U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service Nevada Fish and Wildlife Office Conserving the biological diversity of the Great Basin, eastern Sierra & Mojave Desert

Fall 2011

Inside This Issue:

Meet The New State 2 Supervisor

Whitebark Pine 2 (Continued)

Mojave Desert Tortoise 3 Revised Recovery Plan Whitebark Pine Photo by Richard Sniezko/USFS Service Participated In 4 In July 2011, the U. S. Fish and Whitebark pine typically occurs on 2011 Beatty Days Wildlife Service (Service) determined cold and windy high-elevation or whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) high-latitude sites in western North Amargosa 5 warranted protection under the America. It is a slow-growing, long Act (ESA), lived tree with a life span over 1,000 years and is considered a stone pine Nevada’s Listing 6 but that adding the species to the because of it’s stone-like seeds. Program Work Plan Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants was precluded by the need to address There are only five species of stone Nevada Fish and 7 other listing actions of a higher pines recognized worldwide, and Wildlife Office priority. whitebark pine is the only stone Listing Actions & Work pine that occurs in North America. Plan When a warranted but precluded Stone pines have five pine needles finding is made for a species, the per needle cluster, cones that stay A Message From The on the tree, and wingless seeds that 8 Service classifies it as a candidate State Supervisor for listing. While candidate species remain fixed to the cone and cannot receive no statutory protection be dislodged by the wind. Because under the ESA, inclusion on the whitebark pine seeds cannot candidate list promotes cooperative be wind-disseminated, primary conservation efforts for these seed dispersal occurs by Clark’s species. Continued on page 2 Page 2 U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service

New State Supervisor

Edward (Ted) Koch will now be filling Service’s Southwest Regional Office; the role as the new State Supervisor staff to the Assistant Secretary of for the Nevada Fish and Wildlife the Interior for Fish, Wildlife and Office. Ted will be supervising all Parks; acting Majority Staff Director the Service’s ecological services for the Fisheries, Wildlife and Water programs in Nevada which includes Subcommittee of the U.S. Senate offices located in both Reno and Las for Idaho’s Senator Mike Crapo; Vegas. and Assistant to the Secretary of Agriculture, Office of Economic Ted has 13 years of experience Assistance in Portland, Oregon. with the Service, most recently as the Service’s Bull Trout Coordinator He has published several articles in Boise, Idaho. He has a B.S. on a variety of conservation and in Environmental Biology from policy subjects, and one book, “I am looking forward to this great Southern Connecticut State “The and Reptiles opportunity to carry out the mission University and an M.S. in Zoology of Yellowstone and Grand Teton of the Service in Nevada and build from Idaho State University and has National Parks.” He has served upon existing partnerships to experience in implementing every on the boards of several private conserve Nevada’s species and their aspect of the ESA. conservation organizations, most . Idaho and Nevada share recently as president of the board of many similar conservation landscapes His previous assignments include: the Land Trust of the Treasure Valley. Assistant Regional Director for so I am confident it will be a smooth Budget and Administration in the transition.”

Whitebark Pine (Continued) nutcrackers in addition to other predictions indicate a continuing birds or that forage on it’s downward trend within the majority nutritious seeds. of its range. While individual trees may persist, given current trends, the Approximately 44 percent of the Whitebark Pine Service anticipates whitebark pine whitebark pine’s range occurs in the Distribution forests will likely become extirpated United States in Wyoming, Montana, and their ecosystem functions will Idaho, Nevada, California, Oregon, be lost in the foreseeable future. and Washington. The remaining 56 On a landscape scale, the species percent of the species range occurs appears to be in danger of extinction, in British Columbia and Alberta, potentially within as few as two to Canada. three whitebark pine generations or the next 120 to 180 years. Some of the threats to the whitebark pine include loss and climate change. Whitebark pine is mortality from white pine blister rust, experiencing an overall long-term mountain pine beetle, catastrophic pattern of decline, even in areas fire and fire suppression, and originally thought to be mostly environmental effects resulting from immune from these threats. Recent Fall & Winter Page 3

Mojave Desert Tortoise Revised Recovery Plan

applied research and modeling in support of recovery efforts within a strategic framework; and 6) implement a formal adaptive management program that integrates new information and utilizes conceptual models that link management actions to predicted responses by desert tortoise populations or their habitat.

