Landowner Partnerships with FWS Protect Habitat

November 14, 2014 by The Wildlife Society

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service partnered with Texas landowners to protect nearly 7500 acres of ranchland along the Gulf Coast near the border with Mexico. The ranch, which is located near Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge, will provide habitat for a diverse assemblage of species that require the unique combination costal prairie, thorn forest, and wetlands found in the southern tip of Texas. The ocelot and the Aplomado falcon are two species of concern that will benefit from the easement.

Read more here.

FWS Reopens Comment Period on Yellow-Billed Cuckoo Habitat

November 14, 2014 by The Wildlife Society

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) reopened the comment period on its critical habitat designation proposal Wednesday for the western population of the yellow-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus). FWS originally announced their proposal for the bird’s critical habitat in August and closed the public comment period on October 14th. However, the agency decided to extend the comment period three more months to January 12, 2015 in response to criticism from House Republicans who called for more time to carry out public hearings in the affected areas.

The yellow-billed cuckoo is an elusive but distinctive bird that breeds in North America during the summer and spends its winters in South America. The species relies on cottonwood trees and willows along rivers and streams for habitat. Land use changes brought on by agriculture and water diversions by dams have resulted in dramatic declines in these trees and therefore the cuckoo.

The controversial critical habitat proposal spans nine western states, covering 546,335 acres with 242,000 of them on private property. House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (R-Wash) and 17 other members of Congress communicated dismay over the proposal in a letter to FWS director Dan Ashe, noting that the agency underestimated “the true economic impact of the listing and habitat designation” of the species. They state that the $3.2 million per year in incremental cost estimated by FWS does not take into account impacts to grazing, development, and irrigation.

Comments may be submitted online at the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov. The docket number for the proposed rule is FWS–R8–ES–2013-0011. Comments can also be sent by U.S. Mail or Hand Delivery: Public Comments Processing, Attn: FWS–ES–R8–2013–0011; Division of Policy and Directives Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; U.S. Fish & Wildlife Headquarters, MS: BPHC, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803.

Sources: Greenwire (October 2, 2014), Environment and Energy News (October 7, 2014), Greenwire (October 15, 2014), Federal Register (August 15, 2014), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (November 10, 2014), Federal Register (November 12, 2014)

Gunnison Sage Grouse Gets Federal Protection

November 13, 2014 by The Wildlife Society

Sage Grouse

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) listed the Gunnison sage grouse as threatened under the Endangered Species Act this week. FWS also established 1.4 million acres of critical habitat for the bird, which is found only in southwestern Colorado and southeastern Utah.

Read more at FWS.

Learn in the Great Outdoors

November 13, 2014 by The Wildlife Society

Field Course

The Wildlife Society announces the Northeast (NE) Section’s Wildlife Field Course taking place in Castleton, VT from May 17-30, 2015. The NE Section offers a two week long, hands-on, outdoor program where students learn a variety of field techniques, including small mammal trapping, telemetry, GPS operation, and the use of chemical immobilization equipment. Students also become certified as Project Wild instructors and complete a basic hunter education course. Students receive 3-6 undergraduate or graduate credits through Castleton State College, which can be transferred to their home institution.

The NE Section has been sponsoring this field course since 2009. Also referred to as a “wildlife field camp”, the NE Section offers an experience that many college and university wildlife programs are unable to provide. Each year, 15 to 25 practicing professional biologists volunteer their time to travel to Vermont and lead portions of the course. By exposing students to outdoor courses taught by seasoned experts, the NE Section gives access to the type of outdoor experience that helped shape many previous generations of wildlife professionals. Rated “fricken awesome!” and “an amazing experience” by previous students, the course not only provides a unique learning atmosphere but also offers opportunities to network with professionals and to connect with fellow wildlife students.

“The TWS program does not simply fill a curriculum void for wildlife students. The program exposes students to a variety of faces, backgrounds, and experiences rare in most university environments,” said Sarah Wilkinson, a student from the 2011 Field Course. “A variety of student backgrounds fostered a dynamic of student-to-student learning. Access to state lands and numerous tools of the trade gave me a real feel for what it would be like to perform tasks out in the field.”

Interested students are encouraged to register early as the course can only accommodate 20 students. For more information visit the Northeast Section of TWS’s website and/or Facebook.

Sources: John McDonald, Northeast Section, NE Section Winter 2011-2012 Newsletter

Wildlife Management Issues on the Ballot Last Week

November 13, 2014 by The Wildlife Society

Hunting Photo

Four states voted on ballot measures related to wildlife management last week – primarily in regards to how hunting is managed and treated within the state. Alabama and Mississippi each approved constitutional amendments to ensure hunting and fishing rights for its citizens, a relatively common trend over the past several election cycles. Maine and Michigan each rejected their proposed initiatives related to hunting specific species.

