Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries

Louisiana --(Ammoland.com)- Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Enforcement Division agents are seeking leads for information about the shooting of a bald eagle north of Farmerville in Union Parish.

On Jan. 13, LDWF agents were notified by a motorist traveling along Louisiana Hwy. 15 near Goose Elkins Road about a wounded eagle walking beside the road. Agents responded and found a bald eagle with an injury to its wing.

The eagle was recovered and transported to the Wildlife Hospital at the Louisiana State University (LSU) Veterinary School of Medicine in Baton Rouge where it was determined the eagle was shot in the wing. The eagle had to have the tip of its right wing amputated and thus will not be able to fly. After recovery, the eagle will be placed in a zoo or other wildlife sanctuary.

Anyone with information regarding the shooting of this eagle should call the Louisiana Operation Game Thief hotline at 1-800-442-2511 or use LDWF’s tip411 program. To use the tip411 program, citizens can text LADWF and their tip to 847411 or download the “LADWF Tips” iPhone app from the Apple iTunes store free of charge.

The hotline and the tip411 program are monitored 24 hours a day. Cash rewards up to $2,000 are offered for information leading to the apprehension of individuals harming a bald eagle. Tipsters can also remain anonymous.

The bald eagle is protected by the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

The LSU Wildlife Hospital works largely off of donations to offer veterinarian care to this bald eagle and other wildlife in need of care. To make a donation to the Wildlife Hospital, please visit www.wildlife.lsu.edu/donations.shtml

For more information, contact Adam Einck at 225-765-2465 or aeinck@wlf.la.gov.

American Bob Cat

New Jersey Fish and Game

Trenton, NJ --(Ammoland.com)- Although bobcats are considered a game species, they are currently classified as “Endangered” in New Jersey and are therefore managed by the Division of Fish and Wildlife’s Endangered and Nongame Species Program.

There is no open hunting or trapping season for bobcat, and it is illegal to intentionally take, kill or attempt to take or kill one in the State.

Bobcats legally harvested in other U.S. states or Canadian provinces may be possessed provided the pelt is affixed with a CITES tag from the state or province of harvest.

Bobcats thrive in a variety of habitats with high prey abundance and dense understory vegetation, including hardwood forests, mixed forests, brush, swamps and farmland habitats). Forest edges and rocky ledges and outcrops are also important terrain features. Bobcats seem to use the convenience of woods roads and established paths in forests to aid travel.

Bobcats are widely distributed across New Jersey, but are mainly found in the northwestern counties of Sussex, Warren, Passaic and Morris. They are scarce in the central and southern counties of the state. Trappers should make every reasonable effort to avoid taking bobcats, and should know what to do if a bobcat is accidentally captured.

Back feet often follow in the front foot tracks of bobcats. Bobcat track trails tend to “wander” compared with the more straight-line patterns of wild canids (foxes and coyotes). Bobcats travel and hunt with a deliberate and methodical walking pattern, rarely bounding unless chasing prey. Bobcat tracks are approximately 1½ – 2½ inches long and 1 3/8 – 2½ inches wide in dirt and up to 2½ inches long and 2¾ inches wide in snow. Bobcats have 4 toe pads on the front and hind feet. Claw marks typically do not show in tracks as they do with canids.
Coyote/Bobcat Track Comparison

Information to Help Avoid Bobcat Captures

• Wherever a bobcat track is identified, cable restraint sets should not be made in close proximity.
• Every year a growing number New Jersey trappers discover to their extreme discomfort that a bobcat is in one of their restraints, and that making sets on or near existing bobcat sign is a real problem as bobcats will repeatedly use the same travel patterns within their territories.
• Bobcats tend to use areas where cottontail rabbits are abundant. Trail sets that are effective for wild canids (fox and coyote) can be expected to capture bobcats as cats will follow canine trails, particularly those in open fields.
• Lures and baits that appeal to one species appeal to others as well. Visible baits of any kind, especially rabbits or parts of rabbits, should not be used if any bobcats frequent the area. Sight-attractants such as bird wings, feathers, pieces of fur, should not be used near the traps if bobcat may be present.
• The use of tainted rather than fresh meat baits provides significant attraction to coyotes and foxes but tends not to attract bobcat.

Reducing Mortality and Injuries to Incidentally Captured Bobcats

If you find a bobcat (alive or dead) in one of your sets, call: 877-WARN-DEP (877-927-6337). The dispatcher will notify the appropriate Endangered and Nongame Species zoologist. The dispatcher will record the trapper’s name and phone number. The zoologist will then immediately contact the trapper to meet with him/her and release/remove the bobcat from the cable restraint.

It is very important that a live bobcat be released as soon as possible to prevent further injury or death to the animal that might result from a prolonged time spent in the trap device. Every trapper should have and carry a catchpole and wire cutters as part of their basic trapline equipment to allow safe release of any unintended animal captures. Trappers are also advised to have a piece of heavy canvas (or carpet) large enough to cover a bobcat and a pair of heavy duty leather gloves.

How to Release a Snared Bobcat

• Approach any trapped bobcat slowly to avoid causing them to move about excessively. Never attempt to render a bobcat unconscious with a blow to the nose or head or by any other means. Life threatening injury to the bobcat may result.
• A bobcat will allow the catchpole loop to be placed over its head, but it can be expected to react when the loop is tightened. Tighten the catchpole loop only sufficiently to hold the bobcat securely without preventing its ability to breathe. If a catchpole is not available, an alternative method to release bobcat is to cut a strong forked stick to allow the pinning of the bobcat’s neck and shoulder to the ground while the snare is removed.
• It is important to keep the head of the bobcat pinned down to the ground. Quickly place a foot, with light pressure only, on the hindquarters to restrain the rear legs. Always be aware a bobcat may try to lash out at you with claws extended on any paw.
• Once the bobcat is immobilized, the canvas/carpet can be placed over the prone animal to quiet it as the cable restraint is cut off or removed quickly.
• The catchpole loop should only then be relaxed and removed to allow the animal freedom to escape. Important! – Special care should always be taken when releasing a bobcat. They are very capable of injuring the trapper with their teeth or claws.

Eastern Cougar

The Quest of the Eastern Cougar - by Robert Tougias

Connecticut --(Ammoland.com)- What is it about cougars?

Why is there this controversy in the East about resident cougars or pumas living unobtrusively?

For decades wildlife officials have been telling us that they do not exist east of the Mississippi and yet each year there are hundreds of people claiming to see one.

There have been confirmed tracks, scat and DNA. The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Society finally and officially declared the species extinct in the East this past spring– but just weeks later there was the case of the Milford, Connecticut cougar road kill.

While it may appear state and federal wildlife agencies have answered all the questions regarding the recent cougar kill in Milford on June 11, 2011 a growing number of biologists and private conservationists find fault in the DNA trail explaining the 1,800 mile trek from South Dakota.

Since the match of the cougars DNA with a pioneer population in the Black Hills of South Dakota, more and more state Fish and Game agencies are disclosing DNA extracted via micro-satellite testing from scats. DNA from places such as New York’s Lake George region and Michigan map out the route of the cougar on his way to Connecticut. These tested scats match with the cougar killed in Milford or so they claim — but some skeptics have shown otherwise – both in inconsistencies in testing and in the improbability of the cougar’s route.

Already, Greenwich, Connecticut residents and locals doubt the explanation as a transient male in search of a female for what they believe is a resident population of undetected cougars in the Northeast. Wildlife author and active member of the Cougar Rewilding Foundation, Robert Tougias, does believe the healthy male cat, that showed no signs of having been in captivity, is one of many male cougars that have escaped the stressed Black Hills population in search of a female.

“This is something we thought would happen but it just surprised us because we didn’t think it would so soon. Cougars travel widely in search of females, which are philopatric or faithful to home birthing ranges, they don’t disperse and the males will keep going in search for them and new territory”. Tougias, who has just released a new book titled The Quest For The Eastern Cougar, says this cougar is not the first to make a long distance journey from the Black Hills.

Tougias explains the reasoning behind the Milford cougar roadkill and the continued claims of it being a native relic cat from pre European settlement times in his book which discusses the entire eastern cougar topic in detail. Tougias journeys deep into the world of the cougar and into the reasoning of those who believe cougars do exist in the East and those who do not.

He also predicts more cases of cougars turning up here in the East and offers hope of potential recovery for the species. His book The Quest For The Eastern Cougar is available at Barnes and Noble.com & Amazon or at rtougias@snet.net

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries

Louisiana --(Ammoland.com)- Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Enforcement Division agents are seeking leads for an illegally killed black bear that was found floating in the Mississippi River in Pointe Coupee Parish.

Hunters in the area reported the bear to LDWF on Sunday, Dec. 11 near the old ferry landing.

LDWF performed a necropsy on the bear at the recovery scene, which revealed the bear was shot multiple times and then probably disposed of into the river. LDWF is estimating that the bear was shot either a day or two before being reported.

“The bear was a lactating female meaning this action has left orphan cubs out there somewhere that will now also die as a result of this unfortunate shooting,” said Maria Davidson, LDWF’s Large Carnivore Program Manager.

“Losing this mother bear and most likely her cubs is a serious setback for our plans to make the Louisiana black bear a sustainable game animal in the near future.”

When LDWF officials went back to retrieve the bear they found the bear had been decapitated by someone since the last visit to the scene. LDWF is warning the public that being found in possession of parts of a Louisiana black bear is against the law.

Anyone with information regarding this illegal bear killing or the whereabouts of the missing black bear head should call the Louisiana Operation Game Thief hotline at 1-800-442-2511 or use LDWF’s tip411 program. To use the tip411 program, citizens can text LADWF and their tip to 847411 or download the “LADWF Tips” iPhone app from the Apple iTunes store free of charge.

The hotline and the tip411 program are monitored 24 hours a day. Cash rewards up to $5,000 are offered for information leading to the apprehension of individuals harming a black bear. Tipsters can also remain anonymous.

“We have solved cases like this in the past with the public’s help and we are again asking for any leads that might guide us in the right direction” said Col. Winton Vidrine, head of the LDWF Enforcement Division. “

This bear has no reported nuisance history and by all accounts was a healthy adult female Louisiana black bear.

The Louisiana black bear has been listed on the Federal Threatened and Endangered Species List since 1992. Citizens are reminded that killing a Louisiana black bear is a violation of both state law and the federal Endangered Species Act. Violators are subject to penalties of up to $50,000 and six months in jail. In addition, a civil restitution fine of $10,000 for the bear may be imposed on anyone convicted of killing a black bear in Louisiana.

With the number of bear and hunter interactions on the rise within the last couple of years, LDWF encourages hunters to carry bear spray and know a few simple rules. If possible, a hunter encountering a bear should back away and proceed in another direction. If a bear approaches, you should raise your arms over your head to appear larger and speak in a normal tone of voice to let the bear know you are there. If the bear continues to approach, wave your arms and yell at the bear. At this point a hunter could use bear spray to deter the bear’s approach.

Hunters should also be aware that baiting deer with corn artificially concentrates bears near deer stands. It is recommended that hunters either refrain from using corn for bait or use soybeans to reduce bear feeding activity. Bear encounters can be reported to 1-800-442-2511.

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries

Louisiana --(Ammoland.com)- A New Iberia man was sentenced in Federal Western District Court in Lafayette on Dec. 21 for illegally killing a Louisiana black bear.

Federal Judge Patrick J. Hanna sentenced Cory R. Ronsonet, 39, to three years of supervised probation, three years of no hunting privileges, a $3,000 fine and 300 hours of community service. If the fine is paid and community service completed within six weeks, then the probation will be reduced to unsupervised.

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Enforcement Division agents initiated the investigation during the 2008-09 hunting season after receiving a public tip that a black bear had been shot then skinned and stored in a fashion to mount it in the future. Agents then found a black bear skin and its decapitated head on May 19, 2011 off of Daniel Lane near a subdivision in New Iberia.

During the investigation, Ronsonet admitted to LDWF Enforcement Division agents on May 31, 2011 of taking the black bear in question. Ronsonet pleaded guilty for violating the federal endangered species act for illegally taking a black bear in Federal Western District Court in Lafayette on Aug. 17.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joe Mickel and Howard Parker prosecuted the case. LDWF Senior Agent David Boudreaux was the lead investigator on the case and was assisted by Sgts. James Rhodes, Mitch Darby, Brian Theriot and Senior Agent Jason Romero. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Special Agent Phillip Siragusa also assisted with the investigation.

The bear had been a part of LDWF’s black bear program and was first tagged in 2000 when it was estimated to be six years old. The passive integrated transponder implanted during the initial capture was left in the hide when the bear was skinned and provided positive identification. LDWF had never received a nuisance call about this older male bear that lived mostly in the Weeks Island area of lower Iberia Parish.

The Louisiana black bear has been listed on the Federal Threatened and Endangered Species List since 1992. Citizens are reminded that killing a Louisiana black bear is a violation of both state law and the federal Endangered Species Act.

Michigan DNR Applauds Federal Decision to Remove Wolves from Endangered Species List

Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Michigan --(Ammoland.com)- The Michigan Department of Natural Resources today applauded the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s decision to remove wolves in the western Great Lakes region from the federal endangered species list. The decision returns management of the species to the state level.

The federal delisting rule removing wolves from the endangered species list will be published in the Federal Register Wednesday, Dec. 28, and will take effect Friday, Jan. 27, 30 days after its publication.

Returning wolves to state management will allow the DNR to more effectively manage the species under Michigan’s highly-regarded Wolf Management Plan, which was created through a roundtable process involving interested parties representing viewpoints from all sides of the wolf issue.

“This is great news for the state’s wolf population and for Michigan citizens who have been affected by this issue,” said DNR Director Rodney Stokes. “Treating wolves as an endangered species, when the population has exceeded federal recovery goals in Michigan for more than a decade, has negatively impacted public opinion in areas of Michigan where wolves are established on the landscape. I firmly believe that the more flexible management options allowed under the state’s Wolf Management Plan will help increase social acceptance of the species while maintaining a healthy, sustainable wolf population.”

Once wolves are removed from the endangered species list, the DNR will continue to recommend nonlethal methods of control first, including flashing lights, flagging and noisemakers. In addition, the DNR administers a grant program that provides some funding to livestock owners with depredation issues for improved fencing and guard animals such as llamas, donkeys and Great Pyrenees dogs.

However, in cases where nonlethal methods are not working or feasible, DNR officials will now have the ability to kill problem wolves when appropriate. Under federal Endangered Species Act protection, wolves are protected from lethal control measures except in defense of human safety.

Livestock and dog owners in Michigan will also be able to legally protect their private property from wolf depredation once wolves are removed from the endangered species list.

