U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Summer 2012
s p o t l i g h t Celebrating the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program 10
Changing Lives 20 Frog Girl 22 Dan Ashe’s First Year 38 what’s inside
Departments From the Director / 1 News / 2 Field Journal / 24 Fish Tales / 26 Around the Service / 28 Our People / 35
Features s p o t l i g h t Celebrating the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program / 10 75 years of wildlife conservation and partnership success
by Kim Betton flickr / r o ger smit h
Restore & Enhance / 18 25th anniversary of the Service’s Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program
by Matthew Filsinger and Joe Milmoe KEITH PHILP O TT
Life Changing / 20 Career Discovery Intern Program introduces diverse freshmen and sophomores to nature, the Service
by jennifer lapis career disc o very intern pr gram
One Leap / 22
correction: The photo on page 22 Student makes a difference for her school, of the Winter-Spring edition was community and endangered frogs not a monarch butterfly but a viceroy butterfly. by Nicole Osborn Jim Ro ra b augh / usfws On the cover: Dinner is served. Forster’s terns at Brigantine National Wildlife Refuge.
Bill Lynch / flickr / Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial License from the director
A Conservation Legacy Made to Last
ore than ever before, we are faced with The Service, too, is changing. Mconservation challenges that defy traditional ways of doing things. The world is changing too By now you have heard of Strategic Habitat quickly for us to succeed if we do not change with it. Conservation, the framework upon which our conservation efforts will be built. SHC is a field-based These massive changes are illustrated by looking at approach for making management decisions about at Rowan Gould, our Deputy Director, and Taylor where and how to deliver conservation most Hannah, a newly hired SCEP student. efficiently to achieve specific biological outcomes. It requires us to make strategic decisions about our Rowan and Taylor represent two ends of the Fish actions, and constantly reassess and improve our and Wildlife Service’s employment spectrum. approaches. Rowan started his career 36 years ago as a research microbiologist at the Seattle National Research A practical step in the SHC process is to determine Center. Taylor’s first job for the Service is bat what species we need to save. With almost 1,400 conservation work at St. Catherine Creek National threatened and endangered species nationwide, we Wildlife Refuge with the Gulf Coastal Plains and can no longer manage individual recovery. But by Ozarks Landscape Conservation Cooperative (LCC). using a process known as surrogate species selection, we can identify a species as an indicator of landscape Rowan and Taylor are about 40 years apart in age and habitat and system conditions and redouble our experience, but that’s not the biggest professional efforts to conserve it. Those efforts should help many difference. When Rowan began his career, 4 billion other species in that habitat if we have chosen the people were on the planet with 200 million in the surrogate species correctly. United States. As Taylor begins her professional journey, 7 billion people inhabit the Earth, more than Taylor’s first job for the Service, working with 300 million in the United States. the Gulf Coastal Plains and Ozarks LCC, is related to SHC. LCCs are the most effective means of working Rowan rode in on an American environmental together with partners to provide landscape-scale movement that was less than a decade old. In the science that informs conservation of sustainable 1960s, Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring and a wildlife populations, as well as land, water and massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California, led to a cultural resources. new public awareness of human impacts on our fragile ecosystems. The nation created or strengthened If Taylor stays with the Service and works as long as numerous environmental laws in the ‘60s and ‘70s, Rowan has, there will be 9 billion people on the planet including the Endangered Species Act and Clean and nearly 450 million in the United States when she Water Act; and launched the first Earth Day celebrates her 36th year of public service. For us to celebration and the EPA. We carried our activities out give Taylor and her generation of employees the through programs working largely independently. support and the tools they need, we must be willing to embrace a bold conservation approach that takes Taylor begins her career at the dawning of an into account both present and trending pressures environmental awareness of a different kind. She is on America’s fish and wildlife resources. SHC is faced with the 21st-century reality that the threats to that approach. the future of fish, wildlife, habitats and people are now of such magnitude it will take more than laws and I won’t lie: Change is unsettling. Many of you are the cooperative interaction of Service programs and concerned about how your job or program will be conservation organizations to turn the situation affected, and certainly we don’t know all the answers around. With a 50 percent increase in America’s or even all the questions. population and a 75 percent increase in the world’s population, the competition between people and I promise you two things, though: Together, we will wildlife for land, water and food has never been find the answers. And together, we will create a new greater. Add to that a rapidly changing climate and conservation legacy that’s made to last. it is clear that the game has changed.
Summer 2012 Fish & Wildlife News / 1 news
Wildlife Without Borders Supports Carbon Sequestration in Sumatra Canada-U.S.-Mexico Trilateral Committee he forests of Berbak National The Zoological Society of London Berbak. Money raised from Fifty agencies gather TPark in Sumatra are in trouble. (ZSL) is working to conserve carbon credits will be used to to address shared wildlife Covering more than 600,000 acres this critical habitat, with support address the root causes of conservation challenges in Indonesia, these forests and from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife deforestation, making this the peat swamps are home to the Service’s Wildlife Without first self-sustaining national park critically endangered Sumatran Borders-Rhinoceros and Tiger in Indonesia. Termed the Berbak limate change topped the tiger. Along with their fellow Conservation Fund. The Carbon Value ™ Initiative, this Cagenda when the United forest inhabitants, these Zoological Society has chosen project aims to integrate States played host to this year’s carnivores face severe threats to create financial incentives biodiversity conservation and gathering of the Trilateral from deforestation. From 1990 to that link healthy forests to the poverty reduction with generation Committee for Wildlife and 2000, an average of almost 10,000 emerging carbon market. of CO2e emission reductions. Ecosystem Conservation and acres of their forest home were Management in Santa Fe, cut down each year. The carbon market offers a way So far, the initiative has New Mexico, May 14–18. for countries or companies to established an emissions These tropical forest ecosystems meet emission targets. A country baseline, modeled future The 17th annual gathering capture and store, or sequester, or company with excess carbon deforestation and assessed the brought together experts from huge amounts of carbon from the emissions can buy credits to future climate benefits of the the United States, Mexico and atmosphere. The vegetation and cover the extra from a country or project. Although much work Canada to share data and ideas soil in Berbak National Park alone company that is below its target. remains before annual returns and deepen partnerships. sequester up to 70 million tons of from carbon credits are CO2 equivalent (CO2e) every “What other mechanism can, generated, this approach to “Building a strong level of trust year—about the annual carbon at present, make forests full of conservation will improve the between our nations is the most footprint of 7 million people in the tigers worth more to governments futures of the wildlife, people important aspect of the forum,” developed world. standing up than they are and ecosystems of Berbak said Herb Raffaele, the chief of chopped down?” asks Sarah National Park. the International Conservation Christie, a Rhinoceros and Tiger Division of the U.S. Fish and A Sumatran tiger made an appearance Conservation Fund grantee “Indonesia has the world’s third Wildlife Service. “It is only with at the Save Vanishing Species event in and manager of the Zoological highest carbon emissions. Most such trust that meaningful September at the Smithsonian National Society of London project in of this is due to deforestation, and cooperation can ever be Zoological Park. most of that is due to the burning achieved.” or draining of peat swamps. Enabling Indonesia to conserve, This year, representatives from rather than destroy, this carbon U.S. federal and state agencies, without compromising economic non-governmental organizations J o e M ilm / USFWS development is a vital step in academics, and for the first time, combating climate change,” tribal nations, met with senior says Christie. Wildlife Without Mexican officials and managers Borders supports innovative from five Mexican natural efforts like this that build the will resource agencies and a group for conservation from the ground, of Canadian experts—altogether or peat swamp, up. about 100 people representing 50 agencies and organizations. Kimmy Kraeer, Division of International Conservation, Law enforcement officials used Headquarters the gathering to share training techniques for covert computer investigations and e-commerce.
2 / Fish & Wildlife News Summer 2012 news
DOB
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Name with the Service to try to move Don EdwardsAddress National Wildlife Refuge Reels some into their former ranges in the southwest. Ocelots once in New Partnerships inhabited the entire Gulf Coast
C hris Barella / flickr but are now extremely rare, with ollective oohs and aahs were The threatened ocelot and other only a handful of sightings Cheard as kids and adults imperiled species are the focus of joint confirmed in Texas and Arizona in crowded around Thomas Orozco conservation efforts between countries. the past several years. Jaguars, as he tugged on his fishing rod. once also plentiful, now only Dangling at the end of the line C armen M inch / USFWS sporadically move north across was a 24-inch leopard shark. Participants from all nations the border. As he hoisted the fish over the in attendance shared their railing, help from all sides came assessments of species Working-level meetings also to disengage the hook. Thomas vulnerability to forecast global addressed marine conservation, stood grinning with his mother warming trends and discussed the Convention on International and his catch as he posed for how to help them adapt. Trade in Endangered Species of photographs, not only for refuge Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) staff, but for most of the families NatureServe is working with the and ecosystem conservation. at the beginner’s fishing clinic at Desert LCC, federal and state the Don Edwards San Francisco agencies and other conservation Participants identified high Bay National Wildlife Refuge in partners in the U.S. and Mexico priorities for collaboration Fremont, California. to conduct a climate change including preventing the vulnerability assessment of spread of diseases across The clinic demonstrated a species in protected areas in the shared borders; sustainable growing partnership between the Mojave and Sonoran deserts. It infrastructure design; wind Don Edwards NWR and local will focus on 10 ecosystems and energy development; and health care providers. For the Thomas Orozco and his mother, Betty selected plant and animal species continued monitoring and coastal past year, the refuge staff has Wright, with the leopard shark he caught in each area, including national reconstruction efforts stemming been working with a team on the Don Edwards SF Bay National wildlife refuges, wilderness from the 2010 Deep Water of pediatricians from Hayward, Wildlife Refuge. The shark was later areas, national parks, protected Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Santa Clara, and Mountain View, released back into the bay. areas managed by the BLM and Mexico. as part of a program developed state agencies, and protected by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife areas in Mexico. The efforts to work with Mexican Service’s National Conservation officials are particularly important Training Center. Don Edwards NWR. “As our kids The committee participants because it has one of the densest spend more time in front of a discussed ways to protect concentrations of wildlife on Dr. Paul Espinas, a pediatrician at screen, they are becoming more threatened species in the Mojave earth, with 10 percent of species Kaiser Hayward in California, is separated from nature, and and Sonoran deserts, as well as known to science. Mexico and one of the doctors working with it seems are suffering the >> in other protected areas that the U.S. share 119 species listed have been established in all under the Endangered Species three countries. Act. The Service’s Wildlife I want the kids in our community Without Borders-Mexico program The migration of birds and other works to improve Mexico’s to lead healthy, happy lives, species across the U.S.-Mexico capacity to conserve and manage and I think experiencing nature is a border and plans to reintroduce species, habitats and ecological threatened species into the processes of global importance. big part of this concept. United States were developed at the meeting. Mexican For more information, visit Dr. Paul Espinas, a pediatrician at Kaiser Hayward in California officials are trying to boost
Summer 2012 Fish & Wildlife News / 3 news
Partnerships, continued from page 3 hooks, surf leaders and sinkers. The National Wetlands Inventory Partners Participants learned about safety consequences,” he said. “There and ethics, watershed protection, for Success is a growing amount of evidence knot tying and rigging. After tying that shows we need to have a their surf leader onto a fishing he mapping experts at the Recent updates for coastal strong relationship with nature rod, they received a bag of bait TNational Wetlands Inventory Georgia will be used by the in order to lead healthy lives.” and were free to try their hand (NWI) have extended their state for conservation planning, at catching the “big one.” expertise and support to other local ordinance development, In response to that evidence, national and regional U.S. Fish wetland assessments, regulatory the Service and the National Plenty of volunteers were on and Wildlife Service programs, initiatives and restoration. Environmental Education hand to help if needed, and to states and other partners. NWI Foundation collaborated to detangle lines. A large bucket has provided habitat mapping for The EPA and partners are using give health care providers was also available to place endangered species (whooping NWI updated maps along the the background and tools to any fish caught for temporary crane migration corridor subject Wasatch Front and Great Salt encourage their patients to visit observation, and crab traps and to wind power development), Lake to identify waterfowl and national wildlife refuges. A pilot shrimp traps were also set. invasive species (Phragmites shorebird feeding preferences program was created where mapping for Lake Huron coastline to develop alternate wetlands health care providers give Of the 43 people who attended in Michigan) and frog habitat features in the rapidly expanding their patients “prescriptions” the event, only two had ever identification for Alaska urban corridor around Salt to go visit their local refuge. been to the Don Edwards NWR. malformation study. NWI data Lake City. Feedback from the families and technical assistance were Recognizing that transportation indicated that they will be also provided for a variety of Updated refuge wetlands data may be a limiting factor for some back for other programs and uses, including the Oil Spill for the Gulf Coast will be used to visit, the refuge received a activities. The refuge will Mapper for Natural Resources in for Comprehensive Conservation small grant from the Service’s continue to work with the the Gulf during the Deepwater Plans and oil spill remediation. Pacific Southwest Region to host pediatricians, and the staff hopes Horizon spill, the DOI cloud All this, yet the wetlands data a fishing clinic that provided to expand the partnerships to computing pilot and the Sea Level layer is only 64 percent complete transportation for patients other local health care providers. Affecting Marshes Model. and 10 percent modernized— referred by Doctors Espinas, just imagine if everyone in the Vickie Chou and Charles Owyang. “I want the kids in our community Assistance to states has included Service had modernized data! to lead healthy, happy lives,” wetlands functional assessments The event was designed to Espinas said, “and I think (NWI-Plus) that have been Jo Ann Mills, Team National introduce families to fishing and experiencing nature is a big part completed for Delaware, and Wetlands Inventory Coordinator, help them understand how of this concept.” are in progress for New Jersey, Headquarters people, ecosystems and wildlife Lake Ontario watershed and are interconnected, while letting As for Thomas, he was signed up Wisconsin’s St. Croix watershed. people know what the refuge to return next year for another has to offer. fishing event as a volunteer. The Great Salt Lake framed by the Wasach Participants got a brief Carmen Minch, San Francisco Front. introduction to the refuge and Bay NWR Complex, Pacific were handed a tackle box with Southwest Region Brett Billings / usfws