Alabama: Amendment 5, Alabama Right to Hunt and Fish

The “Sportperson’s Bill of Rights” was passed by Alabama voters on Tuesday, preserving the future of hunting and fishing in the state. The constitutional amendment ensures that citizens have the right to hunt and fish subject to reasonable regulations that promote sound conservation and management.

Source: ABC 3340 (November 4, 2014)

Maine: Question 1, Citizen Initiative on Bear Hunting Practices

Maine voters rejected a proposed ban on hunting bears with bait, dogs, and traps last Tuesday. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife along with the Maine Chapter of The Wildlife Society endorsed opposition to the proposed ban.

Source: WCSH6 (November 5, 2014)

Michigan: Proposal 1, Michigan Wolf Hunting Referendum and Proposal 2, Michigan Natural Resources Commission Referendum

Michigan voters rejected two proposals on November 4 regarding hunting. Proposal 1 would have allowed the establishment of wolf hunting seasons and designated wolves as game animals in the state. Proposal 2 would have allowed the Natural Resources Commission to directly designate game species and determine hunting seasons, rather than game animals being designated through legislation. The failure of the two proposals suggests that a 2015 wolf hunting season will not occur in Michigan.

Source: Detroit News (November 5, 2014)

Mississippi: Mississippi Right to Hunt and Fish Amendment

Mississippi voters approved a constitutional amendment that citizens have the right to hunt, fish, and harvest game species throughout the state. This establishes that hunting and fishing through regulations is a right, rather than merely a privilege. Mississippi lawmakers will work with state game wardens to regulate hunting and fishing seasons.

Source: Hattiesburg American (November 4, 2014)

Sources: Ballotpedia

Bats Compete for Resources

November 12, 2014 by The Wildlife Society

Researchers recently found that Mexican free-tailed bats compete for food by jamming each other’s echolocation frequencies mid-hunt — a behavior that has never been seen before.
Read more at BBC News.

Going Beyond Professional Development

November 12, 2014 by The Wildlife Society

The 2014 TWS Leadership Institute concluded last month during TWS’s Annual Conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Participants of the 2014 Leadership Institute completed several assignments, readings, and analytical discussions throughout the year aimed at exploring and developing various aspects of leadership. “The Wildlife Society established the Leadership Institute in 2006 to enrich the future of our membership and our profession,” says TWS Executive Director Ken Williams. “The program has garnered widespread support because it has been very successful in preparing our early-career members to take active professional leadership roles both within and outside TWS.”

During the conference, participants served as mentors for students and were mentored by Leadership Institute alumni and TWS Council members. Participants also attended Council meetings and met for several discussions moderated by current leaders of the wildlife profession – several of which are Leadership Institute alumni.

For Michel Kohl, a PhD student at Utah State University and participant in the 2014 Leadership Institute, the time spent in the Institute was both personally and professionally rewarding, “This experience goes beyond professional development. It provides you the avenues to examine yourself and how you view your responsibilities…”

Sonja Leverkus, owner and ecosystem scientist of Shifting Mosaics Consulting, is using this experience to build her career and remain involved in TWS. “I am so honored to have been part of the 2014 class and I look forward to giving back as best as I can over my career to TWS. I am very thankful to have had the opportunities to network and build my professional career.

“Through this experience, you begin to change your perceptions of how and why you are treated the way you are as well as how you treat others. This awakening only increases your ability to serve as a leader in your profession and in society” says Kohl. “I highly recommend this experience to anyone who is interested in taking the next step in building our profession.”

TWS congratulates this year’s participants as they join the ranks of Leadership Institute alumni:

  • Charles Anderson, Resource Science Supervisor, Missouri Department of Conservation
  • David Dahlgren, Extension Associate, Utah State University
  • Dawn Davis, Sage-Grouse Conservation Coordinator, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
  • Alexander Galt, Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Minnesota
  • Sara Hansen, Wildlife Biologist, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
  • Michel Kohl, Research Associate/Doctoral Student, Utah State University
  • Sonja Leverkus, Doctoral Candidate, Oklahoma State University and Ecosystem Scientist, Shifting Mosaics Consulting, British Columbia, Canada
  • Erin McCance, Project Manager/Wildlife Biologist, Joro Consultants, Manitoba, Canada
  • Sonja Smith, Area Wildlife Biologist, Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks
  • Heather Stricker, Wildlife Resources Program Director, Forest County Potawatomi Community, Wisconsin

The Wildlife Society received vital financial support for the Leadership Institute in 2014 from 17 organizations, including the Dallas Safari Club, the Boone and Crockett Wildlife Conservation Program, the University of Montana, Texas Tech University, and several Sections and Chapters of The Wildlife Society. AllStar Ecology, Inc provided support for the Leadership Institute Reception at the annual conference in Pittsburgh. The Wildlife Society thanks all these contributors for their support of our leadership development program.

