NEVADA FWO: Working With Private Landowners to Conserve Greater Sage-Grouse
Region 8, July 28, 2010

A Nevada meadow before restoration. (photo: USFWS)

The same Nevada meadow following restoration. (photo: USFWS)

The Service’s Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program in Nevada is increasing efforts across the state and on the eastern slope of California to implement projects with private land owners that will help conserve habitat for greater sage-grouse. 

With additional funding provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program has implemented four greater sage-grouse habitat improvement projects. "The projects focus on improving habitat to benefit sage grouse and other wildlife," said Amy Salveter, Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program Coordinator in Nevada.  Project include removal of pinyon pine and juniper where these tree species have invaded sagebrush communities, protection of spring and riparian areas from damage by livestock and wild horses; providing off-site watering systems for livestock, mowing brush to invigorate plants and increase their diversity; sagebrush seeding and restoring springs and stream channels. 

Some of the projects occur where there are islands of remaining intact sagebrush habitat surrounded by habitat that has burned multiple times and are now invaded by non-native cheatgrass.  Not only will the projects help protect remaining unburned sage-grouse habitat, they will also benefit the private landowners by reestablishing these areas with native sagebrush plant communities that are more resistant to invasive weeds and resilient to wildfires.

“We are working with other private landowners to restore wet meadows and improve greater sage-grouse brood-rearing forage and cover," Salveter said. "Working with private land owners on projects such as these are essential to our conservation efforts for the greater sage-grouse.”

Contact Info: Jeannie Stafford, 775-861-6336, jeannie_stafford@fws.gov

The Farmer and the Fish: Conserving the endangered Relict Darter
July 20, 2010

Tyler Flynt, Aaron Lane and Andy Radomski of the USFWS Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program

The Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program in Kentucky is working with landowners like Pat Fenwick to conserve the endangered Relict Darter (Etheostoma chienense), one of twenty-eight endangered species in Kentucky.  Relict Darter habitat has been severely degraded since the 1930’s due to stream channelization and the digging of new drainage ditches for agricultural production.  The Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program has worked with farmers like Pat Fenwick to put in warm weather native grass strips to stop erosion, as well as making rock formations to diffuse the force of high quantities of rushing water.  Pat Fenwick says he's not the only one with positive results.  "Everyone I know of with this particular project, that has worked on the darter project in Bayou du Chien, is happy."  This cooperative conservation effort yields a “win-win” outcome for both the wildlife and our constituents by restoring native stream flow, ultimately improving wildlife habitat and aiding with irrigation and agricultural production. 

To read the full story with pictures and soundtrack, please see the WKMS Radio website at: http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wkms/news.newsmain/
article/1/0/1676432/Local.Features/The.Farmer.and.the.Fish.Conserving.
the.endangered.Relict.Darter

On the Ground: The Oregon Conservation Strategy at Work

Field season is underway in Oregon, and the Willamette Valley Strategic Partnership is on the ground working to restore native prairies and wetlands. The group is comprised of biologists and staff from the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

HAVE TRUCK, WILL TRAVEL

Steve Smith, USFWS private lands biologist, works with landowners interested in creating fish and wildlife habitats on their property. Photo by
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

Dan Hogan – Honored as 2010 Nextgov Award Recipient
June 3, 2010

Leopoldo Miranda, Dan Hogan, Dallas Miner. Mr. Hogan honored as 2010 Nextgov Award recipient

Branch of Habitat Restoration Program Specialist Dan Hogan was recently recognized as one of nineteen government-wide honorees at the first inaugural Nextgov Award ceremony held on May 27th at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC as part of Gov 2.0 Expo.  The Nextgov Award recognizes federal managers who have improved the way government works through innovative, programs, policies and management practices that rely on technology to move government in a new direction.  For over ten years Dan Hogan has been in the forefront of using technology to support the operations and the mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Mr. Hogan has been able to use his knowledge, expertise and personality to greatly enhance the operational efficiency of the agency. Mr. Hogan designed and developed the Habitat Information Tracking System (HabITS) a critical tool for the habitat conservation activities of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program and Coastal Program.   He developed this system by incorporating the needs of users in all 50 states and 6 U.S. territories. The system was designed with the end user in mind and incorporates all components necessary for the efficient management of a national program. HabITS immediately saved millions of dollars in staff time and eliminated the duplication of efforts in data entry at all levels.  For more information, please visit the 2010 Nextgov honoree webpage at: http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov_awards/awards_honorees.php

Environmental Law Institute National Wetlands Awards 2010

Senator Benjamin Cardin (MD)

The Environmental Law Institute, conservation partner with the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program and Coastal Programs, recently hosted the 2010 National Wetlands Awards in Washington, DC.   The National Wetlands Awards are presented annually to individuals who have excelled in wetlands protection, restoration and education.   The program is administered by the Environmental Law Institute and supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, USDA Forest Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Federal Highway Administration and NOAA Fisheries.  Senator Benjamin Cardin (MD) served as keynote speaker, emphasizing a greater need than ever to work with partners to restore and protect the Chesapeake Bay.