4 / Fish & Wildlife News Summer 2012 news W endy Buklis
The Freedom of recently has been narrowed to its original focus on routine Information Act matters. Financial and proprietary What you need to know information is protected by Exemption 4, particularly relevant o i a —yet another acronym to to contract administration. f add to the litany of those we encounter on a daily basis in our Deliberative processes within the work with U.S. Fish and Wildlife agency, attorney work products Service. As most of us know, and attorney-client privilege these four letters are short for are protected by Exemption 5, the Freedom of Information Act. with the intent that in serving But as much as we come across the public interest there needs it or employ it, what does FOIA to be provision for due process. really stand for? Exemption 6, an area of convergence with the Privacy Act For those of us loathe to the Public access to agency records contributes to the trust relationship necessary (5 U.S.C. § 552a), protects against idea of hearing about record to sustain conservation efforts. Here, salmon dry for a family’s subsistence use invasion of personal privacy, management and searching along the Yukon River in Western Alaska. including agency employee through our files, FOIA personnel files. Certain aspects might stand for Forgotten or of law enforcement records are Inadequately Archived. Or protected by Exemption 7. perhaps we are more guarded The Freedom of Information about the information we manage It should be noted that FOIA and aren’t keen on our work Act reflects our nation’s applies to all agency records being broadly distributed and fundamental commitment to open while the Privacy Act applies to FOIA represents Fear of Inquiring records that are a subgroup of Adversaries. government. Attorney General Holder, March 19, 2009 agency records contained in a Privacy Act system and that Changing with the Times are arranged and generally Regardless of our personal retrieved by a unique personal association with FOIA, the Administration’s FOIA policy to records responsive to a identifier. FOIA’s emphasis is on Freedom of Information Act direction. The specifics of the request? We ask whether disclosure of records while the (FOIA; 5 U.S.C. § 552) and Administration’s policy were withholding any of the records, Privacy Act’s emphasis is on subsequent regulation (43 CFR provided two months later by in whole or in part, is required protecting records—absent a Part 2), policy, guidance and Attorney General Eric Holder. As or necessary. We also need to compelling public interest or a judicial decisions collectively a result, how we are to implement realize that FOIA doesn’t exist in request from the individual to make requirements clear. The the FOIA has been made clear: a vacuum. Other statutes and whom the records pertain. There emphasis is on open public The statute’s emphasis is regulations bear on what can be are necessary and required access to records of the disclosure; and even where divulged (Exemption 3). Our goal checks and balances between executive branch of the exemptions may apply—consider then is a release of records, and the two laws and what may be government. Signed into law discretionary releases. portions of records, to the extent released. >> in 1966, fittingly on the Fourth allowed while not violating of July, the Act was notably FOIA & FWS mandated protections. amended to bring it into the The current statute, regulations, DOI regulations define information age in 1996 and again associated policies and guidance Summarizing the exemptions agency record for purposes in 2007 to further emphasize can be found at a Department of Exemptions 2, 4, 5, 6, and 7 are of FOIA as “any documentary openness in government. the Interior website
Summer 2012 Fish & Wildlife News / 5 news
Freedom, continued from page 5. help to determine if a formal FOIA Conserving the Future request is even necessary. Where do we go from here? Implementation In addition to the policy aspects Now that we know a bit about Powers Forward of the current emphasis, there is the history and renewed direction the practical matter of managing of the Act and its exemptions, f you followed the 18-month the response process in the we can use its unambiguous Idevelopment of Conserving the face of a large and generally guidelines to our advantage Future—the U.S. Fish and Wildlife increasing number of requests. through improved record Service’s vision to guide the The website
Students from Battle Ground, Washington’s “Futures Program” learn how to shoot a compound bow as well as the conservation benefits of the Wildlife and Sports Fish Restoration Program at an April event held to mark the program’s 75th anniversary.
6 / Fish & Wildlife News Summer 2012 news
There Is Life After Retirement including their spouses. Further, some of our colleagues were AKA The Association of Retired Fish and Wildlife Service Employees caught up in reorganizations, retired from other agencies, or es, there is life after retirement have taken on second careers, Yand many of us are so busy we but still consider themselves wonder how we ever had time to Service people. Among these are work for a living. But we really M arvin Mo riarty colleagues that were formerly enjoy being members of the in Research, Animal Damage Association of Retired Fish and Control or certain national Wildlife Service Employees. It fish hatcheries transferred to keeps us in the loop with former state operation. Our current and current folks of the U.S. Fish membership level is more than and Wildlife Service and offers 2,500. By asking the retirees us fulfilling opportunities to stay to work closely with current involved in conservation. It’s employees at various events and great to feel that we are still part conferences, we have kept our of such a splendid organization past alive in a very real sense. without having to answer to a Our artifact and museum clock or a boss. The 2012 get-together was in Charleston, South Carolina. collection would be much the poorer without retirees to find Ours is a membership objects (sometimes in their organization of retired employees own basements or attics), to and those planning retirement in Our association helps retired Oh, yes, identify memorabilia, and, most the near future. We recognize employees stay in touch, and importantly, to explain how and strive to document the rich can assist in locating former we also make these things were used. heritage of the Service and its colleagues. We promote periodic employees, find and preserve reunions of retirees to renew a concerted effort The affairs of the association are historical treasures and past friendships and to develop guided by a Board of Directors information that illustrate the new ones. These reunions also to have a lot of fun. composed of nine members, Service’s invaluable contribution include informative workshops one of whom is elected by fellow to our natural world, and, in and tours that provide a board members to serve as the so doing, involve both present wealth of information on topics Our first reunion drew 13 presiding officer, as president. and past employees. This of importance to retired retirees and four spouses, but The board selects a vice process begins at home with employees as well as on most of those attending became president, secretary, treasurer our members. Many items current conservation issues the driving force in developing and scribe. accumulated during our careers and happenings. our association. More recent have been donated to the Service reunions, such as Kennebunkport, We invite you to visit our archives and museum. Others An important aspect of the social Maine (2009), and San Diego, website at
Summer 2012 Fish & Wildlife News / 7 news
Website Helps You Oakland City Christmas Bird Count Find Refuge Trails Has One of Best Counts in Indiana
oot, toot, toot,” the rhythmic Indiana Department “Tcall of the Northern of Natural The saw-whet owl played from the Resources short- eared owl, speakers through the dark of Sugar Ridge S teve G iff o rd night carrying the sound deep Fish and Wildlife species number into the mixed evergreen and Area, and thousands 31 for the count, hunts hardwood forest. Nearby, four of acres of grasslands. Each rodents during the day in the grasslands bundled observers stood watch, team paired veteran bird at Patoka River National Wildlife Refuge. hoping to hear a response from watchers with those newer to one of these rare nocturnal owls. bird watching. Although it was only 4:30 in the One team called in its species list, morning, it was just the beginning Bird watchers knew they had a which added numbers 97 (snow hether you want to hike on a of the day for these dedicated great count going with 88 species goose) and 98 (horned grebe); Wnational wildlife refuge near bird watchers and the 15 other tallied by lunchtime including while a special trip through open your home or find birding trails observers who participated in the rarities like barn owl, merlin, habitat brought home number and boardwalks when you travel, Oakland City (Indiana) Christmas greater white-fronted goose and 99 (lapland longspur) from yet the new refuge trail finder is Bird Count on December 31, 2011. purple finch. The participants another dedicated counter. And just what you need. The trails knew that 100 species, the there the count remained, at 99 website
8 / Fish & Wildlife News Summer 2012 news
Home Values Higher near National Wildlife Refuges, Study Finds
peer-reviewed national study, national wildlife refuges’ impact
Areleased in late May by the on land values. usfws U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, “This was the best Visitor Center I can recall seeing in a very long time,” said a survey shows that in urban areas across Calculated in 2000 dollars, the comment from a visitor to Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma. three regions of the country 14 refuges in the Southeast owning a home near a national examined in the study added wildlife refuge increases home $122 million to local property National Wildlife Refuges Earn High value and helps support the values. The 11 refuges studied in surrounding community’s tax the Northeast added $95 million. Marks with Visitors base. The 11 refuges studied in California/Nevada added he U.S. Fish and Wildlife n 91 percent reported satisfaction According to the study, $83 million. TService is doing many with services provided by refuge conducted for the Service by things right on its national employees or volunteers; and economic researchers at The researchers surmised that wildlife refuges, according to North Carolina State University, refuges boost property values a large percentage of surveyed n 91 percent reported satisfaction homes located within half a mile in the selected regions because visitors to national wildlife with the refuge’s job of of a refuge and within eight miles refuges protect against future refuges in 2010 and 2011. conserving fish, wildlife and of an urban center were found development while preserving Some 90 percent of their habitats. to have higher home values scenic vistas and other “natural respondents gave consistent of roughly: amenity benefits associated with high marks to all facets of Some survey participants open spaces.” their refuge experience. also volunteered enthusiastic n 7–9 percent in the Southeast; comments, such as this one: Researchers did not include The peer-reviewed survey, “Refuges make me aware that n 4–5 percent in the Northeast; data from the Midwest, commissioned by the Service I am a part of the American and Southwest, Central Mountains and designed, conducted and experience and not just an and Northwest, where refuges analyzed by researchers with observer. Nowhere else do I feel n 3–6 percent in the California/ tend to be located further from the U.S. Geological Survey, such a deep sense of connection Nevada region. urban centers than in the evaluated responses from with the land, the plants, and the Northeast, Southeast and more than 10,000 adult visitors wildlife. Visiting a refuge is truly Researchers based their findings California/Nevada region. surveyed at 53 of the country’s a spiritual experience.” on 2000 U.S. Census Bureau 556 national wildlife refuges micro-level data. The report is the The report is available here: between July 2010 and Among the most popular refuge first national study to analyze
Summer 2012 Fish & Wildlife News / 9 spotlight
The Elements of Success / 14 Linking conservation with recreation Celebrating the by Kim Betton by Amanda Fortin
Of Moose and Men / 16 Learning in Alaska by Wildlife and Sport Fish studying tame moose by Riley Woodford
Gone Fishing / 18 Restoration Program Restoring Wisconsin’s Wild Rose State Fish Hatchery 75 Years of Wildlife Conservation and Partnership Success by David Pederson
The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program (WSFR) is celebrating its 75th anniversary and a new era in wildlife conservation. The Service is proud to join the hunting, fishing and boating industries, the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, state partners, non-government agencies and friends to support the momentous occasion.
Natural lakes and wetlands are abundant in regions like this meadow in Erie National Wildlife Refuge in northwest Pennsylvania
10 / Fish & Wildlife News Summer 2012 No other single conservation effort in the United States can claim a greater CYCLE OF SUCCESS contribution to fish and wildlife conservation than the excise tax-funded portion of WSFR. Better fishing, boating, 6 1 Anglers, hunters, boaters, hunting and wildlife- purchase fishing/hunting In addition to industry and agency associated recreation. equipment and motor boat fuels. partnerships, WSFR would not be what it is today if it were not for its pioneers State agences implement Manufacturers pay excise who built this foundation for conservation programs and projects. 5 2 tax on that equipment and in America. boaters pay fuel taxes. In the early 1900s when our nation was reeling from economic hardships, Sen. Key Pittman from Nevada and 4 3 States receive U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Congressman A. Willis Robertson grants. allocates funds to state fish co-sponsored the Pittman-Robertson and wildlife agencies. bill for wildlife restoration.
The unprecedented law carved a path for a stable, secure program of wildlife ince 1937, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife And that dollar figure underestimates conservation by diverting an excise tax SService has distributed more than their overall value to the economy. on sporting guns and ammunition to fund $14 billion to state fish and wildlife Hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation wildlife restoration. And on September 2, agencies for on-the-ground conservation contribute an estimated $730 billion to 1937, President Franklin D. Roosevelt through WSFR. the U.S. economy each year, according to signed the “Federal Aid in Wildlife another recent study. Restoration Act”—now known as the The anniversary, called “WSFR 75 — Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration It’s Your Nature” embraces new goals Recreation in national parks, refuges, and Act. The act fostered partnerships for fostering and maintaining partnerships other public lands alone led to nearly between federal and state fish and wildlife to continue conservation and outdoor $55 billion in economic contribution and agencies, the sporting arms industry, recreation for the next 75 years and 440,000 jobs in 2009, that study showed. conservation groups, and sportsmen and beyond. WSFR made the official women to benefit wildlife. announcement during its kick-off news “The 75th anniversary of the WSFR conference at the 2012 Shot Show in program is a tremendous opportunity The Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Las Vegas, Nevada. to celebrate the conservation victories Act, now the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish that have been made possible because Restoration Act of 1950, is also a vital part Throughout this year, WSFR and its of this innovative funding approach,” of our nation’s conservation efforts. partners will participate in various said Dr. Jonathan Gassett, president events and programs to help spark of the Association of Fish and Wildlife “We are grateful to our founding awareness about the importance Agencies. “WSFR has made the difference forefathers and all supporters through the of wildlife. for the survival and abundance of some years,” said Bolton. “WSFR is, at its core, species, and because of it, many fish and the national model for conservation in the “This anniversary celebrates one of wildlife populations are at historically United States. It is our obligation to future the most significant and successful high levels today.” generations to make certain that WSFR partnerships in fish and wildlife continues to deliver those conservation conservation in American history,” WSFR’s success starts with the outdoors results over the next 75 years.” said Hannibal Bolton, Assistant industry and the excise taxes paid on Director for the Wildlife and Sport Fish certain hunting and fishing equipment Kim Betton, Office of Public Affairs, Restoration Program. “WSFR plays an items and also through fuel taxes. Headquarters important role in conservation, supplies jobs for many Americans, and benefits That tax money, often with matches from For more information local economies through boating, states and WSFR’s other generous fishing, hunting and shooting activities,” partners, is then returned to the states, Bolton said. which use it to enhance wildlife recreation WSFR program and hunting and fishing opportunities.
