The Endangered Species Act Turns 35

Unlike other laws that focus on individual animals, such as the U.S. Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, or groups of species like the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Endangered Species Act, is applicable to all species of fish, wildlife, and plants.
This year the Endangered Species Act turns 35.

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Service Proposes Addition of Penguin Species to Endangered Species List

African penguins. Credit: Maryland Baltimore Zoo

December 17, 2008
The Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to list one penguin species as endangered and five penguin species as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The Service also found that three species of penguins do not warrant listing throughout their range and is proposing listing one species as threatened in a significant portion of its range.

News Release

New Rule Unifies Domestic and International Conservation Laws to Manage Polar Bear

Polar bear. Credit: Dave Olsen / USFWS

December 11, 2008
Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne announced today that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has finalized a Special Rule under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) providing for the conservation of the polar bear.

News Release

Polar Bear Information

Service Releases Annual List of Candidates for Endangered Species Act

Gierisch mallow. Credit: BLM

December 10, 2008
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today released its Candidate Notice of Review, a yearly appraisal of the current status of plants and animals that are candidates for protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Two species have been removed from candidate status, one species has been added, and 11 have a change in priority from the last review in December 2007. There are now 251 species recognized by the Service as candidates for ESA protection.

What's Weird, Wonderful, and Needs Help?

September 16, 2008
What does a Black Warrior waterdog look like? How about a fine-lined pocketbook or spectacled eider? Weird & Wonderful Wildlife, our new Endangered Species poster for kids and the young at heart, answers these questions and more. The free poster features 14 strangely-named or otherwise unusual plant and animal species. Most are endangered or threatened, and several are candidates for listing under the Endangered Species Act. Inspired by their names, fanciful artwork illustrates what you might imagine the species to look like. The other side features photos of the same species with some fun facts.

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New Conservation Effort Benefits Rare Species in Southeastern New Mexico

L to R: Deputy Regional Director Brian Millsap, Regional Director Benjamin Tuggle; Chris Brininstool, a rancher from Lea County NM; Doug Lynn, Executive Director, Center of Excellence for Hazardous Materials Management; and Deputy Secretary of the Interior Lynn Scarlett.

December 9, 2008
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Bureau of Land Management have launched an innovative conservation program that encourages landowners, energy companies, and ranchers to help protect and restore habitat for lesser prairie chickens and sand dune lizards in southeast New Mexico.

USFWS News Release

Candidate Conservation Agreement and Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances signed documents

Endangered mussels get pumped-up in the Upper Mississippi river

Scott Gritters of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources holds a Higgin’s eye pearlymussel.

December 1, 2008
Biologists have found Higgin’s eye pearlymussels 19 miles below the site of their release two years ago. Placing bass and walleye as host fish in cages in the river has been an essential technique in enabling mussel larvae to survive—and helping the endangered species to recover.

Learn more from Fish Lines

400 Pallid Sturgeon Released in the Missouri River

Neosho National Fish Hatchery staff prepare to stock Federally endangered pallid sturgeon.

December 1, 2008
Marked with tags from the Neosho National Fish Hatchery in Missouri, 400 endangered pallid sturgeon were released on September 23, 2008 into the Missouri River near Bellevue, Nebraska. Originating from wild brood stock, the fish were transported by plane in 2007 as small fry from Garrison Dam National Fish Hatchery in North Dakota to Neosho.

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Service Reopens Public Comment Period On 2007 Proposal to Delist Northern Rocky Mountain Population of Gray Wolves Under the Endangered Species Act

Gray wolf. Credit: John and Karen Hollingsworth / USFWS

October 24, 2008
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced it is reopening the public comment period on its proposal to delist the gray wolf in the northern Rocky Mountains.

News Release

Kempthorne Announces Proposal to Protect 48 Hawaii Species

September 30, 2008
HONOLULU, HI - Applying a newly developed, ecosystem-based approach to species conservation, the Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne today announced a proposal to add 48 species found only on the island of Kauai to the federal endangered species list and designate critical habitat. This new approach, undertaken by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, provides hope for Kauai’s natural ecosystems and the species that call them home. The 48 species include 45 plants, two birds and one Hawaiian picture-wing fly.

News Release [pdf]

Captive Breeding used to Boost Declining Population of Lange's Metalmark Butterfly at Antioch Dunes National Wildlife Refuge

Lange's Metalmark Butterfly. Credit: Jerry Powell

September 11, 2008
In August biologists from Moorpark College, The Urban Wildlands Group, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released adults and caterpillars of the Lange's metalmark butterfly to increase their numbers at Antioch Dunes National Wildlife Refuge. Antioch Dunes NWR is the only place on earth where the Lange's Metalmark Butterfly exists. The release was the culmination of a successful captive breeding program that began last year when monitoring found dangerously low numbers of the Lange's metalmark butterfly two years in a row. The breeding program is part of a two-pronged effort to save the species.

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Pollinators Home Page

Service Supports 2008 Year of the Frog

Click image for slide show. Frog presentation courtesy of Joe Milmoe / USFWS.