The Michigan Legislature passed laws in 2008 to allow livestock or dog owners, or their designated agents, to remove, capture, or, if deemed necessary, use lethal means to destroy a wolf that is “in the act of preying upon” (attempting to kill or injure) the owner’s livestock or dog(s). These state laws will go into effect on Friday, Jan. 27, 30 days after the Final Rule is published in the Federal Register.

After the wolf is taken off the federal endangered species list, the animal will remain a protected species in Michigan. There is no public hunting or trapping of wolves allowed in Michigan. The DNR and the US Fish and Wildlife Service will investigate and continue vigorous prosecution of any wolf poaching cases. Illegally killing a wolf is punishable by up to 90 days in jail, a $1,000 fine, or both, and the cost of prosecution. Reports about poaching can be made to the DNR’s Report All Poaching (RAP) Hotline, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at 800-292-7800.

For more information on Michigan’s wolf population and to see the state’s Wolf Management Plan, go to www.michigan.gov/wolves.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state’s natural and cultural resources for current and future generations. For more information, go to www.michigan.gov/dnr.

More Than 100 Bald Eagle Nests Now In New Jersey

New Jersey Fish and Game

Trenton, NJ --(Ammoland.com)- The dramatic recovery of the American bald eagle has reached a milestone in New Jersey, with more than 100 pairs now nesting in the Garden State, according to a newly released analysis of the species’ population.

The survey by the NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife’s Endangered and Nongame Species Program counted 102 pairs of actively nesting eagles, plus 11 more pairs in the process of establishing nesting territories.

The survey documented a record 22 new nests, of which 16 are in southern New Jersey, four in northern New Jersey and two in central New Jersey.

To learn more about this milestone, view the NJDEP news release at http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0141.htm ; for more information on eagles in New Jersey, including the 2011 Eagle Report, visit http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/ensp/raptor_info.htm on the division’s website.

Pennsylvania Game Commission Confirms Barn Owl In Washington County – Photo by Roger Boardley

Pennsylvania Game Commission

BOLIVAR (Westmoreland County) -Pennsylvania --(Ammoland.com)-  Pennsylvania Game Commission biologists have confirmed the presence of a barn owl on a farm near Washington, Washington County, for the first time in nearly a decade.

Once a common bird on Pennsylvania farms, barn owls have been declining in Pennsylvania and across the United States. While several barn owls nested in the state’s southwest corner during the first Pennsylvania Breeding Bird Atlas, which covered the period of 1984-89, none were recorded in the area in the most recent Breeding Bird Atlas, which was conducted from 2004-09.

“Loss of habitats, changes in farming practices, and loss of nest sites are the main reasons for the drop in barn owl numbers,” said Tammy Colt, Game Commission Regional Wildlife Diversity Biologist. “Barn owls usually nest in barns, silos and hollow trees, and they eat small mammals, primarily voles, mice and shrews. A barn owl can eat two to three small rodents per day, so barn owls are great pest control agents! They very rarely eat birds and are therefore no threat to chickens, ducks, pheasants or turkeys.”

The most exciting thing about the barn owl that is living in Washington is the fact that it is wearing a leg band, which enables biologists to identify where the bird originated. Working with biologists in surrounding states, it has been determined the owl came from northeastern Ohio.

“This find provides more evidence that barn owls are very mobile and are capable of colonizing new sites where grassland habitat and nest sites are available,” said Doug Gross, Game Commission ornithologist. “There really is no need to raise barn owls and release them someplace. If you have habitat, they will come; they are quite capable.”

In 2005, the Game Commission began a Barn Owl Conservation Initiative to learn more about the state’s barn owls and to increase their numbers. Through this effort, the Game Commission identified more than 135 nest sites, mostly in the southeast and southcentral areas of the state. As part of the initiative, agency personnel banded hundreds of barn owls, primarily nestlings, and installed many nest boxes.

“Hopefully, the owl near Washington will take up permanent residence,” Colt said. “To that end, the Moraine Preservation Fund has donated and installed two nest boxes on the farm.”

Pennsylvania Game Commission Confirms Barn Owl In Washington County – Photo by Roger Boardley

To learn more about barn owls, visit the Game Commission’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us), click on “Wildlife” in the menu bar at the top of the homepage and then click on “Barn Owl Conservation Initiative.” For more information on the Moraine Preservation Fund, visit www.morainepreservationfund.org.

US Fish And Wildlife Service Announces The Endangered Species Bulletin

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Washington, DC --(Ammoland.com)- Today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proudly announces the Endangered Species Bulletin has taken on an online exclusive format that will be updated bi-monthly to ensure timely updates regarding endangered and threatened species issues.

Each edition will include an in-depth feature article coupled with several supporting articles, a live endangered and threatened species news feed, plus other new and social media offerings.

As the principal federal partner responsible for administering the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the Service takes the lead in recovering and conserving our Nation’s imperiled species by fostering partnerships, employing scientific excellence and developing a workforce of conservation leaders. Although we have made significant progress in safeguarding species and the habitats upon which they depend, we face continuing challenges. The road to imperiled species recovery can be a long one, full of twists and turns. A single, catastrophic event — whether natural or human-caused — can quickly undo years of progress and provide a setback to recovery. Some of the devastating flooding and wildfire events of 2011 are testament to this.

The November-December edition of the Endangered Species Bulletin outlines the implications of these extreme flooding, wildfire and drought events and the management actions currently underway to help move impacted species closer towards recovery.

Here is a sampling of more stories in this edition:

Jeremy Voeltz discusses the challenges and opportunities the Wallow fire — a high-intensity wildfire that scorched over half a million acres in the pristine White Mountains of eastern Arizona—has posed on the Apache trout and other rare aquatic species. Christie Deloria, pens a piece on the historical importance of fire in managing healthy jack pine forests in Michigan, which the endangered Kirtland’s warbler depends. Marian Smith, Ph.D., offers her insight to the best management strategies for mitigating the impacts of chaotic flooding events to the decurrent false aster, so that this rare plant may flourish along the Illinois River once again.

The Endangered Species Bulletin is available online at http://www.fws.gov/endangered/news/bulletin.html. To be notified when a new on-line edition has been posted, sign up for our list-serv by clicking on “E-Mail List” on the Bulletin Web page. The Bulletin welcomes manuscripts on a wide range of topics related to endangered species. Please send an inquiry before drafting the article.

The Service is very interested in your comments and suggestions about the Endangered Species Bulletin. Please send them to esb@fws.gov or mail them to Endangered Species Bulletin, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Suite 420, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203-1610. You can also call us at 703-358-2171.

The ESA provides a safety net for fish, wildlife and plants and to date has prevented the extinction of hundreds of imperiled species, as well as promoting the recovery of many others. The Service is actively engaged with conservation partners and the public in the search for improved and innovative ways to conserve and recover imperiled species. To learn more about the Endangered Species Program, visit: http://www.fws.gov/endangered/ where you can download podcasts and find links to follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov. Connect with our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/usfws, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/usfwshq, watch our YouTube Channel at http://www.youtube.com/usfws and download photos from our Flickr page at http://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwshq.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont. --(Ammoland.com)- The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is seeking to defend the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s authority to manage and control wolves as part of a state-approved plan.

Oregon wildlife officials recently announced the agency would use lethal means to stop two wolves known to habitually kill livestock in Wallowa County.

Animal rights and wolf activist groups sued the state, claiming that any loss of wolves could cause “irreparable harm” to wolf recovery in Oregon. That argument was rejected in a previous lawsuit heard in a Montana federal court.

But an Oregon court granted a temporary stay to stop the search for the two wolves until the legal merits of the case can be considered.

RMEF has filed a motion to enter an amicus curiae brief opposing the plaintiff groups.

If the motion is granted, RMEF documents outlining the need for science-based, state-regulated wolf management will be considered as part of the court’s final ruling.

“Our organization has over 15,000 members in Oregon, including hunters, ranchers and other conservationists. Together we endorse the efforts of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to manage and control wolves alongside other wild species as part of an approved plan,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “We support the agency’s work to balance the needs of wildlife with the needs of citizens.”

RMEF attorneys also continue to respond to legal wrangling by animal rights and wolf activist groups seeking to foil management plans in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and the Great Lakes states. On Nov. 8, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in Pasadena, Calif., will hear arguments from RMEF and others as it considers a lawsuit alleging that Congress’ acted outside the Constitution when it delisted wolves in parts of the West.

In some areas, such as the northern Yellowstone in Montana and the Clearwater National Forest in Idaho, elk calf survival rates are now too low to sustain herds for the future.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
RMEF is leading a conservation initiative that has protected or enhanced habitat on over 6 million acres–an area larger than Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Glacier, Yosemite, Rocky Mountain and Great Smoky Mountains national parks combined. RMEF also is a strong voice for hunters in access, wildlife management and conservation policy issues. RMEF members, partners and volunteers, working together as Team Elk, are making a difference all across elk country. Join us at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Washington, DC --(Ammoland.com)- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is seeking proposals from states and U.S. territories interested in obtaining federal financial assistance to acquire land or conduct planning efforts for endangered species conservation.

For fiscal year (FY) 2012, the President’s budget request for the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund includes $100 million in grant funding for conservation activities benefitting federally protected species.

The Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund (CESCF) is authorized under Section 6 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and provides grants to states and territories to support participation in a wide array of voluntary conservation projects for species on the federal list of threatened and endangered species, as well as for species that are either candidates or have been proposed for listing. These projects range from species status surveys, captive propagation, and public education to habitat acquisition, restoration, and the development of conservation plans.

“These grants provide critical funding for state and territory conservation efforts for threatened and endangered species,” said Director Dan Ashe. “By supporting states and territories, the federal funds continue the Endangered Species Act’s long legacy of protecting healthy, thriving ecosystems for generations to come.”

The Service is seeking proposals under the following three CESCF categories:

• Recovery Land Acquisition Grants: These grants provide funds for the acquisition of threatened and endangered species habitat in support of approved and draft species recovery plans. Acquiring habitat in order to secure long-term protection is often the critical element in a comprehensive recovery effort for a listed species. Last year, $449,540 was awarded to the State of Colorado for the 15,000-acre Turtle Ranch Conservation Easement Project. Securing this easement will initiate black-footed ferret reintroduction on the parcel and will serve as a model of incentive-based conservation, highlighting how both endangered species management and an active and profitable agricultural operation can coexist.
• Habitat Conservation Planning Assistance Grants: These grants provide funds to support the development of Habitat Conservation Plans (HCPs). The purpose of an HCP is to ensure adequate protection of suitable habitat for threatened and endangered species, while at the same time providing for economic growth and development. The State of Hawaii was awarded $259,281 last year to fund the coordination and planning of the Kaua’i Seabird HCP to benefit the federally listed Hawaiian hoary bat, Hawaiian petrel, and Newell’s shearwater, as well as approximately 18 listed plant species.
• HCP Land Acquisition Grants: These grants provide funds to states and territories to acquire habitat land for threatened and endangered species associated with approved HCPs. Over $1.1 million was awarded last year to the State of Texas for acquisition of the 67-acre Cobb Cavern tract in Williamson County. The parcel will be added to a preserve to benefit the listed Coffin Cave mold beetle and Bone Cave harvestman.

By law, the state or territory must have a current cooperative agreement with the Secretary of the Interior and contribute at least 25 percent of the total project costs, or ten percent when two or more states or territories undertake a joint project. Proposals must be submitted to the appropriate Service regional offices by January 27, 2012.

For more information about these grants and the application requirements contact: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Consultation, HCPs, Recovery, and State Grants, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Room 420, Arlington, VA 22203, 703-358-2171. The Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund is identified in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance as number 15.615.

The ESA provides a critical safety net for America’s native fish, wildlife, and plants. The Service is working to actively engage conservation partners and the public in the search for improved and innovative ways to conserve and recover imperiled species. To learn more about the grants, visit the Endangered Species Program online at: http://www.fws.gov/endangered/grants/index.html

About:
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.

Arizona Game and Fish Department

PHOENIX, AZ – -(Ammoland.com)- Mexican authorities released five Mexican wolves in the San Luis Mountains in Sonora, Mexico, on Oct. 12, 2011, approximately 80 miles south of Douglas, Ariz.

Mexico’s desire to release wolves in Sonora as part of its recovery effort has been known for the past two years, although the exact timetable for release was unknown.

“Mexico is a sovereign nation with its own wildlife conservation and recovery goals. The vast majority of historic habitat for the Mexican wolf is actually in Mexico, and long-term full recovery of the sub-species is incumbent on successful recovery there, as well as our recovery efforts in the U.S.,” said Larry Voyles, director of the Arizona Game and Fish Department.

Game and Fish will continue to work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to determine how the wolves will be monitored and managed if animals cross the international border.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department has been actively involved in the multi-agency effort to reintroduce Mexican wolves to portions of their historic range in the east-central portion of Arizona (and adjacent New Mexico) for many years. In 1998, 11 captive-reared Mexican wolves were released into the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area (BRWRA) in eastern Arizona.

The current population in Arizona-New Mexico was assessed to be approximately 50 animals during 2011 monitoring. The Mexican wolf is considered endangered in the United States and Mexico.

Game and Fish continues to express concern over the lack of progress in aspects of wolf conservation.

“The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service initiated efforts earlier this year to update the 1982 recovery plan for the Mexican wolf throughout its historic range in the American Southwest and Mexico,” said Voyles. “The Service also recently released a draft management plan for wolves that might travel to Arizona or New Mexico as a result of the recent release in Sonora or future releases in Mexico. It will likely take years to finalize either plan because of federal environmental compliance processes that could easily be further drawn out by appeals and even litigation.”

Voyles added that wolf management is an emotional issue with potential effects on the human environment, as well as the natural environment. Everyone engaged in wolf management has a responsibility towards open and transparent coordination and information sharing with Arizona stakeholders, as mandated under provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

Voyles said Game and Fish will make every effort to work with the Fish and Wildlife Service, neighboring states, counties, and Mexico, to the extent that transparency allows, to manage and conserve wolves in Arizona.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, or disability in its programs and activities. If anyone believes that they have been discriminated against in any of the AGFD’s programs or activities, including employment practices, they may file a complaint with the Director’s Office, 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix, AZ 85086-5000, (602) 942-3000, or with the Fish and Wildlife Service, 4040 N. Fairfax Dr. Ste. 130, Arlington, VA 22203. Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation or this document in an alternative format by contacting the Director’s Office as listed above.

NRA News

Fairfax, VA --(Ammoland.com)- NRA-News is a valued partner that continues to cover breaking gun rights news with a new and improved short video format in the “NRA News Minute” videos.

To view the current firearms or gun rights news video, please click above:

Cam Edwards talks to Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID) regarding a bill to provide for killing of Grizzly Bears in Acts of Self Defense.

