Statement from the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies Supporting the USFWS’ Wolverine Decision

The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies supports the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s decision to officially withdraw its 2013 recommendations to list the wolverine as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

The Association believes that the Service did responsibly consider the “best available science” concerning wolverine management, which could not reasonably predict the impact climate change would have on wolverine populations using today’s climate models.  

State fish and wildlife agencies recognize that a changing climate is one of the many stressors currently impacting populations of fish and wildlife and the habitats upon which they depend. However, future ESA listings must meet the statutory definitions of either a “threatened species” or an “endangered species” to receive protection under the ESA. Any premature listings—whether based on uncertain results from climate change modeling or other circumstances—sets a bad precedent for conservation.

Association President Dan Forster thanks the USFWS for working with the states that developed the Wolverine Conservation Plan to ensure the specie’s long-term viability. Pro-active conservation programs to keep species off the list are more successful and considerably less costly to American taxpayers than the “emergency room” approach that goes into effect under the ESA.

AFWA encourages the Service to continue to work closely with its state agency partners in the work ahead to conserve the great diversity of our nation’s fish and wildlife species, including the wolverine.

State & Tribal Wildlife Grants Program Receives Boost of Support from 170 Members of Congress

WASHINGTON, DC – Senators Ben Cardin (MD) and Mike Crapo (ID) and Congressmen Don Young (AK), Michael Grimm (NY), Mike Thompson (CA) and Ron Kind (WI) were joined by 163 of their fellow Members of Congress on a “Dear Colleague” sign-on letter to Interior appropriators in support of FY15 funding for the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants program. 

In both letters, Members urged their Subcommittees on Interior, Environment and Related agencies to provide the most investment possible for the program, which is the nation’s CORE source of funding for preventing fish and wildlife from becoming endangered.

“Choosing to protect our wildlife and natural resources is good for our environment and our economy. Consistent funding for the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants program will further protect more than 12,000 at-risk fish and wildlife species while avoiding costly and often controversial interventions that would be needed if we were forced to add more species to the endangered species list,” said Senator Ben Cardin. “The imminent de-listing, due to sufficient recovery, of the once endangered Delmarva Fox Squirrel is a testament to the success of this program.”

“In my home state of Alaska, which I would argue is home to the most pristine wildlife in the country, we understand the critical importance of protecting our wildlife for future generations,” said Congressman Don Young. “I firmly believe the most appropriate and efficient way for populations to flourish and avoid the endangered species list is through a willingness to work together on all levels. The State and Tribal Wildlife Grant program plays a significant role in bringing together states and the federal government to accomplish the important goal of effectively managing our fish and wildlife resources. We know all too well the negative impacts associated with listing any one of our nation’s species, including the detriment to local economies, homeowners, conservationists and sportsmen alike, which is why I proudly support the work of the State and Tribal Wildlife Grant program and continue to ensure funding levels remain intact from proposed cuts in the President’s FY15 budget.”

The State and Tribal Wildlife Grants program has successfully prevented new endangered species listings. The program is used to support data collection that is important to ensure endangered species listings are science-based and provides states with resources to put voluntary on-the-ground conservation measures in place. Without sufficient funding for this program, more species will be added to the federal endangered species list requiring expensive interventions and resulting in increased uncertainty for businesses. 

State Wildlife Grants are vital to fish and wildlife agencies in every state, territory and the District of Columbia to support the implementation and revision of State Wildlife Action Plans that were developed to conserve more than 12,000 species known to be at-risk.  The program has the support of the 6,400 organizations that make up the “Teaming With Wildlife” coalition and directly impacts the 90 million individuals who participate in wildlife-related recreation and spend $145 billion on their outdoor pursuits annually.

The number of Members signing on was up for both “Dear Colleague” letters this year.  The U.S. Senate letter included 31 democrats, 8 republicans and 2 independents and the U.S. House of Representatives letter included 112 democrats and 17 republicans. Outreach by state agency staff and Teaming With Wildlife coalition partners to Members was key to the success of the letters. 

> View copies of each “Dear Colleague”letter and a list of members who signed on (by state) 

> Learn more about the State & Tribal Wildlife Grants Program

________________________________________

Senate Members Who Signed the FY15 Dear Colleague Letter Supporting State & Tribal Wildlife Grants

Barbara Boxer (CA), Chris Murphy (CT), Thomas Carper (DE), Johnny Isakson (GA), 

Mazie Hirono (HI), Brian Schatz (HI), Chuck Grassley (IA), Mike Crapo (ID), 

James Risch (ID), Dick Durbin (IL), Edward Markey (MA), Ben Cardin (MD), 

Angus King (ME), Carl Levin (MI), Debbie Stabenow (MI), Amy Klobuchar (MN), 

John Walsh (MT), Jeanne Shaheen (NH), Robert Menendez (NJ), Cory Booker (NJ), 

Martin Heinrich (NM), Charles Schumer (NY), James Inhofe (OK), Bob Casey (PA), 

Sheldon Whitehouse (RI), Tim Johnson (SD), Tim Kaine (VA), Patrick Leahy (VT), 

Maria Cantwell (WA) and Tammy Baldwin (WI)

House Members Who Signed the FY15 Dear Colleague Letter Supporting State & Tribal Wildlife Grants

Don Young (AK), Paul Grijalva (AZ), Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ), Mike Thompson (CA), 

Lois Capps (CA), Jerry McNerney (CA), Henry Waxman (CA), Barbara Lee (CA), 

Sam Farr (CA), Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA), Tony Cardenas (CA), Jared Huffman (CA), 

Raul Ruiz (CA), Jim Costa (CA), Gloria Negrete McLeod (CA), Rosa DeLauro (CT), 

Joe Courtney (CT), Alcee Hastings (FL), Corrine Brown (FL), Frederica Wilson (FL), 

David Scott (GA), Hank Johnson (GA), John Lewis (GA), Colleen Hanabusa (HI), 

Daniel Lipinski (IL), Jan Schakowsky (IL), John Yarmuth (KY), Stephen Lynch (MA), 

John Sarbanes (MD), Dutch Ruppersberger (MD), Elijah Cummings (MD), John Delaney (MD), 

Michael Michaud (ME), John Dingell (MI), Dