'The Lifeblood of Everything'

Vol. 13 No. 5 SPECIAL FOCUS + #METOO September/October 2019

‘The lifeblood of everything’ MANAGING WATER TO MANAGE WILDLIFE

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The Wildlife Professional is the flagship publication of The Wildlife Society and a benefit of membership. The magazine — published six times annually — presents timely research, September/October 2019 Vol. 13 No. 5 news and analysis of trends in the wildlife profession.

ABOUT TWS STAFF EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD The Wildlife Society, founded in 1937, is an international Ed Thompson Chief Executive Officer EAB Chair Gordon R. Batcheller, NEAFWA nonprofit scientific and educational association dedicated to excellence in wildlife stewardship through Wildlife Policy & Communications Section Representatives Western Matthew P. Bettelheim, AECOM science and education. Our mission is to inspire, Keith Norris Director Central Mountains & Plains Elmer Finck, Fort Hays State University empower and enable wildlife professionals to sustain David Frey Managing Editor wildlife populations and their habitat through science- Canadian Mik e Gillingham, University of Northern Dana Kobilinsky Associate Editor based management and conservation. We encourage British Columbia Caroline Murphy Government Relations Manager professional growth through certification, peer-reviewed Northwest Barb Hill, Bureau of Land Management, publications, conferences and working groups. For more Joshua Learn Science Writer retired information, visit us at www.wildlife.org. Southeastern Matt Chopp, Florida Fish & Wildlife Operations Conservation Commission Cameron Kovach Chief of Staff Southwest Misty Sumner, MLS Consulting BECOME A MEMBER North Central Lowell Suring, Northern Ecologic, LLC Aniket Gajare Software Developer Membership is open to wildlife professionals, Northeast Scott Williams, The Conn. Agricultural Nick Wesdock Membership and Conferences students and anyone who is interested in wildlife Experiment Station Manager science, management and conservation. To learn Mariah Simmons Unit Services Manager about the benefits of TWS membership or to join, Working Group Representatives go to www.wildlife.org/join. Chuck Shively Business Relations Manager Hunting, Trapping, Adam Ahlers, Kansas State University Jamila Blake Professional Development and Conservation Manager Ethnic & Gender Diversity Claire Crow, Federal agency CONTRIBUTOR GUIDELINES College and University Shannon Farrell, SUNY-ESF All members are encouraged to submit ideas for Wildlife Education TWS GOVERNING COUNCIL articles to The Wildlife Professional. For more Urban Wildlife Maureen Murray, Lincoln Park Zoo Darren A. Miller President information, go to www.wildlife.org/publications. Wildlife Damage Mark Smith, Auburn University Gary White President-Elect Wildlife Diseases Michelle Verant, National Park Service Carol Chambers Vice President ADVERTISING Wildlife and Habitat Brian Zinke, Washington Dept. of Fish John McDonald Past President Restoration and Wildlife For information about advertising and our media kit, Evelyn Merrill Canadian Section contact Chuck Shively, TWS Business Relations Manager James Ramakka Southwest Section At-Large Representatives at 301.897.9770 ext. 305 or [email protected]. Harriet Allen Northwest Section Robert Brown, N.C. State University, retired John J. Moriarty North Central Section Zachary Lowe, Max McGraw Wildlife Foundation COPYRIGHT AND PERMISSIONS Paul R. Johansen Northeast Section Martin Lowney, USDA APHIS Wildlife Services Permission to make digital or hard copies of part or all of Mike Conner Southeastern Section Brian MacGowan, Purdue University any article published by The Wildlife Society for limited Bob Lanka Central Mountains and Erin McCance, University of Manitoba and EcoLogic Environmental Inc. personal or educational use within one’s home institution Plains Section Colleen Olfenbuttel, N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is hereby granted without fee, provided that the first Cynthia Graves Perrine Western Section Natalie Sexton, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service page or initial screen of a display includes the notice Colleen Hartel Student Liaison “Copyright © 2019 by The Wildlife Society,” along with the full citation, including the name(s) of the author(s). Copyright for components of this work owned by persons The Colorado River curves or organizations other than TWS must be honored. Graphic design by Lynn Riley Design. through Horseshoe Bend, Instructors may use articles for educational purposes only. five miles downstream Copying, republishing in part or whole, posting on an from the Glen Canyon Internet website or using it for commercial or promotional Dam. Dams have altered purposes is prohibited under copyright laws and requires the flow of the Lower permission of the publisher. For permission, please Colorado, affecting fish contact [email protected]. and wildlife along the course of the river. Credit: Jeff Few

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2 The Wildlife Professional, September/October 2019 © The Wildlife Society

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Call: 800-272-8727 • Online: www.livetrap.com Contents September/October 2019 Vol. 13 No. 5

FEATURES SPECIAL FOCUS #MeToo 28 #UsToo The #MeToo movement has exposed the pervasiveness of sexual harassment in the workplace. The wildlife profession is no exception By Carol Chambers, Bob Lanka and Alan Hamilton SPECIAL FOCUS #MeToo 32 A Long Way to Go COVER STORY >> Sexual harassment laws have evolved, but they still fall short of protecting victims By Kathy Granillo ‘The lifeblood of everything’

37 Moving Forward Managing water to manage wildlife How do we change the culture of sexual harassment of women? By Joshua Rapp Learn 18 By Kathy Granillo, Serra Hoagland, Winifred Kessler, John Koprowski and Krysten Zummo-Strong Credit: Alan Strakey

41 Digging Deep for Crayfish Clues Surveying for crayfish means cut hands, cold fingers — and critical data By Susan B. Adams and Scott G. Hereford 28 46 Wolf War and Peace T o recover the nation’s most controversial carnivore, states must show leadership By Julia B. Smith

52 Stamp of Approval The Vermont Habitat Stamp offers a voluntary mechanism to fund conservation By Tom Rogers and Paul Hamelin Credit: ©Mirshod 56 Horse Rich and Dirt Poor A new video highlights the effects of feral equids on wildlife By Keith Norris, Mike Cox, Clay Brewer, Kevin Hurley and Pat Pinjuv

Departments 41 6 Editor’s Note 60 Policy Perspectives 7 Leadership Letter 61 Field Notes 8 Science in Short 62 In Memory 12 State of Wildlife 64 Gotcha! 16 Today’s Wildlife Professional

>> Log On for More This publication is available online to TWS members on wildlife.org. References printed in blue indicate links in Credit:the Steve online Uffman version of the magazine.

Credit: S. B. Adams/ U.S. Forest Service

Common challenges and opportunities

Later this month, the first ever joint annual I suspect some of you may be The Wildlife Society conference of the American Fisheries Society bothered by the inclusion of wishes to thank the and The Wildlife Society will take place in Reno, these articles in The Wildlife following organizations Nevada. I hope you are as excited as I am! Professional and may argue for their financial that this isn’t a problem in support of The Wildlife This collaborative experience will bring together the wildlife profession. I more than 4,000 fisheries and wildlife researchers, challenge that these articles Professional. managers and students. The unprecedented — and perhaps even more so gathering will be a momentous opportunity to the symposium and previous discussions that build relationships, participate in joint symposia inspired them — suggest this is a problem for and learn about a broader array of natural resource our profession, and one with which we have a management and scientific approaches. We’ll responsibility to grapple. discuss challenges that cut across our respective professional areas of expertise, debate scientific I also imagine several others will wonder why approaches to management and find opportunities we are covering this subject in the magazine, for collaborations that will improve the sustainable or at the annual conference, and would rather conservation of our natural resources. see TWS “stick to the science.” But The Wildlife Society exists to support the profession — and Our cover feature in this issue of The Wildlife all of its professionals. Sexual harassment is a Professional highlights one of the many natural real challenge in the world, in our profession resource management challenges that cuts and for far too many of the individuals reading across fisheries and wildlife professions — the this very issue of the magazine. If TWS does not management of water. Water — “the lifeblood provide a forum for this discussion in the wildlife of everything” — is a defining element of profession, who will? If we don’t make efforts to ecosystems, and its management has life or death challenge the status quo, to advance the ethics consequences for fish and wildlife populations. and professionalism of wildlife professionals and The cover article provides some insights into strive to uphold the integrity of our profession, these challenging management and conservation who will? We have a responsibility to make our decisions — decisions that become even more profession ever more inclusive and welcoming complex as our climate continues to change. — it is the only way we will remain relevant to an increasingly diverse society. This issue’s Special Focus on the #MeToo movement also touches on a topic that is relevant I hope these articles — and the other articles to both the fisheries and wildlife professions, as it is highlighting current conservation and to society at-large. The contributed articles calling management challenges and opportunities — attention to the #MeToo movement and sexual motivate you to seek opportunities to personally harassment in the wildlife profession are based on advance our profession, its integrity and its future discussions and presentations from a symposium ability to sustain wildlife populations and their hosted at the 2018 TWS Annual Conference. habitat through science-based management and conservation. #MeToo has created a massive shift in how society discusses and recognizes the prevalence As always, your feedback and input on this issue of sexual harassment, and it makes a strong case of The Wildlife Professional are welcome. for needed changes in behavior. Unfortunately, as expressed in these articles, the wildlife profession is not immune from instances of sexual harassment. Our Special Focus in this issue aims to help advance efforts among TWS members to end sexual harassment and create a Keith Norris, AWB® more welcoming work environment for wildlife Director of Wildlife Policy & Communications professionals. [email protected]

6 The Wildlife Professional, September/October 2019 © The Wildlife Society Leadership Letter By Darren A. Miller

Focus on the Future MAINTAINING THE RELEVANCE OF THE WILDLIFE SOCIETY

his is my final column as president of The science. My daughters have been fortunate to be Wildlife Society. During the past year, I surrounded by positive role models, including T have emphasized the need for TWS to stay individuals with a strong conservation ethic. true to its mission — it is about the science and However, not everyone entering our profession about the members. In my previous column, I is so lucky. As we look toward the future, it presented lessons from being a TWS member for is essential that we spend time and energy to nearly 30 years. During the home stretch of my mentor and engage the next generation — to time as president, I want to emphasize what I make sure they understand that they have a believe is important for TWS to continue doing to role to play in this field, help them find their Darren A. Miller, PhD, CWB® and TWS Fellow, be an influential voice for wildlife and the wildlife way and earnestly listen to their concerns and is TWS president profession. perspectives. It is the only way we continue to and vice president of grow as a profession to meet the next challenges forestry programs for Stay Focused on The Science. To remain a for wildlife conservation. the National Council trusted source for wildlife policy and maintain our for Air and Stream Improvement. credibility as an organization and a profession, Serve our Members and Each Other. We are TWS and its members must maintain scientific a community of wildlife students and professionals objectivity. Too often these days, “science” is used with unique strengths, talents and passions. as a political bludgeon. This routinely includes As such, we all must engage to make TWS as implying science to support non-scientific successful as possible. This includes professional positions, using poorly constructed science or only service to help the Society, each other and, of choosing parts of “the science” that support an course, our wildlife resource. Just as TWS can agenda. We must remain vigilant and not simply accomplish more with partners than alone, we accept someone else’s interpretation of science. can all collectively accomplish more together How often have we clicked and shared something than individually. I strongly encourage all TWS that supports our perspectives without verifying members to carefully consider how they can best the underlying data? We owe it to the resource to serve the profession and put that consideration always perform our due diligence. into action.

Adhere to Our Core Principles. Political Diversify. I know we continue to discuss the climates change, and cultural norms are constantly importance of diversity within our profession. in flux. As Shane Mahoney has expressed, we are And, I have personally received pushback – that in an unprecedented time relative to society’s we are a “science organization” and should not perspectives on wildlife. For example, we are meddle with “social issues.” At some level, challenged to not use lethal control for injurious I agree. TWS is a wildlife-focused, science- species. The proven value of sustainable wildlife based organization and we need to stick with use is ignored with increasing anthropomorphic our mission. However, part of our mission views of wildlife. The intrinsic value of wildlife is to “inspire, empower and enable wildlife is seemingly further diminished every day. As a professionals.” It is essential that we continue to profession, we must be a rock in this sea of change focus on increasing diversity within the wildlife to maintain our identity and stay true to our profession to retain relevancy. Further, we cannot mission and values. simply have a veneer of diversity. We, as TWS and as a profession, must embrace it, learn from Inspire and Support the Next Generation. diverse perspectives and actively work to include, My wife and I are blessed with two strong, respect and recognize everyone that desires to be a intelligent, wonderful daughters. Both of my girls wildlife professional. have a strong affinity for wildlife. My youngest is a junior at Mississippi State University Every wildlifer should be able to find a home working toward a degree in wildlife and fisheries in TWS!

Recent papers from wildlife conservation and management journals

Taking a fire lesson from red-cockaded woodpeckers

The South and West have different strategies about restoring landscapes with fire; but a team of biologists believe prescribed burns, which have benefited red-cockaded woodpeckers (Leuconotopicus borealis) in southern pine forests, may help spotted owls (Strix occidentalis) in the West, where fires have typically been suppressed.

Credit: Justin Shoemaker

Colorado biologists have a hard time estimating mountain lion populations.

Using distress calls to survey mountain lions

Researchers wanted to find a way to survey mountain lions (Puma concolor) on Colorado’s Front Range, but they wanted to avoid the cost and invasiveness of previous methods.

In a study published in the Wildlife Society Bulletin, they used an audio recording of a rabbit or fawn distress call to attract the lions Credit: Tom Munton to a camera trap and hair snag. Researchers suggest fire management can improve conditions for spotted owls. “As a researcher of lions, the most common question I get from everybody is, ‘how many lions are out there?’” said lead author “It really was a grassroots question Mat Alldredge, a TWS member and Colorado Parks and Wildlife we talked about for a long time in mammal researcher. “There’s not a lot of good answers. Most of the the fire world as to why we have this studies that have been done have been fairly small-scale, which is dichotomy in the way we approach reasonable given how hard lions are to detect and capture.” these rare species in terms of fire regime and management,” said Scott The recordings worked well, his team found, resulting in more Stephens, fire science professor at photos than baited lures did. Collecting hair for genetic sampling, the University of California, Berkeley however, didn’t pan out. Although the lions brushed up against and lead author on a paper published the snags, Alldredge said, they didn’t leave much hair behind; and in Frontiers in Ecology and the the samples researchers obtained often didn’t include the follicle, Environment comparing fire regimes making it impossible to get a good genotype. for the two species. They continued using the sound recordings and cameras but The South accounts for 75% of burned returned to the mark-resight method to survey mountain lions and acreage in the United States; but since conduct density estimates. the spotted owls’ forests had large fires, too, Stephens said, western “This still requires the capture effort we were trying to get away managers should consider burning to from,” he said. “But by doing this, we got rid of biases of using benefit the declining species. hounds to recapture lions.”

8 The Wildlife Professional, September/October 2019 © The Wildlife Society Wolves responsible for most Boats are a leading cause of death Minnesota moose calf kills of turtles found on beach

To understand the northeastern Minnesota Boat strikes account for a third of the deaths of sea turtles washed moose (Alces alces) decline, researchers up on the beach of the Florida coast, according to research collared calves and found about half died published in the Journal of Wildlife Management. within their first 50 days. Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission biologist Allen Foley and That’s a very high rate, said TWS member his co-authors wanted to see how often stranded sea turtles found Bill Severud, a University of Minnesota with vessel-strike injuries died from those wounds, since it was postdoctoral associate of forest resources possible that some of those sea turtles died from another cause and lead author of a study published in the and had been struck by a boat after death. Journal of Wildlife Management.

His team found predation caused 84% of the deaths; 77% of those were attributed to gray wolves (Canis lupus), while black bears (Ursus americanus) accounted for the rest.

The findings were surprising, Severud said, since most studies show black bears and wolves prey equally on moose calves. He speculates parasites, which affect adult moose health, may result in less healthy offspring.

Managers have often considered predator control elsewhere, Severud said, but evidence suggests Minnesota’s moose cows may not be healthy enough to support calves Credit: Blair Witherington, Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission into adulthood, even without predators. Boat strikes can be fatal for sea turtles.

“Invoking predator control as a way to boost the moose population might not be the way They conducted necropsies on 194 green (Chelonia mydas), to go without more information,” he said. loggerhead (Caretta caretta), leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea), Kemp’s ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) and hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) sea turtles found with vessel strike Minnesota Department of Natural Resources injuries on Florida’s coasts from 2001 to 2015 and found that only technician Katie Foshay examines a moose calf one turtle was struck after it had already died; and even it showed carcass. signs of an earlier vessel strike that likely killed it.

They also found that 50% of adult green turtles that washed up dead had been fatally struck by a vessel. Adult loggerheads and leatherbacks were also more likely to be struck usually around major nesting beaches during the mating and nesting season.

“Vessel strikes are really a big problem for a lot of aquatic animals,” Foley said, because they are difficult for boat captains to see just a few feet below the surface. Measures to keep boats and turtles separate during key periods and in key places may help, he said, but these actions wouldn’t be feasible over most of the vast areas where motor boats and sea turtles overlap.

Credit: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

Small mammals use highway crossings, too

When it comes to highway crossings for wildlife, big mammals traversing big bridges get most of the attention; but smaller species use crossings too.

“Wildlife passages can benefit everybody, not just the charismatic megafauna,” said TWS member April Martinig, a PhD candidate at the University of Alberta and the lead author on a study on how small mammals use wildlife crossings published in the Wildlife Society Bulletin. Credit: Jen Goellnitz Over four years, Martinig and co-author Ashley McLaren, The red-headed woodpecker benefited from pine restoration. with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and For- estry, monitored six highway underpasses in Quebec. The tunnels crossed two lanes to a vegetated median before Restoring pine woodlands aids resuming on the other side. bird species “The first tunnel lets you through; and then you have this big open area that you can spend some time in or just Millions of acres of hardwood forest across Missouri, keep going to the other tunnel and make it across the Arkansas and Oklahoma were once pine woodlands; highway,” Martinig said. but as logging and fire suppression eliminated the pines, bird species that relied on them declined. While larger mammals crossed all four lanes, research- Restoring pines through managed fires and strategic ers documented 97 instances of small animals using the tree thinning, however, may benefit them. underpasses to forage in the median. Weasels (Mustela spp.) were most common, followed by North American red “Some species responded very, very positively to squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus); eastern chipmunks restored areas,” said Melissa Roach, a researcher (Tamias striatus); a host of shrews, mice, voles and moles; with the U.S. Geological Survey’s Bird Banding and the occasional American mink (Neovison vison). Lab who carried out a study published in Forest “Managers need to be careful with how they build a Ecology and Management as a University of Missouri wildlife passage,” Martinig said. If they include natural master’s student. elements, small animals will use them, she said; but they ought to be safe. “We don’t want animals trying to get to Restored pine woodlands created open canopies and the median and dying because of it.” lusher ground layers that aided several birds in decline, including the red-headed woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus). Five species were impacted negatively but abound throughout the region. Eight of 16 bird species were more numerous in areas with a history of fires. Four species benefitted from thinning.