September 5, 2008
Amphibian populations are in decline in many areas of the world. Areas which previously hosted a range of healthy frogs and other amphibian populations now have fewer, or even no frogs, toads, and salamanders. 2008 has been declared the "Year of the Frog" to highlight this crisis and emphasize the importance of amphibian conservation.

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Slide Show

Endangered Species Bulletin, Spring 2008, "Year of the Frog" [PDF]

West Virginia Northern Flying Squirrel has Recovered, Glides Off Endangered Species List

West Virgina Northern flying squirrel. Credit: US Army Corps of Enginers

August 25, 2008
Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne announced today that the West Virginia northern flying squirrel has recovered from the brink of extinction and will be removed from Endangered Species Act protection. The species' rebound can be attributed to a combination of conservation efforts and regeneration of the flying squirrel's forest habitat.

News Release

Endangered Species Chief and Oregon Rancher Walk a Mile in Each Other’s Boots

Ranch Manager Stacy Davies (L) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Assistant Director of Endangered Species, Bryan Arroyo on Roaring Springs Ranch in Frenchglen, Oregon. Credit: (c) Roberta Guarino

August 21, 2008
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Assistant Director for Endangered Species, Bryan Arroyo and Stacy Davies, manager of the Roaring Springs Ranch in Frenchglen, Oregon, recently traded jobs for a week as part of the “Walk a Mile in My Boots” exchange program. This innovative program was established in 2003 between the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the National Cattlemen’s Foundation to give Service employees and ranchers a better understanding of and mutual appreciation for each other's roles and responsibilities.

News Release [pdf]

Walk A Mile In My Boots - Podcast

Service Announces New Tool for Endangered Species Conservation

The golden-cheeked warbler in Texas has benefitted from the new endangered species recovery crediting system. Photo Credit: Steve Maslowski/USFWS

July 31, 2008
The Service has developed the final guidance for an innovative new tool designed to help federal agencies conserve imperiled species on non-federal lands. The Recovery Crediting System will give federal agencies greater flexibility to offset impacts to threatened and endangered species caused by their actions by undertaking conservation efforts on non-federal lands, with the requirement that there is a net benefit to recovery of the species impacted.

News Release

Wisconsin Nest Produces First - Ever Endangered Kirtland's Warbler for that State

This young Kirtland's warbler is among the first ever to fledge in the State of Wisconsin. Credit: Jennifer Goyette (under contract by Wisconsin DNR as a nest monitor)

July 30, 2008
A partnership of private, state and federal agencies has sparked a flicker of hope in Wisconsin for an endangered wood warbler. Efforts by Plum Creek Timber Company, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have led to the first successful nesting of Kirtland’s warblers in the state.

News Release

Endangered Species Act Protections Reinstated for Northern Rocky Mountain Wolf Population

Gray wolf. Credit: John and Karen Hollingsworth

July 24, 2008
The U.S. Federal District Court in Missoula, Montana, issued a preliminary injunction on Friday, July 18, 2008, that immediately reinstated the Endangered Species Act protections for wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains. That area includes all of Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming and the eastern one-third of Washington and Oregon and parts of north-central Utah.

News Release

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Sasquatch Dropped from Endangered Species Listing

Sasquatch. Credit: Roger Patterson

July 11, 2008
After 19 months of discussion and debate, the USFW has removed Sasquatch from the list of endangered species. Furthermore, national statutes have been signed making it a viable game animal on those lands managed by USFS, USFW, BLM, and the Dept. of Interior. Individual states will have control over hunting seasons, license fees, and lottery structure.

The western states of Alaska, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, California, and Nevada have proposals before state licensing boards for an early 2009 hunt. It is expected that all state seasons will be quickly approved in an effort to support lower than normal game fund revenues. Check with state offices for exact hunt dates.

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Celebrate Pollinator Week, June 22-28, with U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service!

Bee on a flower. Credit: Mike Higgins, USFWS.

June 23, 2008
In celebration of Pollinator Week the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is releasing a series of podcasts about pollinators throughout the week. Each day learn more about pollinators, such as native bees and endangered butterflies, and what you can do to help them. Visit the Pollinators Web site to get started.

Draft Revised Recovery Plan for Northwest Atlantic Loggerhead Turtles Available

Loggerhead sea turtle. Credit: Donna Dewhurst / USFWS

May 30, 2008
NOAA's Fisheries Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are seeking public review and comment on the draft revised recovery plan for the northwest Atlantic population of the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta). This plan is significant in that it identifies five unique recovery units for the northwest population of loggerhead turtles and describes recovery criteria for each unit. Recovery of the northwest Atlantic loggerhead will require the commitment and cooperation of a wide array of partners. The species is listed globally as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The agencies will accept public comments until July 29, 2008.

News Release
Recovery Plan

Service to Honor Endangered Species Act Bald Eagle Agreements

Bald eagle in flight. Credit: USFWS

May 20, 2008
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today issued revised regulations under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act that will enable the Service to continue honoring authorizations for "take" of bald eagles previously granted under the Endangered Species Act. The regulations are part of an ongoing effort to ensure that the bald eagle is effectively conserved and managed under the Eagle Act now that the eagle is no longer protected as a threatened species.

