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.
Region 1
Partner(s)
Lisa Bellefond
Puget Sound Partnership
A recovery champion for the South Puget Sound Prairies for more than a decade, Lisa Bellefond brought together representatives of the Departments of Defense, Agriculture, and Interior in the Sentinel Landscape Initiative, integrating national security, food security, ecosystem restoration, and species recovery. The initiative has already been credited with an investment of $6 million towards permanently protecting habitat for the streaked-horned lark, Taylor's checkerspot butterfly, golden paintbrush, and Mazama pocket gopher. With her support, Thurston County received $1.8 million in Habitat Conservation Planning grants during three years to develop a countywide plan to benefit 16 species for 50 years on prairies, oak woodlands, and grasslands. Through her advocacy, Joint Base Lewis-McChord's Army Compatible Use Buffer program became the first in the nation to adopt the strategy of acquiring and restoring lands off the post, a key step in launching the expansive Sentinel Landscapes. A leader in collaborating and innovating, Lisa Bellefond has engaged diverse partners in protecting prairies and working lands for sustainable economic development.
Hawaii Plant Extinction Prevention Program
Joan Yoshioka
Wendy Kishida
Steve Perlman
Susan Ching Harbin
Talia Portner
Joel Lau
Hank Oppenheimer
Keahi Bustamente
Ane Bakutis
Patty Pali
Kristen Coelho
Josh VanDeMark
Mike Long
Marie Bruegmann
Vickie Caraway
Dedicated to conserving Hawaiian plant species with fewer than 50 individuals in the wild, the Plant Extinction Prevention Program has addressed threats to these critically endangered plant species by fencing out grazing animals, bagging fruits to protect them from pests, trapping rats, and controlling “weeds,” along with going on the offensive—reintroducing plants into protected sites and collecting genetic material as an important tool if all wild specimens should be lost. Surveys have resulted in finding new populations, discovering new species, and rediscovering a fern – Deparia kaalaana – last seen in 1980! In the past year alone, the Plant Extinction Prevention Program has conducted conservation actions for 128 species. Officially begun in 2003, the Program has grown to involve stakeholders on all seven main Hawaiian Islands. It has created partnerships featuring private landowners, government land managers and water supply boards, committees, and representatives of botanical gardens, rare plant facilities, resorts, and aviation companies. Tapping into pride in natural resources heritage found nowhere else, the Program has saved species that evolved in isolation during millions of years.
Region 2
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Christa Weise, Ph.D.
Kofa National Wildlife Refuge
Dr. Christa Weise has played a key role in conserving the Sonoran pronghorn, now in an area of its historic range in the King Valley of Kofa Valley National Wildlife Refuge for the first time in a century. Along with serving on the Recovery Team, working to update the Recovery Plan, and building breeding pens and temporary holding pens, Dr. Weise helped implement a $270,000 grant making possible the capture of the endangered animals on Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge and their relocation to Kofa. As of January 2014 they had increased in number, offering great promise as a second population in the United States. In Mexico, Dr. Weise has participated in Sonoran pronghorn surveys, and at home she has worked with partners to address malfunctioning radio telemetry collars, bobcat predation of fawns, and irrigation canals as drowning threats. Partners include the Arizona Game and Fish Department, Barry M. Goldwater Marine Corps Range, U.S. Air Force, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Yuma Rod and Gun Club.
James Atkinson
Sonoran Pronghorn Recovery Team Leader
As the Sonoran Pronghorn Recovery Team Leader for the past six years, Jim Atkinson has focused efforts leading to the establishment of a second captive breeding facility and a new population of pronghorn. A key element of this success was a $270,000 grant that Jim proposed with staff from Kofa National Wildlife Refuge and the Arizona Game and Fish Department, making possible the capture and relocation of endangered pronghorn from Cabeza National Wildlife Refuge to Kofa. Jim spearheaded the development of the experimental population rule and the environmental assessment that allowed this work to proceed.
Under his leadership, the Recovery Team is developing a new recovery plan for Sonoran pronghorn in the United States and Mexico. Requiring coordination among organizations in both countries, the initiative has brought together representatives from the Mexican government, six federal agencies, the state agency, Arizona State University, University of Arizona, and non-profit organizations.
Partner(s)
Donna J. Shaver, Ph.D.
