Mountain-Prairie Region
Conserving the Nature of America
Ecological Services
Nebraska
| 203 West Second Street | Telephone: 308-382-6468 |
| Federal Building, Second Floor | Fax: 308-384-8835 |
| Grand Island, Nebraska 68801 | |
| Steve Anschutz, Project Leader | E-Mail: Steve_Anschutz@fws.gov |
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The Nebraska Ecological
Services Field Office provides biological
advice to other federal and state agencies, industry, and members of the
public concerning the conservation of fish and wildlife and their
habitat that may be affected by development activities. Personnel assess
the potential effects of projects to migratory birds, endangered
species, anadromous fish, and wildlife. In
Nebraska these projects typically include
activities such as waterfowl spring migration,
protecting Federally threatened and endangered
species and their ecosystems, reviewing Federal water resource and
highway projects, facilitating recovery of the Platte River Basin,
coordinating projects with the Corps of Engineers, managing water
quality in Lake McConaughy and the effects of contaminants on
fish and wildlife are also assessed. Recommendations are then made regarding ways to avoid,
minimize, or compensate for harmful impacts on fish and wildlife
resources and their habitats. The primary areas of responsibility for
the Nebraska Ecological Services Field Office
include, endangered species, Federal
activities, Platte and Missouri River recovery, and environmental
quality. The Nebraska Field Office is of the oldest Ecological Services field offices in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, established in 1948 as part of the Missouri River Basin Studies. The office functions as the lead office for the Service's Cooperative Whooping Crane Tracking Project. Assistance is provided to the National Wildlife Federation in conducting the "Whooper Watch" program in which volunteers monitor whooping cranes along the central Platte River during migration. Assistance is also provided to the Platte River Cooperative Agreement effort in support of whooping crane monitoring efforts along the central Platte River. The office is also conducting a study to assess environmental contaminants exposure and effects to pallid sturgeon in the lower Platte River using shovelnose sturgeon as a surrogate. |
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