovery for the whooping crane, cessful. Today, there are nearly 400 ship, including the U.S. Fish and CENTER FOR NATIVE ECOSYSTEMS NATIVE CENTER FOR the tallest bird species in North Amer- whooping cranes in the wild and in cap- Wildlife Service, has shown that ica. tivity. establishing a wild population migrating between Wisconsin HISTORY OF ENDANGERMENT CONSERVATION TODAY and Florida may indeed prove In 1870, between 500 and 1,400 whoop- The FWS’s whooping crane recovery pro- successful. ing cranes inhabited North America; by gram, conducted by a partnership of Still, however, increased human U.S. INTEREST PUBLIC RESEARCH GROUP 1941, the migratory population had non-profit organizations and government dropped to 16 individuals. Whooping agencies, has been so successful that impacts on crane habitat pose serious threats for the birds. crane numbers fell due to several fac- other countries have adopted similar The last wild flock of migrating tors, including hunting and specimen methods to protect other threatened whooping cranes (numbering collection, human disturbance, and con- crane species. only 187 birds) migrates be- WWW.NATIVEECOSYSTEMS.ORG version of nesting habitat for agricul- WWW.NWF.ORG tween Aransas National Wild- ture. Collisions with power lines and life Refuge in Texas and Wood fences are known hazards to wild whoop- Buffalo National Park in Can- ing cranes. Others have died of avian tu- ada. This flock's food source berculosis, avian cholera, and lead poi- could be contaminated by leaks soning. Whooping cranes also are vul- from chemical barges on the nerable to natural disasters such as hail Gulf Coast. Oil and gas wells storms or drought due to their long mi- and connecting pipelines could gration route. also cause a disaster.

ROAD TO RECOVERY Habitat loss throughout the OF WILDLIFEDEFENDERS Active intervention by the U.S. and Ca- Central Flyway is a serious NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION WILDLIFE NATIONAL

nadian governments, as well as conser- WCEP threat. Whooping cranes vation groups, have helped this flock re- depend on wetlands and rivers cover from less than 20 birds in the Sixteen cranes, recently hatched at the to rest and refuel as they 1940s to nearly 400 birds today. In 1967, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in migrate between summer and when the crane was listed as endan- Texas, are being trained to fly and mi- winter ranges. Increased irriga- grate by following an aircraft. Twenty tion and municipal water use gered, the FWS began a captive breeding WWW.NRDC.ORG are drying up key migration WWW.DEFENDERS.ORG and intensive recovery program. Captive cranes released during the last two management has years migrated back to Wisconsin from stopover points, such as the been challenging, Florida during the 2003 spring. Platte River in Nebraska. Roll- for the bird is very backs to the Clean Water Act sensitive to hu- ECOLOGICAL & ECONOMIC VALUE also threaten the long term survival of these remarkable man contact. Whooping cranes are among the most birds. Through this pro- dynamic and charismatic bird species

gram, three facili- and are a favorite of birders. The whoop- EARTHJUSTICE ties are now cap- ing crane’s elaborate dance is well tively rearing known and attracts birding fanatics and whooping cranes casual observers alike. A 1991 FWS sur- for reintroduction vey estimated that $14.4 billion is spent

into the wild, and annually on bird watching by more than

NATURAL RESOURCESNATURAL COUNCIL DEFENSE flocks have been 24 million Americans.

reintroduced into WCEP WCEP the wild at two

WWW.EARTHJUSTICE.ORGENDANGERED SPECIES COALITIONWWW.STOPEXTINCTION.ORGFOREST GUARDIANSWWW.FGUARDIANS.ORG