U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Fall 2019
s p o t l i g h t Salmon Conservation / 12
m o r e
Do or Die / 28 Conservation Genetics CoP / 30 what’s inside
SPOTLIGHT: Salmon Conservation / 12 features A Different Kind of Road / 14 Salmon SuperHwy is connecting fish, people and community. 12 By BRENT LAWRENCE History in the Making / 18 The Lois McClure steers a course toward salmon restoration in Lake Champlain.
By BRIDGET MACDONALD Fishing for a Connection / 22 14 Teaching non-traditional anglers in Alaska.
By KATRINA LEIBICH Reclaiming the Lost Population / 24 Spring release looks to repopulate winter-run Chinook salmon in upper Battle Creek in California after the loss of nearly the entire in-river juvenile population during the drought of 2014 and 2015. 18 By JAKE SISCO
On the cover: MORE FEATURES Table Rock Wilderness Do or Die / 28 in Oregon Couple fought against developers and local officials 22 BLM to save California estuary that became national wildlife refuge.
By JANE HENDRON Conservation Genetics CoP, at Your Service / 30 Service staffs six regional genetics labs and the National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Lab to meet conservation needs. 24 By LAURI MUNROE-HULTMAN
From the Directorate / 1 Curator’s Corner / 34 departments News / 2 Life After the Service / 35 In Their Own Words / 27 Our People / 36
28 35 from the directorate
Working Across the Country on Salmon Conservation
This year is the International Year of the Salmon, and One of the goals of the International Year of the Margaret Everson, Fish & Wildlife News is taking advantage to highlight Salmon is to raise awareness of both salmon’s Principal Deputy Director our work with salmon on both coasts. importance and the challenges they face. of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Salmon are anadromous, meaning they divide their The Service worked with partners in Vermont and lives between freshwater and the ocean. They are New York to tell the story of the comeback of Lake born in freshwater, mature at sea and return to their Champlain’s salmon population (p. 18). natal streams to spawn a new generation. In these places and locations such as California’s The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is dedicated to Klamath Basin (p. 26) and Battle Creek (p. 24), we working with partners to ensure that their migration are using the strongest science available to ensure routes remain open, or in some cases, are reopened. the future of salmon.
Oregon’s Salmon SuperHwy (p. 14) is a project to These are, of course, just a tiny portion of our work do just that. We are updating road crossings and with salmon, but they show the many aspects of our fixing other barriers, restoring full access to more salmon conservation, something definitely worth than 75 miles of habitat since 2014. This work also celebrating in this International Year of the Salmon. helps improve road safety and reduce flooding. This win-win may explain the plethora of partners on this project.
For centuries, people have fished for Atlantic and Pacific species of salmon and the catch has supported them.
You can read about the importance of Atlantic salmon to the Penobscot Indian Nation in Maine in this issue on p.27.
In Alaska, our “Creek to Plate” summer program (p. 22) helps many diverse urban youth become more competent and comfortable fishing and being near water, offering them a way to bring home healthy meals.
Fall 2019 Fish & Wildlife News / 1 news
He’eia Estuary Once Supported Community; Now Community Rallies Around Estuary
n the windward side of Oahu, Othe rainy peaks of the Ko’olau mountain range tower above the coastal lowlands, where water from two valleys collect into a marshy area known as the He’eia. Water flows down from the mountain valleys through the estuarine ecosystem along small streams that feed into the bay. Until the mid-1800s, Hawaiians farmed kalo (taro) in the wetlands, while down on the bay
they built a massive fishpond that KRISTEN NALANI KANE/HUI O KO’OLAUPOKO circled out from the shore. These sustainable systems supported (Top) Lower He’eia estuary basin looking the community. downstream after a Hawaii Fish Habitat Partnership-funded mangrove removal But as recently as nine years ago, project was completed. (Right) O’opu He’eia was an estuary in name nakea is an endemic, migratory Hawaiian alone. For a generation, invasive stream fish. Each individual must pass plants had been creeping in and from freshwater to the ocean and back taking over. The streams were again to complete its life cycle. These clogged with organic matter that fish are regularly seen in the estuary blocked fish passages. Hau bush and streams of the He’eia watershed. and California grasses were choking out the native ‘ilima, naio and ‘ohai. Mangroves had displaced native species habitat, to help direct Service funding trapped sediment and overtaken from the National Fish Habitat an ancient fishpond wall. Partnership and the National Fish
Passage Program to nonprofit GORDON SMITH/USFWS The He’eia estuary is a part of the groups implementing conser- larger He’eia ahupua’a — a tradi- vation actions on the ground. tional Hawaiian land designation From funding invasive species even as they pursue their own for the Pacific Islands Fish and that incorporates the whole removal and outplanting efforts goals, from the preservation of Wildlife Office. “But that work landscape from mountaintop to offering technical assistance cultural practices to ecosystem has incredible side benefits (mauka) to the ocean (makai). The for planning and permitting, this restoration and improved access to the ecosystem and the ahupua’a was cared for holisti- support has increased the habitat for fishing and recreation. The community as a whole, from cally as a complete system. Today available for recreationally and ends have woven together into improved fishing and recreational those systems are being restored. culturally important fish species, a tapestry of recovery that is access to the opportunity for as well as improved overall transforming the landscape. community members to embrace For nearly a decade, the Service ecosystem habitat. and perpetuate sustainable has been promoting the resto- “The Service’s goal in this project Hawaiian cultural practices.” ration of the He’eia estuary Many organizations and is supporting the fish and wildlife ecosystem through the Hawaii individuals are part of the He’eia habitat,” says Gordon Smith, Fish Habitat Partnership, a semi- Estuary Restoration Project, fisheries partnership coordinator independent group that works achieving a singular outcome
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The He’eia Estuary Restoration The Hui o Ko’olaupoke is a Service Biologist The land was overgrown with Project is made up of three volunteer-driven effort to restore Scots pines in the central sands efforts—the recovery of the six acres of estuary and stream Goes the Extra Mile area of Wisconsin. I knew I streams and estuarine habitat in habitat in He’eia State Park. At wanted to improve habitat and He’eia State Park, the restoration monthly work days, volunteers The Service is made up of bring the overall health of this of the He’eia Fishpond—a stone have removed nearly all of the fantastic people, and it is acreage back to when it was enclosure used by Hawaiians mangroves and outplanted more a real treat when someone oak savanna/prairie. to trap and harvest fish—for than 4,000 native plants. outside our family lets us know use by the local community, and about a Service employee’s I was very fortunate to get in the development of traditional Native plants such as ‘ilima, naio awesomeness. Ken Erickson touch with Brendan Woodall. agricultural and cultural practices and ‘ohai, hala, and ‘aweoweo did that in early May, and It was quickly established that on the He’eia wetlands. have all begun growing again we’ll let Ken tell the story my land was in the federally throughout the He’eia estuary, involving Brendan Woodall, a endangered Karner blue butterfly In 2001, Paepae o He’eia, a and improved water quality and private lands biologist with the range. We then embarked on nonprofit that cares for the volume along the now open Partners for Fish and Wildlife a 28-acre forestry mulching/ ancient fishpond, began clearing streams have increased habitat Program in Madison, Wisconsin. invasive species control project mangroves from the pond wall. for culturally and recreationally with native prairie seeding. Mangroves were introduced to important fish. became involved with the U.S. He’eia in the 1920s to control IFish and Wildlife Service’s This short story, however, does erosion that began when “The mangroves of He’eia were Partners for Fish and Wildlife not revolve around the habitat wetlands were lost up the valley. one of the largest established Program in the spring of 2018. restoration project but the Community members began forests of invasives in Kaneohe I had recently purchased 56 selfless giving of one of the working by hand, cutting down Bay with trees over 40 feet tall! acres of former Christmas tree the invasive trees that were Restoring the estuary is an plantation that had sat unused choking the estuary, trapping leaf inspiring, larger community for 16-plus years. litter and attracting other invasive effort with so many opportunities The Service’s Brendan Woodall and species such as pigs and rats. to connect people with ‘aina Ken Erickson build a wheelchair- One foot at a time, community (the land),” says Jeanelle accessible blind. members have been clearing Miller, executive director of the fishpond wall, and as of the Hui O Ko’olaupoko. 2018, more than 4,800 feet of the fishpond wall have been cleared. In 2017, the area was designated the He’eia National Estuarine Toward the ocean from the Research Reserve in collabo- fishpond, the 405-acre Hoi ration between Hawaii and wetland is being returned to kalo NOAA. farming. Since 2010, Kako’o ‘Oiwi, a community-based nonprofit By supporting long-term, working to restore agricultural sustainable, and community and ecological productivity to driven efforts, the Service and the the He’eia wetlands, has been Hawaii Fish Habitat Partnership promoting traditional lifeways are helping bring the He’eia and agricultural development estuary back to life and back of the He’eia estuary. Every year to the community. the group sustainably grows and harvests tons of produce HOLLY RICHARDS, External Affairs, for local markets and families. Pacific Region COURTESY KEN ERICKSON
Fall 2019 Fish & Wildlife News / 3 news
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employees. While I have hunted from my wheelchair for many decades, I had not been successful in harvesting a wild turkey. Brendan helped me, on his own time, build a wheelchair-
accessible blind during the summer of 2018. He then volun- teered, again on his own time, to travel to my property during Wisconsin’s spring turkey season.
On the day of the hunt, Brendan and I arrived at the blind about 5 a.m., with legal shooting hours starting about 5:15 a.m. I was OF WILDLIFE CHARLES LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT AND FISHERIES/JAMES RIVER ASSOCIATION nervous and excited, but Brendan did a masterful job of calling, Natural Resource Damage Queen Bess Island supports the third and, a beautiful gobbler worked Restoration of Assessment (NRDA) settlement largest brown pelican rookery in himself into range at approxi- Important Brown funds from the Deepwater Louisiana. mately 6:45 a.m. I was happy and Pelican Rookery Horizon oil spill, a restoration relieved to complete a humane effort aimed at adding 37 one-shot kill roughly 30 yards on Fast Track acres of prime nesting habitat out from the blind. started in late August. If not for the environment and cultural ood Queen Bess” (a.k.a. a remarkable regulatory feat, resources have been assessed, As exciting as the harvest was, “GQueen Elizabeth) is credited project managers would have understood and clearly outlined.” it paled in comparison to with putting an end to a period had to wait until next year to spending time with the fine young of instability in mid-16th century start the project. The Service’s The Service streamlined the man who took time out of his England. Unfortunately, the tiny streamlining of the environmental regulatory process for the Queen busy schedule to make this hunt scrap of land in Louisiana that compliance process led to the Bess project by taking on some of a success. Brendan exemplifies bears her name, Queen Bess U.S. Army Corps of Engineers the compliance review the Corps everything good in federal Island, has been anything but ability to issue a permit would have had to cover in their employees and the U.S. Fish stable. The island, located about for the project in only two days, analysis of the permit application. and Wildlife Service. two and a half miles north of instead of many months— Grand Isle in Barataria Bay, has sometimes even more than Brad LaBorde from the Corps of been sinking and eroding into the a year. Engineers New Orleans District Gulf of Mexico. This is a matter Regulatory Branch says that of grave concern because Queen A regulatory process and the thanks to the agency coordi- Bess Island supports the third issuance of a permit by the nation during the pre-application largest brown pelican rookery Corps must be completed stage, the Service and the Corps in Louisiana. before Deepwater Horizon “were able to identify where NRDA projects can begin. Erin our processes overlapped, Less than five acres of suitable Chandler, an environmental developed a plan and executed nesting and brood-rearing bird compliance coordinator for the it accordingly. For the Corps, it habitat remain on the island, so Service’s Deepwater Horizon Gulf saved man-hours—not days but immediate action was needed to Restoration Office (GRO), explains months—and for [the Service] stop the erosion and build back that the Deepwater Horizon it resulted in a timely permit what has been lost. Using $18.7 NRDA projects are designed decision.” million of Deepwater Horizon to restore the fish, wildlife and habitats injured by the spill. John Tirpak, a wildlife biologist “But we still must ensure that for the Service, says people potential incidental impacts to can’t engage in restoration
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efforts on Queen Bess Island Fire Hose Recycled like we might find with used set and an herbivore set.” while birds are nesting, which structural fire hose,” says Lisa leaves only a six-month window to Benefit Captive Daly, a former firefighter and The zoo staff got to work during (October through March) to get Wildlife Hose2Habitat co-founder. a lunch-time “firehose party” construction done. “This is a on crafting some of these reason why a speedy compliance ne dark night, Fire “The durability of the firehose enrichment items, such as review was so important. If the OManagement Officer Reese is perfect for longer lasting braided feeders, firehose cubes restoration work is not started Kerbow at Okefenokee National enrichment items and our animals and hammocks. before nesting begins, we would Wildlife Refuge in Georgia love them,” says Tayler Royal, the have to wait and we’d lose more couldn’t sleep. He spent his primary keeper at the zoo. “Our of the island. Without restoration, evening searching the Internet biggest goal with the donation we will lose that nesting colony for an answer to a perplexing was to create a second set of within the next decade.” problem of what to do with 100 firehose enrichment items so (Top) White-nosed coatis enjoy their feet of 5-inch fire hose left over that we could have a carnivore firehose hammocks. (Bottom) Zoo In addition to being the third from the Honey Prairie wildfire staff builds items for their animal at largest nesting colony of brown on Okefenokee Refuge in 2011. a lunch-time “firehose party.” pelicans in Louisiana, Queen The hose had been ordered to Bess Island is the only colony help protect the Refuge Visitor for the birds in Barataria Bay. Center. Kerbow offered the “We need to make sure to have unused hose to local fire depart- brown pelicans in all locations ments, but they did not need it. where they were historically,” When he found the nonprofit Tirpak says. “So if, God forbid, a Hose2Habitat, run by volunteer hurricane knocked out a colony, firefighters specifically there would still be others.” to repurpose hose for the benefit of wildlife in captivity, “The Deepwater Horizon GRO he had a solution. is constantly looking for ways to maximize efficiency while still What was excess property for fully meeting all of our regulatory the refuge has now become requirements,” Chandler says. useful enrichment for animals “The speed with which the living at the Zoo at Chehaw Queen Bess Island compliance Park in Albany, Georgia. Thanks and permitting process were to the staff at the zoo, and the completed was made possible by Hose2Habitat volunteers who the Service’s strong relationships taught them how to make inter- with other Deepwater Horizon esting items, the animals now NRDA implementing agencies. spend their time investigating Maintaining these cooperative things to do with the firehose- relationships with our resto- toys, while Kerbow sleeps ration partners is paramount to soundly. protecting and restoring the Gulf ecosystem.” The unused fire hose is especially valuable for use with captive NADINE LEAVITT SIAK, External animals as habitat enrichment Affairs, Southeast Region items for them to interact with. “We can’t take hose contami- nated with industrial chemicals, ZOO AT CHEHAW PARK CHEHAW ZOO AT