Padre Island National Seashore
Working with partners from all levels of government, both in the United States and in Mexico, Dr. Donna Shaver has expanded our knowledge of the endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtle, protected the nesting beaches on which it relies, increased its numbers, and provided citizens with an opportunity to help in its recovery. The beach patrol program that Dr. Shaver created to search for Kemp's ridley nests in order to protect them has inspired programs that now occur along most of the Texas coast. In 2012, the 209 nests and more than 140 volunteers made a singular statement about her effectiveness. Dr. Shaver was instrumental in the head-starting program that involved transporting Kemp's ridley sea turtle eggs from Mexico, imprinting the hatchlings on Padre Island, and then rearing them in captivity before their release. In 1996, a head-started member of the species was confirmed as nesting on Padre Island, marking the re-establishment of a nesting population in this country. Starting as a student volunteer, Dr. Shaver has devoted her career to this species, earning global recognition for her scholarship and its applications--identifying critical foraging areas, conducting surveys and monitoring, and recovering and rehabilitating stranded sea turtles.
Region 3
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Paul McKenzie, Ph.D.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Combining knowledge and experience, Dr. Paul McKenzie has conserved a range of listed species for 25 years. Acting to protect endangered gray bats and Indiana bats during hibernation, he worked with partners to replace a chain link fence with a gate at the entrance to Bat Cave in Shannon County, Missouri. Dr. McKenzie prepared an environmental assessment and obtained funds to build the 64-foot wide and 20-foot-tall gate to exclude trespassers and prevent the risk of introducing white-nose syndrome, a fungus that is devastating populations of insect-eating bats. With fellow-scientists at the Missouri Department of Conservation Dr. McKenzie developed the State Action Plan for the Topeka shiner, a strategy that prevented the need to designate critical habitat, addressed the concerns of landowners, and facilitated the reintroduction of 3500 of the fish in Little Creek Watershed and Big Muddy Creek. Author and co-author, Dr. McKenzie is recognized for his expertise in pollination, propagation, and reintroduction techniques for plants such as Mead's milkweed, eastern prairie-fringed orchid, and Virginia sneezeweed.
Partner(s)
Adrian P. Wydeven
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Adrian Wydeven's leadership has been crucial in the recovery of the gray wolf in the upper Midwest, fostering an environment that allowed the population to increase from 34 animals to more than 800 in Wisconsin and in their expansion into Michigan. Adrian Wyndeven has promoted public awareness and social tolerance of wolves. He has provided transparency by compiling data at open meetings, conducting education forums and listening sessions, and leading workshops for volunteers on wolf ecology and wolf track identification. Partnerships with the Ho-Chunk Nation, Bad River Band of Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians, Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin, USDA Wildlife Services, and the Fish and Wildlife Service have been the key. Adrian Wydeven's calm and friendly demeanor has enabled him to interact positively with a range of audiences. He has been characterized as combining the talents of an experienced field biologist, meticulous organizer, skilled negotiator, open-minded mediator, and respectful listener!
Region 4
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Yurie Aitken
Walter Duran
Robert Kreiling
Sheila Rios
Jason Riley
Andrew Aloise
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
How can we help ensure that water sports are compatible with conserving West Indian manatees? Recognizing the threat of boats to the large, slow-moving marine mammals, the Fish and Wildlife Service created conservation law enforcement officer positions. Along with patrolling thousands of miles of regulated Florida waterways, officers rescue injured animals, help to develop speed zones, assist in providing video and audio evidence, and provide expert testimony in court. Working closely with the Coast Guard, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and U.S. Attorneys, conservation law enforcement officers have protected the endangered species so that its statewide population has increased despite 900,000 registered boats! Along with creating public awareness, this work has resulted in a 98 percent conviction rate. “CLEO’s” are recognized as the Federal authorities on manatee protection activities.
