U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Summer 2008 FishFish && WildlifeWildlife NewsNews On the Border / 8 Island Paradise / 16 Mysterious Threat / 20 Sanctuary for Houston Toad / 22 what’s inside Departments Director’s Corner / 1 Fish Tales / 38 News / 2 Our People / 39 Conservation in Action / 26 Transitions / 39 Honors / 41 Field Journal / 28 In Memoriam / 44 Around the Service / 29 Features S E R V I C E S P O T L I G H T On the Border / 8 Protecting natural resources COURTESY PHOTO on the front lines of immigration. By Jose Viramontes and Nancy Brown Island Paradise / 16 Pearl Harbor National Wildlife Refuge provides a living classroom for local school children. By Pamela Gibson Mysterious Threat / 20 What is killing bats in the Northeast? By Diana Weaver Sanctuary for the Houston Toad / 22 Texas rancher and minister Bob Long and the Service’s Safe Harbor Program are helping the endangered amphibian. By Ben Ikenson On the cover: A black-footed Majestic Migration / 24 albatross chick on Laysan Island in the Northwestern Sandhill crane migration is a natural Hawaiian Islands, which spectacle that brings bird lovers from supports one of the largest albatross populations in across the globe to central Nebraska. the world. By Ashley Spratt MARC ROMANO, USFWS from the director Single Gains On a beautiful spring morning last April I had the large landscapes and rural lifestyles intact — was pleasure of helping unveil the Ira N. Gabrielson recognized at this high level. The honor vindicated our historical marker in Oakton, Virginia. This philosophy of working with private, state and federal event was special not only because it recognized land stewards to move the needle forward for fish and Dr. Gabrielson — the first Director of the Fish wildlife conservation, and it says volumes about what and Wildlife Service, who was aptly called the public and others expect of federal government. “Mr Conservation” for his contributions to the profession —but also because it reminded me of the I began to think about all of you out there making Service’s long tradition of overcoming adversity. single gains every day with no regard for recognition or praise. Dr. Gabrielson was both resourceful and visionary. I thought of people like Patrick Leonard, who is In the midst of the creating ecosystem approaches to threatened and Depression and the waning endangered species instead of one species at a time; of years of drought and Dust Scott Schliebe, who has worked diligently for decades Bowl, he oversaw a huge to understand the polar bear and provide critical expansion of the Refuge information that helped influence our decision to list System — from 63 refuges the species; of Gail Carmody, who is working tirelessly when he took over as to understand the impacts of water management in Director to 210 by the time Georgia, Alabama and Florida so intelligent Service he retired — a nearly positions can be established based on good science; of fourfold increase. In 1939, Mike Bryant, standing his ground with good science Dr. Gabrielson helped that countered the Navy’s proposal to establish an create the Patuxent Outlying Landing Field next to Pocosin Lakes Research Refuge — National Wildlife Refuge in North Carolina, an action the only wildlife refuge that would have been unacceptable for the migratory dedicated to research; he birds we hold so dear; of Caroline Peterschmidt and oversaw production of the her staff at Makah National Fish Hatchery, who are first Refuge Manual in helping to restore salmon; of Phil Thorpe, who spends 1942, which established months away from his family up in Canada so we have Director Hall and uniform policies and practices on refuges; and in the best information possible upon which to establish Carla Ferris, great 1943 Dr. Gabrielson wrote Wildlife Refuges, the migratory waterfowl hunting bag limits each year; of granddaughter definitive book on the Refuge System. In the book, John Rogner, who day in and day out is making a huge of Dr. Ira N. he wrote, “The conservation battle cannot be a short, difference in Chicago and is largely responsible for Gabrielson, unveil sharp engagement, but must be grim, tenacious the tremendous working relationship we have there. Gabrielson’s warfare —the sort that makes single gains and then historical marker consolidates these gains until renewed strength and a I could literally go on and on with specific examples in Oakton, Virginia. good opportunity make another advance possible.” of all of you who are truly making a significant difference, but suffice it to say I am aware of your Despite today’s threats — climate change, invasive good work and I am humbled by it. Each and every species, land conversion and a host of other one of you makes me honored to occupy the seat I challenges — the Service continues to make “single am privileged to have. gains” that advance our conservation mission. Throughout the history of the Service, our