Fall 2019 Fish & Wildlife News / 5 news
“We are excited and humbled Eastern Black Rails, to be able to make this donation to the zoo, which helps connect the ESA and the people with nature,” Refuge Powerful Tool that Manager Michael Lusk says. “We can also relate to the Supports Both hardship faced by the park, which, like our Southeast refuges, he eastern black rail is one suffered severe hurricane Tof the planet’s most wide- damage.” ranging migratory birds, with many populations flying When the refuge staff brought the thousands of miles annually to hose to the zoo, they witnessed marshlands across the United first-hand downed trees, storm States and Latin America. It uses damaged animal enclosures, salt marshes, shallow freshwater
and damaged fencing and other marshes, wet meadows and BRIAN HIRES/USFWS facilities that still remained at other types of flooded grassy the park. The facility suffered vegetation across this broad and recreational importance. A biologist holds an eastern black rail in severe damage from Hurricane range for cover, forage and These habitats are also critical southern Louisiana coastal wetlands. Michael in 2018 and was still in nesting. to people. Wetlands recharge the process of cleaning up storm groundwater, mitigate flooding, debris and repairing facilities. Following population declines provide clean drinking water, NWI’s geospatial dataset of as much as 90 percent, the offer food and fiber, and support captures wetlands from coast to The zoo at Chehaw is a nonprofit eastern black rail was proposed cultural and recreational coast, providing information on facility that annually hosts for protection as threatened activities. water fluctuations, vegetation more than 10,000 visitors. Its under the Endangered Species and soil type, salinity, proximity mission—similar to goals of the Act (ESA) in 2018. Primary threats The answer to the question to lakes and rivers, and human Service’s National Wildlife Refuge are the loss of its habitat across involves some of the most highly modifications, such as ditching. System—is inspiring people the United States and Latin visited Service webpages. Among other things, this allows to connect with nature and America. Every week, thousands visit the biologists to assess habitat for encouraging conservation action Service’s National Wetlands wildlife and develop strategies for through positive recreational The bird is elusive, however. Inventory (NWI) pages for conserving species. It also allows and educational experiences. Its So much so that it even featured detailed science, maps and planners and landowners to make 800-acre facility houses hundreds in the birding comedy The Big statistics that are vital to their better-informed decisions, which of animals in naturalistic exhibits. Year, as the only bird in North livelihoods. These stakeholders not only protect their bottom line America the protagonists were include scientists, city planners, but also support conservation. unable to spot. It is so elusive that citizens, landowners, developers, KAREN MIRANDA GLEASON, Branch even dedicated biologists have and decision-makers from local, The development of the eastern of Fire Management, National Wildlife difficulty locating and studying state and federal governments, black rail Species Status Refuge System them, meaning that little had been state wildlife agencies, conser- Assessment (SSA), a foundational known about them to date. vation groups, industries and scientific document that universities. Few outside this informed the rail’s ESA decision, So how did the Service go about group of power users, however, serves as a powerful example of evaluating the status of this know about this resource and the role key factors play in ESA elusive wetland-loving bird? its ability to bring American work. To determine the status of wetlands, wildlife and natural the rail, Service physical scientist Given that nearly half of all resources issues alive Rusty Griffin used NWI data to species protected under the to anyone with a computer. analyze its habitat. The dataset ESA are wetland-dependent in helped him identify the rail’s some fashion, this is an important The NWI was initiated in 1974 to habitat needs and assess the question for more than just the create the nation’s first compre- current conditions of available eastern black rail. Wetlands are hensive inventory of its wetlands habitat within the species’ home to countless fish, wildlife and to monitor changes to range — all important SSA and plants—many of which ecosystems, wildlife habitats requirements. are of significant commercial and natural resources.
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Service is First decision and we moved to make it happen immediately.” Federal Office in Minnesota Named A small group of mothers in the office designed a room Breastfeeding Friendly where nursing employees could comfortably express he Service’s Midwest Regional milk. Important elements are TOffice, in Bloomington, the room’s central location in Minnesota, has been named a the office, a privacy lock on the Breastfeeding Friendly Workplace door, a refrigerator designated by the Minnesota Department of for breast milk storage and a Health for contributions to the private sink for cleaning breast health of our working mothers pump parts. A mirror, coat hooks, and their babies through on-site dimmable light and wildlife- BRIAN HIRES/USFWS education and the construction inspired artwork are additional Biologists with Audubon Louisiana While there is much more to be of a new lactation room. It’s the details that turn the room into a gather rail data. learned about the eastern black first federal office in the state to haven for mothers juggling the rail and changes to the diverse receive this designation. demands of work with the nutri- wetland habitats that they call tional and health needs of their To determine possible future home, the NWI will no doubt play “The Service is committed to children. In celebration of the habitat conditions, Griffin used a central role in these efforts. diversity and inclusion in our room’s completion, a presenter data from NWI Wetlands Status ranks,” says Midwest Regional from the Minnesota Department and Trends reports. These reports “Conservation of wetlands is Director Charlie Wooley. “When it of Health ran a training on the represent some of the most critical for countless species, was brought to my attention that rights of breastfeeding employees important scientific and conser- especially long-distance we could better accommodate and the benefits of creating vation documents on American travelers like migratory birds and the needs of working mothers in work environments that support wetlands. Wetlands Status and waterfowl, and conservation our office through the creation of breastfeeding employees. Trends reports, renewed every begins with good science,” a lactation room, it was an easy five to 10 years, have catalyzed says Megan Lang, NWI’s chief billions of dollars worth of scientist. “Maps of important wetlands restoration and conser- habitat and information on how vation efforts across America. that habitat is changing, are Taking Aim They helped turn around the essential for supporting conser- rapid loss of wetlands and related vation across large areas. wildlife that began in the 1800s and continued until the 1950s. “Good science and resources like Using the Wetlands Status and the NWI, Wetlands Mapper, and Trends data, Griffin worked with Status and Trends reports, which FWS biologist Whitney Wiest that are available to stakeholders to develop habitat projection and citizens at any time and models. outline…are also the foundation of conservation partnerships, The resulting models predicted sustainable planning and endan- future population numbers gered species conservation,” for the eastern black rail by adds Lang. projecting extinction and coloni- zation rates for sites currently “After all, you can’t protect occupied by the rail. The result what you don’t know exists,” SETH BERES/USFWS was a science-based finding Lang says. Girls learn archery at Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife that the rail faced the possibility Refuge in Colorado. of extinction in the foreseeable BILL KIRCHNER, Science Applications, future, spurring conservation Pacific Region, and BRIAN HIRES, actions and research that have External Affairs, Headquarters had meaningful impacts.
Fall 2019 Fish & Wildlife News / 7 news
Taking Care of their truck. “What in the world is wrong with this dog,” Speegle of Our Own thought. The outcome? Gino found a rock of crack cocaine he Service takes care of about the size of a #2 pencil Tthose who provide public eraser that the men had thrown safety on the lands and waters under the truck. These men also it manages—and that includes had outstanding warrants for its four-legged corps. their arrest.
When Federal Wildlife K-9 Gino— Gino helped ensure that Speegle partner to Federal Wildlife Canine would come home every night Officer (FWCO) Darrin Speegle— to his wife and four children, had a spinal stroke in March, he including son Jack, who formed was rushed to a top veterinary a special bond with Gino hospital in Georgia. The 83-pound after difficult surgeries when German shepherd went through he was a young boy. weeks of rehabilitation to overcome the paralysis of his Beyond fighting wildlife hind legs, but he suffered more crime, Speegle and Gino were
strokes and eventually passed USFWS community assets. For example, away in June, having served they annually visited a garden nearly nine years as a Federal people, evidence, contraband Federal Wildlife Canine Officer Darrin club, where they performed an Wildlife Canine (FWC). and wildlife. They must be friendly Speegle and partner Federal Wildlife K-9 obedience and scent discrimi- ambassadors with the public. Gino worked out of Wheeler National nation tracking demonstration. The loss was as personal as it They are rarely kenneled—as Wildlife Refuge in Alabama. One garden club member was so was professional. “We traveled most law enforcement canines impressed, she offered to buy an all over the Southeast together, are—but instead are with their FWC for the Service. Gino and on wildland fires, on Operation handlers 24/7. The FWCO motto Speegle also worked annually at Border Support in Arizona, is, “Wherever we go, they go.” During one routine hunting stop, Wheeler Refuge’s Summer Day finding lost kids and sometimes the two encountered a man Camps for children ages 8–13 lost hunters,” says Speegle. Speegle, with the Service since who decided to run rather than and were highly visible as they “Even though canines are a law 1989, has been a canine handler go through the routine safety traveled as partners in the K-9 enforcement tool, they are so since 2003. He grew up just seven check. He turned himself in the truck with its special logos. much more. I probably spent miles from Wheeler National next morning because he said, more time with him than with Wildlife Refuge in Alabama, “Every time I closed my eyes, “Darrin and Gino were true my family. Gino always had my where he has served his entire I saw that dog.” The man had ambassadors for the Service,” back.” career. His first FWC was Jax, several outstanding warrants for says Federal Wildlife Canine with whom he gained invaluable methamphetamine production Coordinator Adam Rawlinson. The Federal Wildlife Law experience. Then came Gino, who and distribution. “From talking to families and kids Enforcement Canine Program, was “over-the-top enthusiastic as they traveled from refuge to now composed of nine units, about doing On another patrol, Speegle refuge, to catching the bad guys, accepts only 1 percent of eligible the job.” stopped a group of men who they exemplified what it means canines. Canines complete 420 were illegally night hunting on to be public servants. Gino had hours of rigorous training with Speegle and Gino served not Panther Swamp National Wildlife an outstanding career and will their handlers because FWCs only Wheeler Refuge, but the Refuge in Mississippi. Gino be long remembered.” perform a much broader range greater Southeast Region to became fixated with the bottom of responsibilities than most provide security at wildland working dogs: They help locate fire responses, special law enforcement operations, hunting and fishing safety checks, and routine patrols.
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Learning from the Watching traditional fisherman Ron Reed and his sons work Past: Tribal Retreats as a team to maneuver around Keep Traditions Alive boulders along the river’s edge in search of good spots for in the Klamath Basin dip-netting salmon was symbolic of how engaging with natural hrough traditional and cultural resources strengthens both Tpractices, the next generation family and culture. of wildlife conservationists are working with tribal community Serena Doose, a Service fish members in the Klamath Basin to and wildlife biologist and retreat nurture a renewed understanding participant, says the experience and appreciation of the natural gave her a deeper appreciation world. for the tribal connection with the natural world. Last fall, the Service’s Yreka Fish and Wildlife Office’s Klamath “The workshop deepened my Basin Tribal Coordination understanding of how integral Program partnered with Inter- the natural environment is to the Tribal Student Services (ISS) core and future of tribal culture,” to hold two tribal restoration Doose says. “It also fostered a retreats for residents of the stronger sense of place, being Lower Klamath Basin. The ISS is exposed to the unique natural a local organization that assists and cultural history of the and supports tribal students mid-Klamath area.” pursuing higher education goals in northern California, primarily SERENA DOOSE/USFWS By bringing agency professionals, at Humboldt State University. college and high school students, The first retreat took place at Yreka Fish and Wildlife Office’s Klamath and faculty together, these Participants had the opportunity Ah Pah Village near Blue Creek, Basin Tribal Coordination Program retreats offered participants from to learn from and engage with California, where participants partnered with Inter-Tribal Student all backgrounds an opportunity federal and tribal staff at each were taught about the process of Services to host the annual Klamath to improve their appreciation of retreat. The events included smoking salmon. This practice is River Tribal Retreat. Participants learned the unique natural resources presentations and demonstra- based on traditional tribal cultural traditional methods for salmon harvest of the Klamath Basin and their tions in the field, learning about activities related to subsis- and preparation during the Ishi Pishi important ties to tribal culture. on-the-ground projects and tence harvest. It’s not just about campout with Karuk tribal fisherman ongoing research activities. catching and eating the fish but Ron Reed (middle row second from left). Another retreat is planned for about understanding the entire next spring. Teaching was from the salmon lifecycle. This includes perspective of tribal members learning about the water quality, For the second retreat partici- using traditional methods, tools effects of weather and the vital pants met at Ishi Pishi Falls for and practices. They shared how role salmon play in tribal culture. a campout hosted by Karuk tribal the Klamath River and its natural It also means observing salmon members. The events of this resources, such as the wildlife, health and abundance, and weekend taught participants are connected to their daily ensuring enough fish spawn for about the importance of tradi- activities. future seasons. tional fishing practices and how they represent the heart of the tribal relationship with the environment.