Partner(s)
Linda Pearsall
North Carolina Natural Heritage Program
Leading the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program, Linda Pearsall has built one of the most effective programs in the country, connecting scientists, furthering the knowledge of natural communities, continuously adding to an online database including GIS information accessed by planners to avoid and minimize impacts to protected species, and matching funding sources with groups to implement conservation projects. During her tenure she oversaw the creation of 78 Dedicated State Nature Preserves, permanently protecting 300,000 acres of the best habitat in the State, thus helping to ensure the long-term future for species such as the St. Francis satyr and Appalachian elktoe. Thanks to her encouragement, the Natural Heritage Trust Fund focused its initiatives on longleaf pine forests that buffer Fort Bragg, Camp Lejeune, and the Boiling Springs Lakes community, promoting the recovery of the red-cockaded woodpecker, rough-leaf loosestrife, and Michaux's sumac. Linda Pearsall has benefited listed species of fish, wildlife, and plants throughout North Carolina.
Region 5
Partner(s)
Scott Melvin, Ph.D.
Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife
A founding member of the Piping Plover Recovery Team, Dr. Scott Melvin has served as a key figure, leading research and management that has increased the number of the birds nesting in Massachusetts from 160 pairs to 660 pairs—more than a four-fold growth in 23 years, exceeding the recovery objective of 625 pairs for the New England Recovery Unit! Dr. Melvin conducted population viability and modeling studies, along with monitoring the status of the species. Coordinating with landowners and other stakeholders, Dr. Melvin has focused on protecting the plover from predators and the adverse effects of recreation on nesting beaches. An adjunct professor at the University of Massachusetts, he has overseen graduate studies investigating the life history and population biology of the plover, producing valuable information used by Fish and Wildlife Service biologists and other managers throughout its range.
Delmarva Fox Squirrel Recovery Team
Cherry Keller, Ph.D.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Ruth Boettcher
Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries
Ray Dueser, Ph.D.
Utah State University
Kevin Holcomb
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Holly Niederriter
Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife
Michael A. Steele, Ph.D.
Wilkes University
Carol Bocetti, Ph.D.
California University of Pennsylvania
Dan Rider
Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Bill Giese
Dorchester County Planning Commission
Glenn Therres
Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Matt Whitbeck
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Karen Terwilliger
Terwillliger Consulting, Inc.
Thanks to the dedicated research and management actions of the Delmarva Fox Squirrel Recovery Team, this species has made a remarkable comeback, with 20,000 fox squirrels now inhabiting 28 percent of the peninsula of Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia, between the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. Through collaboration reflecting its membership – representatives of State and Federal agencies and the academic community – the Team developed spatially explicit habitat suitability models, assessed population connectivity, improved monitoring techniques, and initiated a population viability analysis. In conjunction with establishing additional Delmarva fox squirrel populations on national wildlife refuges and State lands, the Team engaged private landowners as indispensable partners in recovery initiatives throughout the range of the species. As a result of these accomplishments, Dr. Cherry Keller and the members of the Recovery Team – both past and present – have enabled the U.S. Fish and Wildlife to turn its attention toward delisting the Delmarva fox squirrel, confident of its sustained viability.
Region 6
Partner(s)
John Shields
Wyoming State Engineer's Office
As Chair of the Upper Colorado River Endangered Fish Recovery Program’s Management Committee, John Shields has led the conservation of “Big River” fish in the West—the Colorado pikeminnow, humpback chub, razorback sucker, and bonytail. Through collaboration, John Shields played an integral role in the delivery of more than a million acre-feet of water to meet the flow needs of these species, in the construction of structures at four diversion dams on the Colorado and Gunnison Rivers, in screening three major irrigation canals, and in retrofitting a 100-year-old irrigation system to conserve water. Known for his outreach and advocacy, he led partners in letting the House and Senate know that the Endangered Species Act is working in the Upper Colorado. Further, his testimony was a key factor in maintaining critical base funding. John Shields has been applauded as a leader and a problem-solver who truly understands the nuances of this highly variable ecosystem.
Dean Biggins, Ph.D.
U.S. Geological Survey
Dr. Dean Biggins has dedicated his career to the endangered black-footed ferret, achieving a unique position in its recovery across 12 western States, Mexico, and Canada. After the once-thought extinct species was rediscovered in Meeteetse, Wyoming, he developed critical ecological reintroduction study initiatives that are still used today. These behavioral studies are the bases for preconditioning protocols for releasing the animals into the wild. Currently, Dr. Biggins’ research focuses on the disease sylvatic plague, a primary factor limiting recovery. One dramatic example of his determination was participating in the capture of the last wild ferret in February 1987. After a multi-week effort during a Wyoming winter, Dr. Biggins finally captured “Scarface.” This male turned out to be the most productive of the seven founder animals in the initial captive population. Dr. Biggins’ dedication to the capture is honored by Scarface’s legacy—progeny that survive today living wild and free on the prairie.
