U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to Review Status of the Arctic Grayling

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is reviewing the conservation status of the Arctic grayling in the upper Missouri River system to determine whether the species warrants protection under the Endangered Species Act. The status review is scheduled for completion by August 30, 2010.

We are seeking the latest scientific and commercial information on the status of the Arctic grayling from the public, government agencies, tribes, industry and the scientific and conservation communities. Please submit any information relevant to the status review by November 27, 2009.

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Historic Leadville NFH offers more than fish

From boom to bust is an accurate description of Colorado’s “Silver City” – Leadville. Looking at the town today it’s hard to imagine that it was once a bustling city of more than 40,000 people. Now less than 4,000 residents call it home.

The majestic upper Arkansas Valley in which Leadville sits was damaged years ago when settlers, miners and prospectors overused its natural resources leaving scorched earth in their wake. The town’s history of plundering the environment is not universal though. Since 1889 the Leadville National Fish Hatchery has been a counterweight to the treatment by the early residents and transients who sought their fortunes from the area’s rich mountains. However, raising fish from fertilized eggs is just a part of what the hatchery does.

“Our whole mission here is a little different than the normal fish hatchery,” explains Ed Stege, Hatchery Manager. “We’re not just raising fish. With our large land base and trail system many visitors come just to enjoy nature.”

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Fort Carson soldiers work, heal in wildlife

Paul Ellis was always infatuated with biology. After earning a Bachelor of Science with a double major in biology and criminal justice from Drury University, Mo., he put his biological love affair on hold to enlist in the Army – a decision that would later lead him back to his passion, albeit via a circuitous route.

Fast forward to the present, Ellis is now a staff sergeant on active duty stationed at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. However, thanks to an unlikely stint managing wildlife, he is all but certain that upon completion of a 20-year career in the Army, he will return to his first love: the biological sciences.

Ellis came to the decision that life after the Army would involve biology while working in the Fort Carson Wildlife Management Office (FCWMO). The vertical construction engineer came to wildlife management by way of Carson’s Warriors in Transition Unit (WTU) after sustaining injuries during his third combat tour of Iraq.

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Revised Critical Habitat Proposed for the Preble’s Meadow Jumping Mouse

The Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to revised the amount of critical habitat designated for the Preble's meadow jumping mouse in Colorado where it is listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.

In total, the Service is proposing to designate approximately 418 miles of rivers and streams and 39,142 acres of adjacent habitat in Boulder, Broomfield, Douglas, El Paso, Jefferson, Larimer and Teller Counties.

The proposed revision includes river and stream reaches, and adjacent floodplains and uplands, that are within the known geographic and elevational range of the Preble's and are believed to currently support this species.

The public will have until December 7, 2009 to submit scientific information regarding this proposal.

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Efforts Made to Reduce Oil, Bird Encounters

A broad-based cooperative effort among state and federal agencies and corporate entities is helping to reduce the number of deaths of migratory birds and other wildlife resulting from being attracted to oil field waste pits. Many operators have taken preventive measures to reduce the loss, currently estimated at least a half-million annually.

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Fish and Wildlife Service Proposes Endangered Species Act Protection for the Shovelnose Sturgeon

The Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is proposing to treat the shovelnose sturgeon as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (Act) due to its similarity of appearance to the endangered pallid sturgeon. The Service is also proposing a special rule that would prohibit harvest of flesh or roe of shovelnose sturgeon and shovelnose–pallid sturgeon hybrids when associated with a commercial fishing activity.

The pallid sturgeon was listed as an endangered species in 1990. Because shovelnose sturgeon and pallid sturgeon are difficult to differentiate in the wild and because domestic sturgeon fishing pressure has been driven by demand for sturgeon and their roe, the Service believes that treating the shovelnose sturgeon as a threatened species will substantially facilitate the enforcement and further purposes of the Act and ultimately aid the conservation and recovery of pallid sturgeon.

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Tom Chart Named Director for Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program

LAKEWOOD, Colo. — Tom Chart has been named director of the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program. A fisheries biologist, Chart joined the Recovery Program staff in October 2007 as instream flow coordinator. In this role, he oversaw management of stream flows in accordance with agreements and guidelines established to help recover endangered fishes. He also coordinated efforts of state, federal and university biologists to manage nonnative fishes that threaten the survival of the endangered humpback chub, bonytail, Colorado pikeminnow and razorback sucker.

Chart brings more than 26 years of experience working with native Colorado River fish. Before joining the Recovery Program staff, Chart worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Ecological Services Field Office in Salt Lake City, Utah, on projects to recover endangered fish in the Colorado and Virgin River systems. Before that, he was a biologist for the Bureau of Reclamation in Salt Lake City. He also worked for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources in Moab, Utah.

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Creston Fish and Wildlife Center Fish Fun Fair

Fishing can be a valuable way for children to explore and learn about our environment. Connecting kids to nature through fun experiences like fishing creates an appreciation for our natural world. The Creston Fish and Wildlife Center treated 135 local 3rd graders to just such an outdoor experience. Learn more …