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Reversing America's Wildlife Crisis

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Reversing America's Wildlife Crisis ReveRsing AmeRicA’s WILDLIFE CRISIS SECURING THE FUTURE OF OUR FISH AND WILDLIFE MARCH 2018 REVERSING AMERICA’s Wildlife CRISIS 1 ReveRsing AmeRicA’s Wildlife cRisis SECURING THE FUTURE OF OUR FISH AND WILDLIFE Copyright © 2018 National Wildlife Federation Lead Authors: Bruce A. Stein, Naomi Edelson, Lauren Anderson, John J. Kanter, and Jodi Stemler. Suggested citation: Stein, B. A., N. Edelson, L. Anderson, J. Kanter, and J. Stemler. 2018. Reversing America’s Wildlife Crisis: Securing the Future of Our Fish and Wildlife. Washington, DC: National Wildlife Federation. Acknowledgments: This report is a collaboration among National Wildlife Federation (NWF), American Fisheries Society (AFS), and The Wildlife Society (TWS). The authors would like to thank the many individuals from these organizations that contributed to this report: Taran Catania, Kathleen Collins, Patty Glick, Lacey McCormick, and David Mizejewski from NWF; Douglas Austen, Thomas Bigford, Dan Cassidy, Steve McMullin, Mark Porath, Martha Wilson, and Drue Winters from AFS; and John E. McDonald, Jr., Darren Miller, Keith Norris, Bruce Thompson, and Gary White from TWS. We are especially grateful to Maja Smith of MajaDesign, Inc. for report design and production. Cover image: Swift fox (Vulpes macrotis), North America’s smallest wild canid, has disappeared from about 60 percent of its historic Great Plains range. Once a candidate for listing under the Endangered Species Act, collaborative state and federal conservation efforts have stabilized the species across much of its remaining range. Photo: Rob Palmer Reversing America’s Wildlife Crisis is available online at: www.nwf.org/ReversingWildlifeCrisis National Wildlife Federation 1200 G Street, NW, Suite 900 Washington, D.C. 20005 www.nwf.org 2 REVERSING AMERICA’s Wildlife CRISIS FOREWORD The United States harbors an extraordinary diversity of wildlife, like this striking ‘i‘iwi (Vestiaria coccinea) from the island of Kauai. More than 150 U.S. species already have gone extinct—including many related Hawaiian forest birds—and the ‘i‘iwi itself has suffered dramatic population declines. Photo: Jim Denny merica is blessed with an extraordinary America’s wildlife crisis extends well beyond rare and diversity of wildlife, ranging from large endangered species, and now affects many widespread A and charismatic animals to minute and and previously abundant creatures, such as the little secretive creatures. Unfortunately, many of America’s wildlife species are in serious decline. While many also affecting many of our most beloved songbirds— brown bat and monarch butterfly. These declines are formerly scarce species, like wood duck, elk, and wild from eastern meadowlarks to cerulean warblers—and fully a third of North America’s bird species require these conservation successes mask a far broader urgent conservation attention. More broadly, state turkey, have flourished over the past several decades, pattern of declines, especially among species that wildlife agencies have identified nearly 12,000 species of the best-known groups of U.S. plants and animals are neither hunted nor fished. Indeed, an assessment Concerns about species decline and loss indicates that as many as one-third of America’s are not hypothetical: more than 150 and at high risk of extinction. Concerns about species U.S. species already have gone extinct, species are vulnerable, with one in five imperiled decline and loss are not hypothetical: more than 150 while another 500 are “missing in U.S. species already have gone extinct, while another 500 are “missing in action” and may also be extinct. action” and may also be extinct. REVERSING AMERICA’s Wildlife CRISIS ii based blueprint for sustaining and recovering the with their federal, tribal, local, and private partners, nation’s fish and wildlife heritage. States, together have had many conservation successes that simply would not have been possible without the vision and conservation actions made possible through these wildlife action plans and the federal funds supporting their implementation. These successes also build on a strong and growing foundation of science. That’s why the National Wildlife Federation was proud to develop this report in collaboration with the American Fisheries Society and The Wildlife Society, the nation’s preeminent professional societies management, and conservation. for America’s leaders in fish and wildlife science, Recovering our broad and diverse wildlife species will require a dramatic increase in funding for proactive and collaborative conservation. I had the privilege of serving on a Blue Ribbon Panel, consisting of a diverse group of 28 business and conservation leaders, who worked together for more than