Bats, butterflies and other imperiled species in the Midwest will benefit from $4.2 million in grants from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to seven Midwest states for endangered species conservation actions. These grants come from two sources that support conservation planning and habitat acquisition for threatened and endangered species and research and control of white-nose syndrome, a disease devastating bat populations.
Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin are receiving a total of $4,008,625 for endangered species conservation. In addition, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin are receiving $211,568 for white-nose syndrome research and state control actions.
Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation
The Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation grants will benefit numerous species, ranging from the eastern massasauga rattlesnake to the Dakota skipper (an imperiled prairie butterfly). For a list of the 2016 grants awarded to Midwest states, see www.fws.gov/midwest/endangered/grants/2016NontradGrants.html.
“Private landowners and natural resource managers play a vital role in conserving our nation’s most imperiled wildlife,” said Service Director Dan Ashe. “By cultivating partnerships between federal, state and local governments, private organizations and individuals, we can establish creative and effective solutions to some of the greatest conservation challenges of our time. These grants are one of many tools available under the Endangered Species Act, and we look forward to providing continued guidance and support for these programs.”
Authorized under Section 6 of the Endangered Species Act, these competitive grants enable states to work with private landowners, conservation groups and other government agencies to launch conservation planning efforts and acquire or protect habitat for the conservation of threatened and endangered species.
The grants are funded in part by the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which was established by Congress in 1965. The fund promotes access to outdoor recreation resources for present and future generations by providing funding to federal, state and local governments to purchase land, water and wetlands for the benefit of all Americans. For the past 51 years, the fund has supported more than 40,000 conservation and outdoor recreation projects nationwide.
This year, the program will allocate approximately $1.75 million to states in the Midwest for Habitat Conservation Planning Assistance Grants. Iowa will receive $750,000, in partnership with MidAmerican Energy, to develop a multi-species habitat conservation plan for 19 wind power facilities in the state, covering the endangered Indiana bat and the threatened northern long-eared bat. A multi-state grant totaling $1,000,000 was awarded to Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. This grant will help researchers better understand the distribution and summer habitat use of local cave-dwelling bats, including the federally-listed Indiana and northern long-eared bats, two species affected by white-nose syndrome.
Additionally, nearly $2.3 million will be allocated for Recovery Land Acquisition in the Midwest. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources will protect 224.5 acres of riparian riparian
Definition of riparian habitat or riparian areas.
Learn more about riparian habitat in Mahaska County, Iowa, for the Indiana bat and the northern long-eared bat. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy will protect 188 acres of fen habitat in Van Buren County, Michigan, for the endangered Mitchell’s satyr butterfly, the threatened eastern massasauga rattlesnake, and several state-listed species. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will protect 100 acres of prairie habitat for two imperiled prairie butterflies, the Dakota skipper and Poweshiek skipperling in association with the state’s Wildlife Management Area program. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources will protect 115 acres of rare habitat for the threatened lakeside daisy at a site in Ottawa County, Ohio.
White-nose Syndrome Grant Program
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service awarded just under $1 million to natural resources agencies in 34 states and the District of Columbia for actions to respond to or prepare for white-nose syndrome, a disease that affects hibernating bats. Actions include looking for the fungus that causes the disease, carrying out decontamination procedures at state caves and mines, monitoring bat populations and developing bat conservation plans. This is the seventh year the Service has given grants to states for white-nose syndrome response, for a total of more than $6.2 million awarded.
First discovered in New York in the winter of 2006-2007, white-nose syndrome spread through the U.S. and Canada, killing millions of bats. It is now confirmed in 29 states and five Canadian provinces.
The Service leads a cooperative effort with federal and state agencies, tribes, researchers, universities and other non-governmental organizations to investigate and manage white-nose syndrome. In addition to developing science based protocols and guidance for land management agencies and other partners to slow spread, the Service has funded many research projects to improve understanding of the disease and support sound, effective management responses, including the application of disease treatments.
The following Midwest states received funding for white-nose syndrome research and control work.
Indiana $18,252
Iowa $27,238
Michigan $38,315
Minnesota $40,000
Missouri $16,574
Ohio $35,600
Wisconsin $35,589
Funding for grants was provided through the Service’s Endangered Species Recovery and Science Applications programs. Additional information about white-nose syndrome is available at www.whitenosesyndrome.org.
The ESA provides a critical safety net for America’s native fish, wildlife and plants. The Service is working to actively engage conservation partners and the public in the search for improved and innovative ways to conserve and recover imperiled species. To learn more about the Ecological Services Program, visit www.fws.gov/endangered.