Farmers May Be Eligible for Endangered Species Tax Deduction
April 6, 2010

Northern aplomado falcon.
Photo by Bureau of Land Management

Farmers and ranchers implementing conservation actions that contribute to the recovery of threatened and endangered species may now be eligible for a tax deduction. The 2008 Farm Bill established a tax deduction for expenditures paid or incurred for the purpose of achieving site-specific management actions recommended in recovery plans for species listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

Endangered Species Tax Deduction Fact Sheet (pdf)

Endangered Species Tax Deduction FAQs (pdf)

Conservation Easement in Arizona Protects a Safe Harbor Ranch in Perpetuity
January 15, 2010

Jim Crosswhite, Arizona Rancher. Photo credit: courtesy of EC Bar Ranch

“While implementing a Safe Harbor Agreement to restore habitat for the Little Colorado River spinedace, a threatened fish, and the southwestern willow flycatcher, an endangered bird, I was inspired to donate the EC Bar Ranch Conservation Easement to permanently protect 94 acres, including 3-miles of Nutrioso Creek,” said Jim Crosswhite, a rancher in Apache County, Arizona. The Arizona Partners for Fish and Wildlife program helped implement the Agreement through controlled grazing, vegetative plantings, and improved management. “The conservation easement will protect those practices in perpetuity,” Crosswhite said.

Arizona Ranch Protected with Conservation Easement [pdf]
Safe Harbor Agreement with James Crosswhite [pdf]
Information about the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher
Listen to a Southwestern willow flycatcher [audio]

Al Rizzo wins DNREC's 'Wetland Warrior 2009' award
MILTON, DEL. -

Al Rizzo, of Milton, DNREC's 2009 "Wetland Warrior" award recipient.
Credit: DNREC

On July 30 at the Delaware State Fair, Gov. Jack Markell and DNREC Secretary Collin O’Mara honored the 2009 Wetland Warrior: Al Rizzo, of Milton, a soil scientist and Partners for Fish and Wildlife Coordinator for Delaware and Maryland with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Chesapeake Bay Field Office.

The award is presented annually to a citizen, organization, business or other group that has demonstrated exemplary efforts to benefit Delaware wetlands in the areas of outreach and education, monitoring and assessment, or restoration and protection.

Described as “a soil scientist of the highest caliber,” Rizzo has worked on projects and research with colleagues on the DNREC wetlands staff and Natural Resource Conservation Service for the past 15 years. During that time he is credited with advancing the state of wetland science and improving the future for Delaware wetlands and the services that they provide by restoring thousands of acres of degraded and former wetlands.

Learn More

Toe River dam being removed
By Nanci Bompey, Citizen-Times.com, July 29, 2009

Heavy Equipment Operators from Blue Ridge Grading and Trucking Inc. remove a dam on the North Toe River, credit: Citizen_times.com

The removal of a decrepit dam this week from a section of the Toe River will open up more than 40 miles of water to fish, an endangered mussel and recreational boaters for the first time in more than nine decades.
The Blue Ridge Resource Conservation and Development Council is heading the $202,500 removal effort using funds from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the N.C. Division of Water Resources. Asheville-based Altamont Environmental Services drafted the removal plan, and Blue Ridge Grading and Trucking is removing the structure from the stream bed this week.

“It's opened up 44 miles of river, and we've returned it to the natural state,” said Cliff Vinson, coordinator of the council, a program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that helps communities complete land conservation, water management, community development and land management projects. “It is significant to the river ecosystem.”

The 10-foot-high dam in Mitchell County was built in 1918 for power generation and provided electricity to the town of Spruce Pine and the Sparks Kaolin plant. It was abandoned by the late 1940s or early 1950s before being partially dynamited in 1960.