Summer 2012 Fish & Wildlife News / 11 spotlight: Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program
The Elements of Success How WSFR funds helped create Summer Lake Wildlife Area
by Amanda Fortin
In the northwestern corner of the Great Basin, about 100 miles from Bend, Oregon, is a haven for wildlife and wildlife enthusiasts alike. Summer Lake Wildlife Area was the first wetland-focused wildlife area established by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and, thanks to funds from the Wildlife and Sport Fishing Restoration program, these nearly 19,000 acres play a role in the conservation of hundreds of species and the recreation of thousands of visitors each year.
t is a remarkable wildlife area in a remarkable “Isetting,” says Martin St. Louis, the state wildlife manager at Summer Lake. “Our management revolves around native plants and trying to mimic what was here naturally; this makes it an especially G ene D ershewit z / F lickr attractive place for birds and game animals which makes it attractive to birders and hunters.”
Today, the Summer Lake Wildlife Area is home to more than 40 mammal species, at least 280 species of birds, 15 reptile and amphibian species, and eight fish species. Large nesting populations of waterfowl including Canada geese, gadwalls and American coots can be seen there, as well as trumpeter swans and snow geese that stop during their spring and fall migrations.
While conserving wetland habitat, Summer Lake Wildlife Area provides public recreation such as fishing, bird watching, wildlife photography, hunting and camping. Open year-round, its facilities include well-maintained access roads and parking area, restrooms, picnic areas, nature trails, a canoe launch, camp sites and interpretive signs. Approximately A sunset on 7,500 people visit the area each year. Summer Lake Many of those visitors stop into the Lodge at Summer Lake, a privately owned bed and breakfast near the The Lodge at Summer wildlife area. “People come here from big cities for Lake is a place of R&R R&R,” said Jan Froust, owner of the Lodge. “There for many visitors to the are also a lot of unique things about the geographical Summer Lake Wildlife Area. area here. From wetlands and desert to forest and the lake, there is so much to love about this place.”
12 / Fish & Wildlife News Summer 2012 With the first acquisition complete, the next element for success was growth. Over the years, the area has expanded as additional land was acquired by purchase, inter-governmental agreement and private easements. The last two large purchases were in 1963, when the refuge purchased the 2,545-acre Williams Ranch expanding the north and east boundaries of the wildlife area, and 1971, when the 1,404-acre River Ranch tract was acquired.
Today, the wildlife area extends over 18,941 acres of Oregon’s high desert range land, meadows, wetlands and marshes. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife owns 12,818 acres of the area's land and 5,124 acres are owned by the Bureau of Land Management and other agencies. The entire wildlife area is managed the state fish and wildlife agency. An additional 999 acres of private land are covered by easement agreements.
Maintaining SLWA for wildlife and wildlife lovers The Pittman-Robertson Act authorizes the Service to cooperate with the states to fund wildlife restoration projects. “Each state determines which projects Great egrets are just one of the 280 are eligible,” said Edwards. “These projects may species of birds that can be found include restoration, conservation, management and at the Summer Lake Wildlife Area. enhancement of wildlife and their habitats for the enjoyment of the public.” O DFW
Along with unique geographical features, Summer During the past five years, funding for the operation Lake also has a special place in history: John C. and maintenance of the Summer Lake Wildlife Area Fremont, one of Lincoln’s major generals early in the has averaged approximately $250,000 annually. Civil War, came across the cliffs above Summer Lake in the winter of 1843 and gave it its name. “It was a cold, This funding is the final element to the success of clear day and he was standing in deep snow up on that the Summer Lake Wildlife Area. All developmental, rim,” Froust said, recalling the area’s history. “He management and maintenance projects accomplished looked down and saw a sunlit valley with a smooth lake at the wildlife area have been a result of funding and no snow. It looked like summer to him so he called through WSFR. it ‘Summer Lake.’ ” “Everything that has been done at Summer Lake Creating Summer Lake Wildlife Area Wildlife Area and probably everything that will be Over the course of several decades, multiple elements done at Summer Lake Wildlife Area is the result of came together to create the wildlife area at Summer this funding,” said St. Louis. “The Pittman-Robertson Lake. The first of those elements was put into place fund will continue to support all wetland restoration, with the passing of the Federal Aid to Wildlife management and enhancement and maintenance Restoration Act of 1937. activities to ensure that this place continues to be a success.” Also known as the Pittman-Robertson Act, this act was crucial to the creation of the Summer Lake The success of Summer Lake Wildlife Area can be Wildlife Area in 1944. “Without money from Pittman- measured in many ways: From the increased number Robertson, the land never would have been acquired,” of waterfowl nesting each year to the thousands of said Dan Edwards, wildlife branch chief for the acres acquired for recreation, the impact of this area WSFR program in the Service’s Pacific Region. “The has been far-reaching. state would have had a hard time getting the space.” Yet not all successes are quantifiable. “We go there to “Originally, the wildlife area included only about feel refreshed, have more energy, and to take a break 2,500 acres of wetlands north of Summer Lake,” said from the hustle and bustle of the lodge,” Foust said. St. Louis. “Even though it wasn’t a huge space, the “It is so quiet you can actually hear the beating of Summer Lake wetlands were an important stopover bird wings above you.” for migratory waterfowl and shorebirds traveling along the Pacific Flyway.” By Amanda Fortin, External Affairs, Pacific Region
Summer 2012 Fish & Wildlife News / 13 spotlight: Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program o f Moose & Men Alaska’s Kenai Moose Research Center studies tame moose with WSFR funds
by Riley Woodford Jim D au/ ADF & G
Moose are popular with nowing what makes a moose healthy, center for 13 years. "There are things you Kand understanding what it takes to can do here that you can't do in the wild, photographers and wildlife maintain healthy moose populations is and plenty of things you can test out and important to the Alaska Department of apply to the wild." watchers, and Alaska’s official Fish and Game—and to wildlife managers in moose country across the North. But a Stacy Crouse and husband John met while land mammal is pursued by full-grown, three-quarter-ton moose can working at the center, and John now thousands of hunters every be a dangerous animal to study. A moose serves as the director. As scientists and kick can kill a wolf, and more than one caretakers their duties have ranged from year. About 7,000 moose are person has been on the receiving end of performing ultrasound examinations such a deadly blow. and drawing blood to fixing fences and harvested annually, providing hazing bears. It's tough for a biologist to dog the heels more than 3 million pounds of a foraging wild moose to watch exactly The facility is tucked into the rolling hill how it eats, or to closely monitor the and lake country of the northwestern of wild, organic meat. pregnancy of a cow moose. But tame Kenai Peninsula on land that is part of moose don't object to human company. the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. The By bottle raising moose and conditioning center is home to about 20 moose. More them to human contact, biologists at the than 15 miles of 8-foot-tall woven wire Kenai Moose Research Center have wildlife fencing encloses four tracts, each cultivated cooperative subjects to study. a square-mile, with a landscape of trees, meadows and small lakes. In a ranch-like "This facility has so much to offer," said setting, the lab and research facilities, biologist Stacy Crouse, who worked at the bunkhouse and caretaker's cabin are
14 / Fish & Wildlife News Summer 2012 surrounded by rolls of fencing “Initially they trapped wild moose in the that help us manage wild moose material, building supplies and farming pens,” John Crouse said. “They first populations.” paraphernalia. measured all the vegetation in the pens, and then they trapped moose in the pens One project at the center has implications Over the years, moose researchers from and studied the impact on the vegetation. for moose researchers around the globe— Norway, Sweden, Russia, Japan, Canada At one point they had 40 moose in one of improving understanding of the data and other American states have worked on the pens over winter. They were getting collected by the new GPS and VHF projects at the center. Many of the studies a sense for how much vegetation was devices used to track and study wild at the center are long term, because required to sustain a moose—not only moose. These devices, usually attached to scientists are able to work with the same how much but also the nutritional content collars, are used to study animals ranging animals for years, an opportunity rarely of the forage.” from wolverines and bears to moose and available in the wild. mountain goats. Early devices enabled o f & In the wild, a bull moose may live about researchers to simply locate animals, now Moose Men 13 years, a cow moose about 17 years. Scores of different moose have lived at the center over the past four decades, If you don’t many hand raised by John and Stacy Crouse and other staff. have bottle- “We are still hand raising moose as we raised animals you need them. We are not a receptacle for orphaned animals,” John Crouse said. really can’t do these “Every two or three years we raise a kinds of studies, group of animals so we have several cohorts available to study.” [wild moose] just “Most of the moose are tractable,” John growl at you. Crouse said. “The hand-raised animals will put up with us standing next to them Stacy Crouse, biologist watching. We are able to sample blood, feces and urine, recording what and how Right: Tom Lohuis, former director of much they’re eating. We can collect urine &G
DF the research center, feeds a moose. samples directly, get them on a scale and d/A
r Left: Biologist Stacy Crouse with a weigh them, and do an ultrasound exam— collared moose. all without having to sedate them. There are no drugs involved; we’re just walking
Riley Woodfo around with them. For weights we lead them down to the scale, they get up on the scale and we get a weight measurement.” "More than 250 scientific papers based devices can record, store and even on research at the center have been "The only way to really find what a moose transmit a wide range of data. The tame published," said biologist Wayne Regelin, is eating is to watch a moose eat," Stacy and observable moose in the large pens a former Fish and Game Deputy Crouse said. "You can go in after the fact are perfect test subjects. Commissioner who worked at the center and measure bite size and get ideas about in the 1970s and early '80s. "A lot of what part of the plant they're exploiting. “We can put these out and correlate the pioneering work has been done at the That's why we've put so much effort over behaviors to the data the collars are center—how to capture moose using the past few years to raise these calves, collecting,” John Crouse said. “If activity drugs, studies on moose-habitat to have a moose that's tractable and will measures are different enough, eventually relationships, various ways to evaluate stand next to you like a dog, but will we may be able to say whether they're moose physical condition—it's a leader forage like a wild moose." nibbling on low bush cranberries or in moose research." stripping willows, rather than just The Alaska Department of Fish and determining whether animals are actively In the 1990s and early in this decade, Game has collaborated with the U.S. Fish foraging or not.” captive caribou were also studied at the and Wildlife Service and other agencies, facility. But these days, it’s all about as well as graduate students doing “There’s been a lot of good people come moose. doctoral and masters’ work. Currently all through the facility,” John Crouse said. research is done by state biologists, and “The Moose Research Center was given The first moose in the facility were not the work has direct applications to moose the Group Achievement Award by The tractable, hand-raised animals, but wild management in Alaska. Wildlife Society in 1992 for outstanding moose. When the facility was first built achievements benefiting wildlife.” back in the late 1960s, the pens served as “The bulk of our funding is through moose traps, with entrances that let Kenai Pittman-Robertson funds,” John Crouse Riley Woodford, Alaska Department of Fish moose enter but not escape. said. “It funds research to develop and Game techniques and understand relationships
Summer 2012 Fish & Wildlife News / 15 spotlight: Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program
Fish restoration funds help restore Wisconsin’s Wild Rose State Fish Hatchery by David Pederson g n e HDR fishing Wild Rose State Fish Hatchery is critical to Wisconsin’s $2.75 billion sport fishery. It produces for stocking statewide 27 percent of trout and salmon, 64 percent of northern pike and most of the lake sturgeon and spotted musky. This hatchery is particularly important to Lake Michigan fishing because more than 94 percent of fish raised at Wild Rose are stocked there.
HDR ild Rose has been a workhorse two facilities would be built—a cold water Wfor Wisconsin’s fish propagation hatchery for trout and salmon and a cool system since the state bought it in 1908. water hatchery for northern pike, spotted But the century-old hatchery’s ability to musky, walleye and lake sturgeon. continue meeting that stocking demand was threatened by aging facilities and With renovations and enhancements paid water supply problems. Fish production for, in part by WSFR dollars, Wild Rose was decreasing and the hatchery violated is now a state-of-the-art hatchery facility environmental laws written after the with greater efficiency and flexibility, and facility was built. Plans were developed to increased environmental protection. The renovate the hatchery in phases. What was hatchery will produce healthier fish, and needed was a facility to meet the needs of will be able to increase production of trout the 21st century—needs that recognize and salmon by about 15 percent and will The Wild Rose visitors center offers many learning the genetic diversity of fish populations be able to nearly double its production of opportunities. and cope with emerging disease issues like northern pike, spotted musky, lake viral hemorrhagic septicemia. Essentially sturgeon and walleye.