Researchers “Managers and the public in general shouldn’t be documented small scared of seeing selective thinning and prescribed mammals using fire,” Roach said. underpasses to forage.

Credit: April Martinig

Recent Most-Read Articles on wildlife.org. Contributed by David Frey, Dana Kobilinsky and Joshua • Researchers identify new shell-eating fungus in turtles Rapp Learn • Florida panther population grows, but gene flow still a concern • Human presence creates fear response in predators

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AllMedia_2019.indd 19 1/3/19 12:08 PM State of Wildlife Regional news around The Wildlife Society’s Sections

WEST Florida cracks down on illegal California bans lead ammo for all hunting songbird trapping California became the only state in the The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation country to ban lead-based ammunition Commission is implementing new rules on for all hunting after new regulations went bird traps in order to target illegal songbird into effect in July. The ban is the final trapping. “Those engaged in illegal trapping phase of a 2013 state law passed in part to of birds use a wide variety of bird traps, address the impacts of lead on California including specially constructed cages, condors (Gymnogyps californianus). The mist nets, noose traps and adhesives,” California Department of Fish and Wildlife Credit: Becky Skiba/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Kipp Frohlich, the agency’s director recommended the phased-in ban after Loggerhead turtles are rebounding in Georgia. of habitat and species conservation, in a conducting outreach with hunters and July 17 memorandum. “Food, other birds the public in 2014. The Fish and Game SOUTHEAST or recordings of bird vocalizations are Commission adopted the proposed used to attract birds to the traps.” Illegal regulations the following year. “Fifty years Georgia loggerhead nests set record trapping of native species like the painted of research has shown that the presence Loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) nests bunting (Passerina ciris) and the indigo of lead in the environment poses an on the Georgia coast have set a record bunting (Passerina cyanea) has long ongoing threat to the health of the general this year, continuing an upward trend since been a problem in the state, especially in public and the viability of the state’s comprehensive surveys began 30 years southern Florida. Frohlich said that wildlife wildlife species, including federally listed ago. Observers have tallied close to 3,800 managers had encountered more than threatened and endangered species,” nests. The last high was 3,289 nests, set 100 of these unpermitted traps in the last the law states. Efforts to recover the in 2016. “It’s nice to have that big number; two years, but they can only confiscate endangered California condor have been but it’s really the long-term trend that we’re the ones with native, illegally caught birds hampered in part by condors ingesting looking at,” said Mark Dodd, a wildlife inside. According to a July 17 draft rule, lead in the carcasses and gut piles of biologist with the Georgia Department of most unpermitted bird traps will be illegal, hunter-harvested animals they scavenge. Natural Resources. Georgia’s sea turtle allowing wildlife managers to confiscate “Lead poisoning was preventing the numbers had been gradually rebounding empty traps they find.Sources: Florida Fish recovery of the condor in California and since the early 1990s, when conservation and Wildlife Conservation Commission lead-based ammunition was the main measures were put in place to address source,” said Myra Finkelstein, a wildlife declining populations. Over the past several toxicologist at the University of California, years, numbers have jumped dramatically. Santa Cruz, who testified in hearings for Biologists attribute the increases to the the bill. Her research showed lead was adoption of turtle excluder devices put the top source of mortality for California on shrimp trawl nets about three decades condors, but it also affects other species. ago. Loggerheads reach sexual maturity at “This is not just an issue for condors,” she about 35 years of age, meaning turtles that said. “This is an issue for any scavenging hatched when the drift nets were first used species, be it avian or mammalian.” Source: are beginning to come back to nest, Dodd California legislature/California Department of said. Trapping of wild pigs (Sus scrofa) and Fish and Wildlife raccoons (Procyon lotor), which predate on the eggs, has also helped, he said, as have efforts to relocate nests at risk of being inundated by seawater. Because sea turtle nest numbers tend to fluctuate from year to year, next year’s numbers are likely to dip; but the trend continues to rise, Dodd said, thanks to conservation work stretching back 50 years and cooperative efforts between government agencies, biologIsts, Credit: Scott Flaherty/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service volunteers and the public. “When you have Credit: Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission Lead is the top source of mortality for a large group of people who can cooperate, New regulations will allow Florida wildlife California condors. you can achieve incredible results,” he said. managers to confiscate illegal songbird traps.

12 The Wildlife Professional, September/October 2019 © The Wildlife Society Colorado adds 100,000 acres of CANADA access to public land Panel highlights Canada’s climate risks Hunters and recreationists in Colorado A panel convened by the Council of will soon have 100,000 more acres of Canadian Academies has identified what public land to use. Colorado Parks and it considers Canada’s top climate change Wildlife commissioners voted to expand risks; but the group urged that with prompt Colorado’s Public Access Program in July, action, many of the associated costs and which allows people to use state trust damages could be avoided. “Changes

Credit: Denver Zoo lands — property held by the state and in Canada’s climate are expected to leased to raise money for public education. result in widespread disruption and harm The boreal toad’s eastern population is The state currently has 480,000 acres in the coming decades, affecting both considered a distinct population segment. of state trust land open to hunting and natural and human systems,” the panel fishing. An additional 105,000 acres will be concluded in its report, “Canada’s Top CENTRAL MOUNTAINS & PLAINS opened in August 2019, bringing the total Climate Change Risks,” released in July. access to 585,000 acres. The additional “Rapid shifts in climate and environmental Denver Zoo helps release boreal land opening this August will include conditions may exceed the pace at which toads in Utah opportunities for waterfowl and small game Canada’s ecosystems and species are able The Denver Zoo and its partners hunting in the southeastern portion of the to adapt, impairing their functioning and have successfully released more than state. “We’re starting to look at some of viability, especially when opportunities for 620 boreal toads (Anaxyrus boreas those opportunities overlooked in the past migration or other adaptive responses are boreas) into their native range in to capitalize and get more folks out into limited.” Canada’s temperatures are rising southwestern Utah. The zoo has been the field,” said Colorado Parks and Wildlife twice as fast as the global average, the housing boreal toads since 2010, when spokesman Travis Duncan. Colorado panel found, and the next two decades it responded to a call by Kevin Wheeler, Parks and Wildlife commissioners hope are likely to present the country with a biologist with the Utah Department to expand access to nearly 1 million acres more frequent and severe temperature of Wildlife Resources, for organizations over the next two years. Source: Colorado extremes, permafrost thawing and interested in helping conserve the Parks and Wildlife increases in extreme precipitation events. species. They started trying to breed them in 2017 when the toads reached sexual maturity. “It’s been a really good boon to the population just with this initial release,” said zookeeper Derek Cossaboon. Isolated in high elevations in the southern Rocky Mountains, the eastern population is considered a distinct population segment of boreal toad. After receiving post-metamorphs hatched from wild eggs, the zoo sought to first develop an assurance population, then captively reproduce toads for release. It wasn’t easy, Cossaboon said. The toads had to be isolated from other amphibians to protect them from bacteria and placed in a near-freezing hibernaculum to mimic their high elevation environment and temperature. A reproductive specialist used hormone therapy to make sure the eggs would be viable. “Everyone has been trying to figure these guys out for years and years,” Cossaboon said. Credit: Eric Regehr/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service They’re a challenging species.” Source: Scientists warn that changes in the timing of ice pack formation and break-up are adversely affecting Denver Zoo some polar bear (Ursus maritimus) populations.

The panel found infrastructure, coastal Wildlife Federation’s Species at Risk and State and federal funds came $6,000 communities, northern communities, Biodiversity Specialist. Road maintenance short of the $45,000 cost, so the Klamath- human health and wellness, ecosystems activities like smoothing out the roadbed Siskiyou Wildlands Center turned to a and fisheries faced the greatest risks. “In can harm turtle eggs, while predators GoFundMe campaign and in a few weeks Canada, the pace of change may exceed like raccoons (Procyon lotor), which do raised the money. “We thought it was the adaptive capacity and resilience well around humans, may find it easier to going to be a struggle, but there was a of many species and ecosystems,” exploit turtle eggs. The Canadian Wildlife lot of support for it,” Vaile said. “In this members concluded. “Alpine and Arctic Federation is working to remove some political environment that we’re in, there’s ecosystems are thought to be particularly of these eggs from dangerous areas, so much division. It seems like there at risk from climate change due to higher incubating them in their offices before are really big chasms between people, levels of expected warming and limited releasing them into nearby wetlands, and like environmentalists and ranchers. opportunities for ecosystems and species improving awareness in areas with lots of That’s what’s so interesting about this.” to shift their ranges.” Source: Council of turtles, whether working with municipalities He hopes it sets the stage for more Canadian Academies to plan mitigation (like fencing and culverts) cooperation between wolf advocates and or raising awareness to slow down and stop ranchers. “It doesn’t always have to be for turtles. “Our main focus is to reduce divisive,” he said. Source: Klamath-Siskiyou Biologists work to clear turtles off roads road mortality by finding hotspots,” he said. Wildlands Center Conservationists are working toward The conservationists are also putting cages fewer road deaths for turtles in Canada. on top of nests that they are not incubating All freshwater turtles in Ontario face some to keep raccoons from digging up the eggs. level of conservation concern, according Beyond their own surveys, they’re using to the Committee on the Status of the citizen science platform iNaturalist.ca to Endangered Wildlife in Canada, whether it’s find these turtle hotspots.Source: Canadian the Blanding’s turtle (Emydoidea blandingii) Wildlife Federation endangered listing or the special concern status of the common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentine). These species face NORTHWEST a particular danger from roads since they can get hit by cars while dispersing from Crowd-funding helps protect ranch from wolves wetlands to lay eggs. Over 1,300 turtles have been found dead on the road since When it comes to a gray wolf (Canis surveys started in 2017 in the Ottawa area lupus) pack and an Oregon ranch, alone, including nearly 200 Blanding’s conservationists hope good fences make Credit: Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife turtles, said James Pagé, the Canadian good neighbors. The Klamath-Siskiyou The Rogue Pack has continued to grow since Wildlands Center launched a crowd- establishing in Oregon in 2014. funding campaign to help fence the Mill-Mar Ranch in Jackson County after it continued to lose livestock to the Rogue SOUTHWEST Pack. After establishing in 2014, the pack has grown to as much as a couple dozen Texas court rules breeder deer are in public trust individuals, said Joseph Vaile, executive director of Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands A Texas appeals court has ruled that Center, and it has been responsible for breeder deer are not private property, about half the depredations in the state. making them subject to state laws The ranch is close to the pack’s den, designed to limit the spread of chronic Vaile said, and since its cattle spend wasting disease from captive facilities. the winter there, they have been easy The ruling came in response to a lawsuit targets for wolves at a time when food brought by a pair of white-tailed deer is scarce. After fladry and other efforts (Odocoileus virginianus) breeders. The

Credit: Canadian Wildlife Federation failed to discourage the wolves, “a fence breeders, who had a Texas Parks and was really the thing that made the most Wildlife Department permit to breed deer The Canadian Wildlife Federation is working to reduce the death of reptiles like this Blanding's turtle sense,” he said. But erecting a 3-mile in captivity, insisted that the permit made on roadsides and in other areas. long, 6-foot fence came with a high price. the captive deer their private property. A

14 The Wildlife Professional, September/October 2019 © The Wildlife Society group is producing while the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service prepares an endangered species listing decision for the butterfly (Danaus plexippus). “It quickly came up that we have to think about mowing as a management strategy,” said Lyndsey Ramsey, director of strategic engagement for the Illinois Farm Bureau and a member of the project, which includes representatives from a variety of sectors including agriculture, cities, rights-of-way Credit: David Ellis and public lands. The document provides A Texas appeals court ruled that breeder deer are an array of recommendations, including in the public trust. midsummer mowing to help milkweed rebloom before the fall monarch migration Credit: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation trial court disagreed, and a state appeals to Mexico and mowing in strips to leave King cobras were among the illegal reptiles court upheld the decision, finding “breeder open grass for wildlife. “This is a living seized in New York state. deer are public property held under a document that we will add to and change permit.” State law considers deer to be as we have more science and get a better profits and harboring dangerous animals wild animals but allows breeders with understanding of what science says about and highly venomous reptiles, which posed permits to hold individuals in captivity. the impact of the summer mowing season,” a threat to the public,” said Capt. Jesse To limit the spread of chronic wasting Ramsey said. The Illinois Monarch Project Paluch, head of the New York Department disease from captive populations into plans to hand out copies of the guidance of Environmental Conservation Bureau the wild, state regulations require testing at county and state fairs. “Everybody can of Environmental Crimes Investigation and limitations on the transportation of play a role in pollinator conservation,” unit. The charges followed nearly a year captive deer. The plaintiffs may still appeal she said. “There are small things even of investigation by DEC officers and the the decision to the state Supreme Court. individual landowners and people living Cattaraugus County district attorney’s Source: Austin Court of Appeals in apartment buildings can do to help office. DEC officers say they discovered pollinators. This is a resource for people to the operation after neighbors reported a adjust what they’re doing with the property nearly two-foot-long juvenile alligator in NORTH CENTRAL they have.” Source: Illinois Monarch Project a backyard near the man’s house. Source: New York State Department of Environmental Mowing guidance helps landowners Conservation protect pollinators NORTHEAST The Illinois Monarch Project recently released mowing guidance for landowners Authorities make largest illegal reptile seizure in N.Y. history to help conserve pollinators. The document is part of an action plan the Environmental Conservation police in New York state charged a 71-year-old Allegany Erratum resident on suspicion of multiple counts of illegal possession and sale of wildlife after seizing 292 illegal reptiles, including In the previous issue, we erroneously threatened species and species of special referred to a population of desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni) in Nevada concern. Authorities seized 17 bog turtles as endangered. Only the California (Glyptemys muhlenbergii), which are state- Peninsular population of desert bighorn listed as endangered in New York; three sheep is federally listed as endangered. king cobras (Ophiophagus hannah), six We regret this error and thank our readers gila monsters (Heloderma suspectum), 28 for catching it. Blanding’s turtles (Emydoidea blandingii)

Credit: Jim, the Photographer, via Flickr and various other turtle species and turtle eggs. “Not only is it illegal to take wild The Illinois Monarch Project is offering animals from their natural habitats, but the guidance for landowners on how to mow their Contributed by David Frey, Dana Kobilinsky lawns to benefit pollinators. defendant was using them for personal and Joshua Rapp Learn

A strong voice for wildlife and Native Americans WHISPER CAMEL-MEANS BEAT THE ODDS AS A NATIVE AMERICAN WOMAN

By Dana Kobilinsky

hisper Camel-Means didn’t grow up on She went on to earn her bachelor’s degree in wild- the reservation, but as a wildlife biolo- life biology at the University of Montana and her W gist on the Flathead Indian Reservation master’s at Montana State, where she was awarded a in western Montana working with the Confederated fellowship with the Wildlife Conservation Society and Salish and Kootenai Tribes’ Wildlife Management the Western Transportation Institute to complete a Program, she’s giving back to the community she’s project on wildlife movements on U.S. Highway 93 always felt a part of. — a thoroughfare that cuts through the reservation — as it was being reconstructed. The highway project “Being a Native American woman with carried her back to her roots. a master’s degree is a short feat in the wildlife field,” said Camel-Means, who “I often think about that,” Camel-Means said. “I belongs to the Qlispe people. “There came back here with my education.” are others, but there are not a lot.” Facing adversity Camel-Means could have put her de- Throughout her schooling, Native Americans were rare. gree to work elsewhere, but she wanted She was the only Native American in her master’s pro- to use her education and knowledge gram cohort, she said, leaving her alone to sometimes on the reservation, where she felt confront blatant racism. “I was dealing with people not she could have a big impact, both for thinking I deserved to be there,” she said. “I had done people and wildlife. everything to deserve to be there. I guess one of my big- gest accomplishments was proving them wrong.” It isn’t easy, but despite being named “Whisper,” Camel-Means knows how She recalled one professor who singled her out, fir- to be a strong voice. “Some people ing questions at her every class period. “He didn’t don’t believe Native Americans still ask questions of anybody else,” she said. “It always Credit: Leslie Camel-Stewart exist, and it’s a challenge to have that seemed like a challenge to the fact that I was there. Whisper Camel- right to be at the table,” she said. “I’m an outgoing He was making me prove the fact that I had the right Means overcame person. I’ll stand up and ask questions.” to be there when nobody else had to prove that.” the odds as a Native American woman, A desire for education Later in her career, after attending TWS’ Leadership becoming a wildlife Her wildlife journey began at Salish Kootenai Col- Institute, she ran for president of the Montana Chap- biologist for the Confederated Salish lege, a local tribal college. She’d been working as a ter and was told not to get discouraged when she and Kootenai Tribes. waitress and thinking about becoming a nurse and didn’t win. But Camel-Means won, and as president, working at the local hospital as a way to serve the she set a precedent that still continues for the state community. But she wanted something that would chapter to invite tribal colleges to state meetings and let her spend time outside. When she came across the emphasize the importance of tribal culture. environmental studies program, she pursued it. “Not everybody has the same opportunities in life “I’m social and wanted to be a scientist,” she said. — not everybody starts out the same,” said Marcel “Those are my strong suits.” She spent two years at Huijser, a senior research ecologist with the Western Salish Kootenai College. When a wildlife biologist Transportation Institute, who was an adviser and trainee position opened with the Confederated Salish worked with Camel-Means on the Highway 93 project. and Kootenai Tribes, she grabbed it. After discov- “She’s one of those people who made things happen. ering that showing up to work meant binoculars She wanted education and got education, perhaps around her neck and a backpack on her back, she against the odds for many people who would have been knew it was the right career. in a similar situation. It must not have been easy.”

16 The Wildlife Professional, September/October 2019 © The Wildlife Society Pulling up her own chair Not growing up on the reservation, Camel-Means didn’t have the connections of people who lived there their whole lives. But studying wildlife and going back to live with the community gave her the opportunity to be part of a close group of people that otherwise can be hard to break into, she said.

