Endangered Species Bulletin articles from January 2004

Endangered Species Bulletin archives from January 2004

Partnerships for plant conservation in Texas.
January 1, 2004... For some endangered or threatened plant species, research into their distribution, abundance, and basic life history is the first step in developing a recovery plan. Sometimes this data collection process leads to the establishment of...

The Upper San Pedro partnership.
January 1, 2004... People have lived in the desert Southwest for thousands of years. To survive in this arid land, early settlers had to develop special skills and adapt to a desert-based way of life. Today, communities throughout the region face a similar...

Joining forces for an island of biodiversity.(Cuba)
January 1, 2004... Nestled in the rain shadow of the Sierra Cristal, the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has baked in sleepy isolation from the other biodiversity hot spots of the Western Caribbean for more than 100 years. Now that "GTMO" has been thrust...

Giving nature a second chance.(dam relocation on the St. George River in Maine)
January 1, 2004... In 1999, when the George's River chapter of Trout Unlimited and other river restoration supporters began to advocate removing Sennebec Dam on the St. George River of Maine, it looked like the start of a classic environmental confrontation....

One step closer to key deer recovery.
January 1, 2004... A year-long effort to translocate endangered Key deer (Odocoileus virginianus clavium) from Big Pine Key to Upper Sugarloaf Key in Florida came to fruition in June 2003 when two deer were released into a "soft release" pen, allowing them to...

Agencies streamline permit process.(Federal government agencies)
January 1, 2004... "I came here expecting to complain about problems. But after listening to what you've done and what you're planning to do next, I'm disappointed to say that I can't find anything to complain about." The speaker, an experienced county...

Partners restore coastal sage scrub habitat.(government and private organizations work to restore California gnat-catcher habitat )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Coastal sage scrub vegetation serves as breeding habitat for a threatened bird, the coastal California gnat-catcher (Polioptila californica californica). The 4,000-acre (1,620-hectare) Starr Ranch Sanctuary, a National Audubon Society preserve...

How the swift fox escaped the list.(voluntary protections kept fox off endangered species list)
January 1, 2004... Under the U.S. Constitution, most fish and wildlife management responsibilities in our country are retained by the states and tribes. The exceptions, trust species such as migratory birds, anadromous fish, and species listed under the...

A partnership to grow plovers on the plains.(protecting threatened bird species)
January 1, 2004... The first explorers to cross the "Great American Desert," the area we now call the high plains, observed large flocks of mountain plovers (Charadrius montanus). These birds laid their eggs on the ground in prairie dog towns and other...

Why all the fuss over a frog?(Columbia spotted frog)
January 1, 2004... Scientists have known for years that frogs can tell us a lot about the health of aquatic ecosystems. Because frogs are very sensitive to changes in air and water quality, a decline in their population indicates possible problems with the health...

Recovery planning in the 21st century.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... When the Endangered Species Act (ESA) was passed 30 years ago, it did not mention recovery plans or the need for recovery planning to chart the path for restoring a species. Instead, the ESA relied on reduction of take (through the section 9...

Restoring the Columbian white-tailed deer.
January 1, 2004... On July 24, 2003, decades of work to recover the Douglas County, Oregon, population of the Columbian white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus leucurus) were recognized by the removal of this animal from Endangered Species Act protection. ...

Karner blue butterflies and Necedah NWR.(Spotlight On Refuges)
January 1, 2004... The Karner blue butterfly (Lycaeides melissa samuelis) has been endangered primarily by habitat loss, much of which has been due to urbanization and wildfire prevention (Andow et al. 1994). The lack of wildfires has resulted in plant community...

Final listing.(Rulemaking Actions)(dugon restored to Endangered Species Act Protection in Palau)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Dugong (Dugong dugon) The dugong, a marine mammal somewhat resembling the manatee, was listed in 1970 as an endangered species throughout its range, which includes tropical and subtropical coastal and inland waters from eastern Africa to the...

Final reclassification.(Rulemaking Actions)(Missouri bladderpod plant moved to threatened list)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Missouri Bladderpod (Lesquerella filiformis) On October 15, we recognized the improved status of the Missouri bladderpod, an annual in the mustard family (Brassicaceae), by reclassifying it from endangered to the less critical category of...