Michael Burroughs documents information on a desert tortoise (top) and Roy Averill-Murray (right) attaches a transmitter to a desert tortoise, both in the River Mountains This August, the Service released outlines actions by a revised Recovery Plan for the federal, tribal, and Mojave desert tortoise. The state agencies and revised Recovery Plan takes a new other organizations approach to reversing tortoise to remove the threats population declines through a so that the species coordinated effort of science-based is conserved into the implementation and evaluation of future, and provides conservation actions. Regional measurable criteria for recovery implementation teams determining when the will bring together partners from species is recovered. land management, scientific, Recovery plans do conservation, and land-use groups not obligate the to work together with the Service expenditure of funds or require that The emphasis on partnerships in on implementing, tracking, and actions be implemented. the revised Recovery Plan will direct evaluating recovery actions. and maintain focus on implementing Strategic elements within the revised recovery actions as well as a The ESA directs the Service to Recovery Plan include the following: system to track implementation and develop recovery plans for the 1) Develop, support, and build effectiveness of those actions. The conservation and survival of a partnerships to facilitate recovery; success of implementing the desert listed species and to periodically 2) protect existing populations tortoise revised Recovery Plan will review and update those plans. and habitat, instituting habitat rely heavily upon the involvement For instance, the revised Recovery restoration where necessary; 3) of our partners and a commitment Plan for the Mojave desert tortoise augment depleted populations in a to implementing the strategic provides a description of the species strategic, experimental manner; 4) elements listed above, coupled with and its habitat, summarizes the monitor progress toward recovery, a functioning adaptive management threats that caused the species including population trend and program. to be listed under the ESA, and effectiveness monitoring; 5) conduct Page 4 U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Service Participates In 2011 Beatty Days Celebration

the in their terrarium, and learned how biologists track the progress and movement of the toads with tiny glass-encased tags inserted beneath the skin on their backs. Participants used a reader to record the tag number inside an artificial toad, measured the plastic , and recorded the information in a log book. The “tattoos” were by far the biggest hit among the younger set.

Michael Burroughs (top right) and James Harter (top) work with local children at Beatty Days. Amargosa toad (right). By Dan Balduini, Public Affairs Officer Biologists with the Service joined belching contests, and a staff from the Nevada Department 5K run. of Wildlife (NDOW) and members of the Beatty Habitat Committee to The town of between 1,000 The table featured other educational provide information and educational and 1,200 residents sits at the items including pelts and horns from activities during the 2011 Beatty southern gateway to Death Valley, five mammals native to Nevada — Days Celebration. This was the approximately 115 miles northwest Desert bighorn sheep, mountain third year the Service has had a of Las Vegas on US Highway 95. The lion, coyote, fox, and rabbit. The presence at the weekend gathering town swells to some 6,000 during items were available to be touched — an annual celebration of the small Beatty Days, with visitors from all while biologists talked and answered Nevada town’s 107-year history and over the world. questions about the various species. heritage. The kids also had the opportunity to The main attraction at the Service make tracks in sand using The annual Beatty Days Celebration and NDOW table was a display with casts of their paws and hooves. features everything from gun fights live Amargosa toads ( and bed races to a chili cook- nelsoni). Visitors to the table had In a short day-and-a-half, 239 people off and antique car show. The the opportunity to learn about the visited the table, including 103 three-day event also offers food, species, with hands-on activities children. live entertainment, vendors and designed for children. The exhibitors, a poker run, eating and youngsters got a first-hand look at Fall & Winter Page 5

Amargosa Toad

Adult Amargosa Toad (left) Amargosa toad egg mass (center) and tadpoles in restored habitat (right). Photos: Michael Burroughs and Christiana Manville and /USFWS