Being Qlispe, she found, helped afford her opportunities like the fellowship she earned. Traveling to other reservations, she said, she can make inroads in ways that people from off the reservation often can’t. “They aren’t looking at me as an outsider talking at them and Credit: Stephanie Gillin explaining science and talking over their head,” she said. “I look like them. There’s a benefit to speaking as “It took a long time — a decade,” Huijser said. “But Camel-Means a professional and being heard by people who might eventually, common sense prevailed and people shows students a have a mistrust in science and the government.” started listening to each other.” wildlife overpass on U.S. Highway 93. She also has the opportunity to speak with outside A cultural connection agencies and groups to accomplish things she believes Camel-Means has been in her position with the tribes will be good for the reservation and the entire region. for 22 years, managing wildlife within the reservation and the region. “We promote, protect and enhance “She is smart and is not pushed aside easily,” Huijser natural resources for future generations as well as said. “It doesn’t work like that with Whisper.” people here today, and we really try to keep that cultural connection,” she said. She even made a pact with herself not to refuse any speaking engagements. The future of the tribe and the land is important to Camel-Means, and she dedicates much of her time to “Sometimes,” she said, “I’ve had to make my own young students. seat at the table and pull up my own chair. ‘Here I am — I just showed up.’” She aims to make future wildlifers aware of their career options and help them avoid some challenges Success on the highway she faced. She and her colleagues talk to children on That persistence paid off in her work on the High- the reservation in school programs, camps and other way 93 project. The road runs through the Flathead venues, and they use tribal language when talking reservation, carving across agricultural lands, dispersed about wildlife. houses, villages and natural landscapes. As officials prepared for a major reconstruction, they faced a num- “I want people to realize there are tribal people who ber of issues from human safety to wildlife connectivity. are smart about these things, know these things and are willing to talk about them,” Camel-Means said. “I For a decade, tribes felt they weren’t being listened want tribal kids to feel empowered that they can also to, leading to a standoff with state officials until the work as scientists and some of the fun little things we federal government stepped in and helped create an do can translate into a job.” agreement. “They basically had to learn to listen to each other,” Huijser said. She especially hopes to share the importance of the Native American culture and of wildlife with her The work required lots of research, much of which 8- and 6-year-old sons. “For other tribal people, Camel-Means was a part of, considering how fenc- it’s important to bring your education back to your ing, overpasses and underpasses could aid wildlife people and try to help out,” Camel-Means said. “But movement. In the end, Huijser said, partners worked there’s also a benefit of going out into the world Dana together to make the road as wildlife friendly as and letting people know that we’re still here. We’re Kobilinsky is associate editor possible and avoid splitting the village in two. They contemporary beings and we have science degrees in for The Wildlife agreed to make the road like a visitor, he said, re- all kinds of fields. Our culture and history can help Society. spectful of the landscape it passed through. guide where we’re going in the future.”

MANAGING WATER TO MANAGE WILDLIFE

By Joshua Rapp Learn

Stretching across Minnesota’s border with Canada, Voyageurs National Park encompasses so many bodies of water, it is sometimes called a “river of lakes.” From temporary ponds to massive Rainy Lake, these waterways historically rose and fell with the seasons. Springtime floods inundated the landscape. Summer brought dry spells. Fish and wildlife adapted to the fluctuating waters.

Fog settles over Voyageurs National Park. Dams have eliminated the natural flow of the region’s water systems, but managers are trying to mimic natural flows to improve conditions for fish and wildlife. Credit: Adam Baker But in the 20th century, the dynamic changed. Water fish and wildlife managers have found themselves still dominated the landscape, but humans domi- in a similar position, even if in vastly different nated the water. A pair of hydroelectric dams built conditions. From the Pacific Northwest, where on nearby falls in the early 1900s supplied energy to managers are aiding spawning salmon blocked growing populations, but they robbed the vast eco- by dams, to Florida, where drained wetlands are system of its natural ebb and flow. The changes have being restored, managers are working to accom- impacted fish and wildlife ever since, and wildlife modate wildlife amid reshaped water systems. In ‘The lifeblood of everything’ managers continue to wrestle with the effects. many cases, they’re also trying to return water systems to their natural patterns — an effort that can “The power companies could do what they wanted protect humans from devastating floods as much to do,” said TWS member Steve Windels, a Na- as it benefits wildlife. tional Park Service wildlife biologist specializing in beavers at Voyageurs and an adjunct professor at The lifeblood the University of Minnesota. “Water is the lifeblood of everything,” said Mike Higgins, a water resources coordinator for the U.S. Releasing water at will to meet power demands Fish and Wildlife Services. had huge effects on fish and wildlife, Windels said. Sudden flooding could inundate eggs laid by the Higgins is working on a USFWS project called common loon (Gavia immer), Minnesota’s state the Water Resources Inventory and Assess- bird. Periods of low water in winter left musk- ment. Its mission is to gather information about rats (Ondatra zibethicus) and beavers (Castor water resources for nearly all the wildlife refuges canadensis) — Canada’s national animal — on across the United States with an eye toward the dry ground. “Muskrats and beavers would build individual needs and challenges each refuge fac- their dams at a certain elevation, then [power es. The project aims to help them better prepare companies] would basically pull the drain of the and manage for future environmental condi- bathtub,” he said. “The beavers and muskrats tions. Not all refuges face the same problems. would be left high and dry.” Many in the West are seeing water scarcity issues, while coastal refuges are flooding or losing Managers here have worked to adjust flows to acreage due to storm surges and sea level rise. benefit fish and wildlife, finding themselves in a Other water systems are threatened by warming delicate balance of maintaining wild populations from climate change or by chemical and nutrient in altered environments. Across the continent, runoff from agriculture.

© The Wildlife Society www.wildlife.org 19 This large-scale examination is necessary, Higgins said, since the water issues these refuges face often cross state lines and sometimes national borders. Loons are sensitive to water levels. Sudden “Our mission,” Higgins said, “is both now — to pre- flooding can inundate serve and enhance fish and wildlife populations and their eggs — one of the species — but also to make sure that we are manag- main causes of nest failure for the birds in ing for future generation as well. We want to make Voyageurs National Park. sure that 50 years from now, 100 years from now, Credit: Allan W. Meadows there are still wildlife refuges.” Steve Windels handles a beaver captured in Voyageurs National Park. The ‘muskrat curve’ Researchers give them In northern Minnesota, mitigating water manage- ear tags, take weights ment’s impact on fish and wildlife started with and other measurements, its effects on humans. In the 1950s, landowners determine gender and became incensed when sudden water releases take hair and fecal deluged their lakefront properties or limited samples, often in under 10 minutes before releasing their access. The Canadian and U.S. governments them once again. stepped in to regulate water levels, setting the stage for regulations that became more and more complicated over the decades.

With the creation of Voyageurs National Park in 1975, the National Park Service and other stakeholders worked with power companies through an international joint commission made up of governments on both sides of the border to replicate a more natural hydrologic regime. Historically, snowmelt created big pulses of water in May that Muskrats depend gradually receded in time for loons to nest in on water for their dens. June. The new park sought to mimic those flows, Low water can leave and over the decades, regulations have become the dens stranded and make muskrats more increasingly strict. vulnerable to predators. Credit: National Park Service The most recent version is sometimes referred to colloquially as the “muskrat curve.” Muskrats are sensitive to water levels, Windels said. Aside from reducing the suitability of their dens, low water can expose muskrats to predation from predators like the American mink (Neovison vison). If levels stay low during the winter, it means colder water temperatures that can cause muskrats to freeze to death.

Adjusting flows to benefit muskrats turned out to help other species, including beavers and loons, he said. Human health also may benefit from lower fluctuations in water levels, as these result in decreasing methylmercury concentrations found in yellow perch (Perca flavescens) and in game fish species like walleye (Sander vitreus) and northern pike (Esox lucius). Credit: National Park Service

20 The Wildlife Professional, September/October 2019 © The Wildlife Society The “muskrat curve” has helped these species, but it isn’t perfect, Windels said. “Nest flooding is one of the main causes of loon nest failure,” he said, because water levels still rise in June on Rainy Lake, well after loons have built their nests.

A big dam problem Impacts on inland waterways can even extend to species that spend most or all of their lives at sea. In the Pacific Northwest, salmon only return from the ocean at the end of their lives to spawn up Credit: Bonneville Power freshwater rivers, creeks and tributaries. While they can negotiate rapids by leaping up and over rocks, A fish ladder, seen here on the right, helps migrating salmon navigate Bonneville Power’s Lower Monumental Dam on Washington’s Snake River. hydroelectric dams exceed their abilities. “The four lower Snake River dams are pretty controversial,” said Jeremy Cram, a research scientist with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Salmon Recovery Science Unit. “They’re certainly harming fish and there’s no way to get around that.”

NOAA Fisheries authorized Idaho, Oregon and Washington in 2016 to increase fish populations by continuing to remove California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) which prey on salmon and steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) attempting to make it upriver to spawn near the Bonneville Dam upstream from Portland, Oregon. “Predation by sea lions is an immediate and growing problem that needs an immediate solution,” Guy Norman, a Washington representative on the Northwest Power & Conservation Council, testified to a Senate subcommittee last year. But some environmental organizations oppose the efforts, saying the marine mammals aren’t having nearly Credit: Christoph Strässler the level of impact on fish as dams. survive spawning in normal conditions, the Grizzlies and other obstacles presented by dams can halt migrations species benefit from Dams are required by federal and sometimes of these adults or even kill them, whether pre- salmon’s ability to swim state law to install artificial fish ladders to help or post-spawn. upstream to spawn. species get over the obstacles. But some wild Chi- nook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) which Some of these dams are being removed by state hatch in parts of the Snake River, a tributary of governments or conservation organizations like the Columbia River, must pass by as many as American Rivers, a nonprofit that campaigns to re- eight dams, depending on which population they store wild waterways. In areas where salmon were came from. Chinook juveniles typically exceed completely blocked by dams, the return of salmon 95% survival at each dam, but after passing eight can have a huge benefit to upstream ecosystems. of them, upriver populations reach the ocean with The fish provide food for black bears (Ursus significantly fewer fish than those in areas with- americanus), grizzlies (Ursus arctos), raccoons out dams, Cram said. (Procyon lotor), North American river otters (Lontra canadensis), fishers (Martes pennanti) Furthermore, he said dams halt migrations of and raptors. Since Pacific salmon die after spawn- adult salmon. Since steelhead trout can actually ing, the nutrients provided by their carcasses feed

© The Wildlife Society www.wildlife.org 21 jor effects on water systems and the wildlife that depend on them. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is working to install new pumps to replace aging irrigation systems that lower stream levels — sometimes raising water temperatures higher than some species can endure.

Older irrigation systems often divert more water than is needed from the streams, Cram said. The irrigation water flows through the crops, warming and picking up agricultural chemicals before returning to the same waterway downstream. The pumps, which draw water as needed from downstream, use less Credit: Kate Benkert/USFWS water and allow the waterways to stay colder.

Water flows past the Elwha Dam during invertebrates, which in turn feed juvenile salmon “You’re saving water volume but you’re also lower- its 2011 removal. Since and other freshwater organisms, Cram said. ing the overall temperature, which is sometimes dams were removed from more important,” Cram said. “We’re pushing these the river, conservationists After dams were removed on the Elwha River on as a big way to increase our resilience to climate say, resources have Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, benefits extended change, or even take a step in the right direction improved for a range of species, from crabs to to the estuary and beyond, said Christopher Williams, rather than just slow the warming.” killer whales. senior vice president for conservation at American Rivers. Increased sediment flows have built coastline, Washington biologists are also hoping better water providing resources for crabs and shorebirds, he said, management can help the recovery of northern and salmon-rich waterways feed marine mammals leopard frogs (Rana pipiens), listed as endangered including killer whales (Orcinus orca), whose local by the state since only one population persists at population is listed as endangered possibly due in Potholes Reservoir in Grant County. part to the loss of its primary food source. Water is largely managed in the state for ag- “We’re seeing some incredibly dramatic changes ricultural purposes, said Emily Grabowsky, a in the restoration of river ecology now that those northern leopard frog biologist with the WDFW. dams are out,” Williams said. She hopes to mimic natural flows at a northern leopard frog reintroduction site — drawing down Impacts from agriculture water in early winter in northern leopard frogs’ Elsewhere in the Pacific Northwest, as well as historical range including eight counties in the across the continent, agriculture is having ma- state — to reduce invasive bullfrogs (Lithobates

On rivers affected by dams, California sea lions (left) prey on salmon and steelhead trout, further reducing fish numbers.

Washington biologists are exploring whether mimicking natural river flows will aid northern leopard frogs (right). Credit: Bryan Wright/Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Credit: Emily Grabowsky

22 The Wildlife Professional, September/October 2019 © The Wildlife Society catesbeianus), which outcompete and can trans- “Applying habitat management techniques aimed mit lethal chytrid fungus to the leopard frogs; at northern leopard frogs improves habitat for nonnative common carp (Cyprinus carpio), many species in the area,” Grabowsky said. which disrupt the pond community by digging up sediment; and nonnative mosquito fish Restoring wetlands (Gambusia affinis) which prey on tadpoles and In Florida, managers are also addressing the egg masses. By returning the native frogs, she impacts of agriculture on natural water systems. hopes to lay the foundation and methodology Parts of the basin of Florida’s longest waterway, to restore northern leopard frog populations in the St. Johns River, were drained by the early Washington and inform broader conservation half of the 20th century as part of the flow was efforts throughout the West. rerouted to the coast and wetlands replaced by

Removing dams, restoring rivers Cleveland National Forest Starting in 2017, 33 dams on three creeks were removed Dams can have a transformative effect on waterways, throughout the Cleveland National Forest in Southern affecting fish and wildlife throughout the system. In some California. The restoration of a natural water flow to these cases, removing them has helped restore damaged creeks has helped the recovery of steelhead trout, California ecosystems. Here are a few examples. tree frogs (Pseudacris cadaverina) and arroyo chub (Gila Kennebec River orcuttii), among other species. The 1999 removal of the Edwards Dam on the Kennebec Finlayson Dam River in Maine sparked support for dam removal nationwide The removal of the Finlayson Dam on the Big East River in to restore ecosystems. By removing the aging dam, alewife Ontario was the first documented case of a big dam removal (Alosa pseudoharengus) were able to access more of the in Canada. The dam was originally built by the logging river, having trophic effects on other species. industry, but the industry’s decline in the area made the Elwha River dam unnecessary. Within a few years of its 2000 removal, The National Park Service’s $325 million Elwha Ecosystem brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) recovered while natural Restoration Project started removing the Elwha and Glines regeneration stabilized reservoir sediments. Canyon dams in 2011, opening up hundreds of miles of waterways for salmon spawning and releasing millions of cubic yards of sediment stored in the reservoirs. The project put a stop to the rapid erosion of the shoreline around the river’s delta.

Patapsco River American Rivers is working to remove the Bloede Dam, the last in a series of dams being removed from the Maryland river. The efforts are intended to restore spawning habitat for alewife, American shad (Alosa sapidissima), blueback herring (Alosa aestivalis), hickory shad (Alosa mediocris) and American Credit: Doug Zimmer/USFWS eel (Anguilla rostrata). A mechanical excavator removes a portion of the Elwha Dam in this September 2011 photo.

A $150 million inlet agriculture. In the river’s upper basin southeast from dams. Unlike their relative success in the structure leads to a 10,000-acre treatment of Orlando, this impacted a variety of wildlife, Pacific Northwest, researchers found, fish ladders reservoir and wetland destroying the inland waterways used by West haven’t been very successful in helping shad get along the St. Johns Indian manatees (Trichechus manatus) and past these structures (Brown et al, 2012). “Lasting River. This structure American shad (Alosa sapidissima). Like salmon, ecosystem-wide impacts cannot be compensated captures agricultural shad spawn up freshwater rivers. Though the for through fish passage and hatchery technol- runoff, improving the quality of wetlands species was once fished in great numbers in the ogy,” the authors concluded. In 2008, American downstream. Atlantic, populations collapsed due to the loss of Rivers named the waterway America’s sixth most much of their spawning grounds along the coast endangered river.

Credit: St. Johns River Water Management District Credit: St. Johns River Water Management District St. Johns River Water Management District officials Dianne Hall, Travis Richardson and Dean A limpkin (Aramus guarauna) stands in the St. Johns River, where Dobberfuhl inspect a newly constructed canal plug and weir designed to maintain water in the marsh. 300,000 acres have been restored to benefit birds and other wildlife.

24 The Wildlife Professional, September/October 2019 © The Wildlife Society The St. Johns River Water Management District, a state agency, has been working for the past three decades to acquire property in the river’s upper basin to restore lost wetlands. Charged with improving water quality, restoring natural water systems, building flood protection and improving water supply in North Florida, it has restored more than 300,000 acres of swampland and floodplain to provide quality habitat for federally threatened wood storks (Mycteria Americana) and Everglades snail kites (Rostrhamus sociabilis), herons, ducks and other game birds, as well as fish. In 2008, the Australian- based International RiverFoundation awarded the district its Thiess Riverprize Award for its work.

“What used to be ditched and drained muck farms is now high-quality wetland,” said Dean Dobberfuhl, a bureau chief of water resources at the district. Credit: California Department of Fish and Wildlife

The improvements —Dobberfuhl calls them an “eco- including fish, and bird species like southwestern In the Mojave Desert, system lift” — are tailored to improving waterways willow flycatcher (Empidonax traillii extimus) wildlife managers are for species like shad and sea cows. and yellow-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus), using artificial water said Heidi Trathnigg, owner of the environmental catchments to boost “Manatee numbers in the rivers have pretty much consulting firm EnviroPlan Partners and an adjunct wildlife numbers. skyrocketed in the past decade,” he said. professor at Northern Arizona University. Biologist Adam Hoeft conducts field research on Water in the desert Yellow-billed cuckoos require cottonwoods and artificial water catchments In arid parts of the United States, dams can have a willows for nesting, but the unnatural flow regime in the Mojave Desert. huge impact on waterways, and increasing urban areas are drawing more and more of scarce water supplies. Longstanding water shortages in these arid regions are further compounded by climate change, resulting in the change of seasonal water flows in some areas and the complete disappearance of waterways — like the Limitrophe reach of the Colorado River near the Mexican border — in others.