Read More on these topics:

• NM Game & Fish Kills Bear At Scene Of Attack
• Bear Attacks Scout At Philmont NM
• Black Bear Sought In Attack Near Colville WA
• NJOA Comments on Recent Black Bear Attack in New Jersey

About:
Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America’s oldest civil rights and sportsmen’s group. Four million members strong, NRA continues its mission to uphold Second Amendment rights and to advocate enforcement of existing laws against violent offenders to reduce crime. The Association remains the nation’s leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the military. Visit: www.nra.org

Wolf Facts and What It Means To You

Archery Trade Association

New Ulm, Minn. --(Ammoland.com)- It has been almost four months since my last “Wolf Facts”, so I think it is a time for an update.

As it stands today, gray wolves are no longer listed under the Endangered Species Act in MT, ID and small portions of WA, OR and UT. In Wyoming, there have been considerable negotiations and progress made between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and Wyoming officials towards a proposal to delist.

In the Great Lakes states (MI, MN and WI), the Service is still working through a standard delisting process.

While all of this sounds pretty good, there are considerable challenges ahead that could derail any and all of these actions. In the following paragraphs, I’ll try to summarize the facts as best I can.

If you need background to any of what you read here, I urge you to visit the Archery Trade Association’s Web site by clicking here.

NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN WOLVES

MONTANA & IDAHO
Let me start by saying emphatically that gray wolves in the Northern Rocky Mountains are “recovered”.

The science is absolutely clear on this point. I base my position on discussions with wolf specialists who work for the three principle states (MT, ID and WY) and with the Service’s wolf specialist that has overseen the wolf reintroduction in the Northern Rockies since it began. These scientists all agree that wolves are recovered. I emphasize this point because you will hear from a lot of fronts that Congress in some way substituted their political motivations for “science” and that wolves and the Endangered Species Act would suffer as a result of this “political intervention.”

This is simply not true. In fact, when it relates to wolves, the science behind their management has been severely compromised for over a decade by overzealous wolf advocates and judges who felt the need to “advocate” from the bench. Congress simply eliminated the avenues of misuse of the Endangered Species Act and allowed wolf decisions to follow the science – as it should be.

As you can read in my earlier “Wolf Facts” updates, Representative Simpson (R-ID) and Senator Tester (D-MT) introduced legislation that was attached to Federal Budget legislation and signed by the President on April 15. Consequently, the previously approved Wolf Management Plans for MT and ID were deemed acceptable, wolves were rightfully determined to be “recovered” in those states, the protections of the Endangered Species Act were removed and wolf management was turned over to the state wildlife agency. The legislation also precluded any further judicial review of the decision.

This action took place in June and the two states have moved ahead with the task of wolf management. Both of these states have taken a scientifically based approach to managing their wolf populations. Like with their other wildlife species, management included setting sustainable population goals, scientifically based population monitoring and appropriate population controls that may include hunting as well as other population reduction actions where needed. Based on what I have seen to date, their actions substantiate what we have all known for years – the state wildlife agencies will approach wolf management in the same professional manner that they manage all other state managed wildlife species.

While all of these latest occurrences leave the impression that we are over the hump in MT and ID, there remains some gamesmanship going on within the legal arena. Wolf advocate groups immediately filed a legal challenge to the Congressional action. They argued that Congress interfered with the Constitutionally protected “separation of powers” when they legislatively precluded legal challenges to their action. They filed their challenge in Judge Malloy’s court – where they were sure to get a “friendly” reception. In July, Judge Malloy ruled against their challenge but he included language in his ruling that removed all doubt as to his biases on this issue. It was obvious that he wanted to uphold their challenge but simply could not find a legal loophole in the Congressional language where he could “cloak” his biases.

Kudos to the Congressional staff who wrote the language!

The wolf advocate groups have filed an appeal and vow to continue this challenge to the Supreme Court if necessary. I hope that we will hear from the Appeals Court still this year. I’ll keep you posted.

WYOMING
Things are progressing slower in WY than in MT and ID, primarily because WY lacked a “Fish and Wildlife Service Approved Wolf Management Plan” that was already in place in MT and ID. You can read my thoughts on this issue in my previous “Wolf Facts”.

Since my last “Wolf Facts”, there has been a lot of progress towards the development of an acceptable wolf management plan and earlier this month (August 4), Wyoming released a revised wolf management plan that has the tentative approval of the Governor of Wyoming, the Fish and Wildlife Service and the Department of the Interior. You can view this plan at the Wyoming Game and Fish Web site by clicking here.

I believe that this revised wolf management plan is a reasonable compromise. As you have read previously, I felt the original WY plan was scientifically sound and should have been approved by the Service. In fact, the Service initially approved the plan and then retracted their approval simply to appease an earlier ruling by Judge Malloy and with no scientific basis. That said, this new plan adds a small “seasonal expansion” of the WY “Trophy Game” area that will make it easier for wolves to migrate from ID to WY during winter months (when livestock depredation is not an issue). It also requires WY to maintain at least 10 breeding pairs of wolves outside of Yellowstone National Park – where the previous plan required 7 or 8 breeding pairs outside of the park. In my opinion, these are minor concessions for WY to make to win the approval of their plan and gain control of wolf management in their state.

All of this said, we all know that the next chapter in this wolf saga will be a final decision by the Service that will be immediately challenged by the wolf advocates. We also know where that will lead us.

The solution for WY is to mimic what was successful in MT and ID. Once an acceptable WY Wolf Management Plan is approved, the WY Congressional Delegation needs to step in with legislation that memorializes that plan in law and eliminates judicial interference.

WESTERN GREAT LAKES WOLVES
Things continue to be very unsettled in the western Great Lakes states of Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin. The Service and the state wildlife agencies have agreed on and approved wolf management plans for each of the states and the Service has moved ahead with a delisting proposal that appears to be headed for final approval. However, the legal posturing is already in the works and I suspect any final decision to delist in this region will be promptly met with a legal challenge.

Unfortunately I can’t be too optimistic here. There are two reasons for my lack of optimism. First is simply the track record of the Service being able to withstand legal challenges when it comes to the Endangered Species Act. The way the Act is written the “judge shopping” that goes on makes it virtually impossible to sustain a favorable ruling for a species as visible as wolves – regardless of the science.

My second reason for a lack of optimism is a little more concerning. At the time the Service announced their proposal to delist, they also announced the initiation of a comprehensive review of the genetics of gray wolves. Specifically, they are now suggesting the presence of another subspecies of gray wolf – the eastern gray wolf. (Read Doubling Up on Wolf Headaches )

If the Service decides that there is a significant difference between the gray wolf and the eastern gray wolf, then this new subspecies will likely qualify for a listing action. The problem is that in Wisconsin, the ranges of these two supposedly independent species overlap and it is impossible outside of a genetics lab to tell them apart which then makes management very impractical if the species are to be treated differently. Therefore, the delisting of the Western Great Lakes Population of the gray wolf will be in jeopardy in these overlap areas because of their similarity of appearance.

I’m somewhat suspicious of this new effort and am looking forward to seeing more of the science behind the decision. When I studied statistics in college, I found that you could use statistics to justify virtually any decision. What I found during my career with the Service and working on endangered species was that the science of genetics was just as “squirrely”. While the science can be so precise that you can distinguish between individual animals, the assumptions made to decide whether there is enough genetic difference between two groups of individuals to allow them to be treated as separate species or subspecies is nothing more than a collection of opinions.

My suspicious mind tells me that wolf advocates - maybe with the help of individuals within the Service - are setting the stage for a successful legal challenge for the delisting of the Western Great Lakes gray wolf population. Perhaps the practical reality of how to manage wolves in the field will prevail and we’ll be dealing with one combination of gray wolves in the Great Lakes which would be a relief to Minnesota where wolves have been recovered for two decades.

Once again, my solution is to follow the lead provided by MT and ID. Now that the Service and the state wildlife agencies are in agreement on the science, it is time for the Congressional delegations to step in and eliminate the potential for wolf advocates and judges who advocate from the bench to mess with the science.

THE ATA POSITION
The position of the ATA remains unchanged. We continue to recognize that there is a strong scientific basis for delisting the wolf in all six states (MT, ID, WY, MI, MN and WI). All six of these states have fully recovered gray wolf populations. They also have wolf management plans that satisfy the requirements of the Endangered Species Act and each state’s management plan has been approved by the Fish and Wildlife Service.

The ATA will continue to stay engaged in this process and look for solutions to bring full delisting to all six states where sound science has found that the gray wolf has been effectively recovered.

As always, I look forward to a continued dialog and comments from readers on this topic.

Wisconsin DNR

MADISON, WI --(Ammoland.com)- The Department of Natural Resources firmly supports the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in delisting the wolf in the upper Great Lakes states.

Wisconsin has exceeded its delisting goal eight times over and must have flexibility to manage problem wolves if any support for wolves by the public is to continue.

While the department is committed to long-term conservation of wolves in Wisconsin, it is critical that we be allowed to manage wildlife populations within our borders. Wisconsin has approximately 800 wolves; this is the most wolves ever counted in the state. Wolf numbers far exceed the federal delisting recovery goal of 100 wolves for both Wisconsin and Michigan, and are causing real problems.

It is time for management of wolves in Wisconsin to be turned over to us. The same is true for Minnesota and Michigan. For this to happen, the wolf must first be removed (delisted) from endangered or threatened status under the Endangered Species Act.

We support the USFWS in its current attempt to delist, but we also strongly disagree with its conclusion that a newly discovered and separate species of wolf exists in the Western Great Lakes. Wisconsin’s wolves are the same species that was listed in 1978, and are most closely associated with the gray wolf. Recent genetic analyses refute the existence of Eastern wolves as a separate species. Wisconsin’s wolves are of mixed genetics, but they are physically indistinguishable, readily interbreed, and occupy the same range.

Wolves in Wisconsin act and behave as a single population and must be managed as a single population. Accordingly, our message to the USFWS is clear and strong: Don’t muddy the waters with this indefensible two-population concept. We need a solid, defensible, delisting proposal, and we need it now.

Minnesota, Michigan, the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance, the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation, Defenders of Wildlife, Timber Wolf Alliance, and the Natural Resources Defense Council, prominent scientists actively working with wolf genetics, and other organizations and government agencies support Wisconsin’s position: Wisconsin has a gray wolf population that has successfully recovered.

The public grows weary of the delays and government inaction. They need to know that their state DNR is pushing hard to get this done. The ball is in the USFWS’s court, again. It needs to make the right decisions and to publish an effective delisting rule that will withstand challenges from those opposed to the delisting of wolves.

I will not stop pushing on this issue until we have delisting of wolves and relief for Wisconsin residents who are seriously struggling with our unchecked and unmanaged growing wolf population. That’s a promise.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Adrian Wydeven – (715) 762-1363

A presentation on the status of the gray wolf in Wisconsin by DNR wolf specialist Adrian Wydeven to the State Natural Resources Board at their August meeting. [VIDEO Length 18:54]

Grey Wolves Or Eastern Wolves Which is Which?

U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance

Columbus, OH --(Ammoland.com)- Just as it looked like the growing, recovered population of Western Great Lakes (WGL) gray wolves was going to be taken off the federally endangered species list and returned to state management, a new roadblock threatens long delayed delisting.

This time the hurdle is the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS) latest proposed Endangered Species Act (ESA) delisting rule inexplicably finding that there are now two separate wolf species roaming Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan.

U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Director of Federal Affairs Bill Horn, who is a former Assistant Secretary of the Interior in charge of the FWS and ESA, joined Wisconsin’s Department of Natural Resources’ Secretary Cathy Stepp at a press conference last week to challenge the FWS’s two species proposal.

The FWS has issued proposed regulations (for a third time) to remove the WGL population of gray wolves from the endangered species list. Since the WGL wolf numbers exceed recovery goals by 600 to 1,000 percent, delisting is fully warranted.

But the proposed delisting rule includes a nasty surprise: it says there are two separate wolf species in the WGL region – gray wolves (Canis lupus) and eastern wolves (Canis lycaon). The FWS does not know how many of each roam the region, but still believes gray wolves are recovered.

“This ‘two species’ finding is a trick deal which undermines needed WGL wolf delisting,” stated Bill Horn, USSA Director of Federal Affairs. “Since the FWS acknowledges it does not know how many of the nearly identical eastern wolves (C. lycaon) are present in the WGL region, the agency cannot scientifically demonstrate that gray wolf (C. lupis) numbers do in fact meet recovery goals. Animal rights opponents of wolf delisting (and state management) will jump all over this fatal flaw in their next round of federal court filings.”

In fact, the best scientific data demonstrates – and almost all wildlife professionals agree – that the WGL wolves are a single discrete population that is more than recovered. In contrast, one FWS staff biologist has advanced the suspect two species theory that undermines delisting. This is counter to other information about the WGL wolves.

A recent affidavit filed by the US Sportsmen’s Alliance included conclusions by Dr. Lissette Waits, one of the nation’s wildlife and wolf genetics experts. This information emphatically concluded that there are not two separate wolf species in the Western Great Lakes region. Dr. Waits holds a PhD in Genetics from the University of Utah and is a tenured associate professor of Fish and Wildlife Resources at the University of Idaho. She has worked on the intersection between genetics and wildlife management, is a member of the FWS red wolf recovery team, has led a red wolf contract research project for FWS, and has studied gray wolves and wolf/coyote hybridization as well.

Wisconsin DNR also agrees that there is only one species present and that the wolves are fully recovered. Its wolf population surveys show more than 1,000 animals in a single population that continues to grow and expand. Growing numbers of unmanaged wolves cause biological problems (excessive predation) and social troubles as well; wolves are well known for preying on domestic animals, including dogs, horses, and cattle. State wildlife officials are barred from managing wolves until the animals are taken off the federal list of endangered species by the FWS.

“For years, science has shown that these wolves have far exceeded recovery goals,” said Rob Sexton, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance vice president of government affairs. “Additionally, we hope that the Service will look at the prevailing scientific facts that show only one wolf population exists within the Western Great Lakes region, and it will avoid letting the antis use this unsupported claim as another roadblock to rightfully returning wolves to state management.”

Why the FWS has taken this two species proposal step, contrary to the best scientific evidence, remains unknown. USSA is concerned Obama Administration politics are to blame. “This trick deal allows the Administration to tell the Western Great Lakes states and hunters that it favors delisting, while winking and nodding to its activist pals that delisting is set up to fail,” said Horn.