Fall 2019 Fish & Wildlife News / 9 news
Wisconsin’s Fort McCoy Honored with Military Conservation Partner Award
ort McCoy in Wisconsin Frecently completed 107 high priority conservation projects, exceeding a 98 percent completion rate, and on July 11, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks Aurelia Skipwith presented the Military Conservation Partnership Award to Fort McCoy for their excellence in habitat restoration and wildlife management.
In her remarks, Skipwith thanked Garrison Commander Colonel Hui Chae Kim and the Fort McCoy Natural Resource Branch, which fosters the wise stewardship of natural and cultural resources to support and sustain a realistic military training environment, biological diversity, the integrity of sensitive or unique sites, and LARRY DEAN/USFWS commercial and recreational opportunities. Also at the ceremony, then-acting “Fort McCoy’s proactive, flexible Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fish and Midwest Region Deputy Regional and collaborative approach to Wildlife and Parks Aurelia Skipwith holds Fort McCoy’s landscape supports Director Thao Tran presented managing habitats and species a bull snake during a field visit with staff four federally and 33 state- Liane Haun, Director of Fort has had a big impact on the from Fort McCoy and the U.S Fish and listed species and is proactively McCoy’s Public Works, with the ground and is a model for other Wildlife Service to learn more about collecting data on eight species Midwest Regional Director’s military installations,” Tran said. conservation work on military lands. undergoing status reviews. Some Partner Appreciation Award. This “The Fort’s dedicated team of Then-acting Midwest Region Deputy of the best remaining habitat and award recognizes the partnership natural resource specialists Regional Director Thao Tran is at right. largest populations of rare butter- and the incredible work done have proven that the needs of flies are found at Fort McCoy, by Fort McCoy’s Directorate of rare habitats and species can be including the Karner blue, regal Public Works to enhance and balanced with military readiness mission of training soldiers in a fritillary, frosted elfin and ottoe improve Fort McCoy’s natural training.” challenging environment. The skipper. resources. It honors the contribu- Service values its many partner- tions of eight members of their These awards reflect the ships with the military services Environmental Division Team— tremendous amount of mutual and appreciates the role of Kira Kaufman, Jim Kerkman, trust and pride the U.S. Fish and military lands in conserving Charles Mentzel, Leigh Neitzel, Wildlife Service has for military the nature of America. Dave Beckmann, John Noble, installations, which achieve Mark McCarty and Tim Wilder. myriad conservation successes while fully supporting their
10 / Fish & Wildlife News Fall 2019 news USFWS
and healthy aquatic ecosystems. be outside and in the river for Idaho Salmon and The event is sponsored by many the ultimate, hands-on learning Steelhead Days: state and federal agencies, Idaho experience.” The event fills up tribes, conservation organizations every year, and there is a waiting Kicking off the and private citizens. Margaret list for classes to get in. School Year with a Anderson, a recently retired Memorable Field Trip Service employee, has poured Salmon returns to Idaho are her heart and soul into organizing really low this year, and biologists this event over the years, and are concerned that this trend eenage salmon travel from says that the event feeds her will continue into the near future. “TIdaho, over 900 miles, to passion for education, fish and Reversing this trend, similar to the ocean to eat a seafood conservation. Her favorite station hosting an event such as Idaho smorgasbord for two years,” is called Gyotaku, where kids Salmon and Steehead Days, is Vicki Runnoe, an environ- paint real (dead) fish and make going to take participation and mental educator with the Idaho fish prints. “It is a great oppor- support from a diverse group Department of Fish and Game, tunity for kids to have a hands-on of conservation partners. It is, enthusiastically tells a group of experience with, not only fish therefore, important to educate Idaho fifth-graders, “and then biology, but also with Gyotaku everyone, including our youth, they travel all the way back to (pronounced ghee-ooh-ta-koo), about conservation of these
Idaho as adults!” the ancient Japanese art of unique fish. USFWS fish-printing.” “Furthermore,” The students are wearing Margaret says, “I love to say the “Has anyone ever heard of a (Top) Completed Goytaku prints dry in the knee-high wading boots and word ‘gyotaku,’ and teach the salmon before today?” Runnoe wind. (Bottom) Students explore a river. ready to explore the Boise River, kids how to say it by shouting it asks the group of fifth-graders. an educational surrogate for and repeating it over and over.” “Yes! My parents love to fish salmon and steelhead natal for them, and I love to eat streams. These kids cannot wait Other stations at the event are them,” says a fifth-grader from to get to get their feet wet and 1) Salmon History, hosted by Longfellow Elementary School learn the type of food salmon eat one of the event’s tribal partners; in Boise. The organizers of the while in Idaho. Kids in the Creek, 2) the Salmon Maze, where event hope that by teaching kids is one of six stations during Idaho kids learn about the challenges how cool these fish are, their Salmon and Steelhead Days, and associated with the long importance in Idaho’s history and at this station, they learn about migration to and from the ocean; economics, and the struggles aquatic insects and healthy 3) the Ecology Station; and 4) they currently face, a passion for aquatic ecosystems. the Living River. “Kids can learn fish conservation will be culti- all of this stuff in a classroom,” vated in our future generation. This event has been taking place says Julie Collins, project leader for 23 years, and over the course for the Service’s Lower Snake ALLYSON TURNER, Idaho Fish and of three days, approximately River Compensation Plan, which Wildlife Office, Pacific Region 2,500 Idaho fifth-graders from is a longtime supporter of the the greater Treasure Valley get event, “but they remember these a chance to learn about salmon lessons because they get to
Fall 2019 Fish & Wildlife News / 11 spotlight
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SALMON CONSERVATION
This year is the International Year of the Salmon, which seeks to bring people together to help ensure the future of salmon. The Service works on both coasts to restore and protect salmon and their habitats. We also strive to introduce people to the beauty of salmon and sustainable salmon fishing. Much of that work, such as improvements to fish passage, also benefit people. Read on for just a few examples of salmon conservation. >
Pictured: Sockeye Salmon migrate up a small stream in Alaska. KATRINA LIEBICH/USFWS KATRINA
Fall 2019 Fish & Wildlife News / 13 spotlight
A DIFFERENT KIND OF ROAD
Salmon SuperHwy is connecting fish, people and community.
By BRENT LAWRENCE
Project partners and stakeholders visiting a successfully completed fish passage project. USFWS
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There’s a highway along the Oregon coast you won’t find on a standard roadmap. It’s one of the most used highways, with travelers crowding its width at times.
This highway connects farmers and fishermen, loggers and conservationists, people and fish.
It’s the Salmon SuperHwy (SSH), an effort across a six-river landscape to reconnect fish populations with the habitat they need by updating road crossings and other barriers, while also addressing flooding and road safety. When complete, it’ll span 178 river miles and reconnect a 940-square-mile landscape on the North Oregon coast that feeds Tillamook and Nestucca bays.
The project has a positive impact on fishing and anglers. By opening up miles of critical spawning habitat for adult salmon and steelhead and additional places for juveniles to mature, it provides more fishing opportunities in more areas.
The partners are many; the impact enormous.
“This project does an immense amount of good for both fish and people. Not only do undersized and failing culverts block fish, but they also limit the stream’s ability to distribute gravel and wood throughout the system, both of which are important components of healthy fish habitat. Wood and gravel also have the ability to plug undersized culverts and flood our roads,” says Garshaw Amidi-Abraham, the council coordinator for the Nestucca, Neskowin and Sand Lake Watersheds Council. Amy Horstman is the Service’s biologist “The Service’s role is pretty typical “These multi-benefit projects integrate for Oregon’s North Coast. She leverages of what our restoration programs do,” the needs of both people and aquatic life. three of the Service’s programs (National Horstman says. “In addition to assistance The collaborative nature of the Salmon Fish Passage, Partners for Fish and with funding for project design and SuperHwy directly aligns with our Wildlife, and Coastal) to get the most implementation, we provide technical Watershed Council’s spirit of bringing funding and technical expertise for assistance…and oversight and reporting. together community, organizations and these projects. Basically, we provide money and tools agencies.” to help remove obstacles so that our partnership can make things happen on the ground.” >
Fall 2019 Fish & Wildlife News / 15 spotlight
BEFORE The Salmon SuperHwy will, when complete, allow access to approximately 95 percent of historic fish habitat while creating an estimated 400 local jobs, all completed with millions of dollars in locally sourced supplies.
In the Tillamook and Nestucca watersheds, there are detailed assessments of road crossings (usually culverts) that block fish movements in rivers and streams. The culverts are usually far smaller than the stream’s width, resulting in increased water speeds that create a washout at the downstream end. The team used the detailed assessments to identify the highest priority barriers based on the length and quality of upstream habitat as well as the number of at-risk fish species that use the stream.
AFTER The projects span a variety of land ownerships dairy farms, industrial forest, private roads, state highways, and many are on county-owned roads. Ron Newton, an engineer for Tillamook County Public Works, is a major partner: “Tillamook County is an enthusiastic supporter of the Salmon SuperHwy program. In partnership with local Watershed Councils, USFWS, TU [Trout Unlimited] and others, the program brings otherwise unavailable technical and administrative support to one of the county’s most critical challenges. Currently, Tillamook County is faced with culvert inventory that is decades past design life with many in very bad condition. The SSH program identifies and proactively replaces culverts before catastrophic failure. Replacement structures built to meet fish passage
NESTUCCA, NESKOWIN AND SAND LAKES WATERSHED COUNCIL NESTUCCA, NESKOWIN AND SAND LAKES WATERSHED requirements also represent reduced The Salmon SuperHwy partnership maintenance and resilient transportation placed a bridge over Jewel Creek to improvements to the countywide replace three undersized culverts, transportation system. In simple terms, restoring aquatic connectivity and there is no better investment of limited improving transportation safety. county resources than the Salmon SuperHwy program.” >
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By replacing the crossings with infrastructure. Tillamook County has a appropriate-sized bridges or culverts, long history of flood events and when fish use and road safety are maximized undersized culverts fail and wash out while minimizing flooding and road roads, dairy farmers can’t get to their damage. That’s a win-win collaborative herds, or get milk to the production project we can all get behind. facilities. Creameries can’t get product to market. Forest access is blocked for The six rivers in the project are the logging operations and recreation. While Nestucca, Tillamook, Trask, Wilson, this is a big ‘reconnect’ project for Trout Kilchis and Miami. This will help restore Unlimited and provides critical habitat historic habitat for Chinook, coho, connection for spawning adults and steelhead, chum, sea-run cutthroat juvenile rearing, the community benefits trout and Pacific lamprey. are equally important. We see a lot of community support because of this unique The partner list is a virtual who’s-who partnership. of western Oregon conservation. “Working as a team, we’re able to On the local side there’s Tillamook accomplish more, and we’re getting more County, Tillamook Estuaries Partner- efficient with each project we complete. ship, Tillamook County Creamery It’s a great feeling knowing our Association, Tillamook Bay Watershed partnership benefits both fish and Council, Nestucca-Neskowin and Sand communities.” Lake Watershed Council, Pelican Brewery, USFWS farmers, forestry landowners and many An essential element of the SuperHwy has Each successfully completed project gets a Salmon private landowners. been the strategic nature of the plan. By SuperHwy road marker. assessing the entire six-river landscape For the state of Oregon, there’s the feeding Tillamook and Nestucca bays, the Department of Fish and Wildlife, partners identified all 260-plus remaining Department of Forestry, Department of barriers to fish passage and determined it “We used a landscape-scale approach to Transportation, Watershed Enhancement would cost $140 million and about 70 years maximize benefit and minimize costs,” Board and the Fish Passage Task Force. to fix them all at current spending levels. Horstman says. “I’m proud of the collaboration between many partners to On the national and federal side, The cost of some of projects simply improve stream systems for salmon and there’s the Service, Trout Unlimited, outweighs the overall benefit. Through native fish as well as to support critical U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land a detailed cost-benefit analysis, the team infrastructure upgrades and increase Management and Natural Resources determined the precise projects that public safety. And all of the projects are Conservation Service. achieve maximum habitat bang-for-the- beneficial to the local economy in that buck. The final tally will be 93 projects there are jobs created and materials What it all adds up to is a historic completed over 10 years at a cost of purchased. This is a huge win-win for opportunity for Oregon. about $34 million. From 2014-2018, people and fish.” the partnership completed 20 projects “Trout Unlimited has a long history of restoring full access to more than 60 miles The Salmon SuperHwy is the route forging collaborative partnerships to of habitat with a funding investment to follow!! accomplish restoration goals, but the of $4.9 million dollars. Construction in Salmon SuperHwy takes partnerships 2019 includes nine projects, reconnecting BRENT LAWRENCE, External Affairs, Pacific Region to a different level,” says Sarah Zwissler, 16 more miles of habitat. Salmon SuperHwy coordinator with Trout Unlimited. “The fish passage projects have a huge benefit to the community
Fall 2019 Fish & Wildlife News / 17 spotlight
HISTORY IN THE MAKING
The Lois McClure steers a course toward salmon restoration in Lake Champlain.
By BRIDGET MACDONALD
On December 9, 1876, Captain William Montgomery set out on Lake Champlain aboard his barge the General Butler, carrying a load of marble from a quarry in Isle La Motte, Vermont, to a company in Burlington that made monuments and tombstones. He was lucky he didn’t need one himself that day. COURTESY OF LAKE CHAMPLAIN MARITIME MUSEUM
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s he approached Burlington, The date is a coincidence. The drama AMontgomery got caught in a fierce is connected. Canal boats such as the storm and was forced to abandon General Butler, and captains such as ship within sight of the port. With Montgomery, who were driven to take waves pummeling the boat, he and his risks for economic gain, symbolized the passengers leapt one-by-one onto the massive ecological transformation taking ice-covered stone breakwater that place in the Lake Champlain Basin in protects the harbor. the 19th century.