In the Mojave Desert, wildlife managers are using artificial water catchments to boost wildlife numbers. Large troughs provide water for bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis). Smaller mammals like coyotes (Canis latrans) and black-tailed jackrabbits (Lepus californicus), and birds like verdins (Auriparus flaviceps) and black-tailed gnatcatchers (Polioptila melanura) access below-ground guzzlers by way of ramps that lead them to underground water tanks (Rich et al, 2019).

On the Lower Colorado River, managers are wres- tling with impacts from nine dams from the Glen Canyon to the Morelos dams. Altered flows due to the dams have created problems for some species, Credit: Molly Parren

“Many of the native fish in the Colorado River basin were endemic to the area and relied on turbid and sea- sonally warm waters from the highly erosive sediments in the upper basin,” Trathnigg said. “When the dams were created, the water coming out of the dam was clear and cold, which changed the environment.”

Credit: California Department of Fish and Wildlife Native vegetation also helps declining butterflies, she found. While she noticed only a couple species of A remote camera captures an image of has caused invasive tamarisk to take over much butterflies exploiting the nectar of tamarisks, native a bobcat (Lynx rufus) of the riverbanks where native cottonwoods used shrubs and forbs attracted between 15 and 20 species. appearing near a to grow. Flycatchers can deal with tamarisk, but below-ground water they require standing water near their nest sites. Another stakeholder catchment in the Since the birds return to the same nest areas year While efforts are being made to restore native cot- Mojave Desert. after year, drought, and the wrong type of long- tonwoods and remove tamarisk throughout the river term water management, can ruin their chances of system, Trathnigg worries the situation is worsening as successful nesting permanently, Trathnigg said. climate change and growing populations are reducing flows despite efforts to improve the ecosystem. Dams changed water conditions in ways that favored invasive species that predated on or outcompeted “Water is only getting scarcer, and more and more federally endangered populations of humpback chub people are moving to the Southwest,” she said. (Gila cypha), bonytail chub (Gila elegans) and ra- zorback sucker (Xyrauchen texanus), Trathnigg said. The pulses created by historic floods on the They have also limited the migration of the Colorado Colorado helped shape landscapes like sandbars that are important for a variety of species, said Williams, of American Rivers.

“Now we tend to look at big floods as a crisis, and indeed they are because they damage property and endanger lives,” he said. “But 500 years ago, before all those dams and levees were built, flood was just a natural part of the river’s life cycle.”

Historically, when dams and other structures reshaped waterways, the needs of fish and wildlife were an afterthought, Williams said, but now, when humans make changes to wetlands or waterways, their needs should be considered at the outset.

“Our river systems are so managed and developed,” he said, “that wildlife and fish are another stakeholder.”

The Glen Canyon Dam creates Lake Powell and alters the flow of the Colorado River as it Joshua Rapp Learn is a science winds through the writer for The Wildlife Society. Southwest. Credit: NASA

26 The Wildlife Professional, September/October 2019 © The Wildlife Society Colleen Olfenbuttel, CWB®

Credit: Melissa McGaw/NC Wildlife Resources Commission

Commit to excellence. Showcase your credentials. Advance the profession.

Become a Certified Wildlife Biologist.®

Learn what it takes to be a CWB® at wildlife.org/certification. COMMENTARY SPECIAL FOCUS #MeToo

#UsToo The #MeToo movement has exposed the pervasiveness of sexual harassment in the workplace. The wildlife profession is no exception.

By Carol Chambers, Bob Lanka and Alan Hamilton

f you’re comfortable sharing, please stand up Incidents are widespread if you are a survivor of sexual harassment or Reports of harassment and assault are widespread “I assault.” throughout the profession. Incidents at conservation agencies have been in the news recently. At the We asked this of a crowd of over 80 men and National Park Service, a superintendent in Califor- women — students and professionals — at the an- nia was found last year to have made condescending nual TWS 2018 conference in Cleveland. The room and derogatory remarks toward female employees, was silent. For a moment, no one moved. including telling one that she should go look at some graffiti — paintings of penises — because “she Then a young woman stood. Many more soon fol- would like it” (Government Executive 2018). In lowed. Within moments, a third of the people in the 2017, an Interior Department survey found 26% room were standing. of its employees experienced sexual harassment or gender discrimination during the previous year If we didn’t know it before, it became clear at that (CFI Group 2017). In 2014, the New Mexico state moment that sexual harassment and assault are government reached an out-of-court settlement concerns that the wildlife profession — and The over allegations that a state Department of Game Wildlife Society — must address. and Fish director harassed a 19-year employee over several months, including sending 22 texts over a By now, most people have heard about the #MeToo 4-hour period with requests for sex. Fearing for her movement, which highlights the prevalence of job, the employee tried to ignore his comments. sexual harassment and assault, especially in the Her documentation of this and other events eventu- workplace. #MeToo is a statement of survival and ally led to his resignation, but she left her job, too community. The issue is global, and it affects our — a job she loved — over fear of reprisal (The New Society’s membership at all levels. If hostility and Mexican 2016). harassment remain unchecked, the workplace can be challenging for everyone, from entry-level em- For wildlifers, these inappropriate experiences can ployees to those high in seniority. often occur during fieldwork. Clancy et al. (2014)

Participants attend the #MeToo Symposium, sponsored by Women of Wildlife, the Ethnic and Gender Diversity Working Group and the Native Peoples Wildlife Management Working Group, at the 2018 TWS annual meeting in Cleveland. Credit: Carol L. Chambers

28 The Wildlife Professional, September/October 2019 © The Wildlife Society reported that harassment and assault were common in trainee career stages, with women as primary targets. Perpetrators of assault were usually senior members of the research team. Rarely were codes of conduct or sexual harassment policies presented to employees, nor were they provided with ways to report assaults.

It is impossible to know with certainty how preva- lent sexual or other forms of misconduct are in our society or in our profession. But we know that number is greater than zero, and greater than zero is unacceptable.

For those who fondly remember a time when an off-color joke around the campfire with the crew was routine; who came up in a profession in which Credit: daveynin comments directed at someone of a different gender, race, creed or identity were at least tolerated challenge to more patriarchal forms of author- A superintendent at and more likely considered acceptable; who today ity and government institutionalized in so many Whiskeytown National struggle with the pace of change taking place in aspects of our culture. Until relatively recently, hun- Recreation Area was found to have made society and the workplace, we empathize. dreds of state and federal laws were still based on condescending and gender discrimination. It wasn’t until the landmark derogatory remarks But there can be no doubt. Change has come. Over- 1972 ruling in Moritz v. Commissioner of Internal toward female due change. Change for the better. One need only Revenue, following successful arguments by then- employees. look at the overwhelming response to the #MeToo attorney Ruth Bader Ginsburg, that the Supreme movement and the number of prominent men who Court found no rational basis existed to treat men resigned their positions because of past or ongoing and women differently and that discrimination misconduct to see that there is a movement toward — in this case based on gender — is an unconstitu- decency and justice. tional denial of equal protection.

Outdated norms This institutional authority isn’t limited to gov- The #MeToo movement advances and legitimizes a ernments. It is intrinsic to many organizations, more personal, embodied and matriarchal form of including schools and universities, where relation- authority — an authority based more on a personal ships are structured and defined by power. Nowhere sense of responsibility to the well-being of self and is this more evident than in our land use and others than on external rules and laws. The pas- wildlife agencies whose hierarchical management sionate indignation at the heart of the #MeToo structures are largely based on military and law movement is an emotional response to a culture of enforcement models. abuse where perpetrators are protected by keeping the victims isolated from each other and by under- Situations where power dynamics are a part of mining the truth of their experiences by requiring the institutional structure — and in the working them to prove their accusations beyond a reason- environment itself — are likely more predisposed to able doubt. This is changing, however, as more sexual harassment and abuse. and more victims of harassment and abuse speak out and their personal stories are being heard and The #MeToo movement is an invitation for all of validated by others without the evidentiary burden us to engage with each other, the environment and of proof being the sole means of establishing the with wildlife from an inherent sense of personal re- validity of the victims’ experience. sponsibility and care. We need to return to trusting the authority that comes through the responsibility As a movement, #MeToo is more than the outrage of the shared nature of our humanity rather than and growing intolerance of victims of sexual abuse defaulting to relationships structured by title, power and harassment. #MeToo represents a fundamental and position.

The #MeToo The ideal is the goal movement is in part a response to a system Not only should we evaluate the nature of our work- that often benefits place relationships. Each of us, as members of The perpetrators by requiring Wildlife Society, should know where our profes- victims to prove their sional society stands and what its expectations are accusations beyond a for our professional behavior. Credit: Alec Perkins reasonable doubt.

The Wildlife Society Those expectations, found within TWS’ bylaws and tial consequences resulting from an ethics code is better served when Code of Ethics (wildlife.org/leadership-and-values), violation finding. every voice is heard with state that composition of the Society is as follows: respect and dignity. “The Society shall be composed of professionals, These excerpts from TWS’ bylaws and Code of Eth- students and others, regardless of age, race, reli- ics indicate there is no way anyone could construe gion, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation sexual misconduct as acceptable or consistent with or nationality who are interested in wildlife resourc- TWS values. Zero incidents of misconduct is the es, and who subscribe to the Society’s Objectives ideal. Today, the ideal must be the goal. While we and Code of Ethics.” cannot change the past, each of us individually — and as a society — can commit to doing what is TWS objectives are also found in our bylaws. Objec- right, starting now. tive 4 states: “Principal objectives of the Society are to seek the highest standards in all activities of the TWS is not standing still. TWS Council’s Diversity wildlife profession.” Subcommittee continues to look at our bylaws language to ensure that human diversity and dignity Our Society’s Code of Ethics holds that each are properly addressed. The Ethnic and Gender Di- member will “subscribe to the highest standards of versity Working Group (wildlife.org/egdwg) strives integrity and conduct and will proactively promote to “increase awareness of the importance of diversi- and address ethical behavior.” It requires each ty among members of the Society and the profession member to “uphold the dignity and integrity of the at large.” Recent studies provide suggestions to wildlife profession. They shall endeavor to avoid reduce harassment in the field and office, including even the suspicion of dishonesty, fraud, deceit, early career training to recognize and avoid risk, misrepresentation, or unprofessional demeanor.” having experienced workers positively influence the The code of ethics has an enforcement section workplace, hiring diverse teams and providing op- detailing how to report an ethics violation, what portunities to report harassment or assault (Clancy process TWS will use to investigate and the poten- et al. 2014, Rinkus et al. 2018).

30 The Wildlife Professional, September/October 2019 © The Wildlife Society Looking inward working environments welcoming for everyone. There is no question that we need more educa- #MeToo is not somebody else’s problem, and it tion, better policies and enforcement to curtail certainly isn’t a problem from which the wildlife and punish those corrupted by power and who community is immune. perpetuate abuse in its many forms. But we simply won’t make any substantive changes until TWS is not the same society it was when founded we all begin to critically examine how — whether in 1937, nor are we the same as on our 75th an- consciously or unconsciously — we ourselves may niversary in 2012. Our Society’s members have be acting from a sense of power, privilege and become more diverse in their career paths, gender, entitlement. The lasting change that may arrest race and social consciousness. The only require- this destructive culture of abuse that the #MeToo ments for membership in The Wildlife Society are movement has brought to light may ultimately be that members are interested in wildlife, agree with found in the introspective work of identifying our the Society’s objectives, abide by its Code of Ethics own sense of entitlement, need for power, self- and pay dues. That is it. Bylaws are very clear that importance and control. nothing else matters.

Most importantly we all must start developing, However, for The Wildlife Society to thrive, be- trusting and finding value in our own relational ing open to a diverse membership is critical. Our capacities and responsibilities as caretakers of Society — and the resources our members study others and stewards of the environment. Hope for and manage — are better served when every voice is the future cannot be predicated on being more in heard with respect and dignity. control, powerful and important but rather in our capacity to become more relational and connected For together, “WE ARE THE WILDLIFE SOCIETY!” to our humanity, to the earth and to each other.

Social media is forcing these issues into the public realm, but this is not where these issues of inequity and harassment are resolved. We need to take responsibility and act to ensure we are doing our part to make our communities and

Carol Chambers, PhD, is professor of wildlife ecology at Northern Arizona University and vice president of The Wildlife Society.

Bob Lanka, MS, CWB®, is retired from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, and serves as Central Mountains and Plains Section Representative to TWS Council.

Alan Hamilton, PhD, is a retired New Mexico Wetlands Coordinator and executive director of Rio Grande Return.

am not a lawyer or a human resources specialist. A Long Way to Go I’m a wildlife biologist with about 40 years of ex- Iperience. I’ve worked for the federal government SEXUAL HARASSMENT LAWS HAVE (mostly for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the Department of the Interior) for 35 years, but I also EVOLVED, BUT THEY STILL FALL have some experience working for universities and SHORT OF PROTECTING VICTIMS in the private sector. Similar to most women I know, I’ve experienced sexual harassment in my career.

By Kathy Granillo Every year that I’ve worked for the federal government, I’ve attended mandatory sexual harassment trainings, along with every other employee. Every year, I’m taught that sexual harassment is illegal. Every year, for the past several years, the Interior secretary has issued a memo stating that the department does not tolerate sexual harassment. Posters are distributed. Rules are posted. I’m sure similar training, posters and memos are found throughout the federal government, state agencies, educational institutions and the private sector.

And yet, sexual harassment continues to occur at about the same frequency that it always has (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2018). People concerned with this issue believe that passing laws, writing policies, requiring training sessions and issuing memos are not nearly enough to reduce sexual harassment. For it to significantly decline, we need a cultural change — a paradigm shift.

The #MeToo movement is a call for and recognition of this critical need. Until it happens, we need to be aware of the laws and policies meant to protect us from sexual harassment, and we need to demand that these protections are implemented.

A matter of civil rights Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is the law that prohibits sexual harassment in the workplace. It prohibits discrimination of employees in the workplace based on race, religion, color, sex and national origin.

Specifically, Section 703 makes it illegal for an employer “to fail or refuse to hire or to discharge any individual, or otherwise to discriminate against any individual with respect to his compensation, terms, conditions or privileges of employment, because of such individual’s race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.”

The #MeToo movement has called for a paradigm shift to end sexual harassment. Credit: John M.

32 The Wildlife Professional, September/October 2019 © The Wildlife Society Congress created the Equal Employment Op- portunity Commission in 1965 to enforce this act. Headquartered in Washington, it now has 53 offices across the nation and over 2,500 employees.

For the first 15 years after the passage of the Civil Rights Act, debate ensued about whether or not “discrimination” included sexual harassment. It wasn’t until 1980 that the EEOC issued guidelines declaring that sexual harassment was indeed a violation. The guidance established criteria for determining when unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature constitutes sexual harassment. It defined the circumstances under which an employer may be held liable, and it suggested steps an employer should take to prevent Credit: Fortune Most Powerful Women sexual harassment. Savings Bank v. Binson, went to the Supreme Court. At the Fortune Most Powerful An evolving definition Sexual harassment was indeed sexual discrimina- Women Summit 2018, The EEOC definition of sexual harassment has tion, the court ruled, establishing that a hostile work participants discuss how evolved over the years. This is how the commission environment is itself a form of sexual harassment. workplaces can find currently describes it: solutions to issues of workplace behavior and Protections expanded gender equity. “It is unlawful to harass a person (an applicant or In the eyes of the law, there are two main categories employee) because of that person’s sex. Harassment of sexual harassment: quid pro quo and hostile work can include ‘sexual harassment’ or unwelcome sex- environment. Quid pro quo occurs when someone ual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other in a position of power offers something in return verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature. for a sexual favor. A hostile work environment is characterized by severe or pervasive behavior that is “Harassment does not have to be of a sexual nature, frequent and unwanted and affects employment and however, and can include offensive remarks about performance. a person’s sex. For example, it is illegal to harass a woman by making offensive comments about Over time it became clear that more legal protec- women in general. tion was needed for victims of sexual harassment. In 1994, Congress passed the Violence Against “Both victim and the harasser can be either a woman Women Act, which made it easier for women to take or a man, and the victim and harasser can be the sexual harassment cases to court. In 2005, Congress same sex. reauthorized the act, expanding it to provide federal funds to help victims of sexual violence and sexual “Although the law doesn’t prohibit simple teasing, off- assault, and again in 2013, specifically including Na- hand comments, or isolated incidents that are not very tive American tribal lands. serious, harassment is illegal when it is so frequent or severe that it creates a hostile or offensive work envi- It took until 1995 for Congress to pass the Govern- ronment or when it results in an adverse employment ment Accountability Act, making Senators and decision (such as the victim being fired or demoted). members of Congress accountable to sexual harassment laws, just like employers in workplaces across “The harasser can be the victim’s supervisor, a the country. supervisor in another area, a co-worker, or someone who is not an employee of the employer, such as a Title VII of the Civil Rights Act applies to employers client or customer.” with 15 or more employees. State law governs companies with fewer than 15 employees. Most states It wasn’t until 22 years after the act was passed that have enacted Fair Employment Practice laws cover- the first true case on sexual harassment, Meritor ing discrimination and sexual harassment. (Every

© The Wildlife Society www.wildlife.org 33 This act says, “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participa- tion in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

In the 1990s, the U.S. Supreme Court issued three decisions clarifying that Title IX requires schools to respond appropriately to reports of sexual harassment and sexual violence against students.

It’s commonly known that Title IX applies to colleges and universities receiving federal financial assistance, but in fact, it applies to all educational institutions that receive federal financial assistance, including at least 16,500 local school districts, 7,000 postsecondary institutions, charter schools, for-profit Credit: Webmz schools, vocational rehabilitation agencies, state edu- Women in science state is a little different in terms of language and cation agencies, museums and libraries. In addition face widespread sexual enforcement. I urge you all to look up the pertinent to students and employees, it provides coverage to harassment in the information for your state.) any person entering the institution’s premises. workplace, according to a recent study by the National Academies of What about students? With offices across the country, the Department of Sciences, Engineering So far, I’ve described laws that protect workers, but Education’s Office of Civil Rights enforces the act. It and Medicine. what about students? They have protection, too. is vital to the effective implementation of Title IX that When Title IX of the Education Amendments of anyone associated with an institution covered by this 1972 was passed, it received a lot of attention and act be aware of that institution’s process for enforcing news coverage due to its implications for college it and how to contact the appropriate representative. sports programs, but that overshadowed portions that deal with sexual discrimination. A continuing problem Have these laws reduced the frequency of sexual harassment in the workplace or at educational institutions? The short answer is no.