For more information about TWS Leadership Institute and a complete list of alumni, visit wildlife.org/leadership-institute

Report Finds Biodiversity Goals are Off Track

November 12, 2014 by The Wildlife Society

Despite the efforts of some nations, the world is not on track to meet its biodiversity goals, according to a new progress report from the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), an organization born out of the United Nations Environment Programme and aimed at restoring biodiversity worldwide.

In 2010, the convention parties — comprised of the European Union and 193 countries including Canada, Malaysia, Turkey, and Uzbekestan — adopted a 10-year strategic plan with 20 specific targets such as restoring 15 percent of degraded ecosystems across the world and slashing the rate of habitat loss in half. If achieved, the targets should slow the loss of global biodiversity.

Nearly halfway to the deadline, experts from around the world analyzed the progress made. They broke targets down into 55 component parts, some as indistinct as “people are aware of the values of biodiversity” to more specific goals such as “at least 10 percent of all coastal and marine areas are conserved” and “the rate of loss of forests is at least halved and where feasible brought close to zero.” Next, experts used current trends to predict whether those components are likely to be realized by 2020.

While participating countries are making progress on some goals, they are mostly falling short on others. The report showed that of the 55 components, only five are on track for completion. The other 50 components have seen little or no headway. For example, the CBD’s plan aims to prevent the extinction of endangered or threatened animals by 2020, but the report indicates that this goal is further away than it was four years ago.

This may be due in part to the onslaught of pressures that wildlife face everyday. Habitat loss and fragmentation, pollution, invasive species, and global climate change are just a few on an ever-expanding list that threaten global biodiversity. The CBD report suggests these pressures are likely to intensify over time, pushing more and more species closer to extinction.

But the future may not have to be as bleak as the results suggest. The report argues there is still time to meet these conservation goals if governments and societies make major changes in the ways they think about and use resources. Similarly, Peter White, conservation ecologist at the University of California believes making sustainable choices will lead to a brighter future for biodiversity. “I think this gloom we are experiencing now is just the narrow neck of an hour glass,” White said. “The question is how much biodiversity can we squeeze through this neck if we live sustainably?”

Court Strikes Down ESA Protections for Prairie Dog

November 11, 2014 by The Wildlife Society

A federal judge struck down protection for a species of prairie dog in Utah last week. U.S. District Court Judge Dee Benson reasoned that since the prairie dog’s range is entirely within Utah, the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution does not apply and any federal regulation is therefore not applicable. The ruling is at odds with several past rulings dealing with species residing entirely within one state and may set up future litigation at higher courts.
Read more at the Washington Post

Travel Grants Deliver High Value for Students

November 11, 2014 by The Wildlife Society

The Wildlife Society recently awarded a total of $7,000 in travel grants to 18 deserving students who had been selected to be presenters at the 21st Annual Conference in Pittsburgh. With that experience now behind them, but the memories and the impact still fresh in their minds, a few of those students shared their insights and their appreciation.

Attending the annual conference provides students with numerous opportunities to not only learn but also to network with wildlife professionals. Franny Buderman’s PhD advisor has often told her that you never know when your future boss will be in the room.

“And this is never more true than at a conference,” the Colorado State University student said. “While it might not be an immediate benefit, going to the annual conference is an investment that should yield future returns.”

For Sonja Leverkus, a PhD candidate at Oklahoma State, the conference provided a unique opportunity for face-to-face networking on a much larger scale than possible at home.

“I live in a very remote part of Canada where there is minimal interaction with wildlife professionals,” she said. “I was able to connect and network with other Canadian biologists whom I may not have ever been able to meet.”

For those presenting research, such as the travel grant winners, the conference provides an excellent forum to practice communication skills and to receive feedback from scientists.

“The conference as a whole provides a great opportunity to receive insightful, critical feedback and to build networks with potential collaborators and employers,” said Shannon Kachel from the University of Washington.

Jacob Bert, a graduate student at Purdue University, said he “was amazed at how approachable everyone was – from senior faculty at highly regard universities to undergraduate students, every person that I met was very approachable and easy to talk to.” He believes that this played a large factor in learning how to effectively communicate his research to other professionals.

For students interested in attending future conferences and/or presenting research, Hsiang Ling Chen from the University of Arizona recommended that you contact people you’d like to work with in advance and “practice, practice, practice!” for your presentation.

Tori Donovan from Laurentian University says, “I strongly recommend entering the conference with an outgoing and eager attitude towards meeting new people.”

In other words, put your best foot forward and be ready to learn, network, and engage!

TWS Travel Grants help students with travel expenses for the annual conference, including transportation, lodging, and meals. Applicants must meet a series of requirements, including that they be a member of TWS, a confirmed presenter at the conference, and that they have not received a travel grant for the previous year. The submission site is typically available during the month of June and applications are accepted for approximately four weeks.