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Conserving the Nature
of America
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service in the Midwest
The Midwest Region includes Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin.
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Recovery Champions Kris Lah, Mark Hove, Mike Davis and Bernard Sietman. Photos by Minnesota DNR, University of Minnesota and USFWS.
Moving the needle toward recovery: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service honors midwest endangered species recovery champions
A breakthrough conservation discovery and a career devoted to finding solutions for at-risk species define the winners of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s 2018 Endangered Species Recovery champions for the Midwest Region. The Midwest champions join individuals and teams across the United States who are recognized by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for their work last year with endangered and threatened species.
Bernard Sietman and Mike Davis from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, and Mark Hove from the University of Minnesota, were acknowledged for their breakthrough work with the endangered spectaclecase, a freshwater mussel. Mussels have a complex life history, relying on specific fish to host their young. Identifying the host species for the spectaclecase has been a significant challenge for managers working to enhance the species’ populations. Sietman, Davis and Hove worked with partners to discover the host fish species, the goldeye.
“These biologists were rightly hailed by mussel biologists across the country for their discovery, an accomplishment 20 years in the making,” said Charlie Wooley, the Service’s acting Midwest Regional Director. “Armed with this knowledge, we and our partners can now plan conservation efforts like captive rearing and reintroduction of the spectaclecase. This is a huge stride toward recovering this species.”
In search of eastern massasauga rattlesnake near and far
Photo by Abbey Kucera; USFWS In the spring of 2018, staff from the Illinois-Iowa Field Office took to the field across the Midwest in search of the threatened eastern massasauga rattlesnake. At Carlyle Lake, staff assisted the Illinois Natural History Survey with their annual monitoring efforts.
Service seeks public comment on permit application and proposed conservation agreement for monarch butterfly
Photo courtesy of Joel Trick The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announces the opening of a 60-day public comment periodfor an “enhancement of survival” permit application associated with a Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances for the monarch butterfly on energy and transportation lands.
Nationwide CCAA for Monarch Butterfly »
Missouri Population of Eastern Hellbender Proposed for Endangered Status
After a thorough species status review, the Service determined that most populations of the eastern hellbender are not in danger of extinction and listing under the ESA is not warranted. However, the eastern hellbender population in Missouri is a distinct population segment.
Missouri DPS of Eastern Hellbender
Kirtland’s warbler success continues in Wisconsin
The conservation success began in 2007, the year nesting Kirtland’s warblers were discovered in Wisconsin. It continued the next year, when the Badger State saw the first successful Kirtland’s warbler nest produce fledglings.
WA special plover completes 1,300-mile migration
In the language of the Little Traverse Bay of Odawa Indians, his name is Bimaajii, or “one who moves about.” He’s an endangered Great Lakes piping plover, found in May 2018 on High Island in Lake Michigan by Bill Parsons and Archie Kiogama, wildlife biologists for the Odawa.
Whooping crane eastern population see the best year yet for wild-hatched chicks
Six wild-hatched whooping crane chicks in Wisconsin survived to flight stage in 2018, the most since the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership began restoring a migratory population of the endangered birds in the eastern United States.
Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership
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What We DoThe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is responsible for administering the Endangered Species Act. To fulfill our responsibilities, we do the following:
Candidate Conservation: identify and assess declining species that may need Endangered Species Act protection and take steps to conserve those species.
Listing: take steps to list candidate species as endangered or threatened and designate critical habitat. We also remove species from the Threatened and Endangered Species List ("delist") when they no longer need Endangered Species Act protection.
Recovery: protect, conserve and restore listed species. Recovery Report to Congress: 2009 to 2010 (PDF 3.1MB)
Section 7 Consultation: all Federal agencies have a responsiblity to conserve threatened and endangered species and to ensure that their actions do not jeopardize the existence of any listed species. Under the authority of Section 7 of the Act, we consult with Federal agencies to help them fulfill their obligations.
Permits: issue permits to "take" listed species, under certain conditions.
Habitat Conservation Plans (HCPs): work with Incidental Take permit applicants to help them prepare HCPs that minimize and mitigate the effects of their incidental take.
Grants: provide grants to States under Section 6 of the Endangered Species Act. These funds may, in turn, be awarded to private landowners and groups for conservation projects.
State Field OfficesWe have Ecological Services Field Offices in each of the eight upper Midwest States. For project reviews, Section 7 consultation, or information about endangered species that you do not find on this site, please contact the Field Office in your state.
“Nothing is more priceless and more worthy of
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