Region 7
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Sonja Jahrsdoerfer
Lower Green River National Wildlife Refuge Complex
Serving as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Endangered Species Coordinator for Region 7, Sonja Jahrsdoerfer led the way on a range of issues including recovering the wood bison, polar bear, and Steller's eider. Her leadership was crucial in reintroducing wood bison as a non-essential experimental population,thanks to the partnership with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. She also played a key role in progress to reintroduce Steller's eiders onto Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge, collaborating with staff from the refuge, the Fairbanks office, and the Alaska Sea Life Center. The goal of the project is to create a viable breeding population on the refuge and restore the species to Western Alaska. With regard to polar bears, Sonja Jahrsdoerfer communicated a well-received message that advanced conservation progress, starting with presentations on planning and developing recovery criteria. An essential element of success was the trust that she established through the years – engaging the many stakeholders, including Native Villages – in partnership initiatives.
Partner(s)
Hiroshi Hasegawa, Ph.D.
Toho University, Biology Department
Dedicating his career to the short-tailed albatross, a North Pacific seabird, Professor Hiroshi Hasegawa has led the way in advancing its recovery; fewer than 200 of the birds existed in 1976, and today there are more than 3500. Because of Professor Hasegawa's census and banding work, scientists now have detailed population records and demographic information. After identifying environmental conditions that were depressing reproductive success on Torishima, an island with an active volcano off the coast of Japan, he worked with partners, including government agencies, to find solutions—that is, planting vegetation to stabilize slopes on windswept terraces and establishing a new colony using decoys and recorded colony sounds. These initiatives helped ensure that the species would not face extinction from a volcanic eruption. Professor Hasegawa documented his work through scientific papers and popular articles, as well as books for adults and children. Treasured by Japan and the United States, the short-tailed albatross spends most of its time foraging at sea from California to Alaska and nests primarily on Torishima.
Region 8
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Jesse Bennett
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
By securing more than $300,000 in funding, combined with more than $2 million from partners, Jesse Bennett has improved habitat for the mountain yellow-legged frog, reduced threats to the critically endangered species, and increased the knowledge of its biology and ecology. With partners, he has installed fencing to prevent trampling, removed nonnative trout as predators, evaluated habitat for reintroductions, and conducted surveys to assess the status of the species and the effects of recovery actions. At the time of listing in 2001, only 5 frogs were known from Little Rock Creek, Angeles National Forest, while, following trout removal, the number of adult frogs rose to 112 in 2013. Captive propagation is underway, with promising prospects for re-establishing wild populations. Partners include the U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Forest Service, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, California Department of Parks and Recreation, California Department of Transportation, and zoos in San Diego Los Angeles, and Fresno.
Partner(s)
Devils Hole Pupfish Recovery Team
Olin Feuerbacher
Ash Meadows Fish Conservation Facility
Daniel Gaines
Death Valley National Park
Jeffery Goldstein
Death Valley National Park
Kevin Guadalupe
Nevada Division of Wildlife
Javier Linares-Casenave
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Brandon Senger
Nevada Division of Wildlife
Lee Simons
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Darrick Weissenfluh
Ash Meadows Fish Conservation Facility
Kevin Wilson
Death Valley National Park
In April 2013, leadership, innovation, and teamwork helped to reverse an alarming decline of the Devils Hole pupfish and thwart a serious risk of extinction of this iconic fish. The team implemented emergency recovery measures after the count determined that the pupfish population had declined to the lowest recorded number, estimated at 35 individuals. Exemplifying collaboration and a creative spirit, the team adaptively managed actions and commissioned a new hatchery with impressive speed. Thanks to the initiative, we have 30 Devils Hole pupfish in the new Ash Meadows Fish Conservation Facility designed specifically to safeguard the species as well as increase its population in the wild. Using an experimental approach of recovering eggs from Devils Hole, the team hatched and raised pupfish in the first attempt in an aquarium setting. Then, thanks to added cover and supplemental feeding in the wild, the fish responded with breeding success! Partners include the University of Arizona, Desert Fishes Council, and the Shark Reef Aquarium at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino.