16 / Fish & Wildlife News Summer 2012 g n e fishing Phase 1 of the renovation, to build the cold renovation. The major goals for Phase 2
water hatchery, began in the summer of were the construction of a cool water HDR 2006 at a construction price tag of $15.9 nursery building for egg incubation, million. This phase was paid for by Sport hatching and early rearing and the ability Fish Restoration funds, money from to rear fish under intensive, recirculation environmental restoration agreements conditions, the construction of 14 modern reached with paper companies on the Fox rearing ponds, and construction of a water River and anglers’ license dollars. Included supply and distribution system that in this part of the renovation was includes a high capacity well. A water construction of a cold water nursery reuse system takes water from the cold building for egg incubation and early water side of the hatchery that has been rearing, a broodstock building, four filtered and disinfected with ultraviolet covered production raceway buildings, and light for use in the new cool water facility. new water supply, distribution and reuse A wastewater system cleans water leaving systems that bring the water supply into the hatchery to the highest level possible compliance, and a new consolidated, before releasing it to the Pine River, a state-of-the-art fish rearing wastewater Class 1 trout stream. treatment system to meet or exceed current discharge standards. A visitors The third and final phase of this project center was also built. The first fish were is currently on hold pending budget moved into the raceways in the spring availability. This phase will include the Tom Johnson from construction and design firm HDR of 2008. restoration of the wetlands, springs and checks the incubation stacks during the hatchery’s headwaters of a stream that were on the commissioning. Construction of Phase 2, the cool water site before the old hatchery was built portion of the hatchery, began in June 2008 more than a century ago. A backup at a construction cost of $17.7 million and groundwater well will also be constructed was completed in 2009, allowing for cool to supply both the cool and cold water water fish production the spring of 2010. sides of the hatchery. Sport Fish Restoration funds and anglers’ license dollars paid for this part of the David Pederson, Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program, Midwest Region
Summer 2012 Fish & Wildlife News / 17 25th anniversary of the Service’s Partners r e s t o r e for Fish and Wildlife Program e n h a n c e by Matthew Filsinger and Joe Milmoe
Mission: To efficiently achieve for shorter time periods. This gives private While the program started out as an individuals options to improve their opportunistic program, over the decades, voluntary habitat restoration on property for targeted wildlife species it has become extremely strategic in its and avoid having to make the sometimes approach. Five major goals guide the private lands, through financial difficult decision on a long-term easement group: 1) Conserve Habitat, 2) Broaden and technical assistance, for the contract. and Strengthen Partnerships, 3) Improve Information Sharing and Communication, benefit of federal trust species. On-the-ground activities for the Partners 4) Enhance our Workforce and 5) Increase program started in the upper Midwest Accountability. These are captured portions of the Prairie Pothole Region in a strategic plan driven by defined he Partners for Fish and Wildlife (PFW) and were focused on wetland and geographic focus areas and select Tprogram was officially established grassland restoration for the benefit of focal species within those boundaries. by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in migratory birds. Development is from the bottom-up and 1987. A group of Service biologists and a majority of the decision-making occurs numerous conservation partners had the Growth has been tremendous during the at the field level. The business model is vision to look beyond the boundaries of past 25 years, and the program now to maintain flexibility and a streamlined government fee-title holdings and see the provides assistance to all 50 states and approach to delivery, while capitalizing need to work cooperatively with private U.S. territories. Today, more than 300 on the strengths of partners and their landowners. They recognized that nearly staff members serve the nation’s private resources. The program has done a 73 percent of U.S. lands are in private landowners including farmers, ranchers tremendous job of leveraging at a rate of ownership and a vast majority of federal and corporations. Projects are imple- 4:1, essentially taking every dollar and trust species used these areas during their mented for a wide range of habitats with maximizing its impact by utilizing four life cycle. Intense stakeholder outreach an emphasis on federal trust species, dollars of non-Partners funds. concluded that the most effective way including those that are listed as threatened to achieve conservation success was to and endangered. The key to success has The program has gained national provide direct financial and technical been the one-on-one relationships that are recognition as a vanguard in the new assistance. built with cooperators. These relationships, era of cooperative conservation based grounded in trust, are part of larger on the premise that fish and wildlife The Partners program was designed community-based conservation efforts. conservation is a responsibility shared by to complement many of the traditional The Partners program, in many instances, citizens and the government. It is using Service easement programs by offering is the first introduction many people cutting-edge restoration and enhancement restoration and enhancement agreements have to the Service. techniques along with deploying proven methods of communicating and partnership building. The conservation landscape is USFWS USFWS ever-changing and influenced by natural, economic, social and political factors. Future progress will be defined by how the program adapts and reacts to those changes. The core foundation of the program lies in the time-tested relationships with people and those partnerships will carry the program into the future as it deals with new challenges.
Matt Filsinger, Partners for Fish and Wildlife A private landowner meets with Partners program state Program, Mountain-Prairie Region, and regional coordinators to discuss plans for habitat Partners Biologist Gib King with private landowner, restoration on his ranch. certifying completion of a habitat restoration project. Joe Milmoe, Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, Headquarters Office
18 / Fish & Wildlife News Summer 2012 more than
with & pa r t n e r i n g
worked private landowners organizations
m i l e s a c r e s o f w e t l a n d s of stream enhanced habitat restored &
Below: The Partners Program is delivered by more than 300 full-time staff located a c r e s throughout all 50 states and territories. Staff gathered for the first time in decades of uplands at the 20th Anniversary workshop in 2006. usfws
Summer 2012 Fish & Wildlife News / 19 Lamar Gore
Career Discovery Intern Program introduces diverse freshmen and sophomores to nature, the Service
by Jennifer Lapis
On a sunny day last June, Jamal McDonald found himself standing on the bank of the Potomac River near Laurel, Maryland, —waiting to climb into a kayak for a four-mile journey downstream.
’d never been in a kayak before,” they want to do for a career, working in “We knew we had to do something to get “IMcDonald, a 19-year-old economics natural resource conservation never more young college students interested in major from Howard University in crosses their mind.” natural resource careers.” Washington, D.C., said later “I was nervous at first, but quickly got the hang And Gore should know. Now the acting Gore and his co-workers set out to develop of it, and relaxed enough to enjoy myself chief of civil rights and diversity for the a diversity internship program that would and all the scenery surrounding the river.” Service’s Northeast Region, he grew up in not only expose diverse students to the Trenton, New Jersey, where nature was work of the Service, but also expose McDonald is one of 62 college students, not a part of everyday life. But Gore’s Service employees to diverse students. primarily from urban areas, who uncle was an avid angler and often invited To help recruit students, the Service participated in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife him to go fishing. This introduction to partnered with the Student Conservation Service’s 2011 Career Discovery Intern nature was reinforced by a middle school Association, an organization dedicated to Program (CDIP). The program recruits teacher, who introduced Gore to other building the next generation of diverse freshmen and sophomores to work aspects of nature and the outdoors. Gore conservation leaders. for the Service during a 12-week learning remembers a sixth-grade field trip to and training experience. They spend their Stokes State Park in New Jersey that The CDIP program aligns with the summer working in every program area hooked him, inspiring him to pursue an Department of the Interior’s Youth in the of the Service and on a broad range of education and career in natural resources. Great Outdoors Initiative, employing, projects, from biological monitoring and educating and engaging young people habitat restoration to maintenance and Fast forward to 2008, when Gore and from all backgrounds to explore, preserve recreational public use programs. colleagues in the National Wildlife and connect with their natural and cultural Refuge System in the Northeast were heritage. “Many students in cities do not grow up brainstorming about how to capture young with access to the natural outdoors,” people’s energy and enthusiasm for “Ultimately, we hope to see some of these said Lamar Gore, one of the CDIP learning and, at the same time, introduce students progress through the Service’s coordinators. “They don’t hunt, bird watch people from diverse backgrounds to the student training program, but we also or even take hikes in natural areas. For types of careers available in natural expect many of them to pursue careers in some, the woods are a place you are resource conservation. a variety of areas, with a more rounded supposed to stay away from, often for fear understanding of conservation and the of bugs, animals or just getting lost. So “We had a problem recruiting diverse work of the Service,” said Gore. when it comes time to think about what applicants for job openings,” said Gore.
20 / Fish & Wildlife News Summer 2012 Left: Service staff prepare for a CDIP boat outing at NCTC. Below: Jamal McDonald at Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia and North Carolina.
usfws
The Fish and Wildlife Service has an awesome And it is working. Since CDIP began in mission...and [I] am the Service’s Northeast Region in 2008, it has expanded to include the Southeast incredibly excited to and Midwest regions. So far, 139 students have graduated from the program. Four explore a career path are now permanent Service employees, and four more are participating in think more creatively, and solve with the Service. one of the Service’s student training problems in a more inclusive manner. Jamal McDonald programs, which may lead to employment They are helping us become what the opportunities in the future. Nine other Secretary calls ‘the Department of program alumni report they are pursuing America.’” a career in conservation. Joe McCauley, chief of Realty for the As for McDonald, the program had a While youth employment is one important Northeast Region, hosted CDIP students significant effect on him. He spent the element of the program, creating a when he managed the Eastern Virginia summer in the Northeast Regional Office diverse and inclusive workplace is equally Rivers National Wildlife Refuge Complex, coordinating CDIP outreach and traveling important. CDIP is a foundational part of and knows how beneficial the program is to some refuges to produce videos about the Northeast Region’s initiative to create to the students, and to the Service. the program. Now, he’s exploring a an inclusive workplace, called for in the career with the Service. Last fall, as a Department of the Interior’s first-ever “CDIP is like a two-way mirror,” said sophomore at Howard University he was Inclusive Workplace Statement. McCauley. “Service staff can share hired as a STEP employee working as a their passion about fish and wildlife financial clerk. Being an economics major, “CDIP students have been hosted at conservation with the future leaders of McDonald had never considered working 58 Service field stations,” said Gore. society, and students can explore potential for a conservation organization. After his “They are bringing differences of thought, career opportunities. Everyone involved experience with CDIP and the Service, background, education, experience, socio- with the program is exposed to a more he is still following his major interest of economic status, occupation, language— diverse outlook about natural resource economics, but now with a more open mind you name it—into the workplace. All of conservation and stewardship than they and broader look at where those skills and these differences help our field stations were before.” educational knowledge can be applied. “The Fish and Wildlife Service has an CDIP and Diversity awesome mission,” said McDonald. “I’m an economics major, but I learned that the Watch the video
Summer 2012 Fish & Wildlife News / 21 by Nicole Osborn
Student makes a difference for her school, community and endangered frogs
With help from San Bernardino NWR and many others, girl restores Arizona pond’s habitat
What can one high school student do to save an endangered species? Ask Mackenzie Kimbro of Douglas, elly G lenn- K im b r o K elly Arizona. // Just before starting high school, Mackenzie and her mother spotted an overgrown pond near her new stomping grounds at Douglas High School. She had been looking for a “Supervised Agricultural Experience” to meet a requirement of her Future Farmers of America chapter. That was the summer she first learned about the endangered Yaqui Top Minnow, Yaqui Chub and Chiricahua leopard frog.
ith help of her mother, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the San WBernardino National Wildlife Refuge, other volunteers and partners, Mackenzie began her efforts to restore the pond’s habitat and increase the number of the two native fish and one native frog species that rely on it. Mackenzie and her mom soon got approval from the school administration and her agriculture education teacher to begin renovating the pond. From there, one of the first people they sought out was Bill Radke, the refuge manager at San Bernardino NWR, who immediately got on board with the plan. He and his staff have been actively involved ever since. The newly renovated pond supplies improved habitat for the endangered Yaqui Top Minnow and Yaqui Chub (used by the Service as stock fish), and the newly landscaped ranariums house a growing population of endangered Chiricahua leopard frogs.
22 / Fish & Wildlife News Summer 2012 The pond was established as a safe haven for endangered Today, fish and frogs in the mid-1990s by the Service and the the newly Arizona Game and Fish Department, but it had fallen renovated pond into disarray. It was a jungle of 8- to 10-year-old cattails, supplies improved dead and downed trees, overgrown vegetation, and a habitat for the body of water hidden in the morass. While the two endangered Yaqui Top endangered fish species appeared healthy, there were Minnow and Yaqui Chub no more frogs. The existing pond did contain two small (used by the Service ranariums, or frog nurseries, but they had been empty as stock of frogs for years. fish), and the newly Mackenzie and her mother soon found that the pond landscaped was on the chopping block because it cost the school so ranariums much money. In fact, over the past few years the water house a bill for the pond had fluctuated between $800 and growing population of The endangered Chiricahua leopard $2,400 a month. endangered Chiricahua frog was one species restored to a leopard frogs. These frogs forgotten and overgrown pond meant Radke knew that water for that facility should be much will eventually be used to to be a safe haven. less expensive, and it was soon discovered that the stock other ponds in the J i m R ora b a ugh/ U SFWS pond had been leaking water for some time. Radke frog’s historic range. and his staff provided the start-up equipment and the restoration began. Refuge staff used heavy equipment “Mackenzie took a good project that was languishing, to remove thousands of cattails and U.S. Forest Service and brought new life to it,” said Radke, the refuge crews used chainsaws to thin out the trees. manager. “The benefits to fish, frogs and students have been tremendous.” Several items were donated for the project, including rocks and dirt, and native grass hay from the National Although the school district’s water bill will continue Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). Mackenzie was to fluctuate slightly as pond improvement and also able to secure a donated liner that seals the pond maintenance continues, the team has reduced the water and prevents leakage. Funding for the project has come bill from more than $2,000 a month at the end of 2009 from several sources including money from Douglas to about $200 at the end of 2010. This significant savings High School, from the Taylor Grazing Act and from a has helped the project gain further support from both $500 Arizona Public Service grant. the school and the community.
