Recovery Champions are U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff and their partners whose work is advancing the recovery of endangered and threatened species of plants and animals.
Legacy Region 1
Rebecca Chuck and Anne Walker
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Rebecca Chuck and Anne Walker are recognized as 2018 Recovery Champions for their leadership in the recovery of the threatened Oregon silverspot butterfly. Due to their vision and perseverance, significant conservation and recovery milestones have been accomplished over eight years of interagency collaboration, including intensive coastal prairie habitat restoration and the establishment of non-essential experimental populations within a part of the species' historical range from which it was once extirpated. A viable and secure subpopulations of the butterfly was established at Nestucca Bay National Wildlife Refuge in 2017 and at the Saddle Mountain State Natural Area in 2018.
Saving 'Akikiki from Extinction Team
Dr. Lisa Cali Crampton
Kaua'i Forest Bird Recovery Project
Michelle Clark
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Justin Hite
Kaua'i Forest Bird Recovery Project
Jeremy Hodges
San Diego Zoo Global
Amy Klotz
San Diego Zoo Global
Megan Laut
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Bryce Masuda
San Diego Zoo Global
Jay Nelson
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Angela Ray
San Diego Zoo Global
John Vetter
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Members of the Saving Akikiki from Extinction Team have worked tirelessly to lift the rare forest bird back from the brink, and have persevered through numerous challenging obstacles to secure a population in conservation breeding centers. From using helicopters and heavy ladders during severe weather to collect tiny 'Akikiki eggs in the forest canopy, the team has proven their dedication to protecting this imperiled species. With 45 'Akikiki raised, reared, and cared for in an intensive care setting for the first time in history, the team has accomplished monumental milestones for conservation breeding efforts for this species and set the precedent for many more.
Legacy Region 2
Omar Bocanegra
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Omar Bocanegra is recognized as a 2018 Recovery Champion for his leadership in endangered black-capped vireo recovery. When the species was first listed in 1987, only 350 adult birds remained in the known breeding range. Since 2005, Bocanegra worked to strengthen working relationships and build trust with key partners to foster interest in vireo recovery. Consequently, the 2017 species status evaluation revealed that years of collaborative conservation and adaptive management paid off. Black-capped vireo populations have become robust and resilient enough throughout their range that the species successfully recovered and no longer needs federal protection under the Endangered Species Act.
Cynthia Dale
White Mountain Apache Tribe
Cynthia Dale is recognized as a 2018 Recovery Champion for her leadership in conserving the Mexican gray wolf, as well as numerous other threatened, endangered and sensitive species important to the White Mountain Apache Tribe. The Tribe has been an instrumental partner in the Mexican Wolf Recovery Program, supporting the Service's decision to establish a sustainable population on the Fort Apache Reservation. Less than six months after 11 captive-bred wolves were released into the Arizona wilderness in 1998, individuals began occupying eastern portions of the Reservation. There are now at least 130 Mexican wolves occurring throughout Arizona and New Mexico. Under Dale's direction, the Tribal Game and Fish Department's Sensitive Species staff conduct wolf monitoring, management and outreach, significantly contributing to endangered Mexican wolf recovery.
Legacy Region 3
Kris Lah
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Kris Lah is recognized as a 2018 Recovery Champion for his leadership and contributions to the recovery of the endangered Hine's emerald dragonfly. Kris has worked with a diverse group of partners to manage, restore, and create habitat for the species. As a result of the partnership Lah built with the University of South Dakota, the knowledge gained by researchers hand-rearing individual larvae has improved the development of mass rearing capabilities at Genoa National Fish Hatchery. Lah also had the vision to engage the U.S. Geological Survey in making decisions on a permit application for a proposed mine expansion that may impact the wetlands where the dragonfly breeds. Bringing together a team that could fully assess the potential groundwater impacts and work to design an innovative hydrology management plan transformed the permit review process into a collaborative search for solutions.