a year to look Amphibians like the northern leopard frog (Lithobates pipiens) are sentinels for innovative ways to increase funding for wildlife of broader environmental conditions. With U.S. amphibian populations conservation. The panel ultimately recommended declining on average four percent a year, there is an urgent need to the creation of a dedicated funding stream at a scale dramatically increase conservation efforts for these and other native species. commensurate with the challenge of conserving the full Photo: Ted Lee Eubanks/Fermata, Inc. nationwide in need of conservation action. Without recommendations have been incorporated into the breadth of our nation’s fish and wildlife. The Panel’s concerted attention, our growing wildlife crisis will recently introduced Recovering America’s Wildlife almost certainly lead to many more species qualifying Act, which would dedicate $1.3 billion annually for for protection under federal and state endangered implementing state-based wildlife action plans. An species laws. reduce the number of species in decline, and decrease investment of this magnitude should significantly The decline of America’s wildlife can be stopped— the number of species requiring protection under the and even reversed. A growing body of research Endangered Species Act. demonstrates that when we focus on and invest in conservation we can make a difference. Congressionally The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act offers a once mandated state wildlife action plans offer a science- in a generation opportunity to ramp up the nation’s conservation efforts in a way that matches the scale of An investment of this magnitude threats to our wildlife heritage. Now is the time to build on the successes of the past to ensure that our hard- should significantly reduce the number fought conservation legacy has a bright future. of species in decline, and decrease the Collin O’Mara number of species requiring protection President and CEO under the Endangered Species Act. National Wildlife Federation iii REVERSING AMERICA’s Wildlife CRISIS Sandhill crane (Grus canadensis) populations have rebounded thanks to strong wildlife laws and decades of collaborative conservation work by state and federal agencies in partnership with landowners and non-profit organizations. Photo: Marijak Willis TABLE OF CONTENTS AMERICA’s EXTRAORDINARY WILDLIFE LEGACY........................................1 THE GROWING WILDLIFE CRISIS.............................................................2 WHAt’s THREATENING AMERICA’s FISH AND WILDLIFE?.............................4 INVESTING IN CONSERVATION MAKES A DIFFERENCE................................8 STATE WILDLIFE ACTION PLANS: BLUEPRINTS FOR CONSERVATION............10 PUTTING CONSERVATION PLANS INTO ACTION........................................11 RECOVERING AMERICA’s Wildlife: THE NEED FOR DEDICATED FUNDING ...23 REFERENCES....................................................................................27 REVERSING AMERICA’s Wildlife CRISIS iv AmericA’s EXTRAORDINARY WILDLIFE LEGACY The southeastern United States is the global center of diversity for United States also harbors an exceptional diversity of salamanders, such as this frosted flatwood salamander (Ambystoma cingulatum). Although often inconspicuous, salamanders are in the Southeast. In contrast, mammal diversity is freshwater fishes, many of which are similarly clustered the most abundant vertebrate animals in many eastern forests. highest in the arid western U.S. with California alone Photo: Pierson Hill home to nearly 200 species.3,4 And while there are more bird species in Texas than any other state, making it ildlife is central to our identity as a a popular bird-watching destination, Hawaii has the most distinctive avifauna. Most of Hawaii’s native birds place. The distinctive character of are found no place else on Earth, and are the result W nation and strongly defines our sense of America’s regions is closely tied to such emblematic of an evolutionary radiation surpassing the famous Galapagos Islands. the Great Plains, and moose in the great north woods, species as salmon in the Pacific Northwest, bison across as well as alligators along the Gulf Coast, and road America’s extraordinary diversity of wildlife extends runners in the desert Southwest. Such iconic species, to its many species of invertebrate animals, which however, represent just a tiny fraction of the nation’s overall diversity of life. Indeed, America is blessed bivalves. Although many insects and other invertebrates include organisms such as bees, butterflies, beetles, and with an extraordinary array of plants and animals, and are inconspicuous and poorly known, they are essential scientists have documented more than 200,000 species to the healthy functioning of natural ecosystems and across the United
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