Wolves are well documented for causing damage to private property and for reducing deer herds. Packs of WGL gray wolves have attacked hunting dogs, livestock and pets across the region where the large canines roam. Wisconsin DNR chief legal counsel Tim Andryk reports that the plentiful wolves in that state have cost his department more than $1 million in restitution fees to reimburse owners for killed livestock, hunting dogs, and killed and consumed pets. Nearly a dozen dogs –most of them hunting dogs–have been killed by wolves this year in Wisconsin—and hunting seasons open there soon, and more dogs will be harm’s way.

Joining the USSA in its position on one-wolf, one-problem exists are: Wisconsin Bear Hunters Association, Dairyland Committee of Safari Club International Chapters of Wisconsin, Whitetails of Wisconsin, and Wisconsin Firearms Owners, Rangers, Clubs, and Educators, Inc.

About:
The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance is a national association of sportsmen and sportsmen’s organizations that protects the rights of hunters, anglers and trappers in the courts, legislatures, at the ballot, in Congress and through public education programs. Visit www.ussportsmen.org.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont. --(Ammoland.com)- Yesterday, August 3, 2011, will go down as one of the better days in a decade-long battle for science-based wolf management.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation leaders are encouraged by progress on two fronts.

A federal judge upheld Congress’ recent delisting of wolves in Idaho, Montana and other parts of the West. And the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced an agreement on wolf management plans in Wyoming.

Both developments help clear the way for state management hunts needed to control burgeoning wolf populations. In some areas, elk calf survival rates are now too low to sustain herds for the future.

“We’re encouraged by these positive steps toward managing wolves as part of overall conservation objectives,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “This is forward movement in our fight to make sure that all states, from the Pacific Northwest to the Great Lakes, have the authority to manage fully recovered species like wolves.”

“Real on-the-ground science is the big winner in all of this, as there is no doubt that wolves are recovered and should be managed like all other wildlife. To date, no one has shown science to dispute this fact,” he added.

Allen thanked sportsmen and conservationists for their patience through the endless lawsuits that have kept America’s historically successful system of wildlife management stymied in courts.

But he also cautioned, “Until the wolf problem is fixed permanently, we’re likely to see appeals, more legal antics and frivolous lawsuits by extremist groups who literally make their living by suing the federal government–and creating crises where there are none, for the purpose of raising funds.”

Allen said RMEF will remain diligent as plaintiffs consider taking their case to higher courts. RMEF also will continue to urge lawmakers for nationwide delisting measures, and advocate for updating and modernizing delisting language within the Endangered Species Act.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.9 million acres–a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Washington, DC --(Ammoland.com)- Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) Director Dan Ashe today announced that the Service has reached an agreement with the State of Wyoming that will result in revisions to the state’s management plan for the gray wolf.

The points of agreement, first announced in principle in early July, promote the management of a stable, sustainable population of wolves and pave the way for the Service to return wolf management to Wyoming.

“The recovery of the gray wolf serves as a great example of how the Endangered Species Act can work to keep imperiled animals from sliding into extinction. The agreement we’ve reached with Wyoming recognizes the success of this iconic species and will ensure the long-term conservation of gray wolves,” said Secretary Salazar.

“I look forward to working with Wyoming to implement this responsible management approach guided by science.”

Under the points of agreement, the State of Wyoming will develop and implement a wolf management plan to maintain a healthy wolf population at or above the Service’s recovery goals, provide for genetic connectivity with other wolf subpopulations in the Northern Rockies, and otherwise ensure that gray wolves in Wyoming are managed so that they will not need to be returned to the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife.

“This important agreement enables us to recognize the successful recovery of the gray wolf across the Northern Rocky Mountains. This success is a testament to years of hard work by the states, tribes, landowners and our other conservation partners, all of whom have enabled us to get where we are today,” said Director Ashe.

“Responsible management by the state wildlife professionals of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department — which includes regulated, limited trophy game hunts in certain areas similar to those conducted for other game species like elk and mountain lions — will ensure the long-term conservation of this population of wolves.”

Once Wyoming incorporates the revisions into the wolf management plan, the Service will move forward with a proposed rule to delist the gray wolf in Wyoming. That proposed delisting rule will be subject to public and peer review as part of a formal rulemaking process, and a final determination to delist wolves in Wyoming and return management of the species to the State will be dependent upon corresponding changes also being made to Wyoming state statutes and regulations. Until a final determination to delist gray wolves is published, wolves in Wyoming will remain fully protected under the Endangered Species Act.

The Northern Rocky Mountain wolf population is biologically recovered, with more than 1,650 wolves and over 110 breeding pairs. It has exceeded recovery goals for 11 consecutive years, fully occupies nearly all suitable habitat, and has high levels of genetic diversity and gene flow within the region’s meta-population structure. Under state management, the Service expects the Northern Rocky Mountain wolf population will be maintained above recovery levels and no longer faces a risk of extinction.

The Endangered Species Act provides a critical safety net for America’s native fish, wildlife and plants. This landmark conservation law has prevented the extinction of hundreds of imperiled species across the nation and promoted the recovery of many others.

America’s fish, wildlife and plant resources belong to all of us, and ensuring the health of imperiled species is a shared responsibility. The Service is working to actively engage conservation partners and the public in the search for improved and innovative ways to conserve and recover imperiled species.

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit: www.fws.gov.

Safari Club International Foundation

Washington, DC --(Ammoland.com)- Safari Club International Foundation (SCIF) testified today in front of the U.S. House of Representatives Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee in support of H.R. 50, the Multinational Species Conservation Funds Reauthorization Act of 2011 which would extend funding for important conservation projects until the year 2016.

“It was an honor to testify before the committee today, and I hope that our message was clear: that these projects are a needed investment for sustainable wildlife conservation,” said Joseph Hosmer, President of SCIF.

“Support for international conservation projects is necessary for the continued growth of wildlife populations and stability of rural economies throughout many nations of Africa and Asia.”

As a result of the funding from the U.S. Congress, many grants, matching contributions, and in-kind funds have been donated to these programs from other organizations, host countries, and conservation groups.

For example, as a result of the 2009 Congressional appropriation of $2 million for the African Elephant Conservation Fund, over $11.2 million in matching funds were received from outside sources and went to fund 33 African elephant projects.

About SCIF
Safari Club International Foundation is an international non-profit 501(c)(3). SCIF’s mission is to support and promote hunting as a major benefit for wildlife conservation and the sustainable use of wildlife and to fund and manage worldwide programs dedicated to wildlife conservation, outdoor education and humanitarian services. Learn more at: www.safariclubfoundation.org.

Becoming an SCI Member
Joining Safari Club International is the best way to be an advocate for continuing our hunting heritage and supporting worldwide sustainable use conservation, wildlife education and humanitarian services. JOIN NOW: www.safariclub.org/Join.

Fourth Washington State Wolf Pack Confirmed

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

OLYMPIA, Washington --(Ammoland.com)- Washington’s fourth documented wolf pack has been confirmed through DNA tests on an animal equipped with a radio collar last month in Kittitas County.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) biologists caught, collared and released an adult female wolf that was lactating, indicating she was nursing pups. The biologists took tissue and hair samples, and submitted them for DNA testing to determine whether the animal was a wild wolf or a wolf-dog hybrid.

Results of the DNA testing conducted at the University of California-Davis confirmed the animal is a wild gray wolf.

WDFW biologists are monitoring the wolf’s location and activity through the radio telemetry tracking collar. They are referring to the new wolf pack as the Teanaway Pack.

“The discovery of another resident wolf pack clearly indicates that wolves are returning to Washington state naturally,” said WDFW Director Phil Anderson. “Their return highlights the need to continue efforts to finalize a state wolf conservation and management plan that will establish state recovery objectives and describe options for addressing wolf-livestock and wolf-ungulate management issues.”

The gray wolf (Canis lupus) is protected throughout Washington as a state endangered species. In the western two-thirds of Washington, the species is also federally protected under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

The Lookout Pack, confirmed in Okanogan and Chelan counties in 2008, was Washington’s first documented resident pack since a breeding population of wolves was extirpated from the state in the 1930s. A second pack, known as the Diamond Pack, was documented in 2009 in central Pend Oreille County.

A pup from a third pack, known as the Salmo Pack, was radio-collared in 2010 in northeast Pend Oreille County, where pack territory ranges into British Columbia. Wolves from the Cutoff Peak Pack, with a den site in Idaho, range into Pend Oreille County in northeast Washington.

Before the Teanaway Pack was confirmed, WDFW estimated a total of about 25 resident wolves in the state.

WDFW has been working since 2007 with a 17-member citizen group to develop a wolf conservation and management plan in anticipation of wolves re-entering Washington from other states or Canada. A draft plan, which underwent extensive public review and scientific peer review, will be presented to the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission in August.

For more information on the draft plan, see http://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/gray_wolf/ .

Harriet Allen, WDFW’s threatened and endangered species program manager, said the search for the Teanaway pack was prompted by reports of wolves in the area from citizens and state and federal agency personnel. Remote, motion-triggered cameras were deployed by multiple agencies and private groups. Images of wolf-like animals were captured on cameras placed in the area by Conservation Northwest, a private, non-profit organization. The group’s Citizen Wildlife Monitoring Program also provided the first images of the Lookout Pack pups three years ago.

“We appreciate the efforts of Conservation Northwest and our partner agencies, the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, to help us document wolves as they return naturally to Washington,” Allen said. “Documenting packs and learning about territory use, productivity and survival will help us understand how wolves are using Washington habitat. That will help us protect them and ultimately determine when we reach recovery goals.”

Wolf sightings or activity should be reported through the joint federal-state toll-free wolf reporting hotline at 1(888) 584-9038. Joint federal-state Wolf Response Guidelines, including agency staff contacts, are available at http://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/gray_wolf/contacts.html .

It is illegal to harm or harass a federal- or state-protected endangered species.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Washington, DC --(Ammoland.com)- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Division of International Conservation awarded over $1.9 million in international conservation grants in 2010 through its Wildlife Without Borders (WWB) Regional programs in Africa, Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Russia/East Asia to help conserve imperiled wildlife.

The funds supported 48 conservation projects in 17 countries. Grant funds leveraged over $3.7 million in matching funds, resulting in over $5.7 million to help strengthen the ability of local institutions in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Mexico and Russia/East Asia to manage and conserve species and their habitat, as well as improve ecological processes for the benefit of all.

“These grants provide much-needed training and assistance to local organizations and individuals to support the creation and management of sustainable conservation programs and the protection of critical species within their regions” said the Service’s acting Director, Rowan Gould. ” WWB Regional programs empower people and institutions to conserve key species, habitats and ecosystems by building local appreciation and capacity.”

The Wildlife Without Borders Regional funds provide support to mitigate the impact of extractive industries, climate change, human-wildlife conflict, illegal trade in bushmeat and wildlife disease. The funds target local training and capacity-building projects to support wildlife managers, guards, rangers, protected area managers, outreach specialists, community leaders, educators and decision makers.

Examples of projects include: Implementing a MENTOR (Mentoring for ENvironmental Training in Outreach and Resource conservation) fellowship program for young conservation leaders in Kenya, Southern Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda; Training African and Asian veterinarians in all aspects of wildlife and ecosystem health at field sites in Tanzania and the U.S.; Providing educational support for Master?s degree programs in Conservation and Wildlife Management at the Universidad Nacional Autonoma of Costa Rica; Assisting local conservation efforts for bats and monarch butterflies in Mexico; and Enabling participants from China and Russia to attend the Third Annual Symposium on Ecology and Biodiversity in Large Rivers of Northeast Asia and North America.

To learn more about the grants provided through the Wildlife Without Borders Regional Programs, go to: www.fws.gov/international/DIC/regionalprograms/regional.html

Follow us on Twitter @USFWSInternatl and on Facebook, USFWS_International Affairs.

About:
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.

Arizona Game and Fish Department

PHOENIX, AZ – -(Ammoland.com)- Janay Brun, 39, of Sasabe, Ariz., executed a diversion agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office yesterday (May 12) where she admitted to committing an Attempted Take of an Endangered Species, which is a violation of the Endangered Species Act.

Brun admitted under oath before U.S. District Judge Cindy K. Jorgenson to placing jaguar scat at a snare site in an attempt to capture the jaguar known as Macho B.

Under the terms of the agreement, the criminal charges against Brun will be dismissed and not be reinstated if she complies with the terms of the diversion agreement; namely that she not be involved in any jaguar or large cat study in the United States for 12 months and that she not violate any federal, state, or local law.

On Feb. 4, 2009, at or near Ruby, Ariz., in the Atascosa Mountain region, Brun and Emil McCain placed jaguar scat near snare sites in an attempt to capture and trap the jaguar known as Macho B.

McCain had previously been a subcontractor for Game and Fish, but only to capture mountain lions and bears, not jaguars. As the department previously has stated, at the time of Macho B’s initial capture in February 2009, McCain was acting independently and was neither a subcontractor nor a formal volunteer for the department.

McCain worked with Brun as part of the Borderlands Jaguar Detection Project, whose main task was photographing and tracking jaguar activity in Southern Arizona.

According to court documents:

Brun knew that there had been recent evidence of Macho B’s presence in the area of the snares. The snares had been set for the purpose of capturing and placing tracking collars on mountain lions and bears; there was no authorization or permission to intentionally capture a jaguar. The jaguar known as Macho B was caught at a snare site where Brun placed scat on February 18, 2009.

McCain plead guilty in May 2010 to unlawfully taking a jaguar in violation of the Endangered Species Act, and he received five years probation with the condition that he not participate in any jaguar or large cat study in the United States for that period, and a $1,000 fine.

Brun’s admission conclusively establishes her true involvement in this matter and supports the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s long-standing assertion that there was no authorization from the department for the capture of Macho B.

Even though Game and Fish did not authorize the capture of Macho B, it had a valid permit covering either the incidental or intentional take of a jaguar for conservation purposes. The validity of the permit was affirmed earlier this year by two federal judges.

“Following the extensive two-year federal investigation, resulting in two separate court actions, it has been shown that the Arizona Game and Fish Department did have a valid permit covering incidental or intentional take of a jaguar, did not authorize the initial capture of Macho B, and that no department employees have been implicated in criminal wrongdoing in the actions resulting in Macho B’s capture,” said Larry Voyles, Game and Fish director. “Additionally, inaccurate and misleading accusations of criminal wrongdoing by the department, made in the media and by other sources, are simply unfounded and irresponsible.”

One Game and Fish employee, Thornton W. Smith, was dismissed in May 2010 as a result of admissions he made during the department’s internal investigation: that he had lied to federal investigators. Those admissions were related to actions Smith took several weeks after Macho B’s capture, recapture and euthanization, and not to his actions during the initial capture.