The Amargosa toad is a member of the family Bufonidae, which includes North American true toads. The Adult toads forage at night along species is endemic (found nowhere the water’s edge and adjacent else) to in southern upland areas. Toads eat Nye County, Nevada. The historical invertebrates including spiders, and current range of the Amargosa insects, and scorpions. During the day, Amargosa toads typically toad is estimated to occur along eye are tawny to olive. Underneath, take shelter in burrows, debris piles, an approximately 10-mile stretch the Amargosa toad is whitish or pale or dense vegetation. of the Amargosa River and nearby olive with scattered black spots that spring systems, roughly between merge above the legs to form the The Service completed a 12-month the towns of Springdale and Beatty. appearance of “pants.” review of the toad’s status in July The amount of known and potential The breeding season for the 2010 and determined the species Amargosa toad habitat is estimated Amargosa toad begins in mid- did not warrant protection under at about 8,440 acres on both public February when egg clutches are laid. the Endangered Species Act. The and private lands. A female may lay up to 6,000 eggs Service was able to reach this in a single clutch, which appears determination because of the The dorsal (upper) body of the as a long strand of black dots coordinated conservation work by Amargosa toad has three paired intertwined among vegetation along the local community, and agency rows of wart-like skin projections the edges of a slow-moving stream partners. Their conservation efforts called tubercles. Their backs have or shallow body of water. Toads are a wonderful example of how black speckling or asymmetrical require relatively open water that a community working together spots. Background coloration ranges persists long enough for the tadpoles prevented the need to list a species. from almost black to brownish or to metamorphose into toadlets and pale yellow-brown or olive and may leave the water. Breeding activity vary considerably among individual tapers off in the summer and ends in toads in the same population. A July. The eggs typically develop into light mid-dorsal stripe occurs along tadpoles within a week, and tadpoles the backbone. The large, wart-like into toadlets in about four weeks. parotid glands located behind the Page 6 U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Nevada’s Listing Program Work Plan and other partners clarity and the federal List of Endangered and certainty about when listing Threatened Wildlife and Plants. In determinations will be made. the final rulemaking, the Service analyzes information received in Candidate species and public comments and testimony. the listing process Within one year of a listing proposal, Candidate species are the Service may: plants and animals for 1) publish a final listing rule as which the Service has originally proposed or later revised sufficient information on their because the best available biological biological status and threats to data support it; In an effort to improve propose them as endangered or 2) withdraw the proposal because implementation of the ESA, the threatened under the ESA. However, the biological information does not Service will systematically review development of a proposed listing support the listing; or and address the needs of more rule is precluded by other higher 3) extend the proposal if there is than 250 candidate species over priority listing activities. This substantial disagreement within the the next six years. The Service determination places the species on scientific community concerning the will review species included on the the candidate list. biological appropriateness of the 2010 Candidate Notice of Review to listing. After a six-month extension, determine if they should be added to Candidate species are assigned a the Service is required to make a the federal Lists of Endangered and listing priority from 1 to 12 based decision on the basis of the best Threatened Wildlife and Plants. on the magnitude of threats they scientific information available. face, the immediacy of the threats, A multi-year listing work plan, first and their taxonomic uniqueness A final listing rule generally becomes developed through an agreement (for example, full species have effective 30 days after publication in with the plaintiff group WildEarth higher priority than subspecies). the Federal Register. Guardians, was filed in the U.S. The species’ listing priority dictates District Court for the District of the relative order in which proposed Information on listing actions Columbia in May 2011. In July 2011, listing rules are prepared, with the completed in Nevada in FY 2011 as the Service reached an agreement species at greatest risk (listing well as Nevada’s listing work plan with the plaintiff group Center for priority 1 through 3) being proposed is detailed on the following page. Biological Diversity that reinforced first. The Nevada Fish and Wildlife Office the May multi-year work plan. These will actively engage conservation historic agreements were approved For a variety of reasons, the Service partners and the public to look for by Judge Emmet Sullivan on has not been able to list species improved ways to conserve and September 9, 2011. and designate critical habitat at recover imperiled species. the same rate that new species are