“People were gathered on the waterfront Early settlers clear cut forests to watching this saga unfold,” says Erick harvest timber, which led to erosion of Tichonuk of the Lake Champlain Maritime streambanks that filled creeks with silt. Museum. “And by all accounts, right as Dams, built to power mills, blocked fish William Montgomery made the jump, the from tributaries. The cumulative impact last to leave his sinking ship, the General of these activities was the complete loss Butler disappeared beneath the waves.” of native landlocked Atlantic salmon in the Champlain Basin by the mid-1800s. That same year marked the dramatic disappearance of something else in So why revisit this history now? Lake Champlain. Because over the summer, you could In his 1876 report to the U.S. Commission visit it in person. > of Fish and Fisheries, Winslow Watson remarked on the decline of the once abundant salmon in the watershed as a result of steamboat traffic, railroad construction, and the “most formidable and indeed insuperable obstacle” to migratory fish: “the innumerable dams constructed on almost all of the streams near their mouths.”
A painting of the ill-fated schooner the General Butler by Ernie Haas.
Fall 2019 Fish & Wildlife News / 19 spotlight
In honor of the International Year of the Salmon, the Service partnered with the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, the Lake Champlain Basin Program and the Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership to share the story of the remarkable comeback of Lake Champlain’s salmon population through a life-size symbol of its decline.
I got a chance to visit that symbol, the canal schooner Lois McClure, which acts as a kind of mobile museum welcoming visitors aboard for free while docked at various ports of call, was built to spec from an underwater archaeological study in the 1980s of two wrecks—one was the General Butler, which is still sitting on the bottom of the lake with its cargo-hold full of marble. USFWS About a decade earlier, the partners that now make up the Lake Champlain Fish and Wildlife Management Cooperative — the Service, Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation — came together to figure out how to salvage another wreck: the native landlocked Atlantic salmon population.
Since the 1970s, these and other partners have developed a coordinated, adaptive, science-driven program to reintroduce salmon to the basin and address the factors that led to their demise. Factors linked directly to the economic growth fueled by the General Butler and its canal boat brethren, such as declining water quality, habitat loss, the introduction of invasive species through the canal system and of course, the construction of dams.
First, the partners focused on reestablishing a fishery in the lake by NANCY WINSHIP MILLIKEN stocking salmon from state and federal (Top) Once abundant in the Lake Champlain Basin, native landlocked fish hatcheries, and by controlling Atlantic salmon had disappeared from the system by the end of parasitic sea lamprey — which likely the 19th century. (Bottom) Partners from multiple agencies and entered Lake Champlain through the organizations have been collaborating to bring salmon back to the canal and can fatally wound salmon. Lake Champlain Basin by stocking fish and managing the factors that led to their decline.
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Today, there are about 442 dams and A replica of a style of boat that had been 13,822 culverts in the Lake Champlain lost to history, the Lois McClure is its Basin, not including its Canadian own comeback story. tributaries. Wherever possible, the Service and partners have been working On Course to remove obsolete barriers to open access to upstream spawning habitat. Before disembarking from my visit to the Lois McClure, I was recruited to Where it’s not possible — as on the help furl, or stow, her mainsail — a 1,309 Winooski River, where the Winooski One square-foot, unruly sheet of heavy canvas. hydropower dam produces enough energy to power more than 2,700 homes for an “You just reach down, get a good arm’s entire year — partners are improving length, bring it back up on top of the fish passage through other means. A fish boom, and then keep folding it over itself,” lift and transport program helps salmon Tichonuk instructs the crew. “We’re going above the first of three dams on the to make it look like ribbon candy.” Winooski. Research-based modifications to fish-passage structures enable juvenile Forty-five minutes later, it did — more or salmon to migrate back downstream to less. With the sail neatly stowed, it would the lake to mature and help their be easier for the crew to raise at the end
EVAN WING EVAN population grow. of the day when the Lois McClure got In some cases, partners have addressed the issue underway for the first of a series of of dams blocking salmon from migrating upstream The story of salmons’ comeback in the visits to ports on the New York side of to spawning habitat by giving them a ride. basin is complex, involving myriad the lake. One stop was at Willsboro, interconnected partners, sites, activities which represents a milestone for salmon. and studies. But the Lois McClure provided a portal for visitors to see the “Willsboro is a big one because a dam was Now, partners are looking beyond the big picture. Exhibit panels described how removed there recently,” Tichonuk says, fishery toward a long-term goal of a partners worked together to address referring to the partner-driven effort to self-sustaining salmon population, and historical threats to salmon such as dams remove the obsolete Willsboro Dam that they are working together to get there and habitat degradation and emerging stood between salmon and more than 70 by improving habitat in the wild and threats such as climate change. miles of suitable spawning habitat in the techniques in hatcheries to better prepare Boquet River. salmon for the real world. For example, Tichonuk was part of the team that raising young salmon in brook water explored the wreck after its discovery in “Now they are finding naturally born rather than in well water so they will 1980, measuring every dimension, and salmon fry above the former dam site,” develop the ability to imprint and home documenting every detail. He explains he says. “Everybody seems pretty excited back to the stretch of river where they that the boat featured “obvious elements about it, especially the salmon I suspect.” are stocked. of sail.” Although the masts were gone, the deck of the boat had a tabernacle — No wonder. It’s the first time in 150 Partners are also collaborating to address like a cup holder for the mast that could years that naturally born salmon have that “insuperable obstacle”: dams that be opened on one side to lower the 70-foot been documented anywhere in the Lake prevent salmon from migrating up tall structure before the boat entered the Champlain Basin. It’s history in the tributary rivers to spawn and reproduce. heavily bridged canal. making.
BRIDGET MACDONALD, External Affairs Northeast Region
Fall 2019 Fish & Wildlife News / 21 spotlight
FISHING FOR A CONNECTION
Teaching non-traditional anglers in Alaska.
Story and photos by KATRINA LEIBICH
Cooking the catch (pink salmon) in Hope, Alaska, with Anchorage’s Muldoon Boys and Girls Club.
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Anchorage, Alaska, is surrounded by wildness and bisected by salmon streams. Despite this, many diverse urban youth don’t participate in fishing due to a variety of barriers including apprehension and unawareness through lack of parental participation. “Creek to Plate,” a Service summer program, helps youth become more competent and comfortable fishing and being near water. The program includes fishing, cooking the catch and extensive safety training.
Fishing Department. Topics included cold water We start with simple lake fishing safety, using a personal flotation device techniques using bobbers and closed face properly, rescuing a friend from the water, reels. Participants practice basic casting, climbing back in a canoe from the water, baiting their hook with an egg and fish wader safety, how to cross a river solo and handling techniques. As the summer in a group, using a map and compass to progresses and salmon start returning, find point locations on a map, and basic we move to river fishing techniques using wilderness first aid. open face reels and larger rods. Locations include a variety of easily accessible lakes, Results Alaska’s most popular urban fishery for This past summer was our third year Chinook and Coho salmon in Ship Creek running consecutive events over the (a tidal river system in Anchorage), course of an entire summer (May-August). Campbell Creek (a sinuous river with a Some youth have participated in all three forested riparian area in Anchorage) and years of the program and we had high Resurrection River in Hope, Alaska. We week-to-week return rates this year. The have youth experiment setting minnow results are amazing. The youth who fish traps to help them understand where in multiple times with us over the course of the river channel fish prefer to stay. a year have developed the techniques to successfully catch fish. It takes several Cooking the Catch outings to accomplish this, especially if Each day, participants have the option to current is involved. New participants who have their catch filleted and cooked on-site join us midway through the season have or take it home to caregivers. Instructors less success. This year we offered six pool teach basic fish anatomy during filleting sessions with 25 participants each session demonstrations, as well as how to avoid rotating through different water safety attracting bears to popular fishing spots stations. A number of youth were unable by disposing of carcasses in the current to swim the first session and clung to the and not on the shore. Participants learn instructors. By the fourth session, they how to care for fillets (e.g., placing fillets were comfortable swimming with a life skin to skin in a bag to minimize slime jacket, filling their waders and floating on the meat, avoiding contamination “to shore” and doing basic self-rescue by wiping fillets vs. washing them and techniques. We also practiced crossing (Top) Directorate Fellow Kris Pacheco keeping fillets on ice). We eat as a group rivers in multiple settings, which greatly teaches a safety module on orienteering when participants are willing to share reduced the number of youth filling their to youth from Anchorage’s Mountain their catch (it varies!). waders from the previous year. View Boys and Girls Club. (Bottom) The fishing program culminated with Safety It all makes “Creek to Plate” not just a a salmon fishing trip on the Kenai In 2019, we introduced safety modules into program name but a reality. Peninsula. the programming using pool, classroom and outdoor settings with several key KATRINA LEIBICH, Fish and Aquatic Conservation, partners including the Alaska Office Alaska Region of Boating Safety and Anchorage Fire
Fall 2019 Fish & Wildlife News / 23 spotlight
RECLAIMING THE LOST POPULATION
Spring release looks to repopulate winter-run Chinook salmon in upper Battle Creek in California after the loss of nearly the entire in-river juvenile population during the drought of 2014 and 2015.
By JAKE SISCO
Battle Creek is an east-side tributary to the Sacramento River downstream of Shasta Dam. Battle Creek is unique because its cold water springs and high year-round base flows provide the only historic spawning habitats for winter-run Chinook salmon downstream of Shasta Dam.
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Winter-run Chinook salmon are “They seem a little more skittish, so we the north fork and south fork of Battle unique in that they spawn during used belt feeders [which feed throughout Creek. However, as part of a restoration the day instead of having someone walk project on Battle Creek, modifications the summer months, from mid-April by the raceway or tank and feed the fish will be made to two powerhouses that will every hour] a little bit longer,” he says. prevent water from being mixed between to mid-August, when California “Also, we reared them inside longer the two forks.” is at its hottest. This proved to be than we did last year.” More than 500 of the salmon received catastrophic in 2014 and 2015 when Today, Sacramento River winter-run acoustic tags to help track where they the drought killed nearly the entire Chinook salmon are protected as an travel and their survivability rate. The endangered species under both federal survival rate helps researchers estimate in-river juvenile salmon population. and state law. the number of fish in the ocean and expected to return for spawning. his event prompted the Service, the “The winter Chinook salmon TNational Marine Fisheries Service supplementation and captive broodstock “Acoustic tags are a form of telemetry that and the California Department of Fish programs at Livingston Stone are is used in the fisheries field to study the and Wildlife to reinitiate a captive absolutely the reason why there are still survival, timing and distribution of fish as broodstock program at Livingston winter-run Chinook salmon swimming they move through the system or through Stone National Fish Hatchery, part of in the Sacramento River,” says Galyean. watersheds,” says Laurie Earley, Red the Coleman National Fish Hatchery “The warm water and low river flow Bluff Fish and Wildlife program manager Complex. The program started in 1992 conditions during the last drought were for the Battle Creek restoration program. and was suspended in the early 2000s. devastating on the natural populations of “We are interested in the Sacramento winter Chinook salmon, and both of the River and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Last year, the Service released 220,000 programs at the hatchery played a key River Delta, especially these salmonids as tagged and fin clipped juvenile winter-run role in rearing winter Chinook salmon they travel through the system and make Chinook salmon into the north-fork of during those years.” their way out to the ocean.” Battle Creek. This year, in a continuing effort to jump-start the population, In addition to facing warmer water It takes about three years for the salmon 185,000 juvenile winter-run Chinook temperatures, the salmon also have to to make the long journey from the salmon were released. contend with human-made obstacles. hatchery to the ocean and back. While a few salmon from the 2018 spring release “We are trying to expand their “Battle Creek has several hydroelectric may return to Coleman this year — population,” says Brett Galyean, dams, diversions and a complex canal 77 2-year-old males returned — the Coleman’s project leader. “Currently system that was developed in the early majority will return next year. winter-run salmon are in the upper 1900s,” says Laura Mahoney, information Sacramento River, and there is a large and education specialist at Coleman. JAKE SISCO, External Affairs, effort to restore Battle Creek and improve “The canal system moves water between Pacific Southwest Region the habitat. By doing this jump-start effort, we are just moving ahead with the reintroduction plan to repopulate winter Winter-run juvenile Chinook salmon into upper Battle Creek.” Chinook salmon are loaded into a tanker The jump-start plan uses the offspring truck for transport of captive broodstock winter-run to the Battle Creek Chinook salmon from Livingston Stone release site as part of and is focused on reintroducing winter- a reintroduction plan run salmon to Battle Creek while not to repopulate winter impacting the Sacramento River Chinook salmon into population. upper Battle Creek. Once released the “This year is about fine-tuning. salmon will start a We learned a lot from the first year,” nearly 320-mile trip to says Galyean. “Winter Chinook act the delta. differently than some of the other salmon we have here.
JAKE SISCO/USFWS JAKE SISCO/USFWS Fall 2019 Fish & Wildlife News / 25 spotlight
Ensuring a Sustainable Salmon Fishery in the Klamath River
The Klamath River, flowing 257 miles southwest from Oregon through northern California, is the most important North American river for anadromous fish migration south of the Pacific Northwest’s Columbia River. The Klamath is also the second largest river by volume to flow through California and historically a major salmon fishery.