Voyles added that the department’s own internal investigation continues to be open and ongoing.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, or disability in its programs and activities. If anyone believes that they have been discriminated against in any of the AGFD’s programs or activities, including employment practices, they may file a complaint with the Director’s Office, 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix, AZ 85086-5000, (602) 942-3000, or with the Fish and Wildlife Service, 4040 N. Fairfax Dr. Ste. 130, Arlington, VA 22203. Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation or this document in an alternative format by contacting the Director’s Office as listed above.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Washington, DC --(Ammoland.com)- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and numerous conservation organizations will observe Endangered Species Day on May 20, 2011, to recognize conservation efforts underway across the nation aimed at helping America’s imperiled species.

To date, the Endangered Species Act, which became law in 1973, has helped to prevent the extinction of hundreds of species.

Co-administered by the Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the purpose of the Act is to conserve imperiled species and the ecosystems upon which they depend.

“The Fish and Wildlife Service works with our many conservation partners as well as the public to conserve and protect imperiled species. Endangered Species Day provides an opportunity to celebrate our shared successes.” said Acting Service Director Rowan Gould. “By taking action to help our imperiled native fish, wildlife and plants, we can ensure a healthy future for our community and protect treasured landscapes for future generations.”

The Service and the Endangered Species Coalition are cosponsoring events around the country to focus public support on rare and imperiled species, including at the United States Botanic Garden in Washington, DC.

Many of the Service’s field and regional offices will be hosting events in their communities and providing unique programs to visitors on endangered species conservation. For more information on how you can find an event near you, please visit www.fws.gov/endangered/ESDay/2011.html.

The Service works with other federal agencies, state, local and tribal governments, environmental organizations, industry groups, academia, the scientific community and members of the public to help conserve our nation’s threatened and endangered fish, wildlife and plants. Endangered Species Day honors this national commitment to recovering endangered species and their habitats and provides an opportunity to learn about what efforts are being made to conserve them.

The bald eagle, brown pelican, American alligator and Maguire daisy are all species that were on the brink of extinction, but have successfully rebounded. The wood stork, Kirtland’s warbler, Lake Erie water snake, Okaloosa darter, black-footed ferret and Louisiana black bear are also listed species that are showing significant progress towards recovery — the ultimate goal of the Act. These recovered and recovering species are just a few examples of those benefiting from the protections afforded by the Endangered Species Act and the dedicated people who work to ensure their continued existence.

“Endangered Species Day celebrates America’s natural heritage and our country’s successful efforts to protect imperiled species,” said Leda Huta, Executive Director of the Endangered Species Coalition. “As Americans, we can be proud that we have one of the strongest endangered species programs in the world. Americans have established a legacy of protecting endangered species for our children and grandchildren.”

For more information about events around the country and Endangered Species Day, visit www.EndangeredSpeciesDay.org.

America’s fish, wildlife and plant resources belong to all of us, and ensuring the health of imperiled species is a shared responsibility. To learn more about the Service’s Endangered Species program, go to www.fws.gov/endangered/.

About:
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov. Connect with our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/usfws, follow our tweets at www.twitter.com/usfwshq, watch our YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/usfwsand download photos from our Flickr page at www.flickr.com/photos/usfwshq.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

OLYMPIA, Washington --(Ammoland.com)- Although wolves have been removed from federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) protection in the eastern third of Washington state, they remain protected as a state endangered species throughout Washington.

Under Congressional direction that prevents any judicial review, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has removed the northern Rocky Mountain population of gray wolves from federal endangered status. The action affects wolves in Montana, Idaho, the eastern third of Oregon and Washington and a small area of north central Utah.

The federal de-listing covers eastern Washington east of State Route 97 from the Canadian border to Highway 17, east of Highway 17 to State Route 395, and east of State Route 395 to the Oregon border. That federal de-listing boundary was based on the anticipated dispersal of wolves from recovered populations in the other states.

Wolves are still state-listed as endangered in Washington because their numbers are low and they do not inhabit most of their historic range, according to Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) biologists. The state population is estimated at two dozen wolves, with only a couple of successful breeding pairs or packs with pups documented to date.

Wolves remain federally listed as an endangered species in the western two-thirds of the state.

“The federal de-listing means that in the eastern third of Washington, the state is the lead for wolf management, including response to reports of suspected wolf depredation of livestock,” said Harriet Allen, WDFW’s manager of threatened and endangered species.

Under state law (RCW 17.15.120) it is illegal to kill, harm or harass endangered species, including the gray wolf.

WDFW has collaborated with USFWS and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services to develop wolf response guidelines that address wolf/human conflict issues such as livestock depredation. The guidelines are posted on WDFW’s website at www.wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/gray_wolf/contacts.html#guidelines .

In the western portion of the state where wolves remain federally listed, USFWS has the lead for wolf management.

The recent federal delisting action does not impact the timeline of WDFW’s Draft Wolf Conservation and Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

The state plan has been under development with a 17-citizen Wolf Working Group since 2007. Plan development included public scoping and a public comment period on draft alternatives. WDFW staff members are currently incorporating public comments into the draft plan. The draft plan is scheduled to be reviewed with the Wolf Working Group in June, and is scheduled to be presented to the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission in August. Commission review and action on a final plan are anticipated by the end of this year.

Information about wolves, including wolf-livestock conflict prevention and suspected wolf depredation reporting, is available on WDFW’s website at www.wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/gray_wolf/ . Reports of wolf sightings can be made on the wolf reporting hotline at 1(888)584-9038.

After being extirpated as a breeding species in the 1930′s, wolves have been naturally returning to Washington over a period of years. The first documented breeding pair was confirmed in western Okanogan County in 2008. A second pair with pups was confirmed in Pend Oreille County in 2009. WDFW biologists continue field work to document the presence of other possible breeding pairs.

Congressional Sportsmen

Washington, DC --(Ammoland.com)- On the heels of legislation passed last month with the support of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus (CSC) as part of the FY 2011 budget agreement, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced this week that it is lifting Endangered Species Act (ESA) protections for 5,500 grey wolves in eight states in the Northern Rockies and Great Lakes and has published a proposed rule to remove gray wolves from ESA designation in the Western Great Lakes.

“Like other iconic species such as the whooping crane, the brown pelican, and the bald eagle, the recovery of the gray wolf is another success story of the Endangered Species Act,” said Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. “The gray wolf’s biological recovery reflects years of work by scientists, wildlife managers, and our state, tribal, and stakeholder partners to bring wolf populations back to healthy levels.”

The budget rider introduced by CSC member Rep. Mike Simpson of Idaho and CSC Senate Co-Chair, Sen. Jon Tester of Montana, directed the Secretary of the Interior to reissue the latest (2009) ruling declaring the wolf recovered and to return wolf management to state agencies in Montana and Idaho, as well as portions of Utah, Washington and Oregon.

Gray wolves will remain listed under the ESA in Wyoming, although the USFWS is working closely with that state’s wildlife biologists to develop a management plan that would allow wolves within the state to be removed from ESA protection. The USFWS and state wildlife managers will monitor wolf populations in the Northern Rocky Mountains and gather population data for at least five years under a post-delisting monitoring plan previously approved by the USFWS.

“This is a great first step and we can thank the bipartisan Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus for getting all of this moving,” said Jeff Crane, President of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation.“However, we are still working diligently within the United States Congress to transfer management of wolves to state wildlife managers where this species has met recovery goals.”

The USFWS has published a proposed rule to remove gray wolves from ESA designation in the Western Great Lakes states of Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin, and portions of neighboring states because wolves have recovered in this region as well and no longer require ESA protection.

“Gray wolves in the Western Great Lakes are recovered and no longer warrant protection under the Endangered Species Act,” said USFWS Acting Director Rowan Gould. “Under this proposed rule, which takes into account the latest taxonomic information about the species, we will return management of gray wolves in the Great Lakes to state wildlife professionals. We are confident that wolves will continue to thrive under the approved state management plans.”

The USFWS would revise the range of the gray wolf by removing all or parts of 29 eastern states due to newer taxonomic information indicating that the gray wolf did not historically occur in those states as part of the proposed rule. USFWS is also beginning reviews of gray wolves statue in the Pacific Northwest and Southwest to determine the appropriate entity and listing status in those areas, and also seeking information on a newly-recognized species, the eastern wolf (Canis lycaon), throughout its range in the United States and Canada. The USFWS is seeking public comment as part of this process.

The proposed rule to remove wolves in the Western Great Lakes from the ESA, as well as the final rule reinstating the 2009 final delisting rule for the Northern Rocky Mountain DPS as directed by the 2011 Full-Year Appropriations Act was published in the Federal Register on May 5, 2011. The final rule for wolves in the Northern Rocky Mountain DPS is effective immediately. Sportsmen can view the proposed rule for the Western Great Lakes area HERE.

The sportsmen’s community can submit written comments on the proposed rule for wolves in the Western Great Lakes by visiting the Federal eRulemaking Portal at: http://www.regulations.gov and follow the instructions for submitting comments to Docket No. [FWS-R3-ES-2011-0029]. Sportsmen can also utilize U.S. mail or hand-delivery: Public Comments Processing, Attn: Docket No. [FWS-R3-ES-2011-0029]; Division of Policy and Directives Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, MS 2042-PDM; Arlington, VA 22203. Comments must be received on or before July 5, 2011 and the USFWS will post all comments on http://www.regulations.gov.

Public hearings for the proposed removal of wolves in the Western Great Lakes and proposed removal of eastern states from the gray wolf listing will be held May 18 in Ashland, Wisconsin, and on June 8 in Augusta, Maine. More information on the hearings will be available at http://www.fws.gov/midwest/wolf/

About:
The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2009. Throughout this time, CSF has maintained a singleness of purpose that has guided the organization to become the most respected and trusted hunting and fishing organization in the political arena. Visit: www.sportsmenslink.org

Wolf Facts and What It Means To You

Archery Trade Organization

New Ulm, Minn. --(Ammoland.com)- After some very interesting activities over the last few weeks, we have finally crossed a significant milestone in dealing with wolf issues and the impacts they are having on those wildlife populations for which we are so protective.

After the failure of some last minute legal negotiations, Congress finally intervened and legislatively delisted the gray wolf in almost all of the Northern Rocky Mountains.

I’ll try to summarize some of the happenings of the last few weeks and talk about what the next most important actions may be.

If you need background to any of what you read here, I urge you to visit the Archery Trade Association’s Web site by clicking here.

THE LEGAL FRONT
You may recall in my last “Wolf Facts” (#4), I mentioned an “agreement” between the US Fish and Wildlife Service and most of the plaintiffs regarding the lawsuit that was decided by Judge Malloy last August (2010) which returned the wolf to the Endangered Species Act list in Montana and Idaho. The proposed “agreement” would have allowed the wolf to be delisted in Montana and Idaho until an acceptable wolf management plan for Wyoming could be developed. At that time, delisting of the entire three-state area would then take place. In early April, Judge Malloy rejected this agreement.

THE LEGISLATIVE FRONT
On the legislative front, the response to Judge Malloy’s rejection of the proposed agreement was quick and effective. Representative Simpson (R-ID) and Senator Tester (D-MT) moved quickly to revive their proposed legislation that would effectively reinstate the Service’s last decision to delist the gray wolf in the Northern Rockies, except for Wyoming. This would include delisting in all of Idaho and Montana and in small portions of eastern Washington, eastern Oregon and northeastern Utah. The legislation also has language that supports the Judge Johnson decision for Wyoming which found that the Service had erred in their decision when they rejected Wyoming’s wolf management plan.

The timing of the decision by Judge Malloy and the quick response by Representative Simpson and Senator Tester allowed this language to be incorporated into the Federal Budget legislation that moved through both the House and Senate and was signed by the President on Friday (April 15).

THE RESULT
Within 60 days (on or about June 15) the Service must reissue their February, 2009 ruling that delisted the wolf in the Northern Rockies (except for Wyoming). Most important, this action by the Service will not be subject to further judicial review. Further, the law states that Judge Johnson’s ruling against the Service on the Wyoming rule stands. So the Service is under considerable pressure to resolve issues with Wyoming’s wolf management plan.

THE ATA & OTHER FRONTS
I’m hearing some promising news regarding talks between the Service and the Wyoming Governor’s Office. It appears that both sides are close to agreeing on a plan that will slightly expand the area of wolf protection south of Jackson to allow for winter wolf movement, while allowing Wyoming wildlife officials to manage wolf populations much like the state has successfully managed all other wildlife species since statehood.

Unfortunately, the Great Lakes States have a tough road ahead. While the Service and those states (Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin) feel reasonably comfortable that the standard process for delisting is underway and will be successful, we have heard this before and we all know how easy it is for environmental advocates to ignore sound science and find a flaw in the process and then run to the courts and find an agreeable judge.

THE ATA POSITION
The position of the ATA remains unchanged. We continue to recognize that there is a strong scientific basis for delisting the wolf in all six states (MT, ID, WY, MI, MN and WI). All six of these states have fully recovered gray wolf populations. They also have wolf management plans that satisfy the requirements of the Endangered Species Act and each state’s management plan has been approved by the Fish and Wildlife Service.

While the recently passed legislation is a step in the right direction and it certainly provides some relief for the Northern Rockies sportsmen, it is a disappointment on two fronts. First, Wyoming has a wolf management plan that was originally approved by the Service; and, Judge Johnson found that the Service’s decision to withdraw their approval was a departure from sound science. The bottom line in my opinion is that Wyoming should have been included in the legislation.

Second, the three Great Lakes states (Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin) all have wolf management plans that have been accepted by the Service and are facing the same wolf related issues as the Northern Rocky Mountain states. In fact Minnesota has had recovered wolf populations longer than any state, by far. These Great Lakes states should have been included in the legislation as well.

At this stage, given all the starts and stops and legal road blocks, any movement forward on this issue is better than where we have been. Representative Simpson and Senator Tester should be commended for moving this legislation forward in an expedient and effective manner and for forcing this issue which should bring action on more fronts.

Further, based on all we are hearing, the modifications to Wyoming’s Wolf Management Plan seem to represent a reasonable middle-ground for all parties involved. If nothing else, the flurry of recent activity may get Wyoming’s plan approved which will move management forward in the Northern Rockies.

Long term, those of us who have been around since the Endangered Species Act was enacted continue to have concerns about the true success of this program. When this law was passed in 1973, the motivation of the conservation community was to identify species that were endangered to protect them but, more important, recover populations to levels that would be sustained long term. The accepted successful outcome of this act was when species would be returned to the states for management.

If you consider the past actions of environmental advocates like the Defenders of Wildlife and especially animal rights organizations like the Humane Society of the United States, these groups would appear to never be willing to allow state wildlife agencies to manage a species that has been fully recovered. Yet the track record of the states is exemplary when it comes to countless species such as the bald eagle and many raptors, whooping cranes and many shore birds and waterfowl, and, of course, the species we take for granted today such as deer, elk, turkey’s and many more.