Final delisting rules.(Rulemaking Actions)(animals and plants whose populations have recovered from endangered status)
January 1, 2004... Hoover's Woolly-star (Eriastrum hooveri) This plant, an herb in the phlox family (Polemoniaceae), was delisted on October 7. The discovery of additional populations, and the implementation of conservation actions recommended in the species'...

Proposed delisting rule.(Rulemaking Actions)(Scarlet-chested parakeet and the turquoise parakeet have recovered population in Australia)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Two Australian Parakeets On September 2, we proposed to delist two birds native to Australia, the scarlet-chested parakeet (Neophema splendida) and turquoise parakeet (Neophema pulchella). Both species were listed in 1970 as endangered, but a...

Withdrawn listing proposal.(Rulemaking Actions)(for Mountain plover)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Mountain Plover (Charadrius montanus) On September 3, we withdrew our proposal to list the mountain plover, a bird of the Great Plains, as a threatened species. New research indicates that populations are more stable and widespread than...

Final critical habitat rules.(Rulemaking Actions)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Fifteen Vernal Pool Species We designated critical habitat on August 6 for 15 species, 4 crustaceans and 11 plants, that depend on vernal or seasonal pools in California and southern Oregon. About 1,184,500 acres (418,000 hectares) fall within...

Proposed critical habitat rule.(Rulemaking Actions)(for Feirson's Milk-vetch)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Peirson's Milk-vetch (Astragalus magdalenae var. peirsonii) We proposed on August 5 to designate critical habitat for this threatened plant in the desert of Imperial County, California. The proposal encompasses about 52,780 acres (21,360 ha) of...

Whooping Cane (Grus americana).(Region 3)(reintroduction on Eastern United States coast)
January 1, 2004... The successful effort to reintroduce migratory whooping cranes to the eastern United States continued as 20 of the reintroduced whoopers migrated back to Wisconsin on their own from Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge in Florida during the...

Higgin's eye pearlymussel (Lampsilis higginsii).(Region 3)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... As a result of a 2000 Biological Opinion that determined jeopardy for the Higgin's eye pearlymussel from operation and maintenance of the Army Corps of Engineer's Upper Mississippi River Nine-foot Channel Project, we are working with the Corps'...

Piping plover (Charadrius melodus).(Region 3)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Destruction of habitat, disturbance, and increased predation rates are described as the main reasons for the endangered status of the Great Lakes population and continue to be the primary threats to its recovery. The remaining birds, whether on...

Lake Erie water snake (Nerodia sipedon insularum).(Region 3)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The Lake Erie water snake is a nonvenomous snake that lives only on the islands and in the waters of the western Lake Erie basin. The recovery plan is the result of several years of effort by scientists familiar with the water snake and its...

Mead's milkweed (Asclepias meadii).(Region 3)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Mead's milkweed is a threatened plant found in eastern Kansas, Missouri, south-central Iowa, and southern Illinois. It has disappeared from Indiana and Wisconsin. The plants grow primarily in tallgrass prairie, especially areas that have not...

Tumbling Creek cavesnail (Antrobia culveri).(Region 3)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The Tumbling Creek cavesnail is found only in Tumbling Creek in Taney County, Missouri. The number of cavesnails has significantly decreased over the past few decades, and only a single individual was found within established survey areas...

Chittenango ovate amber snail (Novisuccinea chittenangoensis).(Region 5)(mark-release and recapture studies)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Mark-release-recapture studies continued during the 2003 field season for this highly endemic, terrestrial snail. Marking studies in 2002 by the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, the New York State...

Bog turtle (Clemmys muhlenbergii).(Region 5)(workshops on improving protection efforts )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The New York Field Office and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation held two workshops in May and June 2003 to increase coordination among state and federal agencies within the New York range of the bog turtle. They were the...

Seabeach amaranth (Amaranthus pumilus).(Region 5)(surveying plant population on Long Island)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The Service"s Long Island Field Office, in partnership with the New York Natural Heritage Program and the Long Island Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, assisted land managers in the management and surveys of seabeach amaranth on Long Island...

Washington office.(Regional News and Recovery Updates)(Western Hemisphere Migratory Species Conference)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... In a historic effort to broaden international wildlife conservation planning, the Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Department of State brought together decision-makers from throughout the Western Hemisphere to develop strategies for...