employees I was recently reminded of this at a breakfast have always stood for integrity and professionalism. honoring federal employee finalists for the Service to That is still true today. Like Ira Gabrielson and others America Medals program. One of the finalists was our before and after him, we will no doubt endure trying own Greg Neudecker, Partners for Fish and Wildlife times. But I come to work each day with the comfort biologist at Benton Lake, Montana. I was proud for of knowing that you — the men and women of the Greg and the Service that his work on the Blackfoot U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service — are up to the Challenge — a program where private landowners and challenge. Thank you for everything you do every public agencies find common ground in keeping day for the Service, our natural resources and the American people. Summer 2008 Fish & Wildlife News / 1 news Natural Prescription Supporting Science in a Changing Arctic for Health The Circumpolar Biodiversity diverse coalition is “to harmonize The U.S. Department of the Monitoring Workshop, a and enhance monitoring across Interior and the National RONALD LAUBENSTEIN wide-ranging partnership of the Arctic to improve detection, Institutes of Health’s We Can! international experts and others understanding, and reporting, program — a national science- with a stake in the changing and to strengthen efforts to based education program arctic, recently met to lay the conserve biodiversity.” developed to help children foundation for informed research ranging from 8–13 years old into, and management of, natural In working toward this objective, maintain a healthy weight — are resources in this changing the meeting achieved short-term partnering to encourage children portion of the globe. goals and, perhaps more and families to get outside and importantly, established a play at a nearby national park or The event, held in March at groundwork to effectively guide national wildlife refuge. the World Wildlife Fund’s future shared conservation and Washington, DC headquarters, monitoring efforts across the Increasing physical activity is a A family pauses during a hike was organized by a steering circumpolar Arctic. Looking primary goal of We Can! (Ways to in Alaska. committee chaired by Dr. Janet forward, the products of this Enhance Children’s Activity and Hohn of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife workshop will provide an Nutrition). We Can! is a program “We’re very pleased to partner Service and included members international climate-change of the National Institutes of with NIH and help make the representing the Circumpolar early-warning system, and inform Health (NIH), a component of the nation’s fisheries and wildlife Biodiversity Monitoring Program policy and decision-making at U.S. Department Health and refuges and national parks a (CBMP), the International Union the global, national, regional, Human Services. The program welcome and exciting resource for the Conversation of Nature’s and local levels. provides tips and resources for youth, parents and caregivers USA Multilateral Office, and the for parents, caregivers, and to promote a love of nature and Service. In attendance were As defined by the Conservation of community organizations to help the great outdoors,” said representatives from a variety of Arctic Flora and Fauna Working children and their families make Secretary of Interior Dirk government agencies (from the Group (CAFF), the circumpolar better food choices, increase Kempthorne. “With more than 181 U.S. and other Arctic nations), Arctic covers some 14.8 million physical activity and reduce the million acres of public land in the academia, and international square kilometers of land and 13 amount of time they devote to National Wildlife Refuge System non-governmental organizations million of ocean. While this huge sedentary activities such as video and National Park System, and foundations. The goal of the region has relatively few species games. The program is now we can provide numerous underway in more than 800 opportunities for families. We The Arctic’s contributions to world biodiversity — particularly community sites in all 50 states need to get children and their in the form of the wealth of migratory bird and marine mammal and 10 countries. families out of cyberspace and species, such as walrus, that depend upon the area’s brief but into open spaces. To put down productive summers—are substantial. The government partners are their BlackBerries and go pick joining 40 other national partners blackberries. To stop channel in support of We Can! National surfing and go wind surfing. To wildlife refuges and national shut off the Web casts and cast parks also provide ideal settings a line for a trout.” for family activities such as a walk in the woods, bike riding, For a list of activities that fishing, canoeing or a wildlife families can do together, watching trip.