The ATA will continue to stay engaged in this process and look for solutions to bring full delisting to all six states where sound science has found that the gray wolf has been effectively recovered.

Congress Passes Legislation that Returns Wolf Management to State Fish and Game

Congressional Sportsmen

Washington, DC --(Ammoland.com)- The United States Congress passed legislation today to remove certain populations of gray wolves from the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and return management of fully recovered wolf populations back to state wildlife managers.

As part of the FY 2011 budget agreement reached last Friday and passed today, the rider introduced by Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus (CSC) member Rep. Mike Simpson of Idaho and CSC Senate Co-Chair, Sen. Jon Tester of Montana, directs the Secretary of the Interior to reissue the latest (2009) ruling declaring the wolf recovered and to return wolf management to state agencies in Montana and Idaho, as well as portions of Utah, Washington and Oregon. Additionally, the provision precludes further lawsuits and preserves the decision made by Wyoming U.S. District Judge Johnson in November 2010, that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) wrongfully rejected Wyoming’s wolf management plan.

“Rep. Simpson and Sen. Tester, as well as others in the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus, are to be congratulated for their leadership in this historic move towards delisting of wolves and rightfully returning the species management to professional state wildlife managers,” said Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation President Jeff Crane. “We will continue to support efforts in Congress and work with Administration to return all recovered wolf populations to the states.”

“I am confident that this language gets us closer to our ultimate goal, which is seeing the entire Northern Rocky Mountain wolf population taken off the endangered species list and managed exclusively by the states,” said Rep. Simpson. “Not only do wolf populations in the west far exceed recovery goals, but without proper management they have become so robust that they are adversely impacting other wildlife populations in the region and are spilling into other states not in the original recovery area. This language takes an important first step by allowing for a wolf hunt this year in Idaho and Montana and allowing Wyoming to move closer to developing an approved state management plan.”

“This is more than a victory for Montana,” said Tester. “It’s a win for rural America, for jobs, and for our wildlife—and it’s what’s right for the wolves themselves. This was never going to get done with partisan games or grandstanding. We fixed this problem with Montana values—by putting aside our differences and working together on a responsible, common sense plan.”

The Congressional mandate applies to only a part of the area where wolves have exceeded recovery goals. Wyoming’s wolves remain under federal ESA protection. Only parts of Washington, Oregon, and Utah are included in the delisting although wolves are moving into other parts of those states. The Western Great Lakes area is excluded from the provision, where a fourth round of rulemaking is expected to begin soon.

Congressional Sportsmen

Washington, DC --(Ammoland.com)- A coalition of the nation’s largest hunting and conservation organizations welcomed a provision championed by Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus (CSC) member Rep. Mike Simpson of Idaho and CSC Senate Co-Chair, Sen. Jon Tester of Montana, to remove the gray wolf from the Endangered Species Act (ESA) as part of a the FY 2011 budget agreement to fund the federal government through the end of the fiscal year.

The coalition includes the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Wild Sheep Foundation, the Boone and Crockett Club, National Rifle Association, Safari Club International, and Pope and Young Club.

The groups support this initial step toward state management of recovered wolves and the clear assertion by Congress that recovered wildlife should be delisted from the ESA.

The groups also note that other states have recovered wolf populations that have not yet been delisted and urge Congress to actively pursue delisting for those states also.

The Simpson-Tester rider directs the Secretary of the Interior to reissue the latest (2009) ruling declaring the wolf recovered and to return wolf management to state agencies in Montana and Idaho, as well as portions of Utah, Washington and Oregon. Additionally, the provision precludes further lawsuits and preserves the decision made by Wyoming U.S. District Judge Johnson in November 2010, that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) wrongfully rejected Wyoming’s wolf management plan.

“This agreement is only the first step in returning management of the gray wolf back to state authority where it belongs,” said Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation President Jeff Crane. “Thanks to the leadership of the bipartisan Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus, a concrete move towards delisting has been taken and certain states will once again have the authority to manage wolves in the near future.”

Dr. Larry Rudolph, President of Safari Club International, said “We are pleased that the work of this important coalition has yielded a historical precedent from the Congress to cut off the endless litigation and return recovered populations of wolves to state management.”

“Federal management goals were met for all wolf populations at least 10 years ago and wolves now number at least five times over the federal goals. Federal officials at the USFWS have attempted delisting three times in the Rockies and Great Lakes and – despite the clear achievement of recovery – each attempt was turned back to the USFWS on questions of process. This fix is long overdue and we applaud it,” said David Allen, CEO of Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

The coalition noted that the Congressional mandate applies to only a part of the area where wolves are beyond recovery goals. Wyoming’s wolves remain under federal ESA protection. Only parts of Washington, Oregon, and Utah are included in the delisting although wolves are moving into other parts of those states. The Western Great Lakes area is excluded from the provision, where a fourth round of rulemaking is expected to begin soon.

Chris Cox, Executive Director of the National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action, said, “We are pleased with this important step and hope that opponents of delisting have gotten the message that Congress is sending. We will be closely watching the pending delisting in the Western Great Lakes. In the meantime, we will continue to push for a comprehensive solution in Congress.”

“It is unwise to try the same thing over and over again and expect a different result,” said Gray Thornton, CEO of the Wild Sheep Foundation. “We’ve seen three times already that this process is unclear and causes – as Judge Molloy described it – ‘turmoil of legal issues with practical management issues’. This is a problem only Congress can fix. Congress has now fixed part of the Rockies and the Northwest. Turmoil will continue until Congress completes the job in the Rockies, including Wyoming, the Northwest and the Great Lakes region – and anywhere else where wolf populations are recovered.”

The wolf delisting agreement in the FY 2011 budget came on the heels of Montana U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy ruling against a settlement proposal by environmental groups that would have returned wolf management temporarily to Idaho and Montana only.

In order to return all recovered wolf populations to state managers, the group supports further efforts in Congress and the Administration until a comprehensive fix is complete.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Washington, DC --(Ammoland.com)- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced 29 recipients of the 2010 Recovery Champion award honoring Service staff members and their partners-in-mission for conserving endangered and threatened species.

“Recovery Champions are leaders in the conservation of endangered and threatened species of plants and animals across the United States and beyond its borders,” said Acting Director Rowan Gould. “It is a true measure of a steadfast commitment to protecting our nation’s biological heritage for future generations by helping to recover our imperiled species of fish and wildlife and plants and the ecosystems on which they depend.”

From the Mauna Loa silversword in Hawaii and Railroad Valley springfish in Nevada to the Canada lynx in Maine and rabbitsfoot mussel in the rivers of Alabama, Recovery Champions are taking action to protect these species. It is the Service employees and partners, including tribes, state conservation agencies, universities and private organizations, as well as zoos and land trusts, who are the extraordinary individuals making a difference.

This year, for the first time, an international organization, Japan’s Yamashina Institute for Ornithology, has been selected as a Recovery Champion for achievements on behalf of the short-tailed albatross, a seabird that spends time in Alaska and migrates in the North Pacific.

Restoring streams, breeding species in captivity and releasing them into their historic ranges, conducting field surveys and monitoring programs, and negotiating the complex world of Federal financial standards to administer a land acquisition grant for the Lake Erie watersnake in Ohio are just a few examples from the wide diversity of initiatives receiving this year’s Recovery Champion awards.

For information about the 2010 recovery champions, please visit the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Recovery Champion website at http://www.fws.gov/endangered/what-we-do/recovery-champions/index.html.

America’s fish, wildlife and plant resources belong to all of us, and ensuring the health of imperiled species is a shared responsibility. To learn more about the Service’s Endangered Species program, go to http://www.fws.gov/endangered/.

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.

2010 Recovery Champions

Region 1
Special Agent Keith Swindle
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Honolulu, Hawaii
Newell’s shearwater

Robert Robichaux, Ph.D.
Hawaiian Silversword Foundation
Volcano, Hawaii
Mauna Loa silversword

Region 2
Bill Radke
San Bernardino National Wildlife Refuge
Douglas, Arizona
Yaqui chub

Patrick Valentino
The Mexican Wolf Fund
San Francisco, California
Mexican wolf

Region 3
Marian Smith, Ph.D.
Southern Illinois University, Retired
Edwardsville, Illinois
Decurrent false aster

Linda Nichols
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Ft. Snelling, Minnesota
Lake Erie watersnake

Lucinda Ochoada
U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Ft. Snelling, Minnesota
Lake Erie watersnake

Region 4
Bob Butler
U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Asheville, North Carolina
Freshwater mussels

Misty Buchanan
North Carolina Natural Heritage Program
Raleigh, North Carolina
Rough-leaf loosestrife

Region 4 and Region 5
Steve Ahlstedt
U. S. Geological Survey, Retired
Norris, Tennessee
Freshwater mussels

Region 5
Mark McCollough, Ph.D.
U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Orono, Maine
Canada lynx

Lindsay Webb
New Hampshire Fish and Game Department
Concord, New Hampshire
Karner blue butterfly

Heidi Holman
New Hampshire Fish and Game Department
Concord, New Hampshire
Karner blue butterfly

Steven Fuller, Ph.D.
Wildlife Management Institute
Weare, New Hampshire
Karner blue butterfly

Region 6

Group Award
Connie Mueller
Lostwood National Wildlife Refuge
Kenmare, North Dakota
Piping plover

Kirsten Brennan
Lostwood National Wildlife Refuge
Kenmare, North Dakota
Piping plover

Michael Rabenberg
Long Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Moffit, North Dakota
Piping plover

Craig Hultberg
Audubon National Wildlife Refuge
Coleharbor, North Dakota
Piping plover

Brent Jamison
Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Medicine Lake, Montana
Piping plover

Eric Rosenquist
The Nature Conservancy
Center, North Dakota
Piping plover

Partner-in Mission
Dan Carney
Blackfeet Fish and Wildlife
Browning, Montana
Grizzly bear

Region 7
Yamashina Institute for Ornithology
Chiba, Japan
Short-tailed albatross

Neesha Stellrecht
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Fairbanks, Alaska
Steller’s eider, spectacled eider

Region 8
Sandy Vissman
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Carlsbad, California
San Clemente loggerhead shrike

Group Award, Partner-in-Mission
Virginia Sanchez
Duckwater Shoshone Tribe
Duckwater, Nevada
Railroad Valley springfish

Group Award, Partner-in-Mission
Jerry Millett
Duckwater Shoshone Tribe
Duckwater, Nevada
Railroad Valley springfish

Lisa George-Millet
Duckwater Shoshone Tribe
Duckwater, Nevada
Railroad Valley springfish

Annette George
Duckwater Shoshone Tribe
Duckwater, Nevada
Railroad Valley springfish

Michael Mace
San Diego Zoo Safari Park
Escondido, California
California condor and light-footed clapper rail

About:
USPSA is a non-profit membership association. Most of the more than 19,000 individual members belong to and regularly compete at one of the nearly 375 affiliated clubs and sections (groups of clubs banded together for mutual benefit) located across the United States. USPSA is affiliated with the International Practical Shooting Confederation (I.P.S.C.), which is comprised of approximately 67 nations. USPSA is the American region of IPSC. Visit: www.uspsa.org

Wisconsin DNR

MADISON, WI --(Ammoland.com)- The Department of Natural Resources and Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC) today announced a number of updates to the court-approved rules that govern Chippewa Indian hunting, fishing and trapping off-reservation rights in Wisconsin’s Ceded Territory.

The 1991 court judgment in Lac Courte Oreilles Indians v. State of Wis., most commonly known as the Voigt decision, required the six Wisconsin Chippewa bands to establish a conservation code by which their off reservation treaty rights would be exercised. They did so by creating the Off Reservation Model Code.

“Changes in hunting, fishing and trapping opportunities since the original agreement support these modifications both to maintain the original intent of the agreement and to streamline implementation,” said DNR Secretary Cathy Stepp “These changes will not endanger our wildlife, fish and forest resources but will make things simpler and more efficient.”

GLIFWC and DNR representatives worked closely over the past year and a half to address the areas where changes were needed to the Off Reservation Model Code and succeeded in producing modifications without the need for litigation. Both the tribes and the state view the result as a step forward in the way these issues are handled for all parties. “It is really significant that we were able to institutionalize the communication and dialogue between the parties,” said James Zorn, GLIFWC Executive Administrator.

Many of the modifications mirror changes in state hunting, fishing and trapping codes, and other changes represent an increase in the level of shared knowledge and cooperation between the department and GLIFWC staff.

Updates include changes in walleye spearing harvest monitoring for small-quota lakes, streamlining of tribal wildlife quota declarations for antlerless deer, bear, fisher, otter and bobcat and a pilot project that allows tribal offices to issue gathering permits for certain forest products.

The changes in walleye harvest reporting procedures apply only to lakes with a harvestable walleye quota of 75 or fewer fish. All fish speared in these lakes must still be reported. In the past, walleye harvest could only be reported at the landing of the lake just speared. Fish speared in these small-quota lakes can now be reported at a location other than the landing of the speared lake. Quotas are not increased, only the reporting procedure has been modified.

DNR can now also move ahead with season structure setting ahead of receiving tribal harvest declarations for antlerless deer, bear, fisher, otter and bobcat if tribal harvests remain below 15% of the tribal share of these species, thereby simplifying the season setting process.

The changes were filed with the court as an amendment to the final judgment entered in 1991.

A summary of the changes:
Meetings of the Agency Leadership. Allows for a regularized process to coordinate communication by agency leaders in DNR and GLIFWC, and agrees that both parties will make good faith efforts to coordinate regarding their respective management and regulatory authorities.

Biennial Stipulation Review. Allows both parties to coordinate discussion of proposed management and regulatory issues and to provide a regular schedule for stipulation review and possible amendment in that the parties agree to make good faith efforts to undertake a review of, and propose changes to, the stipulations no less than biennially.

Technical Updates and Amendments. Establishes a mechanism that allows for automatic implementation of provisions of a GLIFWC “Commission Order,” after consultation with the state and agreement of the parties, for issues that substantially mirror existing and future state law changes to the management of resources within the ceded territory. A Tribe may choose to adopt more restrictive measures thereby reserving each Tribe’s authority. This amendment makes the implementation of a Commission Order less cumbersome by eliminating the need for continuous ratification of the tribal codes that previously had to be amended after the issuance of each Commission Order.

Adjacent Spawning Stream Segments. Establishes designated adjacent spawning stream segments as one “unit” for spearing purposes where the walleye declaration for a particular lake applies to both to the lake and designated river segment.

