A young boy watches wildlife at a national wildlife refuge. Credit: Steve Hillebrand, USFWS.

October 13, 2019
It’s National Wildlife Refuge Week October 13-19. National wildlife refuges make our lives better in many ways: They protect lands and waters for beloved species such as bison and eagles. They offer world-class recreation such as fishing, photography, hiking, and paddling. They ease the impact of storms and flooding. And they pump $3.2 billion per year into local economies. Take time to celebrate National Wildlife Refuge Week!

The Build Your Refuge event included hands-on habitat restoration in the wetlands at Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge. Photo credit: Aislinn Maestas/USFWS.

October 1, 2019
Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge, along with more than 30 partners, has launched a new program to help residents build wildlife habitat across the region. The ABQ Backyard Refuge Program encourages people across the Middle Rio Grande Valley to turn their backyards into functioning habitat for the area’s birds, bees, insects and wildlife. At the Build Your Refuge kickoff event, attendees learned how to turn any outdoor space—be it a garden, entire yard, or even a balcony—into a haven for wildlife.

Read the news release.

The Mount Graham red squirrel's historical and current range is limited to the Pinaleño Mountains in Graham County, Arizona. Credit: Marit Alanen, USFWS.

September 2019
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has completed initial review of an Endangered Species Act petition for the Mount Graham red squirrel. The Service concluded that the petition requesting critical habitat designation for the endangered Mount Graham red squirrel presents substantial information indicating that revising critical habitat for this species may be warranted.

Read the news release.

American burying beetle. Credit: Jay Pruitt.

The HCP identifies actions to minimize and mitigate the impacts on endangered and threatened species like the the golden-cheeked warbler. Credit: Steve Maslowski, USFWS.

September 2019
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has approved the Lower Colorado River Authority’s Transmission Services Corporation’s Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) and associated Incidental Take Permit. The HCP is designed to minimize potential impacts of power transmission line construction and maintenance across 241 Texas counties on 22 federally endangered species of birds, reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates and a mammal, and one unlisted lizard species.

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U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service and interagency partners burn private lands in Menard County, Texas, under an agreement to benefit monarch butterfly habitat and rangeland ecosystems using funds from a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant. Photo credit: Jeff Adams/USFWS.

August 2019
The leading prescribed fire experts and practitioners from across Texas gathered on August 8, 2019 for the inaugural meeting of the Texas Prescribed Fire Council (TPFC). Led by a newly elected board and a set of recently drafted by-laws, the Council was established to foster cooperation and build capacity for using prescribed fire to manage the state’s iconic landscapes.

Read the news release

Southwest Region Archived News Releases

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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.

All images Credit to and Courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service unless specified otherwise.