Mike McCollum Oral History Transcript

Mike was a permit biologist in Ecological Services (ES) when Regional Director Mike Spear assigned the new Fam Bill program to ES. Mike describes the early days of the Farm Bill program in Washington under the leadership of Bob Misso, including the Conservation Reserve Program and eventually the Wetland Reserve Program. In Texas, Mike evaluated Farmers Home Administration properties and the describes the hesitance of the FWS to protect these properties with easements or fee transfer because the properties were small and supported mainly State trust resources. These properties did have habitat restoration potential though, and some were restored through the Partners for Wildlife habitat restoration program on private lands in Texas. Mike describes working with the National Conservation Resources Service, state agencies and private landowners to implement the program. Mike identifies some of the key FWS staff working on the program and when he added the Regional Coordinator responsibilities to his work at the state level in Texas. He also describes how the restoration program expanded from simple wetland restoration to include invasive species invasive species
An invasive species is any plant or animal that has spread or been introduced into a new area where they are, or could, cause harm to the environment, economy, or human, animal, or plant health. Their unwelcome presence can destroy ecosystems and cost millions of dollars.

Learn more about invasive species removal, and restoration for desert fishes, the golden-cheeked warbler and the black-capped vireo. He describes how some projects were implemented on the ground, as well as the use of prescribed burning as a restoration tool. This evolution from simple wetland restoration to the restoration of all habitat types for a diverse range of species mirrors the implementation of the program nationwide. Importantly, Mike also contributes to our understanding of how the enabling legislation for the Partners for Fish and Wildlife program came to be, and how the program expanded to include Fisheries as part of its program title and emphasis.