Designated River and Stream Segment Regulation – Long Term Six Year Joint Study

Establishes a six year joint study of existing stream segments which may be amended upon agreement of the parties, that allows for the harvest of 60 walleye per segment per day without restrictions on the number of boats or spearers, and without the five fish daily bag limit, while maintaining the 120 fish total annual harvest per segment with a maximum of two days allowed for harvest.

Additional Designated River and Stream Segments – Long Term Six Year Joint Study

Establishes a long term six year joint study for spearing in eight designated stream segments that the tribes have had annual recurring access for ongoing study.

Calculation of Safety Factors. Establishes defined timeline for the parties to review data, methodology and calculations for the appropriate “safety factors” used in setting walleye and muskellunge safe harvest levels every 10 years, unless both parties agree to meet earlier, or if such review is unnecessary.

Gillnet Mesh Size – Six Year Joint Study. Establishes a six year joint study that makes permanent existing ongoing annual studies which may be amended upon agreement of the parties, that continues to allow for the use of additional gillnet mesh sizes on lakes 1,000 acres or larger.

Alternative Monitoring of Tribal Walleye Harvest on Certain Lakes. Creates an administrative mechanism that sets forth the list of certain low quota harvest lakes (maximum quota of 75 walleye) where on-site monitoring is not required, upon agreement of the parties. Registration of the harvest is still required.

Wildlife Quotas/Bag Limits – Thresholds. Establishes a stipulation change identical to what is currently in place for turkey to implement the threshold harvest system in Wisconsin for the following species; antlerless deer, black bears, fishers, otters and bobcats. The shift from a declared quota prior to harvest to a system limiting harvest in the following year is designed to mirror the state’s management system for the species listed, and is based on the fact that the tribes rarely approach the 50% harvest limitation for those species. Tribal members would be regulated by a daily bag limit, registration would still be required (within 3 working days of harvest), and carcass tags are still required.

Tribal Gathering on State Lands – Two Year Joint Assessment. Establishes management and regulatory principles pertaining to tribal gathering on select DNR properties for a two year trial study period. This stipulation change will provide a means for tribal self regulation while establishing the necessary assurance that the tribes will ensure that their members’ gathering activities are consistent with the state’s management objectives.

Tribal Mentored Hunting Regulations. Codifies the regulatory change established via state law for mentored state youth less than 12 years in age and GLIFWC Commission Order #2009-01, that established culturally appropriate regulations to provide tribal members more treaty harvest opportunities in line with state harvesters by expanding hunting opportunities for tribal hunters less than twelve years of age and for tribal hunters that have not been issued a certificate of accomplishment from a tribal hunter education and firearm safety course.

Deer Unit Goal Review. Allows the Department the flexibility to re-evaluate the three (3) year time frame for deer unit goal review by establishing a deer unit goal review every five (5) years.

Committee Updates. Updates the list and mechanism for on going updates to the current DNR committees that routinely address treaty reserved resources covered by the Voigt decision while continuing to deepen and further the ongoing GLIFWC‑DNR relationships established to date, and providing for a framework for continued dialogue.

Tribal State Park Hunting Document Established. Establishes an administrative mechanism that sets forth the regulations and state parks available to tribal harvest entitled.

CITES Export Program. Establishes a stipulation change pertaining to GLIFWC’s Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Export Program. CITES tags issued under this program would be provided to GLIFWC, which would be responsible for distributing them to the tribes, and which would report to the U.S. Management Authority as required by the program delegation.

Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Michigan --(Ammoland.com)- A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) report issued earlier this week has concluded that the eastern subspecies of the cougar is extinct; however, this has no bearing on cougars in Michigan, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment said today.

“The USFWS has determined the eastern cougar to be extinct, and this has no bearing on cougars in Michigan,” said DNRE Wildlife Chief Russ Mason. “The cougars present in Michigan are dispersing from the Dakotas, where the nearest established population exists.”

The report was a routine review of status of the cougar species. The review included the most recent genetics, ecology and sightings of this subspecies. Because no evidence for the subspecies could be found, the status review determined that the subspecies is extinct and recommended its status be changed from endangered to extinct.

The status review does not change the status of cougars in Michigan, which would occur as a federal rule change at some time in the future. For more information on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service report.

Cougars were originally native to Michigan, but were extirpated from Michigan around the turn of the century. The last known wild cougar taken in the state occurred in 1906 near Newberry.

“There is little agreement among cougar researchers as to the number of separate subspecies, and whether to separate them by genetics or appearance,” said Christopher Hoving, DNRE endangered species coordinator. “The eastern cougar (Puma concolor couguar) was known to occur only in the Lower Peninsula. A separate subspecies was described in the Upper Peninsula and Wisconsin, called Puma concolor shorgeri. Other subspecies of cougar exist in the western United States, where populations continue to grow and expand eastward. However, many researchers now consider all cougars in North America to be one subspecies.”

Regardless of subspecies, DNRE biologists have verified five sets of tracks and two trail camera pictures of cougars in the Upper Peninsula since 2008. These sightings probably represent dispersing cats from western populations.

“The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service report has little effect on cougar conservation in Michigan because the entire species is listed, regardless of subspecies,” Hoving said. “All wild cougars in Michigan will remain state endangered until the population is viable and self-sustaining.”

For more information on cougars in Michigan, visit the DNRE website at www.michigan.gov/cougars. The website contains an online observation form to use to report sightings. Sightings with physical evidence, such as tracks or pictures, are most useful in verifying a potential cougar sighting.

The Department of Natural Resources and Environment is committed to the conservation, protection, management, and accessible use and enjoyment of the state’s environment, natural resources, and related economic interests for current and future generations. Learn more at www.michigan.gov/dnre.

Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Michigan --(Ammoland.com)- A Bay City man has pled guilty to charges of illegally killing three wolves in Mackinac County in January.

William Hayward, 58, also pled guilty to malicious destruction of property for destroying two tracking collars that had been placed on the wolves by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment.

Hayward was sentenced on Monday, Feb. 14, in 92nd District Court in St. Ignace to 365 days in jail, with 90 days to be served immediately and the remaining time suspended if all terms of his 24-month probation are met. Additionally, Hayward was ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution for the wolves, $590 for the replacement of the tracking collars and $1,500 in fines and court costs. Hayward’s hunting privileges were also revoked for a period of three years, and the rifle he used to kill the wolves was condemned.

DNRE conservation officers conducted the investigation after locating three dead wolves in northwestern Mackinac County in January that had died from gunshot wounds. Hayward was developed as the suspect, and Mackinac County Prosector Alfred Feleppa reviewed the case and issued the charges against Hayward.

Hayward also faced possible federal charges from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; however an agreement was reached with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that federal charges for these three illegal wolf kills would not be brought if Hayward resolved the matter in state court. Wolves are federally protected under the Endangered Species Act and a person may be charged in both state and federal court for illegally killing wolves.

Anyone with information regarding the illegal killing of wolves or any other protected species in Michigan is asked to call the DNRE Report All Poaching hotline at 800-292-7800, 24 hours a day, or contact your nearest DNRE office or conservation officer.

For more information about wolves in Michigan, go online to www.michigan.gov/wolves.

The Department of Natural Resources and Environment is committed to the conservation, protection, management, and accessible use and enjoyment of the state’s environment, natural resources and related economic interests for current and future generations. Learn more at www.michigan.gov/dnre.

Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Michigan --(Ammoland.com)- The Department of Natural Resources and Environment and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are seeking information regarding a wolf poaching case in Luce County.

The wolf was found south of Newberry on Friday, Feb. 11, and had died of an apparent gunshot wound.

A reward is being offered for information that leads to the arrest of the subject or subjects involved. Anyone with information is asked to call the Report All Poaching hotline at 800-292-7800, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, or to contact their local DNRE office or conservation officer. Information may be left anonymously.

The maximum penalty for poaching a wolf is 90 days in jail or a fine of up to $1,000, or both, plus reimbursement of $1,500 to the state for killing an endangered species. Poaching convictions also usually include a suspension of hunting privileges for a period of three years.

Wolves are a federally protected species in Michigan and cannot legally be killed except in the defense of human life. For more information on wolves in Michigan, go to www.michigan.gov/wolves.

The Department of Natural Resources and Environment is committed to the conservation, protection, management, and accessible use and enjoyment of the state’s environment, natural resources, and related economic interests for current and future generations. Learn more at www.michigan.gov/dnre

Rare Ocelot Observed In Southern Arizona - Image: AZGFD

Arizona Game and Fish Department

PHOENIX, AZ – -(Ammoland.com)- Arizona Game and Fish Department officials report that a rare ocelot was observed this morning (Feb. in the Huachuca Mountains in southern Arizona.

An individual called Game and Fish this morning to report that while he was working in his yard in the Huachuca Mountains, his dogs began barking at a cat-like animal which quickly climbed a tree. The individual drew closer and suspected that the small spotted cat might be an ocelot. An ocelot is a rare and endangered species of cat.

The man called Game and Fish and an officer responded to the site and confirmed that it was, in fact, an ocelot. The officer did a non-intrusive, visual inspection of the animal from the ground near the tree, and the animal appeared to be healthy. There was no indication that there had been any dog-to-cat direct interaction, as no wounds were visible on any animal.

As with all wildlife-human interaction cases, photos were taken of the animal. The officer was also able to retrieve some scat samples from the scene.

Once the final confirmation was determined, the officer directed that all humans and dogs retreat from the area, and the ocelot, apparently unharmed, was allowed to go on his way.

Ocelots are small to medium-sized spotted cats with a long tail. These cats have been listed as endangered since 1982 under the Federal Endangered Species Act. Since being listed, ocelots have only rarely been seen in Arizona. Only one other ocelot, an animal run over near Globe in April 2010, has been confirmed in Arizona since the mid 1960s. One other ocelot was reportedly captured on film by the Sky Island Alliance in November of 2009; however, it has not been possible to fully verify the species or the animal’s origin based on that photo.

Ocelots tend to be smaller in size in the more northerly portions of their habitat range than those individuals in the central or southern habitat areas. The upper body coloring is highly variable, ranging from grayish to cinnamon or tawny to reddish brown. Dark markings form chainlike streaks down the sides of the ocelot’s body. They have a long, curling, ringed tail that wraps around limbs for stability and is very indicative of the species.

The present range for ocelots is in the eastern and western lowlands of Mexico, from southern Mexico through Central America and in the lowland areas of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Brazil. On the fringes of their range, they occupy a very limited region in both the United States (a remnant population exists in Southern Texas) and Argentina. And now Arizona can be included in that range. Other animals such as bobcats and young mountain lions are sometimes misidentified as ocelots, which is why verification is so very important.

Arizona Game and Fish will work together with the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service to review materials from the site and the photos to attempt to determine whether or not this was a naturally occurring ocelot. Some ocelots are known to be kept as pets, and occasionally, individual animals escape or are released into the wild.

Ocelots are protected by the Endangered Species Act and should be left alone. If anyone encounters a cat believed to be an ocelot, we would request that all sightings and photos along with observation information be reported immediately to the department. More information and additional photos will be made available Wednesday, visit www.azgfd.gov for details.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, or disability in its programs and activities. If anyone believes that they have been discriminated against in any of the AGFD’s programs or activities, including employment practices, they may file a complaint with the Deputy Director, 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix, AZ 85086-5000, (602) 942-3000, or with the Fish and Wildlife Service, 4040 N. Fairfax Dr. Ste. 130, Arlington, VA 22203. Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation or this document in an alternative format by contacting the Deputy Director as listed above.

Number of Bald Eagles Killed By Cars Rising

Michigan Department of Natural Resources

LANSING, Michigan --(Ammoland.com)- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Environment caution Michigan drivers on bald eagle mortality due to rising vehicular trauma.

The USFW Service and Michigan DNRE and the Environment (DNRE) urge Michigan drivers to use caution Michigan this travel season as bald eagles may be present on or near roadways.

Bald eagle mortality rates due to vehicular collisions in Michigan have risen in the last six years, accounting for 222 out of 774, or 29 percent, of recorded eagle mortalities between 1987 and 2008.

“Michigan drivers, especially in the northern part of the state, should be aware that eagles are often along our roadsides and can help out by taking necessary steps to help reduce eagle mortality,” said DNRE Wildlife Division Chief Russ Mason. “Slowing your vehicle if you happen to spot an eagle near road kill is a good start.”

“A recent analysis of data from Michigan indicates that collisions with vehicles are a significant cause of eagle mortality,” said Jack Dingledine, Deputy Field Supervisor of the East Lansing Field Office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

“The bald eagle tells one of our nation’s most revered conservation success stories, and although this species has recovered to sustainable levels, we must keep in mind that as numbers rise, so does the risk for mortality due to human interactions.”

In addition to catching and eating fish, eagles commonly feed on dead animals. Road corridors often attract eagles, which will scavenge on large road-kill such as deer, coyote, fox or raccoon. Scavenging behavior tends to increase during the winter months when ice develops on lakes and rivers, making foraging for fish more difficult.

“There is no one solution that will completely eliminate vehicle-caused mortality in Michigan,” said Dingledine. “But efforts from all sides, including help from the driving public, can reduce vehicle-caused eagle mortality.”

Eagles that appear to be outside of a vehicle’s path may feel threatened by the approach of an oncoming vehicle and may attempt to escape, often leading the bird to cross the roadway, in front of oncoming traffic. Drivers who do not anticipate this reaction by the eagle put themselves, the eagle, and their vehicle at risk. If a driver observes an eagle on or near a roadway, and if it is safe to do so, vehicle speed should be reduced immediately to give the driver and the eagle more time to react.

To report a live or dead eagle (or eagles) on the ground or scavenging on road-kill near a roadway in Michigan, please submit your observation at the following Web address: http://www.fws.gov/midwest/eastlansing/eagleform.htm. This information will help biologists determine where management action are most needed and the appropriate steps to reduce future collisions in these areas.

Reporting road kill to your local transportation agency can prevent eagle-vehicular collisions. Road kill removal requires proper authority, safety equipment and training, and drivers should not independently attempt to remove road kill.

To report road-kill both on and off the pavement or shoulder of a road:

• Drivers on state highways should call their regional MDOT Transportation Service Center – Visit www.michigan.gov/mdot/ for contact information (click on ‘About MDOT’).
• Drivers on county roads should call their local county road commission maintenance garage – See the government section of your local phone book for contact information.

Following the ban on many chlorinated pesticides in the 1970s and the protections offered by the Federally Threatened and Endangered Species List, bald eagle populations have stabilized and begun to recover in many regions of the country. In Michigan, populations have increased from 52 breeding pairs in 1961 to 630 breeding pairs in 2010. The conservation community celebrated the de-listing of the bald eagle from the Endangered Species List in 2007.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen visit www.fws.gov .