In 2018, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine commissioned a study on sexual harassment. After examining 30 years of research, it found that sexual harassment of women in the sciences is widespread in workplaces, and rates have not significantly decreased (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, 2018).

The report found that gender harassment, including behaviors that communicate that women do not belong or merit respect, is by far the most common type of sexual harassment. It also found that when gender harassment is pervasive, unwanted sexual attention and sexual coercion become more likely (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and

Credit: Stacy Godfrey/U.S. Navy Medicine 2018).

Sen. Martha McSally, of Arizona, speaks at the National Discussion on Sexual Assault and Why hasn’t the rate of sexual harassment in the Sexual Harassment at America's Colleges, Universities and Service Academies. The forum brought together experts to address the challenge of eliminating sexual assault and sexual workplace and at educational institutions declined? harassment on college, university and military service academy campuses. Partly because the legal system, which is supposed

34 The Wildlife Professional, September/October 2019 © The Wildlife Society to investigate, address and prevent sexual harass- In the end, investigators often cannot determine if the ment, has failed victims for decades. The other part employer engaged in sexual harassment. In 2016, the of the answer is that courts have rewarded organi- EEOC received 6,758 sexual harassment claims and zations that create policies, procedures and sexual resolved 23 percent of the cases in favor of employees, harassment training that focus on symbolic com- totaling $40 million in compensation for workers. In pliance with current law and how to avoid liability 54 percent of their investigations, investigators were rather than preventing sexual harassment (Sperino unable to gather enough evidence to determine if ha- and Thomas 2017). rassment occurred. In those cases, employees may sue, but when they go to court, they face an uphill battle. Another issue is implementation of the Civil Rights Act. The act requires a complainant to file a griev- A long way to go ance with the EEOC and exhaust that avenue prior Law professors Sandra Sperino, at the University to any legal action. Congress created this require- of Cincinnati, and Suja Thomas, at the University ment — and tight timelines for the EEOC to act on of Illinois, set out to understand how judges view claims — in order to help victims, but it can often discrimination cases. They reviewed more than 1,000 serve to drag out the process. job discrimination cases and found disturbing results,

What Can You Do? Find out about grievance and complaint Be aware of deadlines! Don’t delay in What can you do if you experience sexual procedures. You may be able to use these reporting the problem to your employer, harassment at work or at your educational procedures to stop the harassment and if it is possible to do so. If you start to feel institution? The following summarizes resolve the problem. At the very least, that your employer’s process for dealing advice from Equal Rights Advocates, an following your employer’s complaint with the sexual harassment may not help organization dedicated to fighting for procedures (if any exist) will show that you you, be aware that doing nothing could women’s equality (equalrights.org). did what you could to make the employer mean losing your rights! There are legal aware of the harassment. deadlines for filing a formal complaint or Say “No” clearly. If the harassment charge of discrimination with government Involve your union. If you belong to doesn’t end promptly, ask the harasser to agencies, and you cannot bring a lawsuit a union, you may want to file a formal stop, and put the incident in writing. against your employer unless you have grievance through it and try to get a shop first filed a complaint with the EEOC or Write down what happened. Include steward or other union official to help the agency that enforces your state’s dates, places, times and possible you work through the grievance process. employment discrimination laws. witnesses. If possible, ask co-workers to Keep in mind that if you use your union’s write what they saw or heard, especially if grievance procedure, you must still file a File a lawsuit. After you file a formal the same thing is happening to them. complaint (or “charge”) of discrimination complaint with the EEOC and/or your with a government agency before filing a state’s fair employment agency, you may Report the harassment. If possible, tell lawsuit in federal or state court. also consider filing a lawsuit. The remedies your supervisor, your human resources or relief you can seek in a lawsuit will department or some other department or File a discrimination complaint with a vary but may include monetary damages, person within your organization who has government agency. If you want to file getting your job back (if you’ve been fired the power to stop the harassment. a lawsuit in federal or state court, you or transferred to another position) and/or must first file a formal sexual harassment Start a paper trail. When you report the making your employer change its practices complaint (or “charge”) with the sexual harassment to your employer or to prevent future sexual harassment from federal Equal Employment Opportunity to others, do it in writing. This creates a occurring. Commission (EEOC) at written record of when you complained www.eeoc.gov or Be prepared for a lot of time, attention and and what happened in response to it. Keep 1-800-669-4000 and/or your state’s fair sustained energy needed to follow these copies of everything you send and receive employment agency. If you are a federal steps. Take the lead and responsibility. from your employer. employee, follow federal guidelines on how to file a sexual harassment complaint. Don’t assume someone will take care of Review your personnel file. Most If you are a student or employed by an it for you. If others become aware of your states and the federal government give educational institution, file a complaint with complaint and actions, be prepared for employees the right to review and/or make OCR at https://ocrcas.ed.gov. potential backlash, isolation and denial — copies of their personnel files. but hopefully also support — from others.

© The Wildlife Society www.wildlife.org 35 summarized in their book, Unequal: How America’s To ensure that our rights and those of our friends Courts Undermine Discrimination Law (2017). and colleagues are protected and enforced, we must educate ourselves. We need to know the laws and In the past 40 years, they found, federal judges policies that govern our workplaces and educational across the country have developed an extremely institutions and that set out sexual harassment pro- narrow interpretation of what sexual harassment is tections. But we also need to understand the reality under the law and which behaviors create a hostile of our current situation. The truth is, sexual harass- work environment. Repeated groping, sexual propo- ment continues to occur in the workplace, and we sitions and sexualized comments at work usually have a long way to go before we have an equitable don’t meet that high standard. legal system that works for us all.

This is primarily true of the “hostile work environment” form of harassment. This is the type of case The findings and conclusions in this article are that federal judges are most likely to dismiss based those of the author and do not represent the official on precedent. When one judge decides that re- views of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. peated groping and attempts to kiss don’t count as sexual harassment and an appeals court upholds the decision, it creates a legal rationale for other judges to dismiss similar cases. Where to get more information: Kathy Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Granillo, MS, This is how federal judges created a high bar for TWS Fellow, works EEOC.gov for the U.S. Fish & what the courts consider harassment that is “se- Wildlife Service and is vere and pervasive” enough to create a hostile work U.S. Department of Education the Refuge Manager environment, Sperino and Thomas concluded. If at Sevilleta National Office of Civil Rights Wildlife Refuge in judges don’t believe that someone’s allegation rises www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/know.html Socorro, New Mexico. to the level of severity, they can dismiss a case before it even goes to trial.

36 The Wildlife Professional, September/October 2019 © The Wildlife Society ETHICS IN PRACTICE SPECIAL FOCUS #MeToo

Moving Forward HOW DO WE CHANGE THE CULTURE OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT OF WOMEN?

By Kathy Granillo, Serra Hoagland, Winifred Kessler, John Koprowski and Krysten Zummo-Strong

At the Women of Wildlife symposium on #MeToo at the 2018 TWS annual conference, four presenters — a recent college graduate, an early-career Native American professional, a retired female professional and a late-career male professional — offered their perspectives on how to move forward and change the culture around sexual harassment of women. Their discussions are summarized here.

exual harassment is in the public eye every day. It happens across all professions — and Sthe wildlife profession is no exception. It is a serious offense, no matter a person’s gender or race. Perspectives on the issue abound, including among members of the LGBTQ+ community; male victims; and groups of women, including

Native Americans, who have experienced past Credit: Chudakov atrocities and continue to face complex systems of power imbalance. their employees, students and others, whether they In a recent study, are direct or indirect reports. 64% of those surveyed The four unique perspectives included here pres- reported they had directly experienced ent an array of strategies we can use to change the Just as training hasn’t reduced the frequency of sexual harassment culture surrounding sexual harassment of women. sexual harassment, many of the grievance systems during academic-led that companies and organizations have in place field assignments and Strategies for all have proven ineffective. The procedures are often over 20% reported All colleagues and co-workers must be alert for onerous or even threatening and can fail to resolve they had been sexually assaulted. indications of sexual harassment and be willing complaints. Supervisors should take every complaint to step up and help. Studies show that anti- seriously, assure victims they did the right thing in harassment training does not work. Instead, coming forward, take careful measures to protect training should focus on bystander intervention them and identify options — including the formal (Feldblum and Lipnic 2016, Dobbin and Kalev grievance process — to hold perpetrators accountable. 2017). Co-workers must be taught to look for sexual harassment and know how to respond when Strategies for those who work they suspect abuse. Crafting and disseminating with students effective codes of conduct in our workplaces and The very nature of relationships between subordi- conferences also serve to highlight and sensitize nates, like students or interns, and their supervisors, our colleagues to the prevalence of harassment including academic professionals and employers, (Foxx et al. 2019). Everyone must be willing to of- can create power imbalances. Students can be at the fer caring and confidential listening when concerns mercy of professors and other professionals who are shared, encourage reporting while offering not only evaluate them but are instrumental in their support and help victims plan a reporting strategy grant scholarship applications, publications and let- that won’t risk their well-being or career prospects. ters of recommendation for future career positions. Professionals should have an open-door policy for Sexual harassment is an abuse of this imbalance.

Any professional who interacts with students also must examine what they can do that is within their sphere of influence to create a change. For instance, they can institute clear rules of behavior in response to sexual harassment and other forms of discrimination and initiate discussions about acceptable behavior for everyone on campus, in labs and in the field. Those who supervise students in

Credit: Carol L. Chambers the work environment can do the same.

Panelists discuss A recent study of sexual harassment during ac- As pointed out in the article “A Long Way to Go” in sexual harassment at the Women of Wildlife ademic-led field assignments found that 64% of this special section, students have legal protections. symposium on #MeToo those surveyed had directly experienced sexual Professionals who interact with students must take at the 2018 TWS annual harassment, and over 20% reported they had been the time to learn how Title IX is enforced at their in- conference. sexually assaulted. The same study found that stitution and be ready to help a student who decides 72% of 619 respondents reported they had directly to pursue legal action. observed or been told about field-site researchers or colleagues making inappropriate or sexual remarks Strategies for women at research field sites (Clancy et al. 2014). One reason sexual harassment continues is that women can often find it difficult to hold male Those subjected to it may experience depression, offenders in their lives and workplaces account- Just as training anxiety and suicidal thoughts. Some students devel- able. This is much easier said than done, but it is hasn’t reduced the op coping mechanisms, often telling themselves, “I essential. Women must confront men about their frequency of sexual am only here for a short time, so just push through behavior and demand that it end. It takes tre- harassment, many of the grievance systems it.” They may even hear that advice from others. mendous courage for women to call out offensive that companies and behavior. Confrontation is extremely uncomfort- organizations have Because of these inherent power imbalances, pro- able, and the stakes can be high, especially when a in place have proven fessionals who interact with students must heighten power imbalance is involved. Women are outnum- ineffective. their awareness. Behavioral changes in a student, bered in the wildlife profession, particularly in leadership positions.

Perpetrators often get away with abuse by silenc- ing their victims through threats. For this reason, women need a strong support network of other women and men. When courage is required, it helps to have colleagues and friends as sound- ing boards, advisers, supporters, confidants and sources of strength.

A key way to strengthen that network is by doing everything possible to place women in leadership positions, particularly at the top of the wildlife professional hierarchy. This can be difficult, because many women are hesitant to move up the ladder. They may lack confidence due to past struggles as a women in the wildlife field, or they may have concerns about work/life balance. Again, a strong Credit: Andrey Popov

38 The Wildlife Professional, September/October 2019 © The Wildlife Society network of women can instill the confidence need- have experienced rape — more than any other ed to step up when opportunities arise. Women demographic (Rosay 2016). already in management and supervisory positions have a greater responsibility to recruit, retain and The following story reveals the depth of the prob- promote women. They must create policies that al- lem for Native American women. Several Native low women to thrive. American women were at a “Wellbriety” retreat — part of a program that seeks to break the cycle Strategies for men of hurt caused by alcoholism, with an emphasis on Men dominate the wildlife profession. They hold Native spiritual traditions. In one activity, each Na- most positions of authority and are often preva- tive woman was handed a small, rounded river rock, lent role models. Therefore, men are essential in and they held the rocks as they stood shoulder to Sexual assault is ending sexual harassment of women. Men cannot shoulder. Each rock symbolized an event in Native one of many issues stand by in the face of other men’s inappropriate American history that is carried from generation facing Native American behaviors and comments, and they must challenge to generation. The first woman in line held a stone communities. such traditions and historical norms. They must exercise the courage to confront men’s sexual harassment, including that of their friends, colleagues and peers. Strength in numbers can help. Men who want to speak up when they see or hear something inappropriate can cement their resolve by teaming up with friends or colleagues. Together, they can make a commitment to speak out and back each other up.

If a woman shares her experience of sexual harassment with a man, it is crucial that the man listen respectfully, allow her to tell her story and reassure her that her well-being is important. The man can gently ask how he can help or what can be done to help and offer to be a part of the solution. Credit: JES STUDIO

Proactively, men can have conversations with other labeled the “1493 Doctrine of Discovery” — the basis men, including peers, supervisors, direct reports of European claims in the Americas and the founda- and professors about what constitutes acceptable tion for the United States’ western expansion. speech and behavior and what does not. Open discussion can bring out harmful assumptions and She handed her stone to the next woman in line, stereotypes for all to recognize and break down. who now held two stones. Her stone was labeled as Men can mentor the young males in their lives the Treaty-Making Era, representing nearly three about how to be men in ways that don’t involve centuries of broken treaties with American Indian degrading or abusing girls and women. tribes. She passed her two stones to her right.

Strategies for Native Americans The process continued until the last woman in line Native Americans and tribal communities are not was unable to hold all the stones representing his- immune to issues that have surfaced from the torical trauma. Native communities have endured #MeToo movement. In fact, the situation is dire. generations of horrific, government-sanctioned Studies show that 60% of Native American women events. Sexual harassment and abuse have become are subjected to acts of sexual violence within yet another rock in the pile of issues weighing on their lifetime and 34% of Native American women native communities today.

© The Wildlife Society www.wildlife.org 39 Men predominate in the wildlife profession, and they can play an important role in addressing sexual harassment and supporting women who share their experiences. Credit: Carol L. Chambers

Crafting solutions to stop sexual harassment and majority and minority can come together to form abuse in tribal communities and create meaningful inclusive networks and align with change-makers. healing processes and coping strategies for victims must be tailored to and inclusive of indigenous In this way, the minority grows in number as ma- values and ways of life. Organizations such as jority members are converted and eventually end Mending the Sacred Hoop and the Coalition to up as a new, diverse majority comprised of both Stop Violence Against Native Women exist to end men and women. An inclusive workplace, universi- sexual violence in Indian Country. These and other ty setting, field camp and professional society will organizations offer programs to empower victims, all benefit the wildlife profession. foster community collaboration and promote positive behaviors that result in healthy communities. The findings and conclusions in this article are those How to move forward of the authors and do not necessarily represent the Everyone can champion equal and respectful official views of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, behavior in the workplace. Leaders in particular U.S. Forest Service or other employers. make all the difference in making anti-harassment policies and programs work. It is critical for leaders to model the behavior, reinforce it and lead with it.

Because most positions in our field are held by Kathy Granillo, MS, TWS Fellow, is the men, they have the potential to significantly influ- refuge manager at Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge in Socorro, New Mexico. ence the pace of change. In a majority/minority system, there are two basic ways to effect change. Serra Hoagland, PhD, CWB®, is a member of the Laguna Pueblo, the chair of TWS Native Peoples’ Wildlife Management Working The first is for the majority to influence the minor- Group and works for the U.S. Forest Service in Missoula, Montana. ity — compliance. Until recently, this has been Winifred Kessler, PhD, CWB®, is a past president of The the operating principle in the wildlife profession. Wildlife Society, TWS Fellow, Aldo Leopold Memorial Award Women have been pressured to conform to a recipient and is retired from a career with the U.S. Forest Service and man’s world. academic institutions. John Koprowski, PhD, CWB®, is the director of the School of The second way to effect change is for the minor- Natural Resources and the Environment at the University of Arizona. ity to influence or convert the majority. For this Krysten Zummo-Strong, MS, AWB®, is the past chair of the Early Career Professional Working Group, a board member of the to succeed, the minority must have a consistent Central Mountain & Plains Section and is a biologist with the Mississippi message and encourage the majority to discuss Valley Conservancy in Wisconsin. and debate eliminating sexual harassment. The

40 The Wildlife Professional, September/October 2019 © The Wildlife Society RESEARCH AND PRACTICE

Digging Deep for Crayfish Clues SURVEYING FOR CRAYFISH MEANS CUT HANDS, COLD FINGERS — AND CRITICAL DATA

By Susan B. Adams and Scott G. Hereford

ost biologists kneeling in a wet prairie, 2015), as well as the effects of land and stream man- arm extended to the armpit in a muddy agement (e.g., Adams 2013) on populations. Efforts M hole, quickly arrive at the thought, to maintain or restore ecosystems are more likely “There’s got to be a better way.” So it’s not surpris- to succeed when reliable information is available. ing that, when it comes to sampling for burrowing Crayfishes are typically among the key players in the crayfishes (also known as crawfish, crawdads or Southeast’s aquatic and wet terrestrial ecosystems, mudbugs — Superfamily Astacoidea), they have so having reliable data depends on efficient, quanti- devised some creative solutions. tative sampling methods. That’s why we have been quantifying crayfish sampling methods and biases But how effective are they? Sampling methods for in diverse habitats since 2013. fishes and amphibians are well studied. Sampling efficiencies and biases for crayfishes have seldom been Crayfish among cranes quantified, especially in the southeastern United The Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife States — the global center of crayfish biodiversity. Refuge was one place where biologists needed some crayfish answers. Located in Mississippi near the Crayfishes’ propensity to burrow ranges widely. Gulf of Mexico, the refuge was established in 1975 to North American taxa are often assigned to one of conserve the last remaining population of the nonmi- three categories (Hobbs 1942). Primary burrowing gratory Mississippi sandhill crane (Grus canadensis A Creaserinus crayfishes dig complex, branching burrows that can pulla), an endangered species and one of North Amer- oryktes just excavated from a burrow on the extend more than 2 meters down to the water table. ica’s rarest birds (Hereford and Dedrickson 2018). Mississippi Sandhill At times, they venture across land, most notably on Crane National Wildlife warm wet nights, but they seldom occur in surface Since the refuge’s creation, its land manage- Refuge in Jackson waters. Secondary burrowers create less-complex ment has focused on restoring and maintaining County, Mississippi. burrows, spending time in surface waters but residing in burrows for much of their lives. Tertiary burrowers live primarily in surface waters, burrowing only when necessary.

