U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service -- Press Releases

Louisiana Pine Snake Candidate Conservation Agreement Heralds Hope to Protect Rare Reptile

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 27, 2004

Contact:
USFWS Southeast Region, Tom MacKenzie 404-679-7291; Troy Mallach 337-291-3123
USFWS Southwest Region, Christopher Botnick 505-248-6653; Jeff Reid 936-639-8546
Texas Parks & Wildlife, Ricky Maxey 936-564-0234; Tom Harvey 512-389-4453/4446
National Forests and Grasslands in Texas, Eddie Taylor 936-639-8565; Gay Ippolito 936-639-8569
La Dept of Wildlife & Fisheries, Gary Lester 225-765-2820; Thomas Gresham 225-765-2923
Ft. Polk, La., Stephanie Stevens 337-531-6088; Dan Nance 337-531-7203
U.S. Forest Svc., Kisatchie Natl. Forest, La. Steve Shively 318-793-9427; Jim Caldwell 318-473-7168
U.S. Forest Svc., Southern Research Station, Tx., Craig Rudolph 936-569-7981
Audubon Zoo New Orleans, Sarah Burnette 504-212-5366

WHO:

Eight federal and state agencies:
Fort Polk Military Installation
Kisatchie National Forest
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
National Forests and Grasslands in Texas
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
U.S. Forest Service, Southern Research Station
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Region
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Southwest Region

WHAT:

News conference/media availability
Formal announcement of the Louisiana Pine Snake Candidate Conservation Agreement to help protect this rare reptile

WHEN:

11:00 a.m.
Tuesday, March 2, 2004

WHERE:

Audubon Zoo
6500 Magazine Street
New Orleans, Louisiana 70118

State, federal, and private landowners participating in a workshop at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans will formally announce a landmark agreement and efforts to define future plans and actions to help save a rare reptile. Eight federal and state partners signed a conservation agreement in December 2003 to identify and establish management for the Louisiana pine snake on federal lands in Texas and Louisiana. The Louisiana pine snake is listed as a candidate species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, as threatened by the state of Texas, and as a species of conservation concern by the state of Louisiana.

To help protect this species, agencies need to regularly burn the forest understory with controlled fires in appropriate conditions. This also makes for a healthier, safer forest and benefits the entire ecosystem, not to mention a more natural visiting experience when the forest understory is regenerated.

A live Louisiana pine snake will be available for photo opportunities. Photos will be available on Monday, March 1, 2004 at http://southeast.fws.gov/news/pinesnake

Pine Snake photos -- click on photo for 300 dpi

Pine Snake Agreement - html -- word doc

Pine Snake Fact Sheet -- pdf -- html

For more information about the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, visit our home page at http://southeast.fws.gov/ or http://www.fws.gov/.

NOTE: You can view our releases or subscribe to receive them -- via e-mail -- at the Service's Southeast Regional home page at http://southeast.fws.gov. Our national home page is at: http://news.fws.gov/newsreleases/.

Atlanta, GA 30345
Phone: 404/679-7289 Fax: 404/679-7286

2004 News Releases