- What We Do
- Candidate Conservation
- Listing
- Recovery
- Section 7 Consultation
- Permits
- Habitat Conservation Plans
- Grants
- Endangered Species Act
- Glossary
- Listed Plants and Animals
- Featured Species
- All Midwest Listed Species
- State and County Lists
- Species of Concern
- Extinct Species
- Fact Sheets
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.
Find a location or office
near you »
|
Adult Whooping Cranes in Wisconsin. Photo courtesy of Karen Willes.
Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership update
The International Crane Foundation, based in Baraboo, Wisconsin, has a new tool for birders and other outdoor enthusiasts to keep track of the whereabouts of individual cranes in the eastern population. The interactive "Where are the whoopers" site highlights locations of cranes down to the county level – care is taken not to publicize precise locations.
By mid-April, most whooping cranes had completed migration, and a few had begun nesting. The current estimated population size is 100 (45 F, 52 M, 3 U). To the best of our knowledge, as of the 9th of April, at least 64 whooping cranes are back in Wisconsin, two were last reported in Georgia, three are in Michigan, two may still be in Illinois, 10 were last reported in Indiana (although may no longer be there), one is still in Florida and one is in Ontario, Canada.
Moving the needle toward recovery: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service honors midwest endangered species recovery champions
Photos by Minnesota DNR, University of Minnesota and USFWS. 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.
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.
|
||
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
|
 |