Digging them up can be miserable. Hands get cut. Fin- gers get cold and sore. Thoughts turn to fears of what may lurk in those burrows. But it can also be a fun — and strangely addictive —pursuit. Feeling the tip of a claw or the wriggle of something against the burrow wall produces the satisfaction of unearthing buried treasure after a frustrating and sometimes painful hunt. An element of friendly competition sneaks in among diggers, too. Then, specimens in hand, we try to note species, sex and reproductive form and sometimes measure, weigh and take tissue samples.

Crayfishes are often overlooked, but quantitative sampling is important to understanding them. It is fundamental to our ability to assess population trends and conservation status (Richman et al. Credit: S. B. Adams/ U.S. Forest Service

© The Wildlife Society www.wildlife.org 41 landscapes used by the crane. Managers have used fire and mulching to provide open prairie and savanna. As refuge biologists broadened their management goals to include more flora and fauna unique to the sandy, wet pine savanna and prairie, they began wondering how their practices affected at-risk burrowing crayfishes. The questions also applied to nearby lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service, The Nature Conservancy and others.

Of all the places to dig for burrowing crayfishes, the refuge offers one of the best experiences. The Credit: S.G. Hereford/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service loose, sandy soils made digging by hand relatively A Mississippi sandhill crane walks through a pine savanna on the refuge. Pale pitcher plants easy. We non-botanists got to spend hours kneeling (Sarracenia alata) are scattered throughout the foreground. among beautiful, carnivorous plants. Near the end of the day when we couldn’t dig another burrow, we Active sampling methods tested for sampling burrowing crayfishes on the refuge included were treated to the wild calls of cranes flying over- excavating and suctioning. Stewart Ray, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service volunteer, excavates head. It was a welcome respite from trash-strewn a burrow (top), and Zanethia Barnett uses a slurp gun to suction a burrow (bottom), both in a frequently burned savanna in January 2017. roadside ditches with vehicles zooming by.

Efforts to compare and quantify crayfish sampling techniques in Gulf coastal plain surface waters were recently completed for some streams (Budnick, et al. 2018) and floodplain pools (Barnett and Adams 2018). We tested different sampling approaches — dipnetting versus backpack electrofishing in streams, for instance, and minnow versus habitat trapping in floodplain pools — and compared the resulting crayfish size, sex, species richness and catch-per-unit effort between methods.

Results from those contrasting habitats were consistent in one respect. Researchers were better able to capture the gamut of species and sizes by using multiple techniques. For example, minnow traps captured larger crayfishes in floodplain pools, whereas habitat traps — which attract crayfish by providing desirable microhabitat characteristics — caught more small crayfishes, including the swamp dwarf crayfish (Cambarellus puer) that rarely exceeds 30 mm in length.

Different lifestyles, different methods The burrowing lifestyle, however, creates unique sampling challenges. The methods used in surface waters do not translate directly to capturing burrowing crayfishes. We needed quantitative sampling approaches that would work for them. To document life history information and clarify some taxonomic questions, we needed crayfish in hand. Indirect sampling methods such as burrow counts or eDNA wouldn’t be enough.

We selected and categorized sites based on whether they had been frequently burned, mechanically Credit: S.B. Adams/U.S. Forest Service

42 The Wildlife Professional, September/October 2019 © The Wildlife Society treated or infrequently managed. We coarsely quan- Roll up your sleeves tified vegetation, counted crayfish burrow entrances Bad news for the biologists with their arms in muddy in quadrats along transects in each site and after holes: excavating produced far more crayfishes than trying out six methods, we tested four of them for any other method. The hope for passive sampling sampling burrowing crayfishes. methods is that they will require less effort than active methods. Indeed, setting and checking traps was We tested two passive sampling methods — mist net relatively easy, but it usually produced few or no cray- traps (Welch and Eversole 2006) and modified Nor- fishes. A combination of methods produced more — a rocky traps (Norrocky 1984) of three diameters (3.2, result similar to what we found in stream and flood- 3.8, and 5.1 centimeters) — and assessed influences plain pool habitats. However, in many sites, if we had of weather on trap captures. Modified Norrocky traps focused our efforts exclusively on excavating burrows consisted of a PVC pipe with a one-way flap near instead of trapping, we may have captured even more. the bottom and a cap on top. The trap was carefully placed in a burrow opening so soil did not force the flap open. In concept, the crayfish exits the burrow and enters the trap as the one-way flap snaps closed behind it. A mist net trap consisted of a square of bird mist net material folded numerous times and tied in the middle with a string. The folded net was inserted into a burrow. The other end of the string was tied to a stake flag. When a crayfish tried to remove the net from the burrow, it would become tangled in the netting and await extraction by the biologist. At least that’s how it was supposed to work. For creatures with very small brains, crayfish managed to foil these traps in remarkably diverse ways.

The four active sampling methods were excavating, suctioning, baited line sampling and visual surveys — the latter two conducted at night. We also assessed biases associated with the people excavating burrows. In the refuge’s sandy soils, shovels were not needed, so we used our hands and, if necessary, a Japanese soil knife. Suctioning employed either commercially available slurp guns used by divers to capture fishes or homemade devices. The mouth of the outer tube was placed in water inside the burrow. The inner tube was pulled to create suction. This sometimes directly extracted crayfish, but more often, pumping it back and forth disturbed the burrow water until the crayfish came to the surface. The method worked well only when the water table was close to the surface, though, and in practice, it was often used along with excavating. Night sampling methods depended on first seeing crayfish, but we abandoned them. On the two nights we searched for crayfishes, we did not see any at all. Visual surveys are most effective on warm, wet nights, but we were only able to search on dry nights. Credit: S.B. Adams/U.S. Forest Service

We mostly captured flatwoods diggers (Creaserinus Passive sampling methods tested included two types of trapping. Modified Norrocky traps of three oryktes) from burrows; but we also caught spi- diameters were tested. View of the bottom of a medium-sized (3.8 cm diameter) modified Norrocky trap showing the one-way flap (top left) and installed in a burrow in a mowed prairie in February 2017 nytail crayfish (Procambarus fitzpatricki), a federal (top right). Crayfish sometimes built new chimneys in burrows containing a mist net trap without priority at-risk species that occurs only in several getting captured (bottom left). A Creaserinus oryktes entangled in a mist net trap is shown after the southern Mississippi counties. trap was removed from the burrow (bottom right).

We collected two crayfish species from burrows on the refuge:Creaserinus oryktes and A Mississippi sandhill crane feeds on a crayfish. The image was Procambarus fitzpatricki. We found several color morphs of C. oryktes, including blue (top caught by a remote camera on the refuge on May 30, 2018 and left), white (top right) and various shades of brown (bottom left). The small eyes of C. oryktes provided the first evidence of the subspecies feeding on crayfish. The are indicative of primary burrowers. The secondary burrower P. fitzpatricki (bottom right) has camera was installed to monitor marked cranes. slightly larger eyes.

None of the tested methods avoided the problem of We often think of passive sampling methods as substantial sampling biases. The success rates of all being less biased by human factors than active methods depended strongly on people or weather. methods, but ours appeared to be biased by weath- Unsurprisingly to anyone who has worked with a er conditions. Recent rainfall was associated with crew digging crayfish, excavation success depended a jump in captures. Although we saw no relation strongly on the digger. Some people regularly cap- between catch rates in traps and air tempera- tured multiple crayfishes. Others never caught one. tures, the catch rates increased each time we had

Aerial burning of a prairie on the refuge created open habitat for Mississippi sandhill cranes — and burrowing crayfishes. Courtesy U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

44 The Wildlife Professional, September/October 2019 © The Wildlife Society rain in the previous 24 hours. Crawfish farmers Shortly after our study, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife have noted that farmed crawfish are stimulated to Service obtained evidence of what we already sus- reproduce by barometric pressure changes typi- pected — that Mississippi sandhill cranes feed on cally associated with rain events rather than by the crayfish, although how much is unknown. Crayfish Still smiling at the rain itself. Simulating rainfall by pouring water certainly contribute to many trophic interactions end of the study, the into burrows when setting our traps didn’t seem on the refuge as both predators and prey. We know final day’s field crew to increase catch rates, suggesting that dropping little about relationships between plant communi- shows some of the tools used for both terrestrial barometric pressure might have also triggered ties and crayfish burrowing and foraging. However, and aquatic crayfish crayfish to leave their burrows. given that the refuge’s unique plant communities sampling on the refuge.

Better understanding the effectiveness of various sampling methods enables biologists to design more reliable research and efficient monitoring approaches. In this case, we learned that all burrow sampling methods tested had substantial biases. We hope to further test and explore the relationships between weather and trapping so future monitoring efforts can exploit those relationships. For example, if traps are set only when barometric pressure drops, the average catch-per-unit effort may be increased while sampling biases among sites are reduced. Additional physical factors that seem likely to influence sampling efficiency include water table depth and soil type.

Good for crayfishes, good for cranes As for land management effects, we found some interesting correlations. In a result welcomed by refuge managers, we discovered that the treat- ments used to create habitat for cranes also Credit: S. G. Hereford/ U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service seemed to benefit burrowing crayfishes. Crayfish burrow entrance densities were higher in frequent- co-evolved with burrowing crayfishes, the relation- ly burned and mechanically treated sites than in ships are likely important. Information that muddy infrequently managed sites that had more dense, biologists kneeling in prairies and roadsides provide taller woody vegetation. about quantitative sampling methods for burrowers improves the ability to address ecological and This finding opens a world of new questions. A management questions relating to these small — but better understanding of how habitat conditions functionally important — community members. and crayfish species influence the number of entrances per burrow will help biologists use entrance counts to better answer ecological questions about burrowing crayfishes across diverse habitats and communities and help reveal more refined manage- Susan B. Adams, PhD, is a research aquatic ecologist and team leader of the Ecology of ment implications. Aquatic and Terrestrial Fauna Team at the USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station, U.S. Forest Service is This study adds another piece to the puzzle of Center for Bottomland Hardwoods Research. a Premier Partner of managing the refuge as a complex ecosystem. The Wildlife Society Understanding how land management influences burrowing crayfishes will help refuge biologists and managers, and information about sampling Scott G. Hereford, MS., is a supervisory efficiencies and biases provides a basis for future wildlife biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at the Mississippi Sandhill approaches. Crane National Wildlife Refuge.

Since its inception, wolf management in the United States has been characterized by deep-rooted, identity-based conflict across segments of society. That conflict continues today, but states can play a critical role in forging a peaceful path forward.

Delisting battles On March 15, 2019, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service published a proposed rule in the Federal Register to delist gray wolves (Canis lupus) in the contiguous United States (USFWS 2019). Follow- ing the comeback of robust populations of roughly 6,000 wolves across nine states, delisting is viewed Credit: Julia B. Smith by many wildlife professionals as a conservation success story that paves the path for long-term wolf Wolf War and Peace conservation and management. However, the federal action was predictably met by TO RECOVER THE NATION’S MOST CONTROVERSIAL public outcry and threatened lawsuits from stake- CARNIVORE, STATES MUST SHOW LEADERSHIP holders who do not trust state wildlife management agencies to conserve viable wolf populations. The action may be locked in litigation for years. The By Julia B. Smith seemingly interminable “wolf wars” may remain just “…I have lived to see state after state extirpate its that, with no end in sight, to the chagrin of wildlife wolves. I have watched the face of many a newly professionals attempting to normalize wolf manage- wolfless mountain, and seen the south-facing ment and charged with conserving and managing the slopes wrinkle with a maze of new deer trails.” species for the benefit of their diverse public.

hese words from Aldo Leopold’s iconic 1949 Some environmental advocacy groups have a history essay “Thinking Like a Mountain” speak to of using litigation to maintain federal management T the formative era of the nation when wolf authority for wolves, but these actions may actu- bounties were some of the first laws enacted in state ally undermine the integrity of the ESA, leaving this legislatures, and the government’s only wolf manage- crucial law vulnerable to political scrutiny and legis- ment goal was eradication. Government-sponsored lation that could weaken it in the long term. The law extermination in the 19th and 20th centuries created is intended to provide plans and resources for species a foundation of distrust within the environmental in danger of extinction. Species were never intended community, which came to doubt that government to remain forever listed as endangered — long after agencies could manage wolf populations sustainably. they surpassed recovery objectives. This would be a Three decades after the comeback of wolves in the failure of the ESA’s goals. United States, that distrust remains. Between 2003 and 2015, the USFWS published 14 The Endangered Species Act of 1973 turned the tide rules (16 including rules specific to the Mexican for wolf populations, which by then were reduced gray wolf, C. l. baileyi,) revising federal listing status to shrinking fragments in northern Minnesota and for wolves across the contiguous United States and The propensity for Isle Royale in Michigan. It allowed populations to Mexico (Table 1, USFWS 2019). Nine were aimed at wolves to disperse expand or be reintroduced in Minnesota, Michigan, designating distinct population segments (DPSs) and hundreds of miles Wisconsin, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Washington, identifying wolves in particular segments, areas or means they may appear in states Oregon, California, Arizona, New Mexico and North states that had reached or exceeded recovery goals. with no established Carolina, and it provided protections for them. The These rules were ultimately vacated through legal populations. Many environmental community celebrated these protec- action, however, and they were followed by four rules states legally consider tions throughout the Lower 48 states. Stakeholders reinstating protections (Table 1, USFWS 2019). wolves extirpated or on the other end of the spectrum, including many locally extinct, but that designation does not livestock producers and hunters, viewed them as A dangerous precedent reflect their ability to government overreach and devaluation of their tra- Of these 14 decisions and reversals, one represents pass through at any time. ditions and livelihoods (Williams et al. 2002). the first time in the history of the ESA that Congress

46 The Wildlife Professional, September/October 2019 © The Wildlife Society intervened to override the law to remove a species from federal protection. Wolf populations had exceeded recovery goals in both the Northern Rocky Mountains and Western Great Lakes DPSs, but proposed rules to delist the populations were vacated after environmental groups sued (Table 1).

In 2011, a dangerous precedent for the ESA was set when a rider — attached to budget legislation passed to avoid a government shutdown — stripped federal protections for wolves in the Northern Rocky Mountains DPS (excluding Wyoming) and blocked the decision from judicial review (Table 1, New York Times 2011).

This unprecedented action by Congress laid the groundwork for future delisting through means outside the ESA’s science-based decision-making provisions. Credit: Jean Ossorio Similar attempts followed. In 2016, an amendment to a defense bill (H. R. 4909) would have blocked the listing of the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus uro- phasianus). Two years later, the Manage our Wolves Act (H.R. 6784) focused on delisting wolves nationwide and barring the decision from judicial review.

Federal recovery plans and protection provided by the ESA effectuated the return and expansion of gray wolves, but maintaining their listing status as endangered when they have exceeded the goals of their recovery plans may weaken this vital law for Credit: Julia B. Smith all plant and animal species. Management choices — allowing for liberal wolf When it comes to harvest to maintain populations at minimum managing wolves, There is broad public support for the ESA (Brus- recovery levels or designating open seasons with emotions run high and kotter et al. 2018), but that support often seems unlimited take over vast areas (Wyoming Game and stakeholder opinions conflated with keeping species listed forever. Con- Fish Department 2011) — may not necessarily be are often diametrically versely, support for delisting a recovered species biologically unsound or expected to affect the long- opposed. Although the controversies should not be equated to opposition to the ESA. term viability of wolf populations. However, they surrounding wolves have caused considerable public outcry and appear make management Lack of trust to favor only one set of stakeholders. daunting, the federal An unintended consequence of the war over wolf list- proposal to delist wolves ing status is the drain on limited staff time, resources Could a different approach — aimed at gaining pub- would pass the authority and responsibility to and funding for both federal and state agencies. Re- lic trust across the full range of stakeholders — forge states. sources continually allocated to support robust wolf a path to peace in the wolf wars? populations cannot be used for other species in need. A path to peace Yet the interested public does not appear to trust When the first wolf is documented crossing the bor- state wildlife agencies to conserve and manage der into a state with no wolf populations, it becomes wolves for the benefit of all. Many environmental- front page news with the potential to create a sociopo- ists do not trust that when states have management litical firestorm. There is a reason why every state that authority over wolves, they will maintain healthy manages wolves appears plagued by controversy. and viable populations. The 11-year federal delisting battle in Wyoming, predicated upon regulations Wildlife managers will need to be prepared for the that wolves be aggressively managed to keep the outcome with sound rationale for every decision population at the minimum required by law (Wyo- they make. Proactive planning and collaboration for ming House Bill 0229, USFWS 2006), provides the dispersal and establishment of wolves, ideally some legitimacy to this concern. before the first wolves pair up and den, will help

© The Wildlife Society www.wildlife.org 47 prepare state wildlife agencies and plant the seed of within their borders, or are adjacent to states or Cana- credibility and trust. dian provinces that host breeding populations of wolves (Figure 1, USFWS 2019). Only two — Colorado and Regardless of the level of current wolf presence, state Utah — have established wolf management plans. wildlife agencies can prepare for federal delisting of wolves in the following ways. Beyond simply assuring legal status and management authority, state wildlife agencies should consider devel- 1. Ensure that wolves have legal status oping conservation and management plans to provide in state wildlife codes. for recolonization and recovery of suitable areas. State legislators, governments and agencies should recognize the vagility and dispersal capability of wolves. They It’s understandable that states without wolves may are not tied to wilderness, as was once thought. They can choose to stay out of the wolf management arena, push the boundaries of what is considered suitable habi- but that may ultimately prolong the “wolf wars” by tat. And dispersing wolves are vital to genetically effective provoking more litigation to ensure ongoing federal interchange, which is key to the long-term persistence of protection. Without adequate state management populations (Wayne and Hedrick 2011). plans that allow for recovery, demands for federal protection will likely continue — to the detriment of State governments would no longer be able to rely the ESA — and states will miss the opportunity to on federal status to dictate wolf classification. Many build trust with the citizens they serve. states classify wolves as extirpated or locally extinct, but that designation does not reflect the ability of This is a call and an opportunity to proactively Twelve states wolves to occur in the state at anytime. develop collaborative, thoughtful and sustainable currently have breeding state wolf management plans that address the full populations of wolves. Twenty-two of the Wolves traversing into states where they have no legal spectrum of stakeholder perspectives to reach the contiguous United status is not a question of if, but when. All 45 states highest level of cooperation and cohesion possible States without wolf affected by the delisting proposal, particularly those among identities deeply tied to the outcome of wolf populations have had bordering states with breeding populations, could en- management decisions. State wildlife agencies have individual wolves sure that wolves have legal status in their state wildlife a duty to conserve and manage the full suite of native confirmed within their borders, or are adjacent codes to guarantee that animals wandering through wildlife within their borders. They are well-qualified to states or Canadian have some level of protection and state wildlife officials and capable of managing wolves thoughtfully and provinces that host have the authority to manage them. sustainably for long-term persistence of populations breeding populations and management of conflict, but they face a dearth of of wolves. However, 2. Wildlife agencies should prepare state much-needed trust from all sides. of these 22, only two management plans for wolves. — Colorado and Utah — have established wolf Twenty-two of the contiguous United States without Multiple states, including Oregon and Washington management plans. wolf populations have had individual wolves confirmed (which now have wolf populations but developed management plans years before breeding wolf packs were documented in those states), and California, Colorado and Utah, which have few or no known wolves, have set examples. They have established wolf working groups involving multiple stakeholders — livestock producers, hunters, environmentalists, recreationists, private landowners — to help develop management plans. These processes aim to address conflict among different identity groups from the inception and work toward long-term resolution (Madden and McQuinn 2014).