The San Bernardino NWR—whose staff has contributed The eventual plan, according to Mackenzie, is to have a considerable amount of time, labor, and equipment to a pond that is accessible to Douglas School District the effort—is located on the U.S.-Mexico border in students in every grade (kindergarten through 12) and Cochise County, Arizona. The 2,369-acre ranch was every department—including Arts and Science. The high acquired by the Service in 1982 to protect the water school administration supports Mackenzie’s vision and resources and provide habitat for endangered native fish. even hosted an open house on May 25, 2011, to show off the work that has been done to date. Other partners for the project include, Douglas High School Science Department, the Diamond A Ranch, The pond is still a work in progress, but the work Freeport McMoRan, Maddux & Sons Inc., U.S. Forest that has already been done has not only saved the Service 4-Man Fire Crew, the Natural Resources school a good deal of money and water, it has created Conservation Service, City of Douglas Water a great teaching opportunity for students at Douglas Department, Arizona Public Service, Douglas City 4-H High, as well as from surrounding schools. Most Club, Arizona Game and Fish Department and several importantly, the pond now serves as a home for the private volunteers including Linda Gomez, Grant endangered Chiricahua leopard frogs, and serves as Watkins, Don Decker, Wendy Glenn (Mackenzie‘s a great example of what can happen when the grandma), and Kelly Glenn-Kimbro (Mackenzie’s Service teams up with caring citizens to make the mother). natural world a better place!
Nicole Osborn, External Affairs, Southwest Region
Summer 2012 Fish & Wildlife News / 23 field journal
The Chinese visitors’ final week in Chinese Refuge Workers Learn Bandon was an exciting one for us all as the removal of the dikes restored tidal American Culture, Conservation flows to the refuge where they had been blocked for more than 100 years. The at Bandon Marsh NWR smiles on their faces were nearly as big as ours. It was obvious they understood and cared! After 2009 trip to China wildlife reserves, Oregon During their final week in the U.S. refuge manager welcomes Chinese colleagues we traveled to some other refuges to diversify their understanding of refuge management and some of the challenges n the summer of 2009, it was my University, working on his Ph.D. studying we face. We visited Tule Lake National Igood fortune to join a team of refuge Siberian cranes. XU is an administrator at Wildlife Refuge and Lower Klamath employees who traveled to northeast the same university, but upon his return to National Wildlife Refuge, where they China to consult with our Chinese China he entered a Ph.D. program in learned about endangered species and counterparts on management of their Reserve Management. water (lack of) issues. They also learned wildlife reserves (refuges). Our trip was about the “Walking Wetlands” program, a whirlwind visit to many locations over a Our staff, volunteers and Friends Group an Integrated Pest Management technique two-week period, although two members took great care of our visitors from China. that rotates blocks of farmland with of our group remained in China for two They even recruited YU Miao, a Chinese flooded wetlands to organically suppress additional weeks to work at a reserve. National living in Texas, as an interpreter, plant parasitic nematodes and other soil which made their learning experience that diseases and pests, which could possibly In the summer of 2011, I invited two much more rewarding. During their time be applied successfully in China. Chinese colleagues to join us at Bandon in Bandon, JIA and XU helped us with Marsh National Wildlife Refuge in many aspects of the restoration project. We visited Summer Lake State Wildlife Oregon, where we were in the third and They participated in bird, fish, amphibian Area en route to Malheur National final year of constructing a large tidal and water quality monitoring studies, Wildlife Refuge. At Malheur they learned marsh restoration project. These removed non-native invasive plants, about the tremendous attention the refuge exchanges between the U.S. and China monitored construction to protect has devoted to protecting redband trout are conducted under the auspices of archaeological resources and much more. while managing wetlands, and were the Nature Conservation Protocol, an They came to fully appreciate the concept familiarized with the extensive habitat agreement signed in 1986 between the and value of working in partnership with damage caused by non-native carp. Department of the Interior and China’s many other groups such as Ducks Perhaps their most vivid memory of the State Forestry Administration. The Unlimited, the Coquille Indian Tribe, trip to Malheur will remain the airboat Protocol marked its 25th anniversary Federal Highway Administration and the ride provided by the staff on a glassy in 2011. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Malheur Lake. They also assisted with ongoing field On July 24, 2011, JIA Yifei and XU research by graduate students—helping The cultures of the U.S. and China are Yingshou arrived at the Portland with archaeological resource digs and very different, but wildlife conservation International Airport. From then until sampling of biofilm on the mudflats. and management is a common link they boarded their return flight six worldwide. I can’t begin to tell you how weeks later they immersed themselves JIA and XU were amazed at the much our staff enjoyed working with, in American culture and worked side by tremendous effort and expense incurred learning from and living with our Chinese side with us and our partners on Bandon by the Service and its partners in colleagues last summer. It is safe to say Marsh NWR. This was their first undertaking the restoration project, but that many of us have made lifelong international travel so everything was they completely understood its value to friends. new and exciting to them. JIA is a student fish and wildlife populations, including at the prestigious Beijing Forestry shorebirds, some species of which spend Roy Lowe, Oregon Coast National Wildlife Refuge time in both the U.S. and China during Complex, Pacific Region their annual breeding and migration cycle.
24 / Fish & Wildlife News Summer 2012 field journal y W. L ow e / U SFWS R o y W.
Bandon Marsh Top: JIA Yifei (center) Bottom left: XU Yingshou Bottom right: JIA Yifei bags a sample of biofilm (left) collects soil and (left) and XU Yingshou collected from the surface archaeological material (right) from the Beijing OREGON of the intertidal mudflats from a research site on Forestry University spent on Bandon Marsh NWR Bandon Marsh NWR as five weeks working with as XU Yingshou (left) and interpreter YU Miao (right) refuge staff, volunteers graduate student Aileen looks on. and partners on Bandon Miller (right) assist. Marsh NWR.
CALIFORNIA
Summer 2012 Fish & Wildlife News / 25 fish tales [ The Fish and wildlife Service You Don’t Know ]
Westerners, from cowboy humorist Will Rogers to singer and Ding Goes to Russia activist Paul Robeson, ventured to the new communist state by the late 1920s to experience first-hand the promised social And writes a book about it benefits of a revolution that was then barely a decade old.
The world was intensely curious about what was going on in by David Klinger the new Soviet Union. Darling was one of a procession of Americans drawn to the collectivist state in the depths of their own Great Depression, when capitalism, it seemed, had failed the United States.
Stalin apparently had a soft spot (indeed, one of his few soft Darling’s travelogue suggested ‘Russia isn’t spots) for “Ding” Darling’s political cartoons. And so the peripatetic cartoonist meandered from Leningrad to Moscow, nearly so red as has been painted,’ but he down through the ethnic republics on the Black and Caspian Seas to Baku, and over to Minsk, on a summer idyll that yielded wasn’t ready to move there. Darling’s simple and charmingly readable tour guide.
as the “Father of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service” His impressions ranged the gamut from enthusiastic approval to Wdeceived by the International Communist Conspiracy? abject abhorrence, and Darling’s book is no paean to socialism. Part political analysis, part impressionistic travelogue, Darling Hardly. Anyone who could outfox President Franklin Roosevelt emerges in the pages of his short Baedeker as a barefoot prairie around budget time was no pushover. populist cut loose in the workers’ state—part budding New Deal ideologue, part curmudgeonly Andy Rooney suffering indigestion He was a staunch Iowa Republican, designer of the first Federal and aching feet. Duck Stamp, and first director of Franklin Roosevelt’s revitalized Bureau of Biological Survey, immediate predecessor to today’s “Russia, in my judgment, is serving a most valuable common Fish and Wildlife Service. purpose in becoming a great laboratory in which all of the vagabond socialistic and economic vagaries of the age are being But Jay Norwood “Ding” Darling, famed cartoonist for the tried out in actual experiment,” Darling wrote. “Fortunately, we Des Moines Register was something of a “fellow traveler” are far enough away to be safe from all except the tremors of in the Soviet Union, three years before he assumed the helm explosions which may result, and yet close enough to profit by of this agency. any important discoveries that may prove successful.”
His 1931 trip to Russia, reputedly at the invitation of dictator Darling appeared alternately repelled and intrigued by what Joseph Stalin, resulted in a curious 5-week sojourn in the he experienced in the Soviet Union. The Russian revolution of Workers’ Paradise. There, Darling ruminated on everything 1917 “was followed by the wildest experiment in government from wheat harvests and communal bathing to abandoned ever devised. Like all new found liberty it turned into a Czarist palaces and the indolent Russian 5-day work week. debauchery of excesses. They tried everything. Nothing worked. In operation the socialistic theories failed to come up with the “Bolshevism cures everything,” Darling initially rhapsodized. glorified prospectus. Pure Communism, taken straight, was too “If you are breaking out in a red rash or are afflicted with strong to swallow. Since then they have been diluting it and have conservatism, one dose of Russia will make you well. Every poured in everything and anything that was handy to take the American ought to make a trip to Russia at least once just to see morning-after headache out of it.” what happens when the upper crust of society gets too heavy and overbearing and the proletariat rises up and gives it the axe.” Darling applauded the vitality of Russian youth, the cleanliness of the peasantry, the apparent absence of outward signs of Darling summarized his experience in Ding Goes to Russia, a militarism, and the country’s advances in city planning meandering and liberally illustrated travelogue that can still (“a perfectly planned system of parks and children’s occasionally be found on dusty library bookshelves. His book playgrounds,” Darling noted approvingly.) Most of all, he harkens back to that naïve era before the advent of collectivist praised the attributes of the local population and the famine in the Ukraine, political purges in the upper ranks of the “sweetness of character of the common Russian people.” Soviet military, and the cataclysm of World War II that killed more than 20 million Russians.
26 / Fish & Wildlife News Summer 2012 As objects of derision, Darling scorned Russian On balance, Darling suggests in Ding Goes to plumbing and train schedules, consolidation of Russia that the nation he toured in 1931 was moving This is the twelfth small farms into state-run super-collectives, away from idealistic and worker-focused utopian in a series of short authoritarian state architecture, and the “absurd communism to brutal state-ism. The needs of the features about Soviet government.” Russian hotels he derided as people were quickly being subordinated to “an little-known “25-cent flophouses” and the Crimean resort of Yalta airtight bureaucracy, a capitalistic business on a large aspects of the U.S. was Darling’s “beginning of the great disillusionment scale.” Five-year plans were out-sourcing Russian Fish and Wildlife about the Russian fairy tale. The fleas were bad natural resources to international commerce, in Service by David enough but the toilet facilities were worse. Even to return for foreign capital to finance the Soviet state’s Klinger, who an old duck-hunter who is not too particular, it was relentless drive to industrialization. recently retired, unspeakably and inexcusably bad.” of the National “Russia isn’t nearly so red as has been painted,” Conservation Darling proved remarkable prescient about certain Darling concluded. “Something has happened in the Training Center in aspects of the world’s first communist state. “Right dye. Either the color has faded or it has crocked Shepherdstown, now they could not maintain a major military war and come off in the wash. There is about as much West Virginia. for six months,” Darling judged…as the Nazi war Communism left in Russia as there is tobacco in their machine discovered exactly 10 years later. “Yes, cigarets (sic). Most of the Russian tobacco, like their everyone has a job in Russia. But they are not now Communism, seems to be raised for export purposes getting even the ordinary comforts of life in return and those of us who live outside of Russia are for their labors.” consuming most of the output while home folks are getting along on highly adulterated substitutes.” On others, he was terribly off-base, as when he pointed to the “exaggerated stories of total Soviet communism thus dispensed with, Jay Norwood destruction of the instinct to worship. No one is “Ding” Darling turned his attention to the plight of denied the privilege of going to church nor is he America’s ducks…and to building the future Fish molested in any way as a result of it. The destruction and Wildlife Service. of churches and elimination of religion has been considerably overstated.”