Center for Aquatic Mollusk Program
Mike Davis
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Mark Hove
University of Minnesota
Bernard Sietman
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Over the last 20 years, Center for Aquatic Mollusk Program staff have made countless significant contributions to the recovery of several federally endangered freshwater mussels, including the ground-breaking discovery of the fish host for the spectaclecase mussel in 2017. The search for the larval host for the spectaclecase was among the most challenging of any freshwater mussel species—more than 50 species of fish and other aquatic animals were tested for nearly two decades. Putting an end to the long and difficult quest, program staff, with the help of many partners, discovered the host fish to be goldeye. With this knowledge, we can now plan for captive rearing and propagation, augmentation, and reintroductions of this species.
Legacy Region 4
Eastern Indigo Snake Recovery Team
Kenneth Blick
Welaka National Fish Hatchery
Tony Brady
Welaka National Fish Hatchery
Dr. Michele Elmore
Georgia Ecological Services Field Office
Michelle Hoffman
Orianne Center for Indigo Conservation
Members of the Eastern Indigo Snake Recovery Team have worked across two Service programs and with the Orianne Center for Indigo Conservation to improve the status of the species through captive propagation and augmentation efforts. By coordinating with the Service's Ecological Services and Fisheries and Aquatic Conservation programs, the team created the agency's first snake rearing facility in Florida at the Welaka National Fish Hatchery. Team members helped train hatchery staff in snake care and protocols that resulted in significant population growth for the snakes. The partnership released 10 snakes into Alabama's Conecuh National Forest in 2018, and another 23 are planned for release in 2019. This first release generated tremendous excitement among the public, researchers, and partners, and returned an iconic species back to the longleaf forest.
David Withers
Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation
Over the last decade, David Withers has helped move the conservation needle for a number of invertebrate species in Tennessee. His monitoring and restoration efforts provided key information for the status assessments for the Nashville crayfish, as well as a major land purchase protecting the only known population of the painted snake coiled forest snail. Withers has overseen work to control invasive, exotic plants and restore habitat at Sequatchie Cave State Natural Area in Marion County to benefit the Sequatchie caddisfly and endangered royal snail. In lieu of using chemicals, Withers used a herd of eight sheep to help with controlling invasive Kudzu—the first time livestock was used for invasive plant control within Tennessee state natural areas.
Legacy Region 5
Robert Anderson
U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Robert Anderson is recognized as a 2018 Recovery Champion for his leadership in conserving a variety of species in the Service's Northeast Region. As a widely recognized national expert on freshwater mussels, Anderson has shared his knowledge to help others more effectively conserve these imperiled species. He has also worked with key state and federal partners to simplify ESA regulatory processes and improve conservation of the bog turtle. For example, he is leading efforts to complete a programmatic formal consultation for transportation projects, which will support state-wide bog turtle conservation efforts and streamline future consultation processes. Additionally, Anderson has worked with a variety of partners to acquire and manage habitat to benefit the Indiana bat. He also helped finalize the approval of the region's first endangered species conservation bank to protect important habitat for the species and provide project proponents with a mitigation option.
Janet Clayton
West Virginia Division of Natural Resources
Janet Clayton is recognized as at 2018 Recovery Champion for her leadership in the recovery of endangered freshwater mussels. Clayton's efforts with the pink mucket, fanshell, clubshell, northern riffleshell, purple cat's paw, rayed bean, and spectaclecase mussels have increased populations throughout West Virginia and elsewhere within their range. Clayton has worked to systematically survey streams throughout West Virginia to locate new populations of these listed species, established programs to regularly monitor their status, and developed standardized protocols to assist others in conducting accurate and reliable surveys. She then worked to expand and apply these techniques to other states and regions resulting in significant improvements to the status of freshwater mussels throughout the Ohio River basin.
Legacy Region 6
Randy Matchett
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Randy Matchett is recognized as a 2018 Recovery Champion for his leadership in recovery of the endangered black-footed ferret. Through his stewardship of the UL Bend National Wildlife Refuge black-footed ferret reintroduction site, Matchett has helped other conservation partners establish successful reintroduction sites in seven other states, a monumental milestone. One of the most significant achievements is the development of an automated manufacturing and distribution process for sylvatic plague vaccine and systemic flea control baits. By working with non-governmental organizations and non- traditional partners, his innovations have enabled wildlife managers to accomplish sylvatic plague management on a large scale, which helps to address the most significant challenge to black-footed ferret recovery.