3. States that have already developed wolf management plans should ensure that those plans represent the full spectrum of stakeholders they serve. States that already have wolf management plans in place should ensure that these plans are built from a foundation of collaboration and input that encompasses all stakeholders, gives them voice and meets a diversity of needs. Credit: Julia B. Smith (information on wolf distribution is approximate and was compiled from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and International Union for Conservation of Nature)

48 The Wildlife Professional, September/October 2019 © The Wildlife Society State wildlife agencies often prioritize the voices of They can choose to pave a path for credibility and trust consumptive users of wildlife over other members of among stakeholders who celebrate the first wolf that the public, but as traditional attitudes toward wildlife traverses state borders and those who fear or decry it. Ide- wane (Manfredo et al. 2018) and Americans place ally, states can give voice to and meet the needs of both. more value on the conservation of all wildlife, including predators, wildlife managers may want to carefully Allowing a native species, albeit a polarizing one, to consider if the plan in place best threads the needle of recolonize and recover across its historical range is the compromise in wolf management. baton in a four-decade relay race being passed into state hands. States should prepare to accept that charge. Conflict mitigation and balance with ungulate populations are critical components of any wolf management strategy, Federal delisting does not have to mean the but plans that offer little or no protection aimed at main- end of wolf recovery in the United States. It taining populations at minimum recovery thresholds put can be the beginning of a new period in state wildlife wolf management under constant threat of litigation and management where thoughtful and collaborative deci- a return to federal authority. Ending the wolf wars de- sion making guides wolf management for the long-term serves the attention and collaboration of the full spectrum benefit of people and for robust, self-sustaining wolf of stakeholders to find compromise and honor all values populations that are here to stay. to the greatest possible extent.

An opportunity for states To make sure those opposed to delisting don’t view it as a conservation loss, something must be gained in its wake. State wildlife agencies and their leadership have Julia B. Smith, MS, AWB®, is a an opportunity to be pioneers in one of the most chal- biologist who has worked on wolf recovery in multiple states for more lenging wildlife conservation arenas in recent decades. than six years. States have the chance to face the wolf issue head-on.

Federal regulatory actions under the Endangered Species Act pertaining to the gray wolf (Canis lupus) and outcomes of court challenges to these actions where applicable. DPS = Distinct Population Segment. Table adapted from 84 FR 9648, March 15, 2019 (USFWS 2019).

Entity Year of action Type of action Federal Register citation Litigation/outcome Eastern DPS, Western DPS, 2003 Designate DPS & classify/reclassify as: 68 FR 15804, April 1, 2003 Rule vacated Southwestern U.S. & Mexico DPS - Eastern DPS (Threatened) - Western DPS (Threatened) - Southwestern U.S. & Mexico DPS (Endangered) - Delist in unoccupied non-historical range Western Great Lakes DPS 2007 Designate DPS & delist 72 FR 6052, February 8, 2007 Rule vacated Northern Rocky Mountains DPS 2008 Designate DPS & delist 73 FR 10514, February 27, 2008 Rule vacated and remanded Western Great Lakes and Northern 2008 Reinstatement of protections 73 FR 75356, December 11, 2008 Rocky Mountains DPSs Western Great Lakes DPS 2009 Designate DPS & delist 74 FR 15070, April 2, 2009 Rule vacated Northern Rocky Mountains DPS 2009 Designate DPS & delist (except in Wyoming) 74 FR 15123, April 2, 2009 Rule vacated (except Wyoming) Western Great Lakes DPS 2009 Reinstatement of protections 74 FR 47483, September 16, 2009 Northern Rocky Mountains DPS 2010 Reinstatement of protections 75 FR 65574, October 26, 2010 Northern Rocky Mountains DPS 2011 Reissuance of 2009 DPS delisting rule (as 76 FR 25590, May 5, 2011 required by Public Law 112-10- The Department of Defense and Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011) Western Great Lakes DPS 2011 Revise 1978 listing, designate DPS & delist 76 FR 81666, December 28, 2011 Rule vacated C. lupus in Wyoming 2012 Delist in Wyoming 77 FR 55530, September 10, 2012 Rule vacated; vacatur reversed on appeal C. lupus in lower 48 U.S. 2013 Propose delist in lower 48 U.S. & list C. l. baileyi; 78 FR 35664, June 13, 2013 (except DPSs) and Mexico status review of wolves in Pacific Northwest Western Great Lakes DPS and C. lupus 2015 Reinstatement of protections 80 FR 9218, February 20, 2015 in Wyoming C. lupus in Wyoming 2017 Reinstatement of 2012 delisting 82 FR 20284, May 1, 2017

CONSERVATION CONSERVATION

Stamp of Approval THE VERMONT HABITAT STAMP OFFERS A VOLUNTARY MECHANISM TO FUND CONSERVATION

By Tom Rogers and Paul Hamelin

taxes on guns and ammunition and Dingell-Johnson funds from excise taxes on fishing equipment. Hunting and fishing license sales have been declining in Vermont, though, making it increasingly difficult to secure the funds to under- write our mission.

Additionally, Vermont hunters claim that access to lands for hunting is one of the main obstacles they face in continuing to pursue hunting as an activity, with 78% citing the posting of private land as a major problem (Duda et al. 2015). Hunters are asking the department to do more to promote habitat for deer and other game species on wildlife management areas throughout the state.

Credit: Tom Rogers Meanwhile, the nonhunting public has requested a means Funds from the abitat conservation and management are to contribute to the conservation work of the de- Vermont Habitat Stamp central to the mission of the Vermont Fish partment without having to purchase a hunting or have contributed to the & Wildlife Department. We have devoted fishing license. The Vermont Habitat Stamp offers a purchase of conserved H increasing amounts of staff time (adding nine route to address both groups and broaden the fund- land along Vermont’s Clyde River, with the habitat-focused positions since 2006) and funding ing for our habitat conservation work. intention of continuing (establishing a formal land acquisition budget and to conserve additional dedicated enhancement funds) to fish and wildlife A stamp for habitat parcels to create a habitat conservation efforts. In 2015, we decided to launch a voluntary contri- brand new wildlife bution initiative — the Vermont Habitat Stamp management area. However, funding mechanisms have not always — to raise funds for land conservation and habitat kept pace with this shift from a species-centric to a management. Taking inspiration from the habi- habitat-centric approach. tat conservation successes of the federal duck stamp and Vermont state duck stamp, the Ver- To conserve the state’s fish, wildlife, plants and mont Habitat Stamp brings additional funding to their habitats, the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Depart- land conservation for fish and wildlife habitat and ment, like most state fish and wildlife agencies, has public access. The stamp was made available on the historically relied on funding largely derived from department’s website as a direct donation or as a hunting and fishing license sales, along with match- voluntary add-on when purchasing a hunting, fishing federal Pittman-Robertson funds from excise ing or trapping license.

52 The Wildlife Professional, September/October 2019 © The Wildlife Society Prior to launching the habitat stamp, we included While the minimum dona- questions in a survey asking respondents about tion to receive a sticker was their willingness to give directly to conservation. set low — at $10 — to gain Among more than 900 Vermonters, 90% support- exposure for the program, it ed the idea. When asked how much they would be provided an opportunity to willing to give, a third of self-reported birdwatch- gauge people’s willingness ers said they would contribute between $25 and to pay for a new program. $100, indicating that this group in particular has a The following year, we raised strong interest in conserving habitat for wildlife. it to $15 to account for the overhead costs of printing, For purchasers of a Vermont hunting, fishing or shipping and staff time. trapping license, the actual stamp comes as an Credit: Lil Lumbra icon the size of a half dollar printed on the license. The price hike resulted in a proportional increase The Vermont Habitat Donors may donate any amount, but for people who in total revenue without decreasing the number of Stamp comes as a 4-inch make the minimum donation, a physical stamp also donations we received. At a $10 suggested dona- by 5-inch bumper sticker in the mail to donors comes in the mail as a bumper sticker roughly five tion, the average donation from someone who who contribute $15 or inches wide and four inches high. purchased a Habitat Stamp while buying a sport- more to the program. ing license was $7.75. At $15, the average donation The purchase option for the Vermont Habitat among license buyers jumped to $12.09. Funds Stamp is embedded within the annual online more than doubled, from $32,000 in 2015 to license purchase sequence as a stand-alone page $76,000 in 2016. (It’s worth noting, though, that asking purchasers if they wish to donate to the pro- the program was launched in May 2015 and would gram. This has likely raised awareness, resulting in have potentially raised $48,000 at that rate were it While the Vermont a substantially higher donor rate than if the Habitat available for the whole year.) Habitat Stamp program has raised significant Stamp donate option was only one option on the funds for habitat list of available hunting and fishing licenses and In 2017, the program continued to gain momentum, conservation in Vermont, tags. The separate page ensures license purchas- breaking the $100,000 revenue threshold with just hunters and anglers ers are exposed to the stamp and can learn about over $101,000 in donations. Because the depart- have contributed the it while buying a license. It also allows the stamp ment was able to spend the money on programs vast majority of money to the program despite to be highlighted in just a few short words before eligible for federal Wildlife and Sport Fish Resto- efforts to broaden the users decide whether to opt in and donate as part of ration Funds through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife funding base beyond purchasing a license. Service, we leveraged an additional $149,000 in these users.

Included on the page is a statistic that 90% of people surveyed support the Habitat Stamp, thus leveraging the power of the ‘bandwagon effect’ to urge others to donate (Schmitt-Beck 2015). The visual includes the image of a young woman hunter looking straight at the camera, applying marketing evidence that people are more generous when asked to donate by women (Landry et al. 2006) and when eyes are looking directly at them (Powell et al. 2012).

A great start The Vermont Habitat Stamp launched in May 2015. The goal for the first year of the program was a modest $10,000, but expectations for the first year were far exceeded. Through December, it raised $32,000.

Credit: Tom Rogers

© The Wildlife Society www.wildlife.org 53 federal funds. As a result, just three years into the In addition to acquiring land for conservation, program, the Vermont Habitat Stamp program funds from the program were used to hire two new contributed a quarter of a million dollars to conser- biologists to do private lands habitat management vation in a single year! — one to focus on terrestrial habitat and another to focus on riparian and aquatic habitat. They have Applying the funds to conservation greatly expanded the scope of our private lands Before launching the program, we carefully habitat management efforts. considered how the funds would be used to most strategically benefit the broadest array of wildlife. These staff members have also been able to work Birdwatchers, hikers, Rather than placing the funds in a trust and only with local watershed groups and apply for grants, paddlers and other spending the interest, as we do with the Ver- leveraging additional funds for local conservation outdoor enthusiasts were targeted as mont Duck Stamp, we decided to spend funds on projects and demonstrating the multiplier effect potential donors to the conservation efforts right away to demonstrate of the Habitat Stamp program. They also regularly Vermont Habitat Stamp. immediate success. promote the Habitat Stamp, citing it as the funding source for their positions and projects when they interact with the public.

Broadening the base Efforts to target Vermonters who do not hunt, fish or trap were aimed at other outdoor enthusiasts who may not have traditionally funded the conservation work of a state agency. These included birdwatchers, hikers and canoeists.

The Habitat Stamp has been advertised in places such as Vermont eBird and the nature magazine Northern Woodlands, through an underwriting sponsorship on Vermont Public Radio and through partnerships with local conservation nonprofits such as the Vermont Center for Ecostudies, Audubon Vermont and the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps, to get the word out about the stamp to their followers. Credit: Tom Rogers We used Habitat Stamp funds to contribute a The department produced and emailed an annual relatively modest amount to several land purchas- report filled with colorful photos to everyone who es to motivate donors. When these acquisitions purchased a Habitat Stamp to highlight the con- were complete, we held a reception on one of the servation success stories that have resulted from properties and invited the community so we could their donation. Staff pitched the stamp to the public thank our donors and raise awareness through directly every time they gave a public presentation or media coverage. led a nature walk. The marketing budget for the Hab- itat Stamp in 2017 and 2018 was a modest $7,000. One of the land conservation projects that Habitat Stamp funds were allocated to was a new parcel Perhaps as a result of these efforts, direct dona- added to Birdseye Wildlife Management Area, which, tions that came through the website — rather than at nearly 3,000 acres, was the largest Vermont state during the purchase of a hunting or fishing license land conservation project in 15 years. The Habitat — doubled from 4% in 2016 to 8% in 2017. The Stamp program received a great deal of attention at average direct donation jumped significantly, from this property with only a modest investment. $40 in 2016 to $101 in 2017. We started receiving

54 The Wildlife Professional, September/October 2019 © The Wildlife Society donations from school groups and other organizations that fundraised specifically for the Habitat Stamp. We conducted a month-long fundraising push to purchase the land adjacent to our youth conservation camp in which all Habitat Stamp donations for a month went to that one land purchase, generating a large number of donations from former campers and staffers.

The future In 3 ½ years, the Vermont Habi- tat Stamp program raised nearly $320,000 and has leveraged an additional $300,000 in federal funds. Through this lens alone, the program could be viewed as a success.

However, the effort to include additional Vermonters who do not hunt, fish or Credit: Tom Rogers trap but who want to contribute finan- The Vermont Habitat Stamp has provided ad- Vermont Fish cially to habitat conservation and management has ditional funding for habitat conservation and & Wildlife staff use been less successful. Non-license buyer donations management in Vermont and has challenged the wildlife walks and other made up between 4 and 8% of total dollars raised Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department to think of outreach events as each year, with the rest coming through the online new ways to reach out to members of the public opportunities to spread the word about the purchase of hunting, fishing and trapping licenses. who do not hunt, fish or trap. At its current pace, Vermont Habitat Stamp While the percentage of total funds donated directly the program is projected to raise $1 million in direct and connect the public via check or online has been rising, the percentage funding for habitat conservation by 2024, within to habitat conservation of individual donations received via check or online less than 10 years of the launch of the program. This values in a tangible way. has remained extremely low — around 1.6%. The is a model that other states may want to consider rest comes as add-ons to the purchase of a hunt- replicating to increase funding for habitat conserva- ing or fishing license. The average donation from tion and management. But it comes with a caveat. license buyers during the life of the program has Engaging non-license holders for financial support remained under $12. The average online donation is challenging and will require organizations to not linked to licenses has been $46, indicating that think outside time-honored fish and wildlife out- while these donations encompass up to 8% of total reach strategies. dollars donated, they are coming from a modest number of people.

The department is currently exploring additional avenues to expand the donor base, including fundraising campaigns targeting specific properties Tom Rogers, MS, works in outreach for the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department, for conservation and improving signage at wildlife connecting the public to conservation through management areas or habitat improvement projects writing, speaking and photography. funded by the Habitat Stamp to increase visibility. We are also considering strategies that cultivate donors while engaging the public in wildlife-based recreation, such as a Paddle for the Birds event, Paul Hamelin, MS, coordinates the or a master birder program in which birdwatchers Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department’s state wildlife management areas, including are invited to purchase a Habitat Stamp when they conservation, management and public access. enter their observations on the website.

Horse Rich and Dirt Poor A NEW VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS THE EFFECTS OF FERAL EQUIDS ON WILDLIFE

By Keith Norris, Mike Cox, Clay Brewer, Kevin Hurley and Pat Pinjuv

arlier this year, The Wildlife Society released of other free-roaming, ecologically feral horses and a short documentary film that highlighted burros that have different legal status (e.g., feral or E the negative ecological consequences of feral tribal) that roam on federal, state, private and tribal horses (Equus caballus) and burros (E. asinus) on lands. According to a 2013 National Academy of Sci- wildlife populations and their habitats. Created ences study, horse and burro populations grow by through a partnership between The Wildlife Society, 15 to 20% annually, which continues to exacerbate the Wild Sheep Foundation and more than 20 other the overpopulation problem. conservation organizations, this film incorporates information on key fish and wildlife species and the Given the increasingly high level of overpopulation riparian and sagebrush ecosystems they depend relative to management objectives — and the nonna- on for survival. It also highlights federal policy and tive, invasive nature of horses and burros in North management actions for legally designated “wild” America — the management of the species has been horses and burros on public lands throughout the a focus of The Wildlife Society’s policy efforts for the western United States. past several years. The Society first issued a policy statement on feral horses and burros nearly a decade The challenge ago. That statement has been bolstered by the creation According to the Bureau of Land Management — of a fact sheet and several publications in TWS jour- the primary agency tasked with managing horses nals related to feral horses and burros and wildlife. More than 88,000 and burros that are designated “wild” under federal wild horses and law — there are more than 88,000 wild horses and This is an appropriate focus for The Wildlife Society burros roam Bureau burros on BLM-managed lands (blm.gov/whb) as of for three primary reasons. First, like all invasive of Management lands, March 2019. This number compares to the agency’s species, feral horses and burros negatively impact far more than what population limit — known as the Appropriate Man- wildlife and their habitat. Numerous studies have the agency designates as an appropriate agement Level, or AML — which is set to “maintain shown that feral horses and burros spread invasive population level. a thriving natural ecological balance” required by plants, compact soil, reduce plant species rich-

Credit: Charles Post federal law of less than 27,000 animals. Further, ness and reduce abundances of small mammal and the agency’s population estimate does not in- reptile populations (TWS Fact Sheet). Additionally, clude the tens of thousands feral horses and burros have been shown to exhibit aggressive behavior, excluding wildlife from water sources and outcompeting them for scarce resources.

56 The Wildlife Professional, September/October 2019 © The Wildlife Society Second, the management of feral horses and burros is more politically challenging, no matter how much a complete breakdown of science-based management scientific data wildlife professionals can bring to bear and policy. Despite having established a population on the issue. Without changes in the public’s under- target and other goals related to rangeland health, standing and perspective on wild horses and burros, decision-makers continue to develop policies and policies affecting their management are highly implement management actions that have no hope unlikely to change. Working together, through the of achieving their objectives. One of The Wildlife launch of this film, we hope to educate and involve Society’s primary positions is to support and advance the public and Congress and help build understand- science-based policy and management decisions ing that results in meaningful policy shifts. related to natural resources. Given the effects horses and burros have on a broad suite of native fish and Creating the team wildlife, this breakdown is particularly concerning. Representatives from the Wild Sheep Founda- tion came to The Wildlife Society in 2018 with a Third, this particular natural resource challenge proposal to help the public better understand this only has a policy-level fix. Change in how horses and issue. They proposed creating a documentary that burros are managed on the landscape is not going would highlight the to come from wildlife professionals collaborating effects of horses and decisions at the ground level or in local agency field burros on native wild- offices. (If that was the case, it likely would have been life populations and solved long ago!) This is a challenge that requires their habitat. TWS’ leadership and changes at the highest level of govern- Council overwhelm- ment — in Congress and the federal agencies — which ingly supported the is something TWS’ government relations staff and venture. other advocacy partners can help achieve. WSF enlisted the Since the creation of TWS’ policy statement, the help of Ben Masters, organization has been involved in advocacy efforts to a graduate of Texas help achieve the needed policy changes. In 2013, TWS A&M’s fisheries and helped create the National Horse and Burro Rangeland wildlife program and Management Coalition. This coalition brings together proprietor of Fin & Fur more than 18 national organizations, plus several state Films. Masters had and local groups, from across the spectrum. Starting in previously served in 2015, TWS chaired this coalition for three years, lead- the wildlife seat on the ing the development of advocacy resources, meeting National Wild Horse & Courtesy Charles Post with congressional offices and agency leadership and Burro Advisory Board, testifying before the BLM and USFS National Wild a federal advisory committee tasked with advising Charles Post, the Horse & Burro Advisory Board and congressional over- the secretaries of Agriculture and Interior on the central figure in the documentary film, nets sight committees. In 2016, the Wild Sheep Foundation U.S. Forest Service and BLM wild horse and burro a Lahontan cutthroat joined the coalition and has placed the issue of wild programs. Prior to that appointment, Masters had trout while exploring horse and burro management near the top of the orga- created a full-feature documentary film, Unbranded, the negative effects of nization’s priority list, given the negative effects horses that brought nationwide attention to the challenges unmanaged grazing by and burros have for wild sheep conservation efforts facing federal wild horse and burro management. free-roaming horses and burros on native trout throughout western North America. streams. Working with Masters, we added Charles Post, Through all of these efforts, we learned a great another wildlife ecologist-turned-filmmaker, and deal and encountered many speed bumps and road Philip Baribeau to the team. Through the contribu- blocks. Management of wild and other free-roaming tions of dozens of conservation organizations, we horses and burros is one that incites a great deal of had the support we needed to press onward. passion and emotion among the public. In general, people love horses — and for good reason! They are The film beautiful animals that have accompanied and en- The film is a character-driven piece, following Post riched the human experience for centuries. But such on a journey across Nevada with a goal of better emotional responses makes any changes in policy understanding the challenge and controversy that

The Bureau of Land surround management of wild horses and bur- tion of wild horses and burros, BLM’s wild horse Management’s primary ros, and specifically how horses and burros affect and burro program budget and operational chal- method of reducing wildlife and the health of public lands. Post helps lenges and natural history facts that express why wild horse and burro create an emotional connection to the issue for the horses and burros in North America are ecologi- populations is to remove them from public land viewer — sharing his curiosity, wonder and passion cally feral animals. and place them in throughout the film. holding facilities like Spreading the message this one. Over 45,000 Beginning his journey, Post interviews Steve Foree, Once the film was created, reviewed, edited and horses and burros are a retired Nevada Department of Wildlife biologist, approved by the partner organizations, we began currently in holding facilities, costing nearly to see and hear about the limitations of water that promoting efforts and providing sneak peeks to $50 million annually. wild horses — and wildlife — face throughout Ne- key constituencies and advocacy organizations. We Populations of the vada. Building on the idea of scarcity, competition wanted to be sure people were excited to see this nonnative animals and impacts to water resources, Charles interviews film and to help us push it out to the broad public. continue to grow, researchers from the University of Nevada-Reno damaging ecosystems. who study greater sage-grouse and its habitats. Jim The film’s first public showing was in March 2019 at Sedinger and Phillip Street show how meadows the Department of the Interior’s main office building — important for sage-grouse brood rearing — can in Washington, D.C., for the Environmental Film be negatively impacted by unregulated grazing by Festival in the Nation’s Capital. It officially launched horses and burros. Later in the film, state biologists a few days later on The Wildlife Society’s website Jane van Gunst and Cody Byrne explore the effects and social media accounts. Alongside the digital of unmanaged horses and burros on threatened posts, we sent the film to key congressional offices to Lahontan cutthroat trout. help inform their discussions.

Post also visits with Dean Bolstad, the recently Since then, we’ve pushed the film through mul- retired chief of the BLM’s Wild Horse & Burro tiple ways to help ensure widespread viewership Program. Bolstad shares a passionate expression of and awareness of this issue. We also created a the need for policy changes in the program — and 60-second trailer of the film to provide for easier highlights that the health of public lands needs viewing and promotion on social media. to be at the forefront of policymakers’ priorities if wildlife and wild horse and burro populations are TWS’ website and social media efforts alone have to be sustained. reached more than 510,000 people, and the film and trailer have been viewed more than 245,000 Interspersed throughout the wildlife-focused times. Thousands more have viewed the film discussions is information about the overpopula- through vehicles provided by other organizations in

58 The Wildlife Professional, September/October 2019 © The Wildlife Society person at meetings and events across the country. making progress and that this film is helping shift And the message continues to spread. the conversation from a politically charged “horse versus livestock” discussion to a perspective that Our team has promoted and shown the film at fish recognizes that all uses of our public lands need to and wildlife agency meetings, nongovernmental be managed in responsible, sustainable ways. organization board and conservation meetings, town-hall-style meetings with community leaders, Please check out the film, send a letter and help environmental film festivals and horse and burro spread the message! Visit wildlife.org/horse-rich- stakeholder meetings. We’ll also show the film at dirt-poor. The Wildlife Society and American Fisheries Society Joint Annual Conference in Reno, Nevada this year.

Through our promotions of the film and trailer, we’ve pushed for viewers to send a message to their representatives in Congress through TWS’ Action Center. The message provided by the Action Center high- Keith Norris, AWB®, is the director of lights the consequences of growing horse and burro wildlife policy and communications at populations for wildlife and calls on Congress to make The Wildlife Society. changes — any changes — that will help fix the status Mike Cox is the statewide bighorn and mountain goat staff biologist for quo and advance native wildlife conservation. the Nevada Department of Wildlife. Kevin Hurley, CWB®, is a TWS Fellow and vice president of Moving forward conservation and operations at the Wild Sheep Foundation. We know there is still a long way to go on this Clay Brewer is the conservation director for the bighorn sheep issue. Making policy change isn’t easy, and it program at the Wild Sheep Foundation. becomes exponentially more difficult when the Pat Pinjuv is president of Nevada Bighorns Unlimited and president of issue is perceived to be a “western” issue and is a Pinecrest Construction and Development. firestorm of public emotion. But, we believe we’re

Notes from The Wildlife Society’s Government Relations program

Work for dedicated conservation funding continues in the new Congress

By Caroline E. Murphy

The quest for dedicated conservation funding for at-risk species has revved up again this Congress with the reintroduction of the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (H.R. 3742).

Its passage will be a game changer for efforts to conserve at-risk wildlife. By providing over a billion dollars annually to states and tribes to implement on-the-ground conservation efforts, wildlife professionals will more effectively Credit: The office of Representative Debbie Dingell sustain wildlife populations and keep species from becom- Representative Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., speaks at a July 12 press conference on ing endangered. the reintroduction of the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act.

How we got here the importance of legislation, see that their constituents sup- The effort stems from the 2015 conclusions of the Blue Rib- port it and request them to co-sponsor it. bon Panel on Sustaining America’s Diverse Fish and Wildlife Resources, a group representing conservation organizations, You can help! sportsmen and women and the business community. The Members of The Wildlife Society can take several actions to panel determined that dedicated funding — not subject to show their members of Congress the important work this leg- Congress’s annual appropriations — was needed to provide islation would support. Links to these resources are available certainty in long-term planning and efforts to conserve and on the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act webpage — wildlife. recover at-risk species. org/recovering-americas-wildlife-act — and they include:

This Congress, legislators introduced an updated bill that A letter that will be sent to the U.S. House of Representatives builds upon the panel’s work, with changes that broaden for individual natural resource scientists and managers to sign funding sources beyond oil and gas royalties — as was in last expressing support of the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act. Congress’s version — and the uses of allocated funds. An action alert system that members can use to contact Other adjustments involve an additional $97.5 million in their representatives and ask them to support the bill or thank dedicated funding for tribal agency conservation work, a them for their support. competitive grants program that states can individually or cooperatively apply for and a requirement that states use 10% A recently recorded webinar hosted by TWS and the American of the funds provided to conserve federally listed species. Fisheries Society that discusses techniques for building a coalition that can work to support the bill in your state, and additional These adjustments include reporting requirements for states tools and techniques for engaging with members of Congress. to provide information on their projects. This will allow TWS and partner organizations to more effectively relay Members should also connect with their chapter’s state-led conservation success stories to Congress Conservation Affairs Committee for other oppor- and the public. tunities to engage in this and other policy issues important to wildlife professionals. TWS leading the charge With a phenomenal reintroduction that included With our combined and coordinated efforts, we will over 60 members of Congress pledging their sup- successfully push this bill through the legislative port, we hope to be over 150 co-sponsors before the process and fundamentally improve our profession’s year is out. Caroline E. efforts to advance science-based conservation and Murphy, AWB®, management of wildlife. To reach this goal, TWS government affairs staff is the government relations manager for are working as part of the Alliance for America’s The Wildlife Society in Questions regarding the Recovering America’s Fish and Wildlife coalition, communicating with Bethesda, Md. Wildlife Act and TWS efforts can be sent to congressional offices to ensure they understand [email protected].

Tools and techniques for today’s wildlife professional

Better for the planet, better for sampling? works well for researchers who are trying to remove water from their samples in the first place. Using hydrophilic plastics, they Like those single-use coffee cartridges showing up in offices discovered, could preserve the samples while cutting out a step everywhere, tools for collecting environmental DNA in the field for researchers in the field and cutting down on waste. are effective but they can be kind of wasteful. “It was a total plot twist,” Thomas said. “We started with one “Every time you’re collecting a sample, you’re using one of these objective and we met two objectives.” single-use filter housings,” said Austen Thomas, a research scientist for the company Smith-Root, a manufacturer of aquatic To test these self-preserving filters, researchers conducted a conservation equipment. “I was feeling pretty bad about that. We six-month trial and compared them with methods using etha- designed a system that by its very nature creates plastic waste.” nol to preserve the sample. In a study published in the British Ecological Society’s Methods in Ecology and Evolution, the Sampling eDNA can be an effective way to see what species are researchers found both methods performed about equally well, present in an ecosystem without spotting every one of them by with no significant degradation of eDNA after six months of finding the DNA they shed into water systems. Smith-Root had storage at room temperature. developed a backpack system that allows biologists to trudge into the field, collect water samples and filter them onsite, But in a field study investigating the presence of Columbia avoiding the dangers of losing eDNA by the time they get back spotted frogs (Rana luteiventris), researchers found the to the lab. The filtration packets kept the samples free from self-preserved filters contained almost twice the eDNA as eth- contamination, but they couldn’t be reused. Without properly anol-preserved samples. Because of the small size of the trial, bleaching them, DNA would carry over from one sample to an- the finding is preliminary, but it’s promising, Thomas said. other. Using too much bleach could damage the next sample. “I’m really curious to see if this result is corroborated,” he said. So Thomas and his colleagues started looking into biodegradable materials. That’s when they realized these alternative materials Beta testers in the field at sites around the world may soon give might not just be better for the planet. They might also be better him an answer. for the samples. Many of the materials they looked at absorbed water. That may be bad if you’re designing a coffee pod, but it —Contributed by David Frey

Credit: Smith-Root Credit: Smith-Root

The eDNA backpack allows biologists to sample eDNA in the field. Efforts to create an eDNA system that was better for the planet may also be better for the samples.

The Wildlife Society pays tribute

Kathy Riggs Shelton She assisted through The Wildlife Society in the coordina- tion of the Native American Research Assistantship program, TWS member Kathy Riggs Shelton, of Biloxi, Mississippi, died which provides Native American wildlife students with sum- July 17, 2019. She was 54. mer assistantship opportunities with Forest Service scientists.

A wildlife biologist with the Leak-Garcia believed in creative and innovative scientific ap- Mississippi Museum of Natu- proaches, protecting the land, upholding federal-tribal trust ral Science and a member of obligations and promoting responsible and sincere relation- the Mississippi Bat Working ships with tribes. As part of the Intertribal Timber Council’s Group, Shelton joined TWS research committee, she co-led a team of scientists and tribal in 1995. natural resource professionals to initiate a tribal research needs assessment. Born Oct. 16, 1964 in Greens- boro, North Carolina, she A passionate advocate for tribal and wilderness research, graduated from North Caro- she devoted her efforts to creating partnerships between the lina State University with a agency and tribes, between the agency and TWS and to using bachelor’s degree in wildlife strategic thinking to overcome complex land management management and from Mis- challenges. sissippi State University with a master’s degree in wildlife “We are shaped by our myriad experiences,” she once wrote, Photo courtesy Nicole Hodges sciences. “viewed through the lens of our own equally valid perspectives. Respect and compassion for each person’s unique history, She began working with the Mississippi Department of Marine personality, circumstances and challenges is the only one-size- Resources before joining the state Department of Wildlife, fits-all answer that I know.” Fisheries and Parks, where she dealt with game management on public lands. She transferred to the museum in 2007 where Leak-Garcia earned a bachelor’s degree in biology with a mi- she specialized in nongame species. nor in mathematics at San Diego State University and her PhD from the University of California, Riverside, in population and “My job is the epitome of boots on the ground conservation,” evolutionary genetics. She joined the Forest Service in 2012. she said in a staff profile published online by the museum last year. “Everything I do from surveying animals to restoring She is survived by her daughter, extended family and friends. habitat to writing reports and management plans has the final goal as conservation of a species or a habitat.” —Contributed by Serra Hoagland

Janet Leak-Garcia, center, appears with colleagues from the Intertribal Timber Janet Leak-Garcia Council, Adrian Leighton, Mike Dockry, Serra Hoagland and Jim Durglo.

TWS member Janet Leak-Garcia died April 18, 2019. She was 55.

Leak-Garcia served as the national program lead for tribal and wilderness research at U.S. Forest Service’s research and development arm, where she was respected for her work in providing opportunities for tribal communities and native students.

Members who wish to submit a tribute should send an email to [email protected].

Courtesy Serra Hoagland

62 The Wildlife Professional, September/October 2019 © The Wildlife Society Harold William Steinhoff He was named Centennial Professor in 1970, an award celebrating CSU’s 100th Harold Steinhoff died May 28, 2019, anniversary, and he held many positions at the age of 100. in support of the university. He started the tradition of taking students on two- A professor in the College of Forestry to three-week spring field trips across and Natural Resources at Colorado Colorado, developed the Design of Wildlife State University from 1947 to 1974, Studies course and taught many students Steiner was a charter member of the who became wildlife leaders. Central Mountains and Plains Section of The Wildlife Society. He served as Photo courtesy Stephanie Ferrero In 1974, he became the Southwest Regional secretary and treasurer for the initial Director for CSU Cooperative Extension, organizational meeting in 1954 and later became CMPS vice- where he led CSU’s efforts for the San Juan Ecology project assess- president, president and section co-representative to The Wildlife ing the environmental effects of snow depth and recorded over 50 Society Council for two terms. radio programs and 10 TV segments on Colorado wildlife.

Steinhoff received a B.S. in Forestry from Colorado State Univer- His research included wildlife values of the Kenai National Moose sity in 1941, an M.S. in forest zoology from Syracuse University in Range in Alaska, and he contributed to the 1978 book Big Game 1947 and a PhD in wildlife biology from Syracuse in 1956. After of North America Ecology and Management and the 1987 book serving in World War II, he completed a study on the census Valuing Wildlife: Economic and Social Perspectives. methods of white-tailed deer in the Adirondacks and researched blue grouse habitat use in Colorado. Survivors include his wife Marian, who celebrated with him their 75th wedding anniversary in January. During his professorship at CSU, Steinhoff was the first in his department to receive the honor of distinguished CSU professor. —Contributed by Stephanie Ferrero

A mountain lion (Puma concolor) appears to levitate as it is captured on a trail camera in the central Oregon coast range. The lion was attracted up the tree by a bait station that was part of a mountain lion study by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Mountain lion Gotcha! populations in Oregon exceed 6,600 individuals across all age classes and are growing in number and distribution in northwest Oregon.

Want to share your photo here? Send it to [email protected].

64 The Wildlife Professional, September/October 2019 © The Wildlife Society ATS’ Neolink system’s VIT transmitter will trigger an SMS text alert at fawn’s birth. The fawn's collar will trigger another text alert if the fawn strays from its mother, or if mortality is detected. Call us or go to ATStrack.com/Neolink