The multi-year listing work plan added to the candidate list. As a will allow the Service to make result, the 2010 Candidate Notice of administration of the ESA more Review identified 251 species that effective and efficient by enabling warrant a listing proposal, but are the Service to again prioritize its not yet fully protected by the ESA. workload based on the needs of candidate species. This multi-year Before a plant or animal species Northern leopard photo by Laurie Averill- listing plan will also provide state can receive the protection provided Murray/USFWS wildlife agencies, stakeholders, by the ESA, it must first be added to Fall & Winter Page 7

Nevada Fish and Wildlife Office Listing Process Listing Actions & Work Plan Service Petition to list a species as Completed 90-Day Findings Decision Initiates threatened or endangered is Spring Mountains acastus butterfly Substantial Status received by the Service 10 subspecies of Great Basin butterflies Substantial for Review 4 subspecies Emergency 6 species of sand dune beetles Substantial for 4 species Listing 42 species of Great Basin springsnails Substantial for 32 species Completed 12-Month Findings Decision 90-Day Finding Mt. Charleston blue butterfly Warranted but precluded Whitebark pine Warranted but precluded Northern leopard frog Not warranted Northern leatherside chub Not warranted Pending 90-Day Findings Planned Publication Substantial Not Substantial no further action American black bear in Nevada FY 2012 Pending 12-Month Findings Planned Publication Spring Mountains acastus butterfly FY 2012 4 subspecies of Great Basin butterflies FY 2012 12-Month Finding 4 species of sand dune beetles FY 2012 32 species of Great Basin springsnails TBD Not Warranted Pending Proposed Rule & Proposed Planned Publication no further action Critical Habitat or Not Warranted Finding Warranted Mt. Charleston blue butterfly FY 2012

Bi-State greater sage-grouse DPS FY 2013 Warranted but 2 Sierra plants and 1 springsnail: Webber TBD Precluded ivesia, Soldier Meadows cinquefoil, elongate Listed as Mud Meadows springsnail Candidate Species Las Vegas & Churchill Narrows buckwheat TBD Tahoe yellow cress FY 2016 Columbia spotted frog TBD Relict leopard frog FY 2016 Not Warranted Proposed Rule & no further action Proposed Critical ** & Mt. yellow legged frog FY 2013 Habitat **Yellow-billed cuckoo FY 2013 **Goose Creek milkvetch FY 2013 **Greater sage-grouse FY 2015 **Whitebark pine TBD Final Rule Listed as Threatened or Endangered with **Even though these species occur within the Nevada Fish and Wildlife Office’s jurisdiction, the ESA lead for these species is a different Service Office or Region. Critical Habitat Designation The Nevada Fish and Wildlife Office will assist those offices in the preparation of the Proposed Rule and Proposed Critical Habitat or Not Warranted Finding. US Fish & Wildlife Service Nevada Fish & Wildlife Office 1340 Financial Boulevard, Suite 234 Reno, NV 89502

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A Message From The State Supervisor I’m excited to be here in Nevada! My wife and I moved here after raising our two children in Idaho for 23 years. We’re ready for a change personally and professionally, and Nevada is a great place to experience that change.

In my short time here in Nevada I have had the opportunity to see different parts of the state, both north and south. The state is even more beautiful than I remembered and the opportunities for species conservation are great, from desert fishes to rare insects and plants, reptiles and amphibians. I understand that well over 300 species and subspecies are found in our state and nowhere else on earth!

Best of all, I’ve had a chance to meet a lot of interesting and wonderful people, all of whom make fish and wildlife and habitat conservation their priority. It is inspiring to see so much support for conserving natural resources for future generations. With support from very capable staff here at the Nevada Fish and Wildlife Office I will do my best to make a contribution in a way that complements others.

You can help me: If I’ve not already met you, please reach out to me, introduce yourself and let me know how the Service can help you. The Service’s mission is, “Working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.” You can see that our mission features the role of others in achieving conservation, so by meeting you we can best fulfill the Service’s mission. I hope you will invite us to have that chance.

Sincerely,

Edward D. Koch