Three Midwesterners Receive National
Endangered Species Recovery Champion Awards
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Acting Director Rowan Gould today announced the 18 recipients of the 2008 Recovery Champion award. Among them are Dr. Frances Cuthbert of the University of Minnesota, and the Services Karner Blue Butterfly Team-Wisconsin, Cathy Carnes and Mike Engel.
The Recovery Champion award recognizes U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service employees and their partners for contributions to the recovery of threatened and endangered species in the United States. Cuthbert was recognized for her efforts to conserve the endangered Great Lakes piping plover, a small shorebird which nests along beaches of the Great Lakes basin. Carnes and Engel shared an award for their work to help recover the endangered Karner blue butterfly in Wisconsin.
"The Recovery Champion award both recognizes the exceptional conservation accomplishments of its honorees and highlights the importance of strong and diverse partnerships in species conservation," said Gould. "Recovery Champions are helping imperiled species regain their place in the natural resources fabric of our country while focusing attention on the importance of conserving our nations biological heritage for future generations."
In the Midwest, Cuthbert, who is chairperson of the Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology at the University of Minnesota, was recognized for her work investigating threats to the piping plover and for leading protection efforts. Her development and implementation of methods to protect plover nests have resulted in a leap in nesting success. She also pioneered methods to rescue and rear abandoned plover eggs and young.
"Thanks in great part to Dr. Cuthberts work, we have the highest plover population since the bird was listed in 1986," said the Services Midwest Regional Director Tom Melius. "Her contributions to piping plover recovery in the Great Lakes have given this species a brighter future."
Carnes and Engel have been working toward recovering the Karner blue butterfly for a decade or more. Based in the Services Green Bay Ecological Services field office, Carnes was responsible for the development of a statewide habitat conservation plan in Wisconsin for the Karner blue. The plan covers about 7 million acres and includes multiple state, federal and private partners.
Engel, a biologist with the Services Wisconsin Private Lands office in Madison, began working with private landowners in 1999 to voluntarily restore butterfly habitat on their lands. He works through the Services Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program and has completed over 200 habitat restoration projects encompassing 6,500 acres of Karner habitat.
"Cathy and Mike represent the cooperative spirit needed in endangered species recovery efforts," Melius said. "Not only did they work within their own agency, each cultivated a circle of partners who made possible our collective progress toward recovery."
All the 2008 Recovery Champion honorees are working across the nation to benefit a range of endangered and threatened plants and animals. From whooping cranes to mussels, Service employees and partners such as universities, conservation agencies, and private organizations are devoting their resources to a shared mission. Habitat restoration, public awareness campaigns, and species monitoring programs are just a few examples of this years Recovery Champion honorees efforts.
For additional information, please visit the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services Recovery Champion website at: http://www.fws.gov/endangered/recovery/champions/index.html