Chinook salmon are the most abundant salmon in the Klamath Basin. Also known as king salmon, they are the largest species of Pacific salmon, are highly prized by anglers and were a major source of food for Native Americans. SERENA DOOSE/USFWS
The Klamath River has two distinct conditions for migrating salmon, especially A fall Chinook salmon carcass collected during the groups, or runs, of Chinook salmon: spring in years of drought. Somehow Klamath annual survey. Chinook salmon are semelparous or and fall. Runs of fish are named for the River salmon, steelhead and rainbow trout single spawners, meaning they only spawn once season that they re-enter the rivers after seem more resilient to these conditions before they die. maturing in the ocean. Though they return relative to salmon in other rivers in the to the river at different times, both runs Pacific Northwest. spawn in the fall. Each October since 1986, fisheries crews Without having a long-term, high quality Spring Chinook populations have from numerous organizations raft, snorkel dataset to establish fishing season quotas experienced dramatic declines and were and wade approximately 700 river miles and harvest limits, it would be difficult to recently proposed for protection under of suitable Chinook spawning habitat in maintain a fishery and still have a healthy the California Endangered Species Act. the main stem of the Klamath River and population of fish for years to come. Currently spring Chinook are only tributaries such as the Shasta, Scott and found in the Salmon and Trinity rivers Salmon rivers. This fall, crews will once again head to of northern California, both tributaries the streams and rivers to conduct the to the Klamath River. Partners in this collaborative effort 33rd annual salmon habitat survey to include Native American tribes, watershed ensure a sustainable salmon fishery Fall Chinook are much more abundant, councils, natural resource organizations, continues in the Klamath Basin. widespread and represent the largest state, federal and local agencies, and salmon fishery in the Klamath River. volunteers, including students from area SERENA DOOSE, Fish and Aquatic Conservation, Fall Chinook populations have been middle and high schools. and SUSAN SAWYER, External Affairs, closely monitored for decades to ensure Pacific Southwest Region their numbers remain sustainable. Fisheries managers use these data to estimate the abundance of salmon in Eutrophication and raised water the ocean, to determine tribal and temperatures induced by the construction recreational harvest levels and to estimate of dams have created challenging the escapement (the amount of fish that “escape” commercial or recreational fisheries and return to spawn).
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A Tribal Perspective Atlantic Salmon and the Penobscot Indian Nation
he Penobscot River in Maine has Tbeen home to Atlantic salmon and the Penobscot Indian Nation since time immemorial. With its forested upland, MEAGAN RACEY/USFWS diverse rivers and many lakes, the Penobscot River Basin has sustained such as Veazie, Great Works and the Joe Dana of the Penobscot Indian Nation paddles a the people of the Penobscot Nation for falls below Indian Island, now known birch bark canoe by the area where the Veazie Dam thousands of years. The rivers flowed as Old Town Falls. The islands below was being demolished. freely, abundant with salmon and other Indian Island at Old Town Falls were diadromous fish species. The history, permanently flooded by the construction culture and economics of the Penobscot of the concrete Milford Dam in 1906. Nation are intimately connected with the Fishing grounds disappeared along with During that time, river herring (blueback river and the sea-run fish that return the fish, and the Penobscot Nation’s herring and alewife) numbers have every spring. Atlantic salmon were at one people and the salmon were barred from climbed from 187,438 to more than 2 time a herald of spring, a very welcome their traditional use of the river. million fish annually. Another success food source and proof of the health of is the return of American shad to the the river and its people. Today, there is hope for the future health Penobscot River. In 2014, 817 American of the Penobscot River and its sea-run shad were captured, in 2016, 8,223. Ten miles upriver fish. Through the Penobscot River from the head of Restoration Project, the two main-stem The Penobscot River Restoration Project tide lies Indian dams downstream of Indian Island, the is a collaborative partnership, including Island, the Veazie Dam and the Great Works Dam, the Service, the Penobscot Indian Nation, springtime home have been removed from the river. The Maine, and other natural resource of the Penobscot Milford Dam is now the first dam on the conservation groups. Projects such as Nation. It is a river and has a new state-of-the-art fish this one exemplify how a healthy and tribally significant lift that began operating in 2014. Farther functioning river benefits all people. place where up river, a stream-like bypass channel was Today, Atlantic salmon and their sea-run weddings, built around the Howland Dam in 2016. fish brethren have significantly better celebrations and important meetings The nature-like fishway bypasses the and safer access to the waters up the between tribal clans have taken place Howland dam and allows aquatic and Penobscot River. In time, the healing over the centuries. All clans would gather terrestrial wildlife to move both up and Penobscot River will provide sustenance on the island every spring and take down the river, connecting the Piscataquis for the Penobscot people who have always advantage of the seemingly endless supply River to the Penobscot River and called this land home. Once again, the of fresh fish in the falls below Indian ultimately the Gulf of Maine. Penobscot Nation can look to the Atlantic Island. These falls had many islands and salmon as a herald of spring. side channels that provided excellent These projects dramatically increased opportunities for catching Atlantic salmon access for sea-run fishes. More than 1,000 Originally written by Dan McCaw, a and other sea-run fish that swam up the miles of river and stream habitat now have fisheries biologist with the Penobscot Penobscot River each spring. improved or complete access for the sea- Indian Nation. He talks about the rush fish of the Penobscot River. Since the historical connection between native In the early 1800s, dam construction on installation of the fish lift at the Milford people and the species that helped sustain the Penobscot isolated sea-run fish from Dam, returns of Atlantic salmon have them for thousands of years, Atlantic their upriver spawning grounds. Timber grown from a historic low of 261 adult salmon. Revisited by McCaw and the dams were built along the river at falls salmon in 2014 to nearly 1,200 in 2019. Service’s Mike Crowley.
Fall 2019 Fish & Wildlife News / 27 DO or DIE
Couple fought against developers and local officials to save California estuary that became national wildlife refuge.
By JANE HENDRON
It was November 1980, when the he McCoys held their breath as they drove Tto meet Pisapia. All of their time, money and phone rang at the Imperial Beach energy expended over the past 10 years to save home of Mike and Patricia McCoy. the Tijuana Estuary rested on this meeting. Ralph Pisapia, manager of the When the McCoys arrived, they could see a Service’s Ecological Services office government vehicle was already parked. in Laguna Niguel in California, was Four men got out of the car, while another man on the line. He asked the McCoys pulled up in a pickup. The man who got out of the Top) Brian Collins with the McCoys after truck was a stocky no nonsense American cowboy, their plaque is unveiled. (Left) Closeup of to meet him at the end of Seacoast complete with oversized belt buckle and Stetson McCoy Trail dedication plaque. (Bottom) Drive the following morning at 10. hat. “Ralph told us, ‘I want you to meet Larry Yellow-crowned night heron perched on Dean, manager of the Tijuana Slough National bridge along McCoy Trail on Tijuana Slough Wildlife Refuge,’” recalls Mike. National Wildlife Refuge.
And it was done. The estuary that the McCoys had fought against developers and local officials to save was permanently protected as a national wildlife refuge.
“Mike and Patricia are two of the most amazing people I’ve been privileged to befriend and work with during my career with the Service,” says Brian Collins, the current manager of Tijuana MIKE AND PATRICIA MCCOY: USFWS/JANE HENDRON PLAQUE: USFWS/LISA COX Slough Refuge. HERON: USFWS/JOANNA GILKESON
28 / Fish & Wildlife News Fall 2019 Recounting the story, almost 40 years estuary. “We decided to go the political of the property or running into the street later, the McCoys, who were recent route,” says Patricia. “We lobbied.” to get away. They were trying to get an guests at the refuge for the re-dedication ambulance.” Mike went back inside the of a trail named in their honor, still Those who wanted the estuary developed firehouse to help. “I rolled the guy over seem surprised at what they managed to lobbied equally hard against the McCoys, on his side so he wouldn’t choke to death accomplish. “It was a do or die situation,” including trying to get Mike fired from on his blood,” he says. says Mike. his job. The bullet lodged in the man’s hard palate Though Mike and Patricia grew up in In 1972, the southern portion of the and luckily he survived. vastly different places — he’s originally estuary was purchased by California from Colorado while she grew up in State Parks for the 1,316-acre Border “A couple of the people in the crowd told suburban Gloucester, England — they Field State Park, but most of the northern me the gunmen were looking for Mike share a love of nature, especially portion of the marsh remained vulnerable and thought they had him picked out,” wetlands and marshes. to destruction. says Patricia.
After earning his veterinary degree from The McCoys took their case to Shaken but undeterred, the McCoys Colorado State University, Mike worked Washington, DC, where they secured continued urging the Service to buy the for the Service then the San Diego Zoo, a meeting with Nathaniel P. Reed, northern part of the estuary from its and eventually landed in Imperial Beach undersecretary for the Department of owner—Helix Land Company. Mike also as an associate in a private practice in the Interior. Mike told Reed about their met with Helix executives, pressing them 1970. problem. Reed suggested getting together to reach an agreement with the Service with their congressman, Representative on the sale of the estuary land. Gazing across the estuary for the first Lionel Van Deerlin. time, Mike says, “I saw a fantastic marsh “I told them, you’re never going to build system. I had seen the marshes in Van Deerlin “got it,” says Mike. “He a marina here and if you don’t work a deal northern San Diego County, and they understood the value of the estuary.” with the Service, you will wind up with all had rail lines or roads through them. egg on your face.” This marsh was special. It had not been “When you look at a flyway, you don’t impacted by the hand of man. It seemed look at the whole flyway,” Mike explains. Finally, on December 24, 1980, the deal relatively pristine, absolutely beautiful.” “You look at stopover points,” such as was sealed. For $7.6 million, 606 acres of the estuary. land transferred from Helix to the Service. More than 370 species of migratory and At the time, it was the most expensive native bird species use the estuary, which The McCoys also reached out to the dollar-per-acre refuge acquisition in the is also a critical nursery for fish. Service. “We were trying to get the history of the refuge system. Service to look at the value of urban But in 1970, the estuary was about to give refuges,” says Patricia. “Between Camp “They said it was impossible to do,” says way to development. “I found out they Pendleton and Tijuana, the estuary is Mike. “It was amazing. It really was.” were going to dredge it,” says Mike. like a breathing space.” “Everyone was saying how much it would “We are now well into the third decade improve the city, economics, the usual Sensing they were losing the fight to of scientific study in this estuary,” says stuff. I told them you’re not going to do develop the estuary, some of those opposed Collins. “Lessons we learn here are any of that in the marsh.” to the McCoys efforts were growing transmitted to a global audience of increasingly hostile. conservation professionals and the The idea of conserving the marsh was general public.” not popular with most of the residents One evening, the McCoys and a group and elected officials, and the McCoys of volunteers were at the local firehouse The McCoys remain committed to were frequent targets of threats and celebrating a cleanup day at the estuary. protecting habitat across San Diego harassment. It was a rough and tumble What happened next is still not completely County, but the refuge holds a very special fight and there was a lot of money at clear to Mike. “It all happened so fast,” place in their hearts. “Mike visits the stake. “We got death threats all the time,” he says. “Three guys walked in packing refuge almost every day. He just loves it,” says Patricia. guns. One of them drew and shot a man says Patricia. in the face.” Ignoring personal risk, the McCoys JANE HENDRON, External Affairs, launched their campaign to secure the It was pandemonium, recalls Patricia. Pacific Southwest Region “People were climbing up the back wall
Fall 2019 Fish & Wildlife News / 29 CONSERVATION GENETICS CoP, AT YOUR SERVICE Service staffs six regional genetics labs and the National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Lab to meet conservation needs.
By LAURI MUNROE-HULTMAN WILLIAM RADKE/USFWS
30 / Fish & Wildlife News Fall 2019 When searching for answers to life’s tough questions, it’s a good idea to look From endangered species issues, to law within. That’s the message the Conservation Genetics Community of Practice enforcement cases, to captive-breeding programs, the CoP is ready to serve. (CoP) would like to send their fellow Service employees. Fishing for the Right Source
any within the agency aren’t Found only in the lower Susquehanna “Maware that we have these services River, the Chesapeake logperch is listed in-house,” says Dr. Mike Millard, director as threatened in Pennsylvania and of the Northeast Fishery Center in Lamar, Maryland and is under review by the Pennsylvania. “You don’t need to send Service for Endangered Species Act money out the door for genetics expertise; protection. we can do the work less expensively and in a more timely fashion.” The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission’s species action plan for Made up of Service staff at six regional the fish includes reintroduction. Before genetics labs and the staff at the Service’s moving fish, however, biologists must National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Lab, identify differences between populations the CoP has operated for more than a and make sure source fish are genetically decade. Through monthly conference calls, strong. annual meetings and an active listserv, members collaborate, learn from one “Their numbers are small, so we want another and foster genetics expertise to make sure we dot our i’s and cross our within the agency. it’s when planning,” says Doug Fischer, ichthyologist/nongame biologist with One of their signal achievements was the commission. working with staff at the Service’s
USFWS National Conservation Training Center Fischer wondered whether fish in the (Previous page) For help to design the hands-on course “Applied mainstem river differed from those in with captive-breeding Conservation Genetics.” Over the span tributaries and whether ones above of endangered masked of a week, participants from lab, field the Conowingo Dam were the same bobwhite, the manager and management positions gain the as individuals below the dam. turned to genetics. background and skills to evaluate (Above) Dr. Steve situations involving genetics. Bartron helped him design a study Mussmann worked to answer these questions. on the issue. “The Service’s genetics labs have a range of specialties, from traditional population For the last two summers, Fischer and genetics and taxonomic resolution, to his team have sampled fish in eight environmental DNA and genomics,” says locations, clipping small pieces of fin Dr. Meredith Bartron, regional geneticist to test in the lab. Although the work is and director of the genetics lab at the ongoing, an early finding shows that Northeast Fishery Center in Lamar, one of the populations that’s abundant Pennsylvania. “The labs can assist with and easy to sample is also the most inbred all aspects of designing and conducting and, therefore, not an optimal source studies and interpreting results, especially of fish for reintroduction. as they relate to conservation issues.” Not good news, but important information...that only genetics experts could provide. >
Fall 2019 Fish & Wildlife News / 31 The One that Didn’t Get Away In 2009, state and federal wildlife law enforcement officers arrested a Maine man for illegally taking endangered Atlantic salmon from the Piscataquis River, a tributary of the Penobscot. Officers bought several fish in bags labeled “brown trout” from the man and later seized blood-stained clothing and fishing equipment, along with salmon meat.