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Sacramento Valley Ranch Owner Wins Prestigious National Wetlands Award
Contact:Kevin Foerster or Greg Mensik, Willows, CA  
Phone: 530-934-2801

Llano Seco Bur Clover Sandhill Cranes.
Credit: Joe Siliveira

Mr. Richard Thieriot, the principal owner of the Llano Seco Rancho, was recently selected by the Environmental Law Institute for their 2009 National Wetlands Award.  Thieriot was selected in the Landowner Stewardship category, in recognition of the land protection and habitat restoration efforts that he has implemented at the Llano Seco Rancho, located west of Chico, California.

The last of the intact Mexican Land Grants in California, the 18,000 acre Llano Seco Rancho has been in Mr. Thieriot’s family since the 1850’s. The Ranch consists of a mosaic of wetlands, agricultural lands, riparian forest, oak woodlands, and native grasslands that support a uniquely rich and diverse array of wildlife.  The property annually sustains peak populations of 500,000 ducks and 100,000 geese, along with a variety of Endangered Species and Species of Concern including Giant Garter Snakes, Greater Sandhill Cranes, Bald Eagles and Swainsons’ Hawks.  Thieriot's stewardship has led to nearly 14,000 acres of the Ranch’s agricultural land and natural habitat being permanently protected by Conservation Easements held by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), The Nature Conservancy and the Northern California Regional Land Trust.  An additional 2,634 acres and 1,633 acres are now owned and managed by the USFWS and the California Department of Fish and Game, respectively.

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The Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program was established in 1987 with a core group of biologists and a small budget for on-the-ground wetland restoration projects on private lands. This successful, results-oriented program has garnered support through the years and has grown into a larger and more diversified habitat restoration program assisting thousands of private landowners across the Nation. Click here for a history of the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program.

Celebrating its 20th anniversary, on October 3, 2006 Congress unanimously approved and the President signed the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Act .

At the heart of the Service's mission are the conservation and management of the Federal Trust Species: migratory birds; threatened and endangered species; inter-jurisdictional fish; certain marine mammals; and species of international concern. It is estimated that 73% of our Nation’s land is privately owned and that the majority of our fish and wildlife resources occur on those lands. Consequently, the conservation lands held by Federal and state agencies and other conservation groups cannot completely provide for fish and wildlife needs. Because the habitat needs of all Trust Species cannot be met solely on public lands, public funds are also expended on private lands to accomplish habitat improvements through cooperative conservation programs such as the Partners Program.

The Partners Program provides technical and financial assistance to private landowners and Tribes who are willing to work with us and other partners on a voluntary basis to help meet the habitat needs of our Federal Trust Species.

The Partners Program can assist with projects in all habitat types which conserve or restore native vegetation, hydrology, and soils associated with imperiled ecosystems such as longleaf pine, bottomland hardwoods, tropical forests, native prairies, marshes, rivers and streams, or otherwise provide an important habitat requisite for a rare, declining or protected species.

Locally-based field biologists work one-on-one with private landowners and other partners to plan, implement, and monitor their projects. Partners Program field staff help landowners find other sources of funding and help them through the permitting process, as necessary. This level of personal attention and follow-through is a significant strength of the Program that has led to national recognition and wide support.

The Partners Program is guided by a national policy (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Manual, section 640 fw1) that identifies the following objectives:

• Promote and implement habitat improvement projects that benefit Federal Trust Species
• Provide conservation leadership and promote partnerships
• Encourage public understanding and participation
• Work with U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to implement conservation programs

In addition, the Partners Program policy has established priority ranking factors to help guide project selection. These priorities are stepped down to the state and local levels as field staff collaborate with our stakeholders to further refine habitat priorities and geographic focus areas.

National priority ranking factors for the Partners Program are used to assign funding priority status to proposed projects that meet these conditions:

• Improve habitat for Federal Trust Species, including migratory birds; threatened and endangered species; inter-jurisdictional fish; marine mammals; and, other declining species.
• Complement activities on National Wildlife Refuge System lands, or contribute to the resolution of problems on refuges that are caused by off-refuge practices.
• Address species and habitat priorities that have been identified through Service planning teams (with our partners), or in collaboration with state fish and wildlife agencies.
• Reduce habitat fragmentation or serve as buffers for other important Federal or state conservation lands.
• Result in self-sustaining systems that are not dependent on artificial structures. 

If other considerations are generally equal, then priority is directed to those projects that link private lands to important Federal lands (such as Refuges), have cooperative agreements of longer duration, multiple partners, cost sharing, and the greatest cost effectiveness. The overall goal of Partners Program projects is to return a site to the ecological condition that likely existed prior to loss or degradation.