Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne today announced grants totaling more than $7.2 million will go to private landowners and groups in 36 states for conservation projects to benefit endangered, threatened and other at-risk species through the Private Stewardship Grants Program.
The Southwestern States of New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas netted nine of the grants to benefit native species.
Our conservation goals for fish and wildlife can only be achieved with the help of private citizens and landowners, said Secretary Kempthorne. These grants are one of the most important tools we have to protect this country's threatened and endangered species.
Administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, each of the 80 grants requires at least a 10 percent match in non-federal dollars or in-kind contributions.
"Now in its fifth year, the Private Stewardship Grants Program provides federal grants on a competitive basis to individuals and groups engaged in voluntary conservation efforts on private lands that benefit federally listed endangered or threatened species, candidate species or other at-risk species. Under this program, private landowners as well as groups working with private landowners submit proposals directly to the Service for funding to support these efforts."
"We are seeing tremendous benefits to wildlife by partnering with private landowners," said H. Dale Hall, Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service. "Each year, these private stewardship grants pay dividends in the effort to preserve imperiled species and their habitats. It is heartening to see how much progress we can make when we work together."
Examples of the Private Stewardship Grant projects selected in the Southwest for funding in 2007 include:
New Mexico
"The Service awarded a grant of $42,000 for Restoration of Cienega Side Canyons to Slow Water Flow in Aid of Chiricahua Leopard Frog, Gila Chub and Gila Topminnow (application by Private Landowner). Restoration of major and minor canyons in Grant County will significantly reduce intensity of water flow and flood damage to the Burro Cienega during moderate to major rain events. The focus is Chiricahua leopard frog, Gila chub and Gila topminnow with additional benefits to the desert viceroy butterfly, Mexican garter snake and Sonoran mud turtle.
"The Service awarded a grant of $7,728 for Habitat Improvement for the Northern Aplomado falcons on the Armendaris Ranch (application by Turner Endangered Species Fund). This project will install 20 nest platforms for Northern Aplomado falcons on the Armendaris Ranch in Sierra County and will evaluate their use by falcons during 2007-2009.
A grant of $21,114 was awarded for a Headstart Facility for Bolson Tortoises on the Ladder Ranch (application by Turner Endangered Species Fund). This project will establish a predator-proof ?headstart? enclosure on the Ladder Ranch in Sierra County for rearing juvenile bolson tortoises as part of a bolson tortoise restoration program.
Oklahoma
The Service awarded $227,833 for Habitat Restoration on Private Lands at Large-Scale Priority Conservation Sites in Western Oklahoma (application by The Nature Conservancy, Oklahoma Chapter). Removal of invasive eastern red cedar and other dense understory woody vegetation will be carried out on private lands surrounding three of The Nature Conservancy's priority conservation areas in Oklahoma. Such removal and thinning will benefit a suite of ?at-risk? species including American burying beetle, northern scarlet snake, Texas horned lizard, Painted bunting to name only a few. The project will be used as a demonstration to educate private landowners in the priority conservation sites.
The Service awarded $9,000 for Protection, Management, and Monitoring Cave Habitat for the Ozark Big-eared Bat (application by Rogers State University). This project will provide specific management for protection of the Ozark big-eared bat and other rare cave fauna at a single cave in Adair County in northeastern Oklahoma; implement management and protection at one of three potential caves in Adair County, Oklahoma and monitor the cave, gate/grill system and bat populations to evaluate continued occupancy by the Ozark big-eared bat.
Texas
A grant of $415,789 was given for Reintroduction of Attwater's Prairie Chicken in the Refugio-Goliad Prairie (application by Coastal Prairies Coalition of the Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative). The Coastal Prairies Coalition will use the grant to establish infrastructure and utilize captive breeding stock to reintroduce Attwater's prairie chickens Victoria, Refugio and Goliad Counties. Prior Private Stewardship Grants, Partners for Fish and Wildlife financial assistance and other activities have been used to restore historic habitat by reducing invasive brush and connecting desirable grasslands in the Refugio-Goliad Prairie of the middle gulf coast.
The Service awarded $44,874for Modeling Habitat Restoration in the Texas Hill Country for Endangered Black-capped Vireos and Golden-cheeked Warblers (application by Bat Conservation International). This project will maintain and improve habitat areas and reestablish floral and faunal diversity on a former ranch that is now Bracken Bat Cave and Nature Preserve in Comal County. Clearing and burning of invasive ash juniper followed by replanting with desirable native herbaceous and woody species will be carried out.
A grant of $209,806 was made for Fire Restoration in the Chihuahuan Desert Region of Trans-Pecos Texas (application by The Nature Conservancy of Texas). The Nature Conservancy of Texas will reestablish prescribed fire as a recognized conservation tool at priority conservation sites in the Trans-Pecos Texas region of the Chihuahuan Desert which includes Brewster, Terrell, Culberson, Pecos, Reeves, Presidio and Jeff Davis Counties. This conservation tool will create habitat for black-capped vireo and other listed species occurring in this region. Habitat for 'sky island? montane woodlands and savannas, desert springs and marshes, semi-arid plains grasslands and perennial desert streams will be enhanced and protected.
A grant $71,082 will benefit Restoration and Enhancement of Habitats on Private Lands for the Recovery of the Endangered Houston Toad (application by Environmental Defense). This project will establish new, and measurably increase, existing populations of the endangered Houston toad on private lands in Bastrop and Lee Counties by restoring degraded habitats and enhancing and linking existing habitats.
The full list of projects selected for funding under the Private Stewardship Grants Program may be accessed at http://endangered.fws.gov/grants/private_stewardship.html. The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number for this grant program is 15-632.
Last year, 80 grants totaling $6.9 million were awarded to private individuals and groups in 35 states. In the first four years of the program, 362 grants totaling approximately $29 million were awarded to private landowners across the country.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95-million- acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 547 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resources offices, and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign and Native American Tribal governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to State fish and wildlife agencies.
-FWS-
