The Department of the Armys White Sands Missile Range in southern New Mexico has been named by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director H. Dale Hall as the recipient of the agencys 2007 Military Conservation Partner Award. The 2.2 million acre missile range has been a key partner in protecting the rare and endangered wildlife that lives in the Chihuahuan desert habitat.
The award, presented March 27 at the 73rd North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference in Phoenix, Ariz., was created by the Service to recognize military installations that have made significant natural resource conservation achievements through cooperative work with the Service, state and local governments, and other organizations. Such achievements may include the conservation, protection, and restoration of important habitat for a variety of species - including endangered and native species - on military lands.
"The Service has a long standing cooperative relationship with the White Sands Missile Range," said Hall. "As the Fish and Wildlife Services former Regional Director in the Southwest, I learned first hand the depth and breadth of the installations commitment to native species. Their dedicated people have always been willing to work with partners, and their ability to deliver conservation on the ground and their enthusiasm in sharing what they have learned with others has truly benefited the wildlife resources they manage."
"We are very satisfied with the positive working relationship with the Service and our other conservation partners" said Junior Kerns, Chief of the Environmental Stewardship Branch of Public Works, U.S. Army Garrison White Sands.
WSMRs huge size and variety of habitats offers plenty of opportunity to collaborate in preserving Chihuahuan desert grasslands, dune ecosystems, riparian riparian
Definition of riparian habitat or riparian areas.
Learn more about riparian areas, woodlands, and streams and springs of the unique Southwestern landscape.
The following are a few conservation examples that demonstrate how White Sands Missile Range has earned their high recognition:
Indent2 ; ; l1 level1 lfo2 list " align=left> In the summer of 2007, WSMR reintroduced 23 captive-bred northern aplomado falcons to the missile range. The endangered northern aplomado falcon is designated as an experimental population in New Mexico and Arizona. The falcon chicks were placed in a hack box on a platform raised several feet off the ground to protect them from predators. The chicks use the hack site for several months while they practice flying and become proficient enough as flyers and hunters to survive on their own. The release was done in cooperation with the Service, The Peregrine Fund, Bureau of Land Management, New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, New Mexico State Lands Office, and the Turner Endangered Species Fund. WSMR is entering into a Cooperative Agreement with The Peregrine Fund with the intent to continue this project until this species is recovered and delisted.
Indent2 ; ; l1 level1 lfo2 list " align=left> WSMR and the Service led the creation and implementation of the new Army/Service/New Mexico Department of Game and Fish Conservation Partnership Team in 2007, which will focus on conservation and management of species at risk (such as the gray vireo, oscura mountain colorado chipmunk, and pinyon jay), in addition to ongoing conservation and management efforts of endangered species such as the Todsens pennyroyal.
Indent2 ; ; l1 level1 lfo2 list " align=left> WSMR manages more than 95% of the worlds population of the White Sands pupfish in its remote springs and creeks. A Cooperative Agreement with the Service, Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, and White Sands National Monument ensures conservation of the pupfish in lieu of listing the species.
- WSMR actively manages the restoration and conservation of the state threatened desert bighorn sheep with the adjacent San Andres National Wildlife Refuge.
- WSMR works proactively with the Services Division of Migratory Birds towards the conservation of migratory birds and to ensure compliance with the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
- WSMR worked with Bat Conservation International to secure a signed Memorandum of Understanding between DoD and Bat Conservation International for the conservation of bats at military installations
- WSMR plays an active role in educating its workforce and residents on local wildlife through a series of educational posters and guidebooks on amphibians and reptiles. They also write articles for the WSMR newspaper, The Missile Ranger, to address wildlife issues of interest to the public.
- WSMR is a signatory to the Memorandum of Understanding among state and federal Agencies in New Mexico for the conservation and management of the black-tailed prairie dog.
Since the passing of the Sikes Act more than four decades ago, the Service has worked in cooperation with the military to conserve fish and wildlife resources found on the 25 million acres of land owned and managed by the Department of Defense. These lands are valuable for maintaining survival and diversity of many important species. In recent years natural resource management on installations has attained a greater significance with the Department of Defense, Congress, and the public leading to the creation of integrated natural resource management plans under the Sikes Act. In response, many military installations have accomplished exceptional conservation work using a partnership approach with agencies, such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
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