Summer 2012 Fish & Wildlife News / 27 around the service
carbon dioxide per 100 miles of installation (a $3,200 cost) in girl power pacific driving. By contrast, gasoline exchange for gathering data to Pacific Regional Office emits about 19.4 pounds of CO2 help improve the technology. Raises More Than $4,000 for per gallon consumed. Girl Scouts Beyond Bars drive locally Gradually, the idea of the first In the spirit of the winter holidays, Act Globally: Pacific Outfitted with what Nissan calls electric car in the region caught the Pacific Regional Office of the Region Unveils its First a “high response 80kW AC on. “In the end, everyone came Fish and Wildlife Service All-Electric Vehicle synchronous electric motor,” together,” Hall said. “We couldn’t presented the proceeds of its Continuing a Fish and Wildlife the Leaf is powered by a 24 kWh have done it without region-wide annual giving tree fundraiser— Service-wide effort to reduce battery pack and has a range of support. Folks from pretty much more than $4,000—to Girls Scouts carbon emissions, the Pacific 100 miles per charge. The 80kW every program contributed Beyond Bars (GSBB), an initiative Region has unveiled its first all- motor puts out the equivalent of whatever they could from their established by Girls Scouts of electric vehicle: a Nissan 107 horsepower, which might not budgets to make this happen.” America in 1992 to help girls Leaf, which produces no tailpipe seem impressive, but the electric She also credits the cooperation whose mothers are in prison. pollution and reduces depen- motor’s flat torque curve and of GSA, which allowed the instal- dence on petroleum. constant power output give the lation of chargers in the building, “The goal of our program is to Leaf “a lot of get up and go,” said encouraged test piloting and bridge the gaps between incar- The EPA rated the all-electric Matt How, a Pacific Region visual worked with Congress to lift the cerated mothers and their Nissan Leaf as getting the equiv- information specialist who helped statutory price limitation in order daughters and to provide support alent of 99 miles per gallon and get the Leaf into the fleet. “It’s for the federal government to for the girls that they might not emitting about 44 pounds of more fun to drive than a V8!” be able to purchase an electric otherwise have,” says Cassandra vehicle. Hall estimated the cost Ross, the Program Coordinator of the Leaf at around $35,000. for GSBB. Twice a month, the girls of the GSBB Troop 40060 Since its arrival at the Pacific and their mothers meet at Coffee Region headquarters in Portland Creek Correctional Facility in late 2011, the Leaf has been outside Portland, Oregon, to attracting a lot of attention. participate in troop activities like Wrapped with an eye-catching the cookie-kickoff and quilt- decal of Finnegan, a peregrine making, both of which, Ross says, falcon, the Leaf “conveys our center on “education and build- agency’s commitment to conserv- ing a sense-of-self.” Once a ing wildlife,” How said. “It’s also month the girls travel to girls-only the first of many steps toward events where they meet and achieving the Service’s 2020 interact with other Girl Scouts to carbon neutral mandate.” participate in what Ross calls “a typical Girl Scout experience.” Along with changes in policy
Jane C h o ra z y/ USFWS and practice, How, Jung and Falicia Manriquez, an intern with Left: Deanna Sawtelle with the Audubon It may be fun to drive but Hall hope the Leaf will lead to GSBB who works closely with the Society of Portland, introduces the Leaf acquiring it wasn’t easy. “Since changes in the way Service troop, says working with the girls to Finnegan the peregrine falcon, 2009 it has been a back and forth employees think and communi- is very rewarding because they the model for the artwork on the Pacific journey,” said Sue Jung, regional cate. “We can’t buy or drive our “always remain positive despite Region’s all-electric car. branch chief of General Services. way to carbon neutrality,” said their circumstances and they just “We had to get a lot of people on How. “The strategy with the Leaf bring so much joy to everyone board. We had some roadblocks is not only to establish it as the they meet.” She says the girls are along the way.” leading choice of our motor pool, “rambunctious and full of energy” but also to create a rallying point and really enjoy the time they Sarah Hall, the region’s recovery around which we convey the spend doing activities with their program manager who spear- agency’s conservation mission headed the effort to get the Leaf, internally and externally.” said some of the roadblocks were navigated by enrolling the Leaf in Amanda Fortin, External Affairs, a study through ECOtality, which Pacific Region provides a free charger and
28 / Fish & Wildlife News Summer 2012 around the service
than 2,200 acres of land in Marion midwest and Hendricks counties. The permanently protected areas support wetland conservation in yan Ho fer / USFWS R yan double duty addition to providing protected Nature Park Named for habitat for bats. Indiana Bat Receives Park and Rec Honor The vision for the park began in Sodalis Nature Park, located on 2009, when the airport authority lands protected for an endan- and Hendricks County Parks and gered Indiana bat under a Rec began working with the habitat conservation plan by the Service to ensure the proposed Indianapolis Airport Authority, park would not be incompatible has been recognized as with the area’s core conservation Outstanding Park Development by mission. They entered into a Troop 42135 stand in front of the Giving Tree with their troop leader and the Indiana Park and Recreation 20-year lease agreement to Service contaminants biologist, Julie Concannon Association. Sodalis Nature Park, establish Sodalis Nature Park named for the Indiana bat Myotis within the permanently protected sodalis, was dedicated in May area. The unique partnership moms and traveling to meet other Girls from Troop 40060 and Troop 2011. The 209-acre park near allows visitors the rare troops. Both Manriquez and Ross 42135 visited the Regional Office Indianapolis offers visitors a opportunity to enjoy a robust, say that finding the money for on December 22, 2011, to accept place to hike, fish and learn more permanently protected wildlife these activities and travel is one the proceeds of the giving tree about the endangered bat that habitat, something they will not of the biggest challenges the and get to know the staff. inhabits its woods. experience at any other park in program faces. Concannon and Regional Director the region, particularly one in a Thorson presented the girls with Sodalis Nature Park is operated major metropolitan area. Julie Concannon, a contaminants a large stack of art supplies and a and maintained by Hendricks biologist in the regional office and treasure box full of the donations. County Parks and Recreation The Service’s Bloomington, a longtime Girl Scout troop leader, on property owned by the Indiana, Ecological Services brought the needs of the GSBB to “This was an incredible and Indianapolis Airport Authority Field Office worked with the the attention of the regional office unexpected gift,” Ross said. (IAA). Indianapolis Airport Authority and coordinated the giving tree. After accepting the gifts, the girls and the Hendricks County Park Concannon’s Troop 42135 built talked with Thorson and other Under the habitat conservation Board to develop the HCP and the tree and it was installed in members of the Regional Office plan, the IAA has acquired more make the park a possibility. the reception area of Regional about their plans for the donation Director Robyn Thorson’s office. money and their futures, which The tree, lashed together with may include the Service. “We climbing rope and wood, was haven’t had a partnership with decorated with Girl Scout badges, Fish and Wildlife in the past,” topped with a sock monkey Ross said, “but I think there is a (Troop 42135‘s mascot to honor great deal of opportunity for the Jane Goodall) and hung with tags two to team up in the future.” listing specific needs for the GSBB program. Those wishing to Amanda Fortin, External Affairs, give to the tree selected a tag, Pacific Region made the corresponding donation and entered their name into a drawing for a gift.
Visitors to Sodalis Nature Park can hike, fish and learan more about the
arham / USFWS endangered Indiana bat, for which the park is named. G e o rgia P
Summer 2012 Fish & Wildlife News / 29 around the service To m M ac K en z ie / usfws
Scott Pruitt, Project Leader for endangered species has been the Service’s Bloomington Field opened as a park,” said William Office, said, “Sodalis Nature Roche, superintendent of the Park is here because of the Hendricks County Parks and Indiana bat and because the Recreation Department. “To open people and agencies involved a park on permanently protected wanted to make this park a real- land is a once-in-a-lifetime Left to right: Steve Myers, Hiatchania Ranch; Ken Salazar, Secretary of the Interior; ity. Visitors to Sodalis not only opportunity,” Roche added. Richard Hilsenbeck, The Nature Conservancy; Dan Ashe, U.S. Fish and Wildlife get the opportunity to enjoy a “The Sodalis Nature Park has Service Director; and David Houghton, Vice President of Conservation Programs, first-class park, they get to been warmly received by the National Wildlife Refuge Association post the first National Wildlife Refuge boundary become part of an effort working community, and the recognition at Everglades Headwaters NWR (the 556th in the system). January 18 near Hines City, to save an endangered species, of its uniqueness and importance Florida, about 50 miles south of Orlando. one that is symbolic of Indiana’s has now been acknowledged by natural heritage.” park professionals throughout the state.” Sodalis Nature Park includes a 5½-acre catch-and-release “The Sodalis Nature Park reflects The Service is working closely fishing pond, more than three our commitment to the benefits southeast with ranchers and other private miles of nature trails, a quarter of a creative land-use policy that landowners, the Florida Fish and mile of paved trails, educational supports thriving populations Wildlife Conservation Commission areas, picnic areas and other of local wildlife while offering welcome aboard and other state agencies, amenities. To say the new park educational, recreational and Salazar Announces conservation organizations like has been well accepted is an economic benefits to citizens Establishment of Everglades the Nature Conservancy and understatement: An astounding in the region,” said Greta Headwaters National Wildlife the National Wildlife Refuge 51,000 visitors explored the park Hawvermale, the airport authori- Refuge and Conservation Area Association, users’ groups, Native from May through December ty’s senior director of engineering As part of President Obama’s American tribes and federal last year. and environmental matters. America’s Great Outdoors initia- agencies in the creation of the “We thank the Hendricks County tive, Secretary of the Interior new refuge and conservation area. “One of the most incredible Parks and Recreation and the Ken Salazar accepted things about the park is it marks U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, a 10-acre donation of land in “We are inspired by the excellent the first time such a unique part- whose partnership was vital in south-central Florida to officially conservation opportunities nership has ever been done, and the creation of this truly unique establish the Everglades that exist here as a result the first time land under perma- park,” she added. Headwaters National Wildlife of the efforts of our ranching nent protection for an Refuge and Conservation Area— community to protect working conserving one of the last lands across generations,” said remaining grassland and longleaf Service Director Dan Ashe. pine savanna landscapes in “The extraordinary vision of our eastern North America. many partners will help protect significant wildlife species while The new refuge and conservation supporting a way of life that is area—the 556th unit of the vital to our citizens. This effort will National Wildlife Refuge System restore wetlands in the headwa- —is being established through a ters area, preserve working land donation from the Nature ranches, and support a healthy Conservancy of Florida with the environment for central and support of local ranchers and south Florida, as well as increase landowners who have worked opportunities to hunt, fish, hike, cooperatively with Interior and bird watch, and learn about the the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service importance of this landscape.” to conserve their lands while retaining their right to raise For more information on the cattle or crops, an approach Everglades Headwaters National championed by the Obama Wildlife Refuge and Conservation administration. Area , visit
30 / Fish & Wildlife News Summer 2012 around the service
flying high are the busiest, supervisory Ding Darling National refuge ranger Toni Westland northeast Wildlife Refuge Earns says, when the refuge offers Praise from Frommer more than 30 free programs a Travel guru Arthur Frommer has week, including birding and offerings ranked Florida’s Sanibel Island biking tours. Atlantic Salmon from his all-time favorite travel desti- Flooded Vermont Hatchery nation—ahead of Bali, Paris and Westland called the listing an Donated to Tribes St. John—because the Service’s honor not just for the refuge but When Hurricane Irene made J.N. “Ding” Darling National for the National Wildlife Refuge landfall on August 28, 2011, it Wildlife Refuge makes the island System—made up of more than drenched areas in the Northeast a mecca for “thousands of birds 550 national wildlife refuges with torrential rains. Areas in of every species.” across the country that protect Vermont were devastated by the habitat for wildlife. “Hopefully flooding in the storm’s wake. In The refuge is world-famous for this is a springboard for people to Bethel, Vermont, the White River its spectacular congregations visit national wildlife refuges in rose above its banks leaving its of migratory birds, such as their own backyards as well,” namesake national fish hatchery American white pelicans and she said. largely under water. When the wading birds such as roseate water receded it left behind up to spoonbills, anhingas and wood Sanibel Island’s national wildlife six feet of mud. storks. The birds, says Frommer, refuge was established in 1945 to “bask in the sun after diving for provide feeding, nesting and Twenty-five percent of the
fish, and are one of the great roosting areas for migratory hatchery’s population of Atlantic D .J. Mo nette/ USFWS natural sights of wildlife in birds. In 1967 the refuge was salmon broodstock was lost. The America.” renamed in honor of conserva- salmon were being raised to John Miller, a member of the Aroostook tionist and Pulitzer Prize winning support Atlantic salmon restora- Band of Micmacs, holds a donated Frommer voiced his preference cartoonist Jay Norwood “Ding” tion efforts in the Connecticut salmon, while hatchery staff in the in a blog on December 28 of his Darling. From 1934 to 1935 Darling River. The river water that flooded background process surplus fish. 10 “favorite travel destinations.” served as chief of the U.S. the facility exposed remaining Biological Survey, a forerunner fish to the risk of pathogens and Nearly 800,000 people visit the of the Service. other threats, such as didymo, traditional feasts, special events, refuge each year. Winter months an invasive algae known as ceremonies or use in tribal “rock snot.” food banks.
When the decision was made to The first of the fish donated from decontaminate the hatchery the facility went to the Aroostook last fall, fishery managers and Band of Micmacs, a Maine tribe
G e o rge entry / USFWS Northeast Region Native that historically harvested American Liaison D.J. Monette Atlantic salmon. The tribe marked began exploring the possibility of its 20th anniversary of federal donating the salmon to tribes recognition in November and for ceremonial purposes as an used the salmon in a traditional alternative to destroying them. feast for a thousand people.
The Connecticut River Atlantic In the end, all of the salmon at the Salmon Commission, which hatchery—about 17,000 pounds oversees the Connecticut River once processed—was donated Atlantic Salmon Restoration to nine tribes in the Northeast. Program, agreed that the fish, still viable for human consump- D.J. Monette, Native American tion, could be given to federally Liaison, Northeast Region recognized tribal governments Wading birds huddle offshore at sunset at J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge in the Northeast for use in on Florida’s Sanibel Island.
