News
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Panama City crayfish. Photo by USFWS.
Service reopens public comment period on proposal to list Panama City crayfish under Endangered Species Act
April 14, 2021 | 5 minute read
Panama City, Fla. – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is reopening the public comment period on its 2018 proposal to list the Panama City crayfish as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The Service is also proposing to designate a critical habitat for the crayfish, and a special 4(d) rule, designed to conserve the crayfish while allowing greater flexibility for landowners. A draft economic analysis of the proposed critical habitat designation is also being released with today’s proposed rule. Read the full story...
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Yellow lance in the Tar River in North Carolina. Photo by Sarah McRae, USFWS.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Finalizes Critical Habitat for Freshwater Mussel
April 7, 2021 | 3 minute read
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) has finalized critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) for the yellow lance, a freshwater mussel found only in the rivers and streams of North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland. The species was listed as threatened under the ESA in 2018 following population declines due to habitat loss and degradation. “Critical habitat is a specific geographic area that is essential for the conservation of a threatened or endangered species,” said Leo Miranda, Regional Director for the Service’s Southeast Region. Read the full story...
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Alligator snapping turtle. Photo © Chris Coppola.
Service Proposes Listing Suwannee Alligator Snapping Turtle as Threatened Under the Endangered Species Act
April 6, 2021 | 3 minute read
ATLANTA – Following a review of the best available science, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to list the Suwannee alligator snapping turtle as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The Service is also proposing a 4(d) rule which tailors protections to support the specific conservation needs of this iconic species. The Service determined that designating critical habitat for the species is not prudent since the designation could increase the degree of threat from poaching. Read the full story...
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Kentucky glade cress. Photo by Bryan Siders CC BY 2.0.
Four draft recovery plans available for public review and comment
March 25, 2021 | 2 minute read
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announces the availability for public review and comment of draft recovery plans for the reticulated and frosted flatwoods salamanders, the fluted kidneyshell, and the Kentucky glade cress. These endangered or threatened species are in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. The draft recovery plans include specific recovery objectives and criteria based on Species Status Assessments or SSAs. The Service is requesting review and comment on these draft recovery plans from local, State, and Federal agencies, nongovernmental organizations, Tribes, and the public. Read the full story...
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A forested section of the proposed Green River National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Partnership Area. Photo by Lee Andrews, USFWS.
National Refuge adds 400-plus acres in Kentucky
February 11, 2021 | 3 minute read
The nation’s youngest national wildlife refuge has just grown by more than 400 acres, opening the way for increased recreational opportunities for people who love the outdoors. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) acquired 437 acres of forested wetlands in western Kentucky. It is now part of the Green River National Wildlife Refuge, created in November 2019. The newly acquired land is near John James Audubon State Park. Read the full story...
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Golden-winged warbler. Photo by Caleb Putnam, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Service announces $7.4 million in grants to help protect imperiled species
January 14, 2021 | 4 minute read
Vulnerable wildlife across the nation will benefit from approximately $7.4 million in grants thanks to the Competitive State Wildlife Grant (C-SWG) Program. The program supports projects led by state and commonwealth fish and wildlife agencies protecting imperiled wildlife and their habitat. This year’s grantees include agencies in Arizona, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, South Carolina, Washington, Wisconsin and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. They will implement 17 conservation projects that span 28 states and four commonwealths. Read the full story...
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Interior least terns. Photo by USFWS
Trump Administration celebrates recovery of America’s smallest tern
January 11, 2021 | 6 minute read
After more than three decades of conservation partnerships inspired by the Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is celebrating the delisting of the interior least tern due to recovery. According to the best available science, the diverse efforts of local, state and federal stakeholders across the interior least tern’s 18-state range have helped ensure populations are healthy, stable and increasing into the foreseeable future. The tern will continue to be protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Read the full story...