News Release
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Maguire Daisy Proposed for Delisting

Maguire Daisy. Credit: NPS

May 15, 2008
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to remove the Maguire daisy (Erigeron maguirei), a perennial herb found in southeastern Utah, from the Federal list of Threatened and Endangered Species.  The best scientific and commercial information available indicates the Maguire daisy has recovered and no longer meets the definition of threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Cooperative recovery efforts have substantially increased the known number and distribution of Maguire daisy populations range-wide, stabilized populations, addressed threats, and provided adequate protection and management to ensure the plant's long-term persistence. 

News Release
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Secretary Kempthorne Announces Endangered Species Act Protection for Polar Bear

Polar bear whisper in ear.© Jessie Harris

May 14, 2008
Secretary Kempthorne announced today that the polar bear will be protected under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) as a threatened species due to the threat of decreasing sea ice habitat caused by climate change.

Fact sheet
News Release
Get maps, videos, and more information

Desert Bald Eagle Returns to Endangered Species List

Bald eagle in flight. Credit: USFWS

May 1, 2008
As a result of a recent court order, bald eagles in the Sonoran Desert of central Arizona are again protected as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act.  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service published the special rule announcing the protected status in the May 1, 2008 Federal Register.

News Release

Celebrate Earth Day - Let's Go Outside!

Maryland school children helping to restore a wetland by planting native wetland vegetation. Credit: USFWS

April 18, 2008
In celebration of Earth Day and National Children & Nature Awareness month, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is encouraging you to get outside and enjoy the beauty and spring-time wonders of the natural world.

The Service recently launched its Let’s Go Outside! initiative to encourage Americans to spend time outdoors. It’s a great way to foster meaningful experiences for the entire family and create a life-long connection to the environment. Recent research has shown it can also improve one’s overall health and well-being.

News Release

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Amazing Images Shed Light on Rare Hawaiian Shrimp

Metabetaeus lohena Red. © Mike Yamamoto

April 17, 2008
Scientists in Hawaii have captured some of the first images ever taken of six rare species of tiny, brilliantly colored shrimp that inhabit the subterranean world of cracks, crevices and lava tubes of coastal Hawaii. Called anchialine pool shrimp, these creatures range in size from a grain of rice to 1.5 inches and are threatened by habitat loss, nonnative invasive species and over-collection for the aquarium trade. Three of the shrimp species are candidates for protection under the Endangered Species Act.

News Release

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Announces Endangered Species Recovery Champion Awards

March 27, 2008
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director H. Dale Hall announced the sixteen recipients of the Service's 2007 Recovery Champion award.  The Recovery Champion award recognizes outstanding contributions of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employees and their partners toward efforts aimed at recovering threatened and endangered species in the United States.  

"The Recovery Champion award not only recognizes the exceptional conservation accomplishments of the honorees, it also provides the public with a unique opportunity to learn about endangered species conservation," said Hall.  "These Recovery Champions are extraordinary conservationists dedicated to protecting and restoring our nation's wildlife and ensuring that future generations of Americans enjoy the national treasures we experience today."
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Secretary Kempthorne Announces $57.9 Million in Grants to Support Land Acquisition and Conservation Planning for Endangered Species

Golden-cheeked Warbler. Credit: Steve Maslowski / USFWS

March 20, 2008
Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne announced more than $57.9 million in grants to 23 states and one territory to support conservation planning and acquisition of vital habitat for threatened and endangered fish, wildlife and plants. The grants, awarded through the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund, will benefit numerous species ranging from the red-cockaded woodpecker to the Lake Erie watersnake.

News Release
List of Grant Awards [PDF]

Update on Bat Die-off in the Northeast

Bats with white-nosed fungus. Credit: Al Hicks, New York Dept. of Environmental Conservation

March 19, 2008
Some 8,000 to 11,000 bats died in several Albany, N.Y.-area caves and mines last winter, more than half the bat population in those hibernacula. Many of the dead bats had a white fungus on their muzzles, dubbed white-nose syndrome. This year, biologists are seeing hibernating bats die by the hundreds - probably thousands - in New York, southwest Vermont and western Massachusetts.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service endangered species biologist Susi von Oettingen talks about white-nose syndrome in bats and investigates a hibernaculum in an abandoned mine.

Video Interview
How You Can Help
New York Department of Conservation
Cornell University
YouTube Coverage

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Lists the Desert Bald Eagle As Threatened Under
the Endangered Species Act

Bald eagle in flight. Credit: USFWS

News Release
Map of affected area [PDF]
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Interior Department Removes Northern Rocky Mountain Wolves from Endangered Species List

Gray wolf. Credit: Tracy Brooks / USFWS

News Release
Q's and A's
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Secretary Kempthorne Announces Proposal to Remove the Brown Pelican from the Endangered Species List

Brown pelican swimming. Credit: Lee Carney/USFWS.

News Release
Q's and A's
Fact Sheet
Video

Polar bear resting but alert. Credit: Susanne Miller/USFWS.

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