Summer 2012 Fish & Wildlife News / 31 around the service
walk with discussions led for the National Elk Refuge to by hospital staff. Speakers on accompany us because the last mountain- the tours discuss their area of one was so well received. We Alaska specialty, including hearing, simply ran out of time for all the prairie diabetes and nutrition. participants to get their questions code comfort answered, and we had people Genetic Research Informs walking the talk Iverson, a longtime friend of the disappointed they couldn’t attend Fishery Management in Unique Program Combines Community Health Information that day.” Alaska Education and Fitness Center’s Program Director Julia Did you know that the The National Elk Refuge in Heemstra, offered to tag along on St. John’s Walk and Talk series Conservation Genetics Laboratory Wyoming has collaborated with one of the outings and talk about was initiated as part of the hospi- (CGL) in Anchorage is the oldest St. John’s Medical Center in various aspects of refuge tal’s wellness program but also of the six facilities the U.S. Fish Jackson to offer an activity that management since the walks serves as a way to reach out to and Wildlife Service has with combines an interpretive talk take participants past the refuge the community and allow others genetics research capacity? with a hospital program headquarters and out onto the to become involved in their encouraging wellness. Refuge Road. On a balmy January wellness activities. Established in 1987, the lab has afternoon, a small group took a mission to provide genetics St. John’s borders the south end advantage of the first walk to “We were thrilled to be able expertise for conservation and of the National Elk Refuge and is focus on a subject matter other to help out with the program,” management issues in Alaska. immediately adjacent to the than personal health. Iverson said. “It’s a wonderful The establishment of the CGL was refuge administrative offices. example of combining community closely connected with a long- Outdoor Recreation Planner Lori “Lori is the only outside speaker resources in a way that meets term research and management Iverson saw an advertisement we’ve had so far, and we got each organization’s goals.” project on Yukon River chum in December for the medical really positive feedback on that salmon. In its early years this facility’s Walk and Talk Wellness particular walk,” Heemstra Lori Iverson, National Elk Refuge, project focused on evaluating the Series, twice-weekly outings that explained. “We’ve scheduled Mountain-Prairie Region genetic stock structure of spawn- combine a noontime half-hour another date later this month ing populations of chum salmon in the watershed. The vision of those early years has been
USFWS Julia Heemstra leads the group realized. Since 2003, the stock of back toward St. John’s after the first origin of chum salmon entering collaborative Walk and Talk program. the river has been estimated using genetic techniques by the CGL on a weekly basis through the summer and early fall, and the results have been used for in-season management of Yukon fisheries.
The chum salmon project is an excellent example of “mixed- stock analysis,” the use of genetic data to estimate the origin of animals that are not on their breeding grounds. This analysis is a common theme in many of the CGL’s projects and has been applied to a number of species, including Chinook salmon, coho salmon, Dolly Varden, Bering cisco and
32 / Fish & Wildlife News Summer 2012 around the service
by students, for students and Pacific addresses multiple environmental and educational concepts that Southwest benefit everyone involved. By late November 2011, “150 shovel ready volunteers and over 500 kids Carlsbad FWO: Let’s Plant helped make this project happen, that Habitat! and that includes about 2,000 Kindergartners through sixth hours invested thus far,” said
Jas o n E verett graders at Capri Elementary Susan Addams, Capri Elementary The Alaska Region’s Conservation Genetics staff at a 2011 ice-fishing excursion on School in Encinitas, California, Project Volunteer Coordinator. Fire Lake. From left to right: Geoff Cook, John Wenburg, Jeff Olsen, Ora Schlei, have transformed approximately “This was a team effort that Pearl Sethi, Suresh Sethi, Cara Lewis, Randal Loges, Blair Flannery, Penny Crane, 1.5 acres of land into native involved the support and dedica- Bill Spearman and Jason Everett. habitat. tion of the school, parents, teachers and numerous commu- The area, once covered with nity partners.” sheefish. Such studies can lab also sponsors short-term crab grass, palms, weeds and provide information on the stock internships, for students from other non-native plants, now This Schoolyard Habitat Project composition of commercial and other communities to get an contains water-wise native has been integrated into Capri’s subsistence catches and can be introduction to genetics. California plants that provide bilingual (English and Spanish) used to evaluate stock-specific food, water and shelter for butter- and standard curriculums migration patterns or stock- Over the years, the Conservation flies, bugs, small animals, birds to encourage long-term environ- specific habitat use in rearing or Genetics Lab has enjoyed work- and other wildlife. mental stewardship. The overwintering areas. ing with many partners, including environmental education curricu- the Alaska Department of Fish This schoolyard habitat surrounds lum will integrate science, Aside from mixed-stock analysis, and Game, Alaska’s National the school’s soccer/physical English-language arts, selected the lab staff has used genetic Wildlife Refuges and Fish and education field and is part of a children’s literature and student data in other projects, including Wildlife Field Offices, the U.S. community park that is open to projects designed to enhance pedigree reconstruction and the Geological Survey and National the public on weekends. Visitors the environment and prepare estimation of heritability of traits, Park Service, Alaska Native to the field and park will be students to become future species identification using DNA Organizations, University of able to enjoy the beauty and scientists, economists and green barcoding, evaluating the genetic Alaska, and Canadian Department learn about the newly created technology leaders. health of populations, determin- of Fisheries and Oceans. native habitat. ing the influence of landscape Capri Elementary students will features on population structure During the lab’s almost 30-year In 2011, Capri Elementary now maintain the restored habitat and diversity and employing history, it has both witnessed and School’s Schoolyard Habitat area, measure plant growth and genetic data in the estimation of been a part of the integration of Project was awarded more than record new animal species they population size. genetic data in the successful $5,500 through the U.S. Fish and observe. They will also continue conservation and management Wildlife Service’s Schoolyard to experience new challenges John Wenburg is the director of of Alaska’s fish species. Visit the Habitat Program. Additionally, the and learning opportunities such the Conservation Genetics Lab, CGL website,
Summer 2012 Fish & Wildlife News / 33 around the service
The habitat will serve not only as Since the project began, parents best return keystone species to an ongoing educational tool to and teachers have already seen ecosystems, and how to maintain teach environmental principles positive changes in the way headquarters wildness in urban areas.” and concepts, but also as a sanc- students interact with nature. tuary for some students during “Many students check on their word of mouth Authors Margaret Atwood, recess wishing to explore the plants regularly and are more Learn Storytelling from Robert Michael Pyle, Terry nature trails and participate in respectful and protective of the the Pros Tempest Williams and the exploratory activities. area and their young plants,” Storytelling is critical to our Service’s own Dr. John Hartig of Additionally, the habitat will said Addams. “There is a sense success in the conservation field. the Detroit River International provide opportunities for students of pride and ownership.” That’s why the National Wildlife Refuge have led discus- to touch, harvest and even sell Conservation Training Center has sions on the WILD READ site parts of plants “as fundraisers Stephanie Weagley, Carlsbad Fish launched an online portal for
34 / Fish & Wildlife News Summer 2012 our people
“I think the issue I’m most proud Greg positions in Montana, North of, however, is how we handled Siekaniec, Dakota and Wyoming as well transitions the die-off of brown and white Deputy as Alaska. He served as deputy pelicans at the Salton Sea in Director for chief of the Refuge System Headquarters California, the largest die-off, to Policy, retired before taking over leadership at date, of an endangered species,” in June to Alaska Maritime Refuge David Klinger, senior writer- says Klinger. “We put maximum become chief in 2001. editor at the National information out to the press executive Conservation Training Center in as quickly as we could. I didn’t officer of Pacific Shepherdstown, West Virginia, coordinate with Washington or Ducks Unlimited Canada. Greg for the past 14 years, retired to my regional director, I just did was chief of the Refuge System The Pacific Boise, Idaho, on April 2. the right thing, because I knew it from 2009 to 2011, and he Region had to be done and there wasn’t presided over the Conserving the announced “April Fool’s Day—April 1— any use delaying. Backed up Future vision process and the selection was taken, because it was a by our technical experts and conference. of Nanette Sunday, so it had to be April 2,” Dr. Milt Friend at the National Seto as Chief says Klinger. Wildlife Health Laboratory in He also served as a key voice for Migratory a series of then-innovative and leader on expanding public Birds and Klinger began his Fish and teleconferences, the Fish land conservation, including Habitat programs. Her 21 years Wildlife Service career in and Wildlife Service retained the new Flint Hills Legacy in conservation biology span all 1977 in Washington, D.C., as credibility on the issue from Day Conservation Area, a refuge levels of the U.S. Fish and a GS-4 clerk-typist, following One and never lost it. Reporters in the tallgrass prairie region Wildlife Service. From the field brief service with the National later praised it as a textbook of eastern Kansas; the Dakota to headquarters, Nanette has Marine Fisheries Service, also in example of how to address Grassland Conservation Area brought her expertise to the Washington. He rose to become a crisis issue with truth and in the Dakotas and Montana; Migratory Birds and Refuges a writer-editor and national forthrightness.” and the Everglades Headwaters programs and has led three of press officer for the agency in its National Wildlife Refuge and the four bird initiatives this year: Washington headquarters until Klinger joined NCTC in 1998 Conservation area in Florida. the U.S. Shorebird Conservation 1988, when he became assistant as a writer-editor, where he Plan, the North American regional director—public affairs scripted motion pictures and Before becoming chief of the Waterbird Conservaion Plan, and in Region 1 in Portland, Oregon. videos, publications, and a Refuge System, Greg spent Partners in Flight. The Pacific series of off-beat articles for eight years as refuge manager Region is happy to welcome her There, in a two-person office, “Fish and Wildlife News” that at the Alaska Maritime National back in a new capacity. Klinger and assistant Arlene explored the unknown aspects Wildlife Refuge, one of the Ducret managed media relations, of the agency under the title, Refuge System’s most remote A native of Hawaii, Nanette public communications, and “The Fish and Wildlife Service units, and its more than 2,500 began her career with the outreach in the six-state region You Don’t Know.” With no islands and nearly 5 million Service in 1994 at Midway on issues ranging from the agency budget or management acres. While there, he partnered Atoll National Wildlife Refuge desert tortoise, spotted owl, and backing save for that provided with national conservation as a biologist after earning marbled murrelet to California by NCTC production division organizations to restore island her Bachelor’s and Master’s water issues and Columbia River chief Steve Hillebrand, Klinger biodiversity and rid islands of degrees in Zoology at the salmon. The short-staffed office and co-workers fashioned the destructive invasive species — University of Hawaii. Much of was later expanded and a formal Service’s national exhibition foxes and rats — that had nearly her time at Midway was devoted outreach component added to honoring Rachel Carson at eradicated native seabirds and to the biological monitoring reflect the gravity of the region’s the 100th anniversary of her other wildlife. and creation of habitat plans myriad conservation issues and birth, with a display of photos, for nesting seabirds. After controversies. artifacts, and re-creations at the Siekaniec grew up on the four years at Midway, her Cape Cod Museum of Natural boundary of Tamarac National work as a wildlife biologist History that the Boston Globe Wildlife Refuge in Minnesota took her to Nisqually National hailed as a “charming” homage and began his career as a refuge Wildlife Refuge Complex in to the acclaimed Service writer clerk at J. Clark Salyer National Olympia, Washington, where and marine biologist. Wildlife Refuge in North Dakota. she collaborated with members He moved up to management of the scientific and tribal
Summer 2012 Fish & Wildlife News / 35 our people
communities and the public Southwest Unit—2nd Platoon Charlie Through his volunteer efforts to develop the Nisqually Company—1st BN 23rd Marines. on National Public Lands Day NWR Comprehensive Law Enforcement Refuge Officer Although currently in the (NPLD) and year-round with Conservation Plan. Rene Avendano is back on Reserves, Rick served as an his town’s environmental patrol at the South Texas Refuge active duty Marine from 1998- committee, Lew spearheaded a In 2002, she went to the Complex, after returning from 2003 and is a highly decorated program to build a trail system Pacific Regional Office in a seven-month deployment veteran with many honors/ on Cherry Hill, New Jersey, Portland, Oregon, where she to Afghanistan. Rene is a awards including: Combat Action public lands. He helped create dedicated much of her time to gunnery sergeant with the U.S. Ribbon, Global War On Terrorism 10 miles of trails, and two of coordinating waterbird issues Marine Corps Reserve Unit— Service Medal, National Defense these trails received National with other federal agencies, 2nd Platoon Charlie Company— Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Recreational Trail designation non-governmental organizations, 1st BN 23rd Marines. Although Medal, and Afghan Campaign by the U.S. Department of the universities, and the public. currently in the Reserves, Rene Medal. Rick joined the Fish and Interior in 2011. Volunteers who When the chance to work on served as an active duty Marine Wildlife Service family, just have joined Lew on his projects policy-making at the Service’s from 1988–1992 and is a highly a few short weeks before he include Eagle Scouts and the headquarters presented itself decorated veteran with many deployed and we will be glad New Jersey Youth Corps. in 2008, Nanette rose to the honors/awards including: Armed to have him back at the South challenge and moved her family Forces Reserve Medal,Iraq Texas Refuge Complex, Alamo, During NPLD 2011, Lew led to Washington, DC, where she Campaign Medal, Afghan Texas. Thank you for your several volunteer projects focused on partnership-building Campaign Medal, NATO Isaf service, Rick. including invasive tree with other federal agencies in Medal,and Humanitarian Medal. removal, trail maintenance and order to strengthen ties and Rene has been an LE Refuge improvements, and building of raise migratory bird awareness. Officer since 2010, and we are erosion control structures. glad to have him back at the honors Nanette is looking forward to South Texas Refuge Complex, NPLD is a program of the working on conservation issues Alamo, Texas. Thank you for your National Environmental she says are close to her heart, service, Rene. Headquarters Education Foundation in particularly those within the partnership with several federal Pacific Flyway, such as the Law Enforcement Refuge Officer Lewis E. agencies including the Fish and unintentional take of migratory Rick Gonzalez is currently Gorman III, Wildlife Service. NPLD supports birds, conservation of fish- at FLETC in Glynco, Georgia, Endangered the Service’s Connecting People eating birds, and landscape after returning from a 7-month Species With Nature program goals by conservation. deployment to Afghanistan. Rick Program- engaging people, especially is a gunnery sergeant with the Headquarters youth, in conservation and U.S. Marine Corps Reserve partnership the great outdoors and raising coordinator awareness of the value and and its benefits of the outdoors. representative to the Service’s Connecting People With Nature Working Group, received the 2011 Volunteer of the Year Award from the National Environmental Education Foundation for its National Public Lands Day program.