Robert Rothe, special agent in the Office of Law Enforcement in Concord, New Hampshire, contacted the Clark R. Bavin National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Laboratory in Ashland, Oregon, for help with the case. AARON HENNING
Fortunately for all but the accused, the Doug Fischer, with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Northeast Fishery Center’s Genetics Lab Avian Research Center in Oklahoma Commission, clips the fin of a Chesapeake logperch. had a database with genetic information and Africam Safari in Puebla, Mexico. from Penobscot River salmon sampled as they passed a downstream fish lift earlier Wild quail were last added to the the same year. U.S. programs in 1986. Since then, the “While workloads are daunting, the populations have naturally lost genetic personnel have always been willing to By comparing genetic results from the diversity and have had multiple answer my questions and advise me, evidence to the existing data, scientists at “bottleneck” events, such as disease review proposals from other labs and the Forensics Lab confirmed that the man outbreaks, that have reduced the number capably take on sequencing and analysis had caught eight sampled salmon, which of breeding birds. work,” he says. “I think communication is led to his conviction under the Lacey Act. more effective and objectives are better He was sentenced to pay $100 and serve With no source for new blood, Bill Radke, understood because we all work for the six months in federal prison. His fishing project leader at Buenos Aires Refuge, same agency.” license was revoked for eight years. turned to the Southwestern Native Aquatic Resources and Recovery Center When you need to know who that masked “The Forensics Lab was not only able to in Dexter, New Mexico, for guidance on bird is, ask a geneticist. identify many of the samples to the species managing the captive-breeding program. level but also designate individuals,” says Is this Wolf Listing Warranted? Rothe. “This was important in tracking Dr. Steve Mussmann analyzed the genetics The Alexander Archipelago wolf is the salmon from where they were sampled of quail from the refuge and the research a subspecies of gray wolf found in by biologists on their migration up river, center to find the degree of relatedness southeastern Alaska and coastal British to where they were ultimately caught among the birds at each facility. He Columbia. In 1997, the Service found illegally.” identified repeated bottlenecks over placing it on the Endangered Species the last decade but decided that enough list was unwarranted. A petition in 2011 That’s one angler who won’t be telling genetic diversity remains to minimize requested not only that the wolf be listed fish stories for a while. inbreeding by pairing unrelated birds. but also that those on Prince of Wales Island be deemed a distinct population A Boost for Bobwhite Mussmann recommended the annual segment. The federally endangered masked exchange of eggs between the refuge and bobwhite was last seen in the wild in the research center. Because petitioners cited genetic studies Mexico in 2007. Captive birds are raised done since the first decision to support at Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge Radke says he has been consistently their case, Ecological Services staff in in Arizona, George Miksch Sutton pleased with the support he’s received the Alaska Regional Office asked the from Service genetics labs over the years.
32 / Fish & Wildlife News Fall 2019 Genetics Community of Practice website:
Service Genetics Labs
Clark R. Bavin National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Laboratory Ashland, Oregon Contact: [email protected]
Conservation Genetics Lab Abernathy Fish Technology Center Longview, Washington Contact: [email protected]
Conservation Genetics Lab Anchorage, Alaska Contact: [email protected] ROB CRISWELL Conservation Genetics Lab The Chesapeake logperch, found only in the lower Susquehanna River, is under review by the Service Northeast Fishery Center for Endangered Species Act protection. Lamar, Pennsylvania Contact: [email protected]
Conservation Genetics Lab The pair’s analysis helped lead to the Warm Springs Regional Fisheries Center Service’s second “unwarranted” finding in Warm Springs, Georgia 2016. Wenburg’s and Olsen’s opinion was Contact: [email protected] that, while the wolves on the island appear to be genetically differentiated, the data Molecular Ecology Lab do not show they harbor unique genetic Southwestern Native Aquatic Resources material significant to the survival of the and Recovery Center species as a whole. Dexter, New Mexico Contact: [email protected] “Given the differing viewpoints in the literature on the validity of the subspecies Whitney Genetics Laboratory designation, having in-house expertise
USFWS Midwest Fisheries Center to dig into the data and provide an La Crosse, Wisconsin Jeff Kalie from the Northeast Fishery Center independent review on a short timeline Contact: [email protected] Conservation Genetics Lab processes genetic samples was key,” says Drew Crane, endangered from Chesapeake logperch. species coordinator in the Service’s Alaska Regional Office. “The feedback they provided gave us greater confidence that our assessment had adequately addressed Conservation Genetics Lab in Anchorage the questions surrounding the subspecies for help with the Species Status classification.” Assessment. Dr. John Wenburg, lab director, and Dr. Jeff Olsen, deputy When it comes to telling one wolf from lab director, reviewed the studies and another, Wenburg and Olsen are your compared them to those of other guys. North American wolves. LAURI MUNROE-HULTMAN, External Affairs, Northeast Region
Fall 2019 Fish & Wildlife News / 33 curator’s corner
Stamp of History Sending Out Salmon
Marking property with a facility, town or company This postcard, pre-1907, shows the nation’s first national name–think of those metal folding chairs with “City fish hatchery. The first fish raised at a federal fish hatchery of...” or “Property of...” goes back farther than one were salmon, still a popular sport fish. McCloud National might think. Here in the Service, we know it goes back Fish Hatchery, later called Baird National Fish Hatchery, at least 115 years. A recent addition to the National was established in 1872 on the McCloud River in California. Fish and Aquatic Conservation Archives is a metal It was soon sending salmon eggs to the East Coast and This is a series of marking stamp with the letters “USFC.” USFC stands around the world. Today, the site of the old hatchery curiosities of the for U.S. Fisheries Commission, or the U.S. Commission lies under the waters of Lake Shasta. Service’s history from of Fish and Fisheries, the predecessor of today’s Lake Shasta was created both the U.S. Fish Service. The USFC was established in 1871 as our by the and Wildlife Service nation’s first federal conservation agency and ran construction Museum and Archives from 1871 to 1903, when it became the U.S. Bureau of of the as well as the Service’s National Fish and Fisheries (1903–1939) before joining with the Bureau of Shasta Dam, Aquatic Conservation Biological Survey to become the U.S. Fish and Wildlife completed Archives. As the first Service in 1940. This marking stamp was discovered in 1945. and only curator of the by Tyler Hern, project leader at Erwin National Fish (April Gregory) museum, Jeanne M. Hatchery in Tennessee. Tyler found the stamp in the Harold says the history maintenance shop at the bottom of a bucket. Erwin surrounding the archives Hatchery was established in 1894. That means the give them life. Jeanne stamp has been floating around the hatchery for at retired in November but least 116 years, and was never lost, thrown away, provided articles to keep used for scrap metal, etc. We are excited to add it Curator’s Corner going. We are also featuring to the collection as it is the only USFC stamp we submissions from April have. It will join a metal stamp in the collection that Gregory, curator of is nearly identical except the letters read “USBF” the National Fish and for U.S. Bureau of Fisheries. (April Gregory) Aquatic Conservation Archives.
Frozen Peas and the Fish and Wildlife Service
Did you know that the man who invented the modern freezing process for foods worked for the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Biological Great Wall of Birds Survey, which later became the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service? Clarence Birdseye was a We recently received an exhibit of a bush that holds biologist working in the Arctic when he noticed almost 100 mounted songbirds. It was confiscated that natives froze their fish on racks, and he because those who had it violated the Migratory Bird realized that quickly freezing foods under Treaty Act. We call it the great wall of birds. I cannot pressure would ensure very little loss of flavor. imagine in what circumstance that many birds of a It seemed that a fast freeze prevented ice crystals from forming in the foods. He different feather (or different species) could ever patented his process in the 1920s, started his own company, and the rest is history. congregate in such a compact area. There would have to Every time you eat a TV dinner or some frozen broccoli, thank the Service for this be some very tasty bird seed or berries on that particular yummy discovery! bush. It never ceases to amaze me what type of trophies folks want to display. I think real bird lovers are perfectly happy with paintings or photographs, or just sitting outside! (Jeanne M. Harold)
34 / Fish & Wildlife News Summer 2019 life after the service
sized section of the metal, I noted it was thick and had symmetric holes cut in it. Forged by the Sea: I had a moment of discovery, as if I had discovered uranium.
More than a Navy Slogan Silly me. “Marston matting? No, never heard of it,” I replied to a Navy ey West National Wildlife Refuge In 1990, while conducting a sea turtle representative. Turns out the Navy had Kwas established in 1908, but its islands nesting survey, I noticed that a green used Marston matting (aka perforated were once owned by the Navy, and over sea turtle had crawled beyond the narrow steel planking, or PSP) to create a landing the years, several of the Marquesas beach and dune, and attempted to nest at pad for helicopters near the observation Keys in the refuge were used for military the edge of the woods. The turtle’s body tower. The steel mats interlock; each training. For example, beginning in 1940, pit indicated the nesting attempt had been weighs about 66 pounds. The Navy had some were used as bombing and strafing aborted. I noticed a piece of exposed metal removed most, but clearly not all, the targets. In the early 1960s, the Navy built beneath the body pit and futilely tried to PSP panels decades ago. an observation tower on a Marquesas remove it for inspection. I pierced the island to monitor the offshore strafing sand repeatedly with a stick to gauge the The refuge lacked the equipment and and bombing exercises in adjacent state- metal’s dimensions. Hundreds of probes personnel to tackle the project, but the owned waters. The Cuban Missile Crisis in and 25 feet later the old Jaws movie Navy could not have been more willing to 1962 closed both the Marquesas Keys and line “You’re going to need a bigger boat” help. On the day of the scheduled work the nearby state-owned waters to allow came to mind. project, I arrived early at the Marquesas for round-the-clock military exercises. with two refuge volunteers. We cheered Over hundreds of feet my stick quivered when, right on schedule, nine Navy Save for a couple of dock pilings, during like a dowsing rod as it struck metal personnel and boats arrived with shovels, my first Marquesas visit in 1985 there was hidden beneath the sand. I was in awe and winches and chains. The cavalry had no sign of any past Navy activity…or so perplexed: It was as if the dune had been arrived! I thought. paved with metal and then covered with sand. After digging and exposing a desk- It was one of those priceless backbreaking projects fueled by shared inspiration and a strong sense of purpose. The mats, their holes entwined with plant roots, proved formidable foes, we laboriously removed 60 PSP mats that day. But even after considerable digging and using paired winches and chains, about 20 other panels could not be extricated due to imbedded roots.
During annual nest surveys over the next 22 years, two successful green turtle nests were found in the area where the PSP mats had been removed. Interagency cooperation—more than trite buzzwords. Forged by the Sea—more than a Navy slogan.