The DNRE is committed to conserve, manage, protect, and promote accessible use and enjoyment of the state’s environmental, natural resource, and related economic interests for current and future generations. For more information, go to www.michigan.gov/dnre.

More Wolf Pups, another example of healthy Wolf Populations in need of science based management.

U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance

Columbus, OH --(Ammoland.com)- Last week, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced that, subject to receipt of further public comment, it intends to remove wolves in the Western Great Lakes region as a listed species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

Earlier this year, the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation (USSAF) and several others began the delisting process by filing formal petitions seeking to delist wolves in the Western Great Lakes region. After the FWS failed to respond to the petitions, the USSAF and its supporters then sent a letter threatening legal action against the FWS if it did not start the delisting process. In September, the FWS started the delisting process citing the USSAF petition as well as other petitions.

The latest announcement came after U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) called upon Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar to expedite the delisting process for the Western Great Lakes wolves. Senator Klobuchar also indicated that she plans to introduce legislation as a backup option to ensure that delisting occurs.

In response, the FWS indicated that it will publish a new delisting proposal for the wolves by April 2011 and will wrap up the process by the end of 2011. In its press release, the FWS noted that “wolves continue to exceed recovery goals and are no longer threatened with extinction.”

Removing wolves in the Western Great Lakes region from the Endangered Species List would allow wolves in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan to be managed by the states.

“We are encouraged by this recent announcement by the FWS,” said Rob Sexton, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation vice president of government affairs. “However, we must remain cautious as animal rights groups will surely try to derail the process.”

Two previous efforts by FWS to delist the wolves were reversed as a result of lawsuits filed by animal rights groups. In both cases, the reversals dealt with technical legal issues. They did not overturn the findings by the FWS that wolves have met recovery plan objectives.

About:
The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance is a national association of sportsmen and sportsmen’s organizations that protects the rights of hunters, anglers and trappers in the courts, legislatures, at the ballot, in Congress and through public education programs. Visit www.ussportsmen.org.

Michigan’s Kirtland’s Warbler Continues to Exceed Recovery Goal Pic: Mike McDowell**

Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Michigan --(Ammoland.com)- The Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment today released annual survey information indicating the state’s population of the endangered Kirtland’s warbler remains steady.

Biologists, researchers and volunteers in Michigan observed 1,733 singing males during the official 2010 survey period. The population has not increased or decreased by more than 5 percent since 2007. The lowest numbers were recorded in 1974 and 1987, when only 167 singing males were found. The highest numbers were in 2009 when 1,813 males were observed.

The Kirtland’s warbler survey is conducted each year during the second and third weeks of June when the birds are establishing their nesting territories. Warblers are detected by listening for their songs. The songs can be heard at distances up to one-quarter mile, providing an excellent way to detect the birds with minimum disturbance. Only the males sing, so estimates of breeding population size are obtained by doubling the number of singing males recorded, based on the assumption that each male has a mate in its territory.

The 2010 survey was a joint effort by the DNRE, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Michigan Department of Veterans and Military Affairs, Michigan Audubon Society, and citizen volunteers.

This year, singing males (numbers in parentheses) were found in 11 Northern Lower Peninsula counties: Alcona (178), Clare (99), Crawford (288), Iosco (167), Kalkaska (60), Montmorency (28), Ogemaw (552), Oscoda (256), Otsego (24), Presque Isle (6), and Roscommon (41). Surveyors identified 29 singing males in five Upper Peninsula counties: Baraga (3), Chippewa (15), Delta (7), Marquette (5), and Schoolcraft (4). Twenty-six additional singing males were observed outside Michigan: 23 in Wisconsin and three in Ontario.

As the amount of habitat has stabilized, the population of warblers has stabilized in the core of the range: northern Michigan’s jack pine barrens ecosystem. The warblers nest on the ground and typically select nesting sites in stands of jack pine between four and 20 years old. Historically, these stands of young jack pine were created by natural wildfires that frequently swept through northern Michigan. Modern fire suppression programs altered this natural process, reducing Kirtland’s warbler habitat. The result was that the population of Kirtland’s warblers declined to the point that they were listed as endangered.

To mimic the effects of wildfire and ensure the future Kirtland’s warblers, the DNRE and its partners manage the forests through a combination of clear-cutting, burning, seeding, and replanting that promotes habitat for many species, including deer, snowshoe hare, other warbler species, and rare plants, in addition to Kirtland warblers. Because large prescribed fires are neither safe nor economical in northern Michigan, approximately 3,000 acres of jack pine trees are harvested and then planted annually on state and federal lands. This use of public lands creates jobs, provides habitat wildlife, and brings to northern Michigan birders and hunters from across the state and around the world.

“The recovery goal for Kirtland’s warblers is 1,000 singing males, and the population has stabilized at nearly twice that number,” said DNRE Endangered Species Coordinator Chris Hoving. “We are working with our federal partners to secure habitat plans for the future and remove the species from state and federal endangered species lists.”

Elaine Carlson, DNRE wildlife biologist, emphasized how the habitat management program has produced benefits that extend well beyond the recovery of a single species. “In addition to generating habitat for the Kirtland’s warbler, the jack pine forests that we plant provide valuable timber products as well as habitat for a variety of plants, songbirds, game animals and other wildlife,” Carlson said.

For more information on the Kirtland’s warbler, contact the DNRE Wildlife Division, Natural Heritage Program, Box 30444, Lansing, MI 48909, or visit the DNRE website: www.michigan.gov/dnre.

The Department of Natural Resources and Environment is committed to the conservation, protection, management, and accessible use and enjoyment of the state’s environment, natural resources and related economic interests for current and future generations. For more information, go to www.michigan.gov/dnre.

** Image by Mike McDowell of www.birddigiscoper.com Mike is an active birder recording the avifauna of Pheasant Branch Conservancy in Middleton for the past 15 years. He created Birds of Pheasant Branch Conservancy, a monthly bird checklist. He regularly leads Madison Audubon Society field trips to Pheasant Branch. He is an expert on nature photography and digiscoping and works at Eagle Optics.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Washington, DC --(Ammoland.com)- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is seeking proposals from states and U.S. territories interested in obtaining federal financial assistance to acquire land or conduct planning efforts for endangered species conservation.

For fiscal year (FY) 2011, the President’s budget request for the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund includes approximately $85 million in grant funding for conservation planning activities and habitat acquisition benefitting federally protected species. Proposals must be submitted to the appropriate Service regional offices by January 18, 2011.

The Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund is authorized under Section 6 of the Endangered Species Act and provides grants to states and territories to support participation in a wide array of voluntary conservation projects for species on the federal list of threatened and endangered species, as well as for species that are either candidates or have been proposed for listing. These projects range from species status surveys, public education and outreach, habitat acquisition and restoration, captive propagation and reintroduction to nesting surveys, genetic studies and development of conservation plans.

The Service is seeking proposals under the following three Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund categories:

Recovery Land Acquisition Grants – These grants provide funds to states and territories for acquisition of threatened and endangered species habitat in support of approved and draft species recovery plans. Acquiring habitat in order to secure long-term protection is often the critical element in a comprehensive recovery effort for a listed species. One example from last year’s grants is an $800,000 award to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to acquire a 413-acre tract to protect nesting habitat of the golden-cheeked warbler and black-capped vireo. Acquisition of the property is also expected to benefit the endangered Tobusch fish-hook cactus.

San Joaquin Kit Fox - Pic: B. Peterson

Habitat Conservation Planning Assistance Grants – These grants provide funds to States and Territories to support the development of Habitat Conservation Plans (HCPs). The purpose of an HCP is to ensure adequate protection of suitable habitat for threatened and endangered species, while at the same time providing for economic growth and development. These grants provide support for baseline surveys and inventories, document preparation, outreach, and similar planning activities. For example, the state of Maine received a total of $173,250 in FY 2010 funding to begin Phase I of a programmatic HCP for Maine’s forestry program, wastewater program, and state water rules that covers over 17.8 million acres of forestland and approximately 45,000 miles of streams and rivers. The project is intended to protect the Atlantic salmon, over which the Service has joint jurisdiction with the National Marine Fisheries Service, and will have implications for many other anadromous fish species.

HCP Land Acquisition Grants – These grants provide funds to states and territories to acquire land associated with approved HCPs. They do not fund mitigation required of an HCP permittee, but rather, support acquisitions by the state or local governments of habitat that complement actions associated with the HCP. For example, one of last year’s recipients was the State of Montana, which received a $6,000,000 grant to acquire 3,600 acres in the Northern Rocky Mountains. This purchase will complement the Plum Creek Native Fish Habitat Conservation Plan, protecting high-quality riparian habitat for bull trout, westslope cutthroat trout and mountain whitefish.

By law, the state or territory must have a current cooperative agreement with the Secretary of the Interior and contribute at least 25 percent of the estimated program costs of approved projects, or 10 percent when two or more states or territories undertake a joint project.

For more information about these grants and grant application requirements contact: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Consultation, HCPs, Recovery, and State Grants, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Room 420, Arlington, VA 22203, 703-358-2171. The Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund is identified in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance as number 15.615.

To learn more about these grants, visit the Endangered Species Program online at: http://www.fws.gov/endangered/grants/index.html

About:
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.

Turtle Watchers Cap ‘Good Year’ For Loggerheads

Georgia Department of Natural Resources

BRUNSWICK, Ga. --(Ammoland.com)- A record-breaking year came to a close recently as members of the Georgia Sea Turtle Cooperative met in Brunswick to wrap up the nesting season.

There were 1,750 loggerhead nests recorded in 2010, topping the previous record of 1,646 from 2008. Last year’s nesting totals were much lower, with only 995 reported.

Members of the coop gave updates on various projects ranging from genetics data to predation issues. The overarching message: It was a good year for sea turtles.

For the last 22 years, Sea Turtle Cooperative members have worked to conserve Georgia’s turtles. Coordinated by the Wildlife Resources Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the group of volunteers, researchers and biologists from various agencies monitors turtle nesting activities on Georgia beaches.

This season, Cumberland Island led all barrier islands with 486 confirmed nests.

“Both our nesting numbers and our hatchling success numbers were really high this year,” said Doug Hoffman, National Park Service biologist on Cumberland Island. “An average year for us is around 225 nests and we doubled that this season.”

In addition, Cumberland saw its predation rate drop from 67 percent in 2000 to less than 1 percent this year, a figure Hoffman is proud to report. “I came on board in 2000 when predation was at the highest levels it has ever been,” he said.

“… In the last 10 years we have taken measures that include live trapping of raccoons, shooting hogs and placing screens on every nest – all of which have reduced the predation rate to almost zero. The only thing we still have a problem with is ghost crabs, but you see that on every island. “

Cumberland also accounted for about half of the strandings during the nesting season, or 43 of 119 sea turtles found washed up along the coast. This may be in part due to the length of the island’s coastline, which stretches for 17 miles. Whenever a turtle washes ashore dead or comes to the beach and then dies, it is referred to as a stranding.

On Tybee Island, the nesting storyline was a little different. Tybee recorded some of the lowest numbers, with only 10 confirmed nests. However, that number was still high for a developed beach.

Tammy Smith, Sea Turtle Project coordinator for the island, was very excited that her group of volunteers not only beat local rival St Simons Island, which reported only five nests, but also made strides toward improving the habitat for turtles.

“Lighting pollution is one of our biggest issues, being a developed beach, but this year we were able to get the hotel on the south side of the island, in an area we call the strand, to turn off the lights in the top three balcony levels,” helping limit the number of disoriented turtles, Smith said.

Turtles often mistake lights on the beach for moonlight, which they use to navigate back to the water after nesting. A turtle can become disoriented and then exhausted looking for the ocean and end up on busy roads or in backyards. Lights are also a problem for hatchlings, which may head toward roads and homes rather than the water, making them more vulnerable to predators.

Tybee turtle volunteers also had their first encounter with a live adult turtle this year, one that happened to have been tagged on Wassaw Island. “That was pretty neat; most of us had never seen a turtle actually laying a nest,” Smith said.

Jekyll Island had a decent year with 140 nests. Emily Walker, night patrol team leader for the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, reported that the last nest finally hatched in early October. Overall, Jekyll’s hatchling success rate has been holding steady at 62 percent. Walker attributes that to moving fewer nests this year due to less erosion. “We only lost two nests, so that was pretty exciting,” she said.

Another development on Jekyll had to do with lights on the beach.

“We were able to get a new lighting ordinance passed this year that states that if you have suitable nesting habitat on the beach you have to use appropriate lighting for turtles,” Walker explained. “Already there are hotels changing their lights and there is a good chance it contributed to us having fewer disorientations due to lighting this season.”

Despite the record year for loggerheads, biologists urged caution. Federal criteria require that the population increase by 2 percent a year for 50 years for the species to be considered recovered. The 50-year nesting goal for loggerheads in Georgia is 2,800 nests a year.

Mark Dodd, a senior wildlife biologist and Sea Turtle Program Coordinator with Georgia DNR, said the loggerhead population in Georgia “has sustained a long-term decline, but over the last five years, we have seen average or above-average nesting years. “We are hopeful that we are seeing the beginnings of a recovery, but it is still too early to say.”

Dodd praised the Sea Turtle Cooperative. “We are very grateful to our cooperators for all their hard work,” he said. “Without them, we wouldn’t have a sea turtle conservation program in Georgia.”

Loggerheads, the most common sea turtle on Georgia’s coast, are state-listed as endangered. The nesting season runs from May through September. Daily monitoring of nesting began in 1989.

Georgians can help conserve sea turtles and other animals not legally hunted, fished for or trapped, as well as native plants and habitats, through buying wildlife license plates that feature a bald eagle or a ruby-throated hummingbird. They can also donate to the Give Wildlife a Chance state income tax checkoff, or directly to DNR’s Nongame Conservation Section. These programs are vital to the Nongame Conservation Section, which receives no state funds.

Visit www.georgiawildlife.com for more information, or call Nongame Conservation Section offices in Social Circle (770-761-3035), Forsyth (478-994-1438) or Brunswick (912-264-7218).

Fort Pierre National Grassland South Dakota Pic: By Jerry Schumacher

South Dakota Fish, Game & Parks

PIERRE, S.D. --(Ammoland.com)- State and federal officials in South Dakota are seeking information about a bald eagle that was recently shot and killed in eastern Stanley County.

The dead eagle was recovered from the Fort Pierre National Grasslands near the intersection of County Line Road and 302nd Avenue.

Officials believe it was killed with a shotgun about Oct. 23rd.

A reward is being offered for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the individual or individuals responsible for the bald eagle’s death.

People with information may remain anonymous and are asked to call the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks at the Turn In Poachers (TIPS) Hotline at 1-888-OVERBAG (683-7224).