Marine Gunnery Sergeants Rene Avendano (left) and Rick Gonzalez are both Law Enforcement refuge officers at the South Texas Refuge Complex.
36 / Fish & Wildlife News Summer 2012 our people
John U.S. Army from July 1966 to July eight positions for the Service Schmerfeld, 1968, and had 10 years of service and served as a federal wildlife National in memoriam with the Oregon State Police. officer for more than 25 years of Wildlife Refuge his career. System climate Pacific Pat designed and built two of his change own homes, completing most of “As we reflect on past times coordinator, Celebrating the life of a the work himself. He also was an with Paul, we will remember has received dedicated service member: accomplished horseman. him as a dedicated family man. the 2011 Eugene W. Surber remembering Pat Hickey He was a strong leader and Professional Fisheries Biologist Pat was an employee of two mentor to many—a man with a Award from the Virginia chapter Pat Hickey, regions, but his impact and strong conservation ethic and a of the American Fisheries the regional reach were Service-wide. dedication to wildlife and natural Society. He was cited for his heavy We remember Pat for the many resources,” said Lloyd Jones, work as the U.S. Fish and equipment people he touched in his career, Refuge Manager at Audubon Wildlife Service’s Natural coordinator and for his true passion and National Wildlife Refuge in North Resource Damage Assessment for the Pacific devotion to our conservation Dakota. “Through his work, and Restoration (NRDAR) and Pacific mission. Paul left a large footprint on the coordinator for the state from Southwest prairies of North Dakota.” 2000 to 2010. regions, died Pat is survived by Lisa Dave, from a heart attack February 16 Kelly Hickey, Pat Hickey Jr., Paul and wife Kathy raised three During his tenure, Schmerfeld while on government business in and Debbie Hickey. sons—Adam, Aaron and Alex. was instrumental in settling Hawaii. Paul relished the time he spent cases that brought more than $8 Mountain-Prairie teaching his boys about wildlife million to restoration of Virginia’s Pat’s loss deeply impacts and natural resources, and he aquatic resources. As a result, conservation professionals Remembering Paul Van Ningen enjoyed sharing his passion for the Virginia Department of Game across the Fish and Wildlife hunting with them. For a short and Inland Fisheries and Virginia Service family and partner “There are some who can live time, he was able to share his Tech each established fully agencies. Building from his first without wild things, and some love and passion with his staffed freshwater cultivation Service job as a maintenance who cannot.” –Aldo Leopold grandchildren—Blake and Piper. facilities that have produced mechanic at Malheur National more than 2 million mussels Wildlife Refuge in southeast The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Paul’s legacy will live on through as part of the Tennessee River Oregon, he devoted the past 20 Service lost a great friend, his contributions to wildlife drainage restoration program. years toward positive change on dedicated employee and conservation, which will benefit the people he worked with and generous mentor with the future generations for decades. Among the cases Schmerfeld the public he served. passing of Long Lake NWR He will be greatly missed by his worked to settle was a 1998 Project Leader Paul Van Ningen, family, as well as his Service incident in which a tanker truck As heavy equipment coordinator, 56, on January 1, 2012. Paul co-workers and friends. overturned near the Clinch Pat oversaw the safe and was the project leader at Long River, spilling 1,350 gallons of effective use of equipment. The Lake National Wildlife Refuge The Service’s Honor Guard paid tribute to rubber accelerant and killing first person to hold this position in North Dakota for 19 years, Paul’s dedication to the Service’s mission aquatic life for about seven since it was created in 2005, worked more than 34 years in of wildlife conservation. miles downstream. The spill Pat coordinated heavy killed more than 700 endangered equipment safety and training. mussels, the largest loss since He also identified the need
enactment of the Endangered for vehicle and equipment o n No el M ats Species Act in 1973. Under purchases, and coordinated the Schmerfeld’s direction, the case deployment of the maintenance was settled for $3.8 million, workforce on special projects. with funding directed at mussel restoration, habitat protection Before joining the Service, and community education. he owned the Silver Sage Restaurant in Burns, Oregon, for nine years. He previously worked as a carpenter and community service supervisor, served in the
Summer 2012 Fish & Wildlife News / 37 In Dan Ashe’s first year as director Service has made some big changes to keep conservation work flowing.
During a visit to the White River National Fish Hatchery in Bethel, Vermont, Dan Ashe gets up close and personal with a sea lamprey, a nuisance species that the Service is successfully controlling in Lake Champlain.
38 / Fish & Wildlife News Summer 2012 Boldly going by Matt Trott June 30 marked the one-year anniversary of Director Dan Ashe’s confirmation as the 16th Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It was a groundbreaking year for the Service and for conservation as a whole.
oon after he took office, Ashe flew off to the history-making S National Wildlife Refuge System Conserving the Future Conference. Service employees, representatives of state wildlife agencies, sportsmen, wildlife enthusiasts and partners all gathered to develop a vision and plan the future of the refuge system. See all about it at
At the conference, Ashe emphasized the need to respect the past even as the Service was looking to the future. “Our challenge is not to look back to the safety of shore,” he said, “but to have the courage to sail to the horizon, and discover the refuge system of tomorrow.” But, he assured them, “our memories provide the inspiration to power the voyage.”
or Ashe, whose father was a 37-year employee of the F Service, the past is a particularly strong source of inspiration. He can tell tales about some of his best childhood days with his Volunteer Danny Williams from Operation dad, visiting refuges and fish hatcheries. Fresh Start helps Dan Ashe learn how to tweet at the social media station at the Nevertheless, he has worked to instill in himself and others the Conserving the Future conference last need to be better. It is not a denigration of past achievements, year in Madison, Wisconsin. he says. It’s just: “Everyone can be better, a better husband, a better director, a better worker.”
And Ashe believes the Service can be better. Indeed, he says, it must. “We have a workforce that is extremely passionate, dedicated and professional,” Ashe says, “At the same time, it is very over-extended.”
“Working harder isn’t the answer,” he says. “The Service needs to be better. We need to work smarter.”
Summer 2012 Fish & Wildlife News / 39 An example of working smarter came On September 29, the first urban national September 20 when the Save Vanishing wildlife refuge in the Southwest Region Species semipostal stamp went on sale at was approved. The 570-acre Middle Rio post offices. By purchasing these special Grande National Wildlife Refuge will be stamps, only the fourth ever approved just a few miles south of Albuquerque, the by Congress, at a rate of 55 cents per largest metropolitan area in New Mexico. stamp — slightly above the cost of first- class postage— the public contributes “We need to bring the wonders of nature directly to the on-the-ground conservation to all Americans,” Ashe says. “But more programs overseen by the Service’s than that, we must strive to make the Wildlife Without Borders programs. Buy Service, and our professional culture, yours at
en leadership in increasing employment and K ac
M accessibility for people with disabilities. m To he increase in human population also T means an increase in confrontations between humans and wildlife as both compete for fewer natural resources. The Endangered Species Act (ESA) is a frequent flashpoint.
On September 9, a judge approved historic agreements that allow the Service to more effectively focus efforts n / usfws o on providing the benefits of the ESA vers I to imperiled species most in need of ri
Lo protection. During the year, the Service Mike Jimenez, Wyoming Wolf Project Leader (right), led a hike to a wolf den also began a long awaited effort to site on the National Elk Refuge. After touring the den site, the group walked improve ESA implementation. Ashe captures a photo of a Laysan to the top of the ridge and observed several wolves from the Pinnacle Peak Albatross on the East Island during pack. Here, Jimenez howls to the wolves to initiate a response, as USFWS Wolves continued to stir passions, his recent visit to Midway Atoll NWR. Director Dan Ashe (2nd from left) looks on. and Ashe and the Service dealt with wolf issues throughout the year.
nd it is especially important as the On August 2, the Service reached a A world population increases, surpassing historic agreement with Wyoming that 7 billion in Ashe’s first year. paved the way for the removal of its wolves from the Endangered Species A key focus in Conserving the Future, as List, and the return of management to well as in Ashe’s first year, is reaching out Wyoming. This followed agreements to underserved populations among those with Montana and Idaho. The removal of 7 billion. With more Americans living in wolves in the Northern Rocky Mountain cities, the Service has emphasized urban area from the Federal List of Endangered refuges. The Conserving the Future vision and Threatened Wildlife shows the pledges to create a refuge presence in stunning success of the wolf recovery 10 demographically and geographically effort. As an average, wolves have varied cities by 2015. exceeded recovery goals for 12 consecutive years in the Northern Rocky Mountains.
40 / Fish & Wildlife News Summer 2012 On December 21 the Service announced it strong positive impact on fish and was removing thriving wolf populations in wildlife—much stronger than we could Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin and in hope to have acting alone.” portions of adjoining states, from the list. Wolves total more than 4,000 in the three Through LCCs, the Service increases its core recovery states in the western Great work with partners. With conservation Lakes area and have exceeded recovery budgets being slashed, the Service goals. Each state has developed a plan to relies on its partners—and vice versa— manage wolves. to achieve the biggest conservation benefit for the dollar invested. LCCs “The successful recovery of gray wolves are also helping the Service improve its is a testament to the hard work of the science capacity and become, as Ashe Service and our state and local partners,” calls it, “science-driven.” Ashe says. “It is one of the greatest conservation success stories of our time.” The emphasis on landscapes and partnerships was key to the January 18 Wolves remain a controversial topic establishment of the Everglades aligned with the ESA, and they’re not Headwaters National Wildlife Refuge alone. In June 2012, the Service and Conservation Area. Like other determined that the dunes sagebrush new units of the refuge system, the Dan interacts at Kaena Point on Oahu with students from lizard does not warrant protection under Everglades Headwaters NWR represents the Service’s Student Temporary Employment Program. the ESA. State-led voluntary conservation a new conservation model for the efforts in New Mexico and Texas led to Service. The Service is embracing conservation agreements to protect locally supported, partnership-driven habitat and greatly reduce the impact of conservation efforts and working together oil and gas development across 88 percent with private landowners to conserve of the lizard’s habitat. the land’s natural heritage.
Throughout the country, the Service is That idea was also behind the Working using conservation agreements much Lands for Wildlife initiative announced more effectively to push forward March 1. The partnership between conservation goals and build stronger the Service and the Department of partnerships with states, non-profit Agriculture’s NRCS will help maintain conservation groups and private sector longstanding ranching, farming and forest companies like The Southern Company. management traditions found on working landscapes across the country, while Ashe speaks at the news conference announcing the As Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar addressing the needs of several declining creation of the 556th refuge, Everglades Headwaters said at the time, the decision shows “we wildlife species. National Wildlife Refuge at the FFA training facility don’t have to choose between energy near Hines City, DL, about 50 miles south of Orlando. development and the protection of our “Landscapes can work for people and Behind: Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, Rancher land and wildlife—we can do both.” wildlife at the same time—it is not all or Bud Adams , Brian McPeek, chief operating officer, The nothing,” Ashe says. Nature Conservancy, and Nick Wiley, Executive Director, espite the focus on some high profile Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission. D species like the wolf and lizard, the March 23 saw another effort dedicated Service has begun facing conservation to the idea that conservation is not a challenges on a landscape level. Realizing zero-sum game between developers Ashe is guiding the Service to do that by that many of the challenges, like climate and conservationists. The Department asking it to embrace Strategic Habitat change, ignore state, regional or even of the Interior released Voluntary Wind Conservation (SHC). A first step in SHC national boundaries, the Service is Energy Guidelines designed to help wind is to identify biological outcomes, which working with many partners in finding energy project developers avoid and will be linked to funding decisions and solutions that can work across a whole minimize impacts of land-based wind performance measures. He knows that landscape and not just for one refuge or projects on wildlife and their habitats. The this approach will probably be disruptive. one region. voluntary guidelines will help shape the “Change usually is,” he says. But he siting, design and operation of the nation’s recalls what his dad told him about the One of the most powerful efforts growing wind energy economy. Read about Service—“they’re doers.” here is the development of Landscape them at
Summer 2012 Fish & Wildlife News / 41 Standard Presort Postage and Fees USFWS-Public Affairs Paid U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service U.S. Department of the 4401 N. Fairfax Drive Interior Permit G-77 Room 330 Arlington, VA 22203
parting shots
Service Director Dan Ashe, members of the Service Directorate and guests gathered at the Fallen Comrades Memorial Wall on May 2 at the National Conservation Training Center to commemorate the addition of a long- awaited statue that completes the memorial. The statue, by Eli Hopkins (far left), was designed to capture the mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It depicts both human and natural elements, conveying the role of the Service employee as a watchful guardian of our nation’s wildlife resources. Several plants and animals are artfully integrated into the statue, including the Tundra swan, the Goose Creek milk vetch, the Ivory- billed woodpecker and the Karner blue butterfly.
Fish & Wildlife News Submit articles and photographs to: Submission deadline: Editor: Matthew Trott U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Winter 2013: by October 14 Editorial advisor: Craig Rieben, Chief, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, MS 332-A Internal Communications Arlington, VA 22203 Art director: Jane Pellicciotto, Allegro Design 703/358-2512 Fax: 703/358 1930 E-mail: [email protected]
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