TOM WILMERS, Retired Wildlife Biologist for National Wildlife Refuges of the Florida Keys
A green sea turtle buries her nest. NATIONAL PARK SERVICE PARK NATIONAL
Fall 2019 Fish & Wildlife News / 35 our people
His diverse experience with the Linda Walker, Division Chief for Midwest Region transitions Service includes assignments at Visitor Services in Refuges in field, regional and headquarters Headquarters, has been named A levels. He served as the Service’s one of 12 Field Special Assistants “mainstay” Headquarters Assistant Director for Fisheries for the Department’s 12 Unified and a for three years, as well as Deputy Regions. The Field Assistants will “go-to-guy” Bryan Arroyo Assistant Director and Assistant help meet the goals of the reorga- describe returned to Director for the Endangered nization, including modernizing the Midwest the Service Species Program. From 1998 the way the Department does Regional in July as to 2006, he was the Assistant business, continuing to respon- Refuge Chief Deputy Regional Director for Ecological sibly manage America’s natural Charlie Blair Director of Services in the Service’s resources and preparing the who retired Operations. Southwest Region. Department for future challenges. from the Service in August after Linda is Field Assistant for the 41 years. He started his career in As a 28-year Arroyo began his career Missouri-Basin (Interior Region 1978 as an assistant manager at veteran with the Service in 1990 as a 5). Eastern Neck National Wildlife of the Service, Arroyo brings student trainee in the Arlington, Refuge in Maryland, and, a wealth of experience to the Texas, field office. In 1991, he realizing the refuge system was position of Deputy Director. In was appointed to a full-time After a seven-month detail with his personal utopia, he never left this capacity, he will oversee permanent position in that office the Department of the Interior’s the system. the day-to-day operations of and then transferred to the Office of Communications, the Service, including providing Service’s field office in Austin, Darin Schroeder in July took a During his tenure, Charlie worked executive direction through Texas. There, he served as a fish position as a Senior Public Affairs at 11 stations in three Service the Regional Directors, Native and wildlife biologist conducting Specialist in the office. He was a regions. Before coming to the American programs, Diversity project reviews under the Partners and Intergovernmental Midwest Regional Office as and Inclusion, and the National Endangered Species Act and Affairs Specialist in External Refuge Chief in 2013, he held Conservation Training Center. National Environmental Policy Affairs (EA). positions as assistant manager Act. In 1994, he transferred to at Bombay Hook/Prime Hook He most recently served the Service’s Headquarters Darin began his Service career in Refuges in Delaware; acting as Deputy Director in the office in Arlington, Virginia, where 2016 after a gig as vice president manager at Nowitna Refuge in Department’s Office of he worked primarily in policy of government relations for Alaska; and manager at Ninigret Environmental Policy and and budget development. the nonprofit American Bird Refuge Complex in Rhode Island, Compliance, where he provided Conservancy. He also served Ottawa Refuge in Ohio, Crane leadership and guidance on the Born in New York City and raised on Capitol Hill as aide to U.S. Meadows-Sherburne Refuge utilization and conservation of in his parent’s native Puerto Rico, Senator Russ Feingold for more Complex in Minnesota, Maine natural, cultural and historical Arroyo graduated from Ponce than seven years and with U.S. Coastal Islands Refuge in Maine resources. Before being elevated High School in 1982. He attended Representative Ron Kind for and Minnesota Valley Refuge and to the Department, Arroyo led the Catholic University of Puerto six. For Representative Kind, Wetland Management District Service’s International Affairs Rico and graduated in 1988 with Darin served as communications Complex in Minnesota. program as Assistant Director, a bachelor’s degree in science director and then senior policy where he oversaw the Service’s with a major in biology. In 1991, adviser, with an emphasis on fish No stranger to controversy or efforts to implement international he earned a master’s degree in and wildlife conservation and challenge, Charlie faced both wildlife conservation and trade science with a major in zoology sportsmen’s issues. early and often in his career. agreements, and to provide from the University of Arkansas. Throughout it all he remained the training and financial assistance He is an outdoor enthusiast and “While I am leaving FWS EA, I’m consummate professional, a true to support wildlife conservation particularly enjoys hiking, bass not going all that far,” he says. ambassador for the resource and initiatives across the globe. fishing and nature photography. “I am fortunate that I will be able a mentor to the next generation to continue to work with all of of conservation leaders. He is you in my new capacity and shine known for his common-sense, the proper light on the media straightforward approach to work that you are doing for the issues and great commitment for Service.” the places, wildlife and people he worked with. His dedication is what makes him a true conser- vation leader. >
36 / Fish & Wildlife News Fall 2019 our people
Charlie will be greatly missed, In retirement Todd plans to Nick George J.N. “Ding” Darling, Island Bay, and he will continue to be a pursue his outdoor hobbies, did such an Matlacha, Caloosahatchee and mainstay for our resources due including hunting, fishing, making impressive Pine Island National Wildlife to the legacy he has left behind. maple syrup and snowmobiling. job as a Refuges Complex on Sanibel We wish him happy trails and a He is close to his family and Partners Island, Florida. Before leaving wonderful retirement! will surely be spending even biologist in Sanibel, he was recognized by more time with wife Laurie, Southern the Sanibel & Captiva Chamber his two adult sons and his Illinois that of Commerce as the “2006 Citizen parents. Congratulations to he is moving of the Year.” This was for his Todd Turner Todd on his impressive and into a state efforts to educate the citizens of is retiring meaningful career with the coordinator role for the Service’s Lee County on the importance of after 30 Service’s Fisheries program Washington (state) Partners for coastal water quality and future years with in the Midwest Region. Fish and Wildlife. Nick will be impacts from pollutants along the Service. sorely missed in Illinois as he the Caloosahatchee River and Since 2012, conserved a significant amount the west coast of Florida. he served as Pacific Region of habitat and helped numerous the Midwest landowners be the stewards of Rob’s initial exposure to the Region’s Ginger the land they wanted to be. They Service was as a cooperative Assistant Phalen has just needed someone like Nick to education student at Bear Regional Director for retired from move them in the right direction. River Migratory Bird Refuge in Fisheries. From 2009 to 2012, he her position Washington is getting an Utah, with subsequent assign- served as the Midwest Deputy as the state extraordinary biologist and ments at National Elk Refuge in Assistant Regional Director for coordinator a very impressive guy! Wyoming and Ouray National Fisheries. Before that, he was the for the Wildlife Refuge in Utah. His first Midwest Region’s Hatchery Partners for permanent station was at Charles Program Leader, beginning in Fish and Southwest Region M. Russell National Wildlife 2001. He also served as assistant Wildlife Refuge in Montana (1993–1997) hatchery manager and then Program in Washington. Ginger After where he was an assistant hatchery manager at Genoa leaves an outstanding legacy of 28 years manager, working with the Black- National Fish Hatchery in quality restoration and conser- working for footed Ferret Recovery Program Wisconsin. Todd started his vation projects throughout the the Service and coordinating the public career with the Service in 1989 state and will be sorely missed in Refuges, use program. From 1997 to 1999, at Sullivan Creek National Fish by her many partners and Robert Jess, he served as a deputy refuge Hatchery in Michigan, formerly colleagues. We want to thank project manager at ACE Basin National Hiawatha Forest National Fish Ginger for her many years of leader at Wildlife Refuge in South Carolina. Hatchery. A Minnesota native, service, leadership, contributions South Texas From 1999 to late 2001, he served he is an alumnus of Bemidji State to species recovery and long- Refuge as deputy refuge supervisor over University. Before working for lasting contributions to private Complex, retired at the end of Florida and the Caribbean Islands the Service, he served in the lands conservation in the Pacific September to seek new adven- in the South East Regional Office U.S. Army Reserves for seven Northwest. Since retiring, tures. of Atlanta, Georgia. years and worked for the Leech Ginger has been on a three- Lake Reservation Department month bicycle trip across the He had been at South Texas since Before joining the Service, Rob of Resource Management as United States with a charitable 2012. The complex is composed of worked in construction before a fisheries technician. organization that will raise funds three refuges: Santa Ana, Laguna returning to college to begin a for a cause dear to her heart. Atascosa and Lower Rio Grande. degree. He received a bachelor’s We wish Ginger all the best in Before that, he was refuge degree in fisheries and wildlife her retirement and her next manager of Yukon Flats National management from Utah State adventures in life! Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, the University in June 1993. > third largest refuge in the system at nearly 10 million acres. Rob was also project leader of
Fall 2019 Fish & Wildlife News / 37 our people
His greatest accomplishment shallow bays of Florida. Other Southeast Region thus far was when he and his experiences such as bugling wife returned to college with their for elk with my young daughter Supervisory five children. The daily meals of instead of going to college class Fisheries elk and deer meat subsidized and watching the expressions of Biologist with “yellow death” (macaroni awe on her camo-face as a bull Wilson & cheese) paid off as they both bugled within three yards of us Laney, P.h.D, graduated with college degrees or releasing black-footed ferrets has retired. in 1993, all of this while he worked in Montana as the Hale-Bopp He served part time and she raised children. Comet lit the dark cold night. the Service Liz graduated with a degree as Important times such as listening and the Fish and Wildlife Biologist Laura a registered nurse. to mentor and friend Donny public with Fogo (seen with Partners Browning on the back porch of a deep sense of duty, respect for for Fish and Wildlife North Rob and best friend and wife an 1820 plantation house in South science and adherence to high Carolina team holding picture) Liz, who is from Draper, Utah, are Carolina as we felt the rays of ethical standards for more than transferred from the Raleigh Field parents to daughter Melissa, and a setting sun while deer fed in 39 years. His work concentrated Office to the Asheville Field four boys, Ryan, Richard, Tyson the grove of the plantation. I will largely on the conservation, Office, where she will continue and Logan. His outside interests miss people who have retired restoration and protection of her Partners for Fish and Wildlife extend to hunting, fishing, such as John Wallace, Donny diadromous fish species and conservation career. Thank you, genealogy, antique vehicle Browning, Mike Hedrick, Sam their habitats, along with some Laura, for your dedication to the restorations and listening to the Drake, Dale Hall and Elizabeth other estuarine-dependent and work of the Raleigh Field Office, wonderful stories and history Souheavor. Thoughts will endure interjurisdictional fish species and we look forward to continue of the baby boomers. for those whom I admire such as working with you. Ricky Ingram, Emery Hoyle, Jason Wilson achieved numerous Rob and Liz will reside in Logan, Vehrs, Sonny Perez, friend and accomplishments in fisheries Utah, where both can chase fellow patriot Tim Cooper who management and built an their nine grandchildren and is the master of the vernacular. extensive network. He was honors new dreams. Missed will be the leaders that involved with the Atlantic have come and gone to the other States Marine Fisheries Adds Rob: side of the veil such as Sam Commission, the Mid-Atlantic Headquarters Hamilton and Steve Thompson. Fishery Management Council “The work that we do has been However, missed most will be the and the South Atlantic Fishery In early a dream for my family and me comradery and conversations Management Council, as well May, Kim as we explored and witnessed had with staff and peers whom as multiple other regional and Lambert, so much of what the vast lands I so value and love. It was an state partnerships such as the partners and of this country has to offer. honor to hire staff—to see them Albemarle-Pamlico National intergovern- The experiences gained have grow and mature as they learned Estuary Partnership, the N.C. mental become wonderful memories from both opportunity and mista- Nongame Wildlife Advisory affairs whether it be my sons working ke1then to become leaders. A Committee, and served as specialist summers as FWS fishery techs well-respected manager once the Southeast Region FERC with the in remote areas of Alaska as said, ‘You will never remembered Hydropower coordinator. Service’s they tended salmon weirs with by what you accomplished but He also served briefly as a External Affairs Program in periodic guests such as wolves, you will always be known for refuge manager and hatchery Headquarters, was honored by black or grizzly bears invading who you hired.’” manager. Beyond the Morris College with an honorary their camps or as a family professional relationships, degree of Doctor of Laws. witnessing manatee with their Wilson built true friendships young blubbery babies in the that will continue long after Kim serves as the Service’s retirement as he moves into principal representative for the the next chapter of his career. Federal Interagency Working He remains an adjunct assistant Group on Environmental Justice, professor at North Carolina which is composed of 17 federal State University. agencies and White House > offices. She is also the first black woman honored as the Service’s Individual of the Year, in 2017.
38 / Fish & Wildlife News Fall 2019 our people
In 2013 and 2017, the Board Thank you to those who › Sweet Present, Rich › Sweet Present, Rich Past, of Directors of the National nominated your colleagues last Past, Carolyn Read portrait, author Joanna Gilkeson, Pacific Environmental Justice Board fall for storytelling excellence photographer and author Joanna Southwest Region; recognized her with a procla- awards and to all who supported Gilkeson, Pacific Southwest mation stating “we honor Kim this campaign in 2018. Region; › A New American Dream, author M. Lambert for her Civilian Bridget Macdonald, Northeast Public Service, as an agent of Storytelling excellence judges › Walking the River, Gary Lang Region; the Federal Government who included current and former portrait, photographer Ryan continues to be in the forefront, journalists, university staff Hagerty, NCTC. › What the Eyes Don’t See the demonstrating her federal and Service staff. Heart Doesn’t Feel, author leadership to advance environ- Best Narrative Writing Jennifer Strickland, Mountain- mental justice and philanthropy, So, let’s celebrate some This category recognizes Prairie Region. using innovative and collabor- outstanding work. storytelling craft by a writer ative techniques and leading in creatively profiling a See all the Nature’s Good the way to a more just America Most Impact central character(s) and his/ Neighbors stories at
Fall 2019 Fish & Wildlife News / 39 our people
Members of the Saving ‘Akikiki status evaluation revealed manage, restore and create Southeast Region from Extinction Team have that years of collaborative habitat for the species. As a worked tirelessly to lift the rare conservation and adaptive result of the partnership he forest bird of Hawaii back from management paid off. Black- built with the University of the brink, and have persevered capped vireo populations have South Dakota, researchers through numerous challenging become robust and resilient improved the development of obstacles to secure a population enough throughout their range mass rearing capabilities at in conservation breeding centers. that the species successfully Genoa National Fish Hatchery. From using helicopters and heavy recovered and no longer needs He also had the vision to engage ladders during severe weather federal protection under the the U.S. Geological Survey in to collect tiny ‘akikiki eggs in Endangered Species Act. making decisions on a permit the forest canopy, the team application for a proposed mine has proven their dedication to Cynthia Dale of the White expansion that may impact the protecting this imperiled species. Mountain Apache Tribe was wetlands where the dragonfly The Service’s Eastern Indigo With 45 ‘akikiki raised, reared recognized for her leadership breeds. Bringing together a Snake Recovery Team, including and cared for in an intensive in conserving the Mexican team that could fully assess the Kenneth Blick and Tony Brady of care setting for the first time in wolf, as well as numerous other potential groundwater impacts Welaka National Fish Hatchery history, the team has accom- threatened, endangered and and work to design an innovative and Dr. Michele Elmore of the plished monumental milestones sensitive species important to hydrology management plan Georgia Ecological Services for conservation breeding efforts the White Mountain Apache transformed the permit review Field Office, have worked across for this species and set the Tribe. The tribe has been an process into a collaborative two Service programs and with precedent for many more. instrumental partner in the search for solutions. Michelle Hoffman of the Orianne Mexican Wolf Recovery Program, Center for Indigo Conservation Members of the Saving ‘Akikiki supporting the Service’s decision Over the last 20 years, Center to improve the status of the from Extinction Team: Dr. Lisa to establish a sustainable for Aquatic Mollusk Program species through captive Cali Crampton and Justin Hite, population on the Fort Apache staf f— Mike Davis and Bernard propagation and augmentation Kaua’i Forest Bird Recovery Reservation. Less than six months Sietman, Minnesota Department efforts. By coordinating with the Project, the Service’s Megan after 11 captive-bred wolves of Natural Resources, and Mark Service’s Ecological Services Laut, Michelle Clark, Jay Nelson were released into the Arizona Hove, University of Minnesota— and Fisheries and Aquatic and John Vetter; and Bryce wilderness in 1998, individuals have made countless significant Conservation programs, the Masuda, Jeremy Hodges, Amy began occupying eastern contributions to the recovery of team created the agency’s Klotz and Angela Ray of San portions of the reservation. There several federally endangered first snake rearing facility in Diego Zoo Global. are now at least 130 Mexican freshwater mussels, including the Florida at the Welaka National wolves occurring throughout ground-breaking discovery of the Fish Hatchery. Team members Southwest Region Arizona and New Mexico. Under fish host for the spectaclecase helped train hatchery staff in The Service’s Omar Bocanegra Dale’s direction, the Tribal Game mussel in 2017. The search for snake care and protocols that was a leader in endangered and Fish Department’s Sensitive the larval host for the specta- resulted in significant population black-capped vireo recovery. Species staff conduct wolf clecase was among the most growth for the snakes. The When the species was first monitoring, management and challenging of any freshwater partnership released 10 snakes listed in 1987, only 350 adult outreach, significantly contrib- mussel species—more than 50 into Alabama’s Conecuh birds remained in the known uting to endangered Mexican species of fish and other aquatic National Forest in 2018, and 23 breeding range. Since 2005, wolf recovery. animals were tested for nearly are planned for release in 2019. He has worked to strengthen two decades. Putting an end This first release generated working relationships and Midwest Region to the long and difficult quest, tremendous excitement among build trust with key partners to The Service’s Kris Lah has program staff, with the help of the public, researchers and foster interest in vireo recovery. worked on the recovery of the many partners, discovered the partners, and returned this Consequently, the 2017 species endangered Hine’s emerald host fish is the goldeye. With this species back to the longleaf dragonfly. Kris has worked with knowledge, captive rearing and forest. > a diverse group of partners to propagation, augmentation and reintroductions of this species possible.