Paul Marinari
Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Center for Species Survival
Paul Marinari's time as the lead at the National Black-footed Ferret Conservation Center and his continuing effort as the longest-standing studbook keeper for the species have been instrumental in making black-footed ferret recovery one of the most successful and inspiring conservation stories in North America. Significant achievements under his leadership include the expansion of the captive breeding program into a large, stable, genetically viable population from the last remaining individuals; establishment of new, successful reintroduction sites; and advances in the science of husbandry, pre-conditioning, and reproduction. The program has prospered and thousands of kits have been successfully born, reared, and released into the wild.
Legacy Region 7
Nathan Graff
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Nathan Graff's leadership in managing and implementing Steller's and Spectacled Eider Breeding Ecology Field Program near Utqiaġvik and contributions to the Eider Recovery Program have been vital to these species. Since 2014, Graff successfully lead and expanded the challenging Steller's and Spectacled Eider Breeding Ecology Field Program. During this time, he strengthened partnerships with the Utqiaġvik community by increasing public awareness, engaging in one-on-one conversations with local community members, and involving local students in our field projects. The Service's relationship with the community of Utqiaġvik has significantly improved, largely due to his efforts and understanding the community's concerns, improving cooperation and ultimately our collective success in conserving these species.
Dr. Riley Wilson
Alaska Zoo
Since 2015, Dr. Riley Wilson has provided guidance and training to the Service's polar bear program on ways to improve handling of bears to minimize their stress and discomfort during capture operations. These improvements help ensure we continue to be good stewards of not only an iconic arctic species, but one that is culturally significant to Alaska natives. His work as the veterinarian with the Alaska Zoo has had a meaningful impact on the Service's mission and the conservation of polar bears. His assistance in helping our biologists conduct research on captive bears at the Alaska Zoo has increased our knowledge of the species and improved our field research and capture techniques.
Legacy Region 8
Klamath Falls Fish and Wildlife Office
Ron Barnes
Gone Fishing, LLC.
Dan Blake
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Evan Childress
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Julie Day
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Kirk Groves
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Tracey Liskey
Gone Fishing, LLC.
Joel Ophoff
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Josh Rasmussen
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Laurie Sada
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Mike Senn
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
lamath Falls Fish and Wildlife Office staff – with support from Gone Fishing, LLC. – have made significant contributions to the recovery of the endangered shortnose and Lost River suckers. Staff implemented an adaptive recovery program and have worked to identify and address threats to sucker survival such as water quality and predation. The team established a captive rearing program to help juvenile fish survive beyond their first two years, eventually maturing into a spawning adult population. The program resulted in 21,000 juvenile sucker larvae being collected, with 2,500 two-year old juveniles released back into Klamath Lake last year. Four additional rearing ponds constructed in 2018 are expected to be in production this summer. The expansions will likely double the rearing capacity from 8,000 to 16,000 fish in 2019.
Santa Barbara Zoo
Erin Arnold
Julie Barnes
Rich Block
Carol Huns
Aaron Marshall
David Meyer
Rachel Ritchason
Estelle Sandhaus
Nadya Seal Faith
he Santa Barbara Zoo has been instrumental in the recovery of endangered, threatened, and at-risk species along California's central coast. More than 40 years of partnership has lifted the endangered California condor back from the brink of extinction. Zoo staff monitored nests, provided veterinary support, installed and operated nest camera technology, and engaged the public to build support for the species' recovery. Through a successful captive breeding and reintroduction program, the zoo has also helped island fox populations on San Miguel, Santa Rosa, and Santa Cruz islands rebound to self-sustaining levels, and ultimately these three subspecies were removed from the endangered species list in 2016—marking the fastest recovery of any mammal under the Endangered Species Act. Additionally, zoo staff have recently taken the lead in the rearing, rehabilitation, color banding, and releasing of abandoned and rescued western snowy plover eggs and chicks, contributing to the recovery of this tiny, yet resilient shorebird.