40 / Fish & Wildlife News Fall 2019 our people
Over the last decade, David has worked with a variety of partners establish successful Alaska Region Withers of the Tennessee partners to acquire and manage reintroduction sites in seven The Service’s Nathan Graff’s Department of Environment and habitat to benefit the Indiana other states, a monumental leadership in managing and Conservation has helped move bat. He also helped finalize milestone. One of the most implementing Steller’s and the conservation needle for a the approval of the region’s significant achievements is the Spectacled Eider Breeding number of invertebrate species first endangered species development of an automated Ecology Field Program near in Tennessee. His monitoring conservation bank to protect manufacturing and distribution Utqia’vik and contributions to and restoration efforts provided important habitat for the species process for sylvatic plague the Eider Recovery Program key information for the status and provide project proponents vaccine and systemic flea have been vital to these species. assessments for the Nashville with a mitigation option. control baits. By working with Since 2014, he has strengthened crayfish, as well as a major nongovernmental organizations partnerships with the Utqia’vik land purchase protecting the Janet Clayton of the West Virginia and nontraditional partners, community by increasing public only known population of the Division of Natural Resources has his innovations have enabled awareness, engaging in one- painted snake coiled forest snail. led the recovery of endangered wildlife managers to accomplish on-one conversations with Withers has overseen work to freshwater mussels. Her efforts sylvatic plague management local community members and control invasive, exotic plants with the pink mucket, fanshell, on a large scale, which helps involving local students in our and restore habitat at Sequatchie clubshell, northern riffleshell, to address the most significant field projects. The Service’s Cave State Natural Area in purple cat’s paw, rayed bean and challenge to black-footed ferret relationship with the community Marion County to benefit the spectaclecase mussels have recovery. of Utqia’vik has significantly Sequatchie caddisfly and endan- increased populations throughout improved, largely due to his gered royal snail. In lieu of using West Virginia and elsewhere Paul Marinari’s time as the lead efforts and understanding chemicals, Withers used a herd within their range. She has at the National Black-footed the community’s concerns, of eight sheep to help control worked to systematically survey Ferret Conservation Center improving cooperation and invasive kudzu—the first time streams throughout West Virginia and his continuing effort as the ultimately our collective success livestock was used for invasive to locate new populations of longest-standing studbook keeper in conserving these species. plant control within Tennessee these listed species, established for the species have been instru- state natural areas. programs to regularly monitor mental in making black-footed Since 2015, Dr. Riley Wilson of their status and developed ferret recovery one of the most the Alaska Zoo has provided Northeast Region standardized protocols to assist successful and inspiring conser- guidance and training to the The Service’s Robert Anderson others in conducting accurate vation stories in North America. Service’s polar bear program has worked to conserve and reliable surveys. She then Significant achievements under on ways to improve handling of a variety of species in the worked to expand and apply his leadership include the bears to minimize their stress and Service’s Northeast Region. these techniques to other states expansion of the captive breeding discomfort during capture opera- As a widely recognized and regions resulting in signif- program into a large, stable, tions. These improvements help national expert on freshwater icant improvements to the status genetically viable population ensure we continue to > mussels, Robert has shared of freshwater mussels throughout from the last remaining be good stewards of not only his knowledge to help others the Ohio River basin. individuals; establishment of new, an important arctic species, but more effectively conserve successful reintroduction sites; one that is culturally significant these imperiled species. He Mountain-Prairie Region and advances in the science of to Alaska natives. His work as has also worked with key state The Service’s Randy Matchett husbandry, preconditioning and the veterinarian with the Alaska and federal partners to simplify was recognized for his reproduction. The program has Zoo has had a meaningful impact ESA regulatory processes leadership in recovery of the prospered and thousands of kits on the Service’s mission and and improve conservation of endangered black-footed ferret. have been successfully born, the conservation of polar bears. the bog turtle. For example, Through his stewardship of reared and released into the wild. His assistance in helping our he is leading efforts to the UL Bend National Wildlife biologists conduct research on complete a programmatic Refuge black-footed ferret captive bears at the Alaska Zoo formal consultation for reintroduction site, he has has increased our knowledge transportation projects that helped other conservation of the species and improved will support statewide bog our field research and capture turtle conservation efforts and techniques. streamline future consultation processes. Additionally, he
Fall 2019 Fish & Wildlife News / 41 our people
Pacific Southwest Region The Santa Barbara Zoo has been Headquarters Northest Region instrumental in the recovery of endangered, threatened and at-risk species along California’s central coast. More than 40 years of partnership has lifted the endangered California condor back from the brink of extinction. Zoo staff monitored nests, provided veterinary Dan Blake, Evan Childress, support, installed and operated Julie Day, Kirk Groves, Joel nest camera technology, and Ophoff, Josh Rasmussen, engaged the public to build Wendi Weber (seen to left of Laurie Sada and Mike Senn support for the species’ recovery. fellow honoree Mary Leftridge of the Service’s Klamath Falls Through a successful captive The National Association of Byrd, Federal Security Director Fish and Wildlife Office—with breeding and reintroduction Government Communicators’ in Georgia for the Transportation support from Ron Barnes and program, the zoo has also helped 2019 Blue Pencil and Gold Security Administration), the Tracey Liskey of Gone Fishing, island fox populations on San Screen Awards competition Service’s Northeast Regional LLC—have made significant Miguel, Santa Rosa and Santa honored Science Applications Director, was among 15 winners contributions to the recovery Cruz islands rebound to self- Headquarters (SA HQ) with of the inaugural Theodore of the endangered shortnose sustaining levels, and ultimately the top prize in Internal Roosevelt Government Lead- and Lost River suckers. Staff these three subspecies were Communications for “Fighting ership Awards recognized implemented an adaptive removed from the endangered the Persistence of Gender Bias,” in September at the Washington recovery program and have species list in 2016—marking the the HQ Women’s History Month National Cathedral by the worked to identify and address fastest recovery of any mammal 2018 observance. Government Executive Media threats to sucker survival, such under the ESA. Additionally, zoo Group. as water quality and predation. staff have recently taken the SA HQ’s awareness and The team established a captive lead in the rearing, rehabilitation, education campaign featured More than 200 distinguished rearing program to help juvenile color banding, and releasing of three events, a clothing drive leaders were nominated for fish survive beyond their first abandoned and rescued western for the DC chapter of Dress the awards earlier this year. two years, eventually maturing snowy plover eggs and chicks, for Success, weekly emails to into a spawning adult population. contributing to the recovery of HQ staff, slideshows, posters Weber was lauded for making The program resulted in this tiny, yet resilient shorebird. and a “MORE” book/journal significant investments in people 21,000 juvenile sucker larvae of content and actions that at all organizational levels and being collected, with 2,500 Honorees were Erin Arnold, the team updated weekly to creating a program to strengthen 2-year old juveniles released Julie Barnes, Rich Block, Carol help break down bias barriers supervisory excellence, back into Klamath Lake last Hunsperger, Aaron Marshall, and encourage a more aware, resulting in increased employee year. Four additional rearing David Meyer, Rachel Ritchason, responsible and diverse work engagement and productivity. ponds constructed in 2018 are Estelle Sandhaus and Nadya culture. As a result, her 2018 Federal expected to be in production this Seal Faith of the Santa Barbara Employee Viewpoint Survey summer. The expansions will Zoo. NAGC’s Blue Pencil and Gold engagement scores topped likely double the rearing capacity Screen annual international 70 percent—among the highest from 8,000 to 16,000 fish in 2019. awards program recognizes in the federal government. superior government communi- cation products and those who produce them. The SA HQ team included Jesse Brent, Jill Cohen, Megan Cook, Jason Goldberg, Elsa Haubold, Kurt Johnson, Laura MacLean (seen accepting the Blue Pencil and Gold Screen Award), Seth Mott, Sonja Scott, Cecilia Todd and Anna-Marie York with assistance from Kayt Jonsson, Jesse Wild and Julia Bumbaca. 42 / Fish & Wildlife News Fall 2019 our people
“Wendi’s commitment to Mountain-Prairie Region Southeast Region supporting the people whose in memoriam work she oversees stood out to Partners for Chris our selection committee. She is Fish and Nehrling, clearly dedicated not only to the Pacific Region Wildlife who worked mission of the Fish and Wildlife Program briefly for Service, but to making her organi- Larry Reigel, biologist Sue the Service zation a great place to work,” a wildlife McNeal in 1974–‘75 says Tom Shoop, Government biologist died July 22. at the Executive editor-in-chief and and GIS She was 60. Raleigh chairman of the selection specialist for Sue began North committee. the Oregon her career Carolina Fish and as a wildlife biologist managing River Basins Office and Weber has worked with super- Wildlife national wildlife refuges, Chattahoochee Forest National visors to cultivate employee Office, died including Minnesota Valley Fish Hatchery in Georgia, died feedback to improve the on June 5 National Wildlife Refuge, Crab October 16. Husband Rick workplace in the more than 130 at the age of 67. Orchard National Wildlife Nehrling, who retired from the offices she oversees. She also is Refuge in Illinois and Port Louisa Service in 2008 after 38 years, a national leader in the agency’s Larry worked for both the National Wildlife Refuge in Iowa calls her “a trailblazer for effort to recruit and retain a U.S. Bureau of Mines and the and Red Rock Lakes National women, for the National Fish diverse workforce. Last year, Bureau of Land Management in Wildlife Refuge in Montana. She Hatchery System and for the she hired 14 veterans, bringing temporary assignments before started working for the Partners Fisheries Program.” She was, the region’s veteran employment securing a permanent position for Fish and Wildlife Program in he says, “the first women in rate up to 28 percent of the total with the Service. 1996. Sue also attended federal the entire nation to be assigned/ workforce. In her eight years law enforcement training. transferred into a permanent as regional director, she also For more than 20 years, Larry fishery biologist position and initiated a partnership with the managed the geospatial data and She was awarded the Weed she was the first women to Hispanic Access Foundation to provided GIS support for the staff Fighter of the Year for 2008 and successfully complete all of her employ Hispanic youth and a of the Oregon Fish and Wildlife 2013 by the Montana Weed assigned duties and tasks during Career Development Internship Office and its four field stations. Control Association. She also her probationary period at the Program, which won the Diversity He was an integral part of the received an award for Dedication hatchery.” She resigned from Award from The Wildlife Society. team and his work contributed and Service to the Mountain- the Service to go after her to conservation accomplishments Prairie Region Partners for Fish passion—teaching. in Oregon and the greater and Wildlife Program as well as Pacific Northwest. an award for conservation efforts within the Crown of the Continent. Larry always came to work with a positive attitude and made Sue had a deep love for her dogs, sure staff had exactly what they Molly, Prairie and Sara, and her needed in quick fashion. His horses Rex, Scout, Aspen and maps were essential to many Mae. She enjoyed riding in the Federal Register notices, listing mountains, hiking, fishing, hunting and delisting decisions, critical with her dogs, cross country habitat designations, presenta- skiing, art and music. She was tions and public meetings. the treasurer for the Front Range Art Association, youth teacher The Oregon Fish and Wildlife at Choteau Baptist Church and Office will remember Larry for founding member of the Rocky the hard work and dedication he Mountain Front Weed Roundtable brought forth every day in his time to help control noxious weeds with the Service and a memorial in Montana. brick will be placed at NCTC’s Fallen Comrades Memorial plaza in his memory.
Fall 2019 Fish & Wildlife News / 43 Art director Assistant Editor: Editor Fish &WildlifeNews parting shot Falls Church,VA 22041-3803 5275 LeesburgPike U.S. FishandWildlifeService Communications Division ofMarketing for morethanacentury. family haspracticedconservation “pure asGodmadethem.”TheBien natural andinNeil’s wordsare have beenrestoredbutmostare of potholewetlandssomewhich the ranchisdottedwithhundreds primarily nativeprairie.Inaddition, three-quarters ofwhichareingrass, encompasses 8,200acres,about South Dakota.Theranchcurrently in thePrairiePotholeRegionof this photoofNeilBien’s ranch Journalist CoreyRobinsontook What aDuckSees : MatthewTrott : JanePellicciotto, Jennifer Deschanel Allegro Design
E-mail: [email protected] Fax: 703/3581930 703/358-2512 Falls Church,VA 22041-3803 5275 LeesburgPike MS: EA EA-Division ofMarketingCommunications U.S. FishandWildlifeService Submit articlesandphotographsto: Winter 2020 Submission deadline: : byJanuary10 U.S. DEPARTMENT OFTHE STANDARD PRESORT POSTAGE ANDFEES PERMIT G-77 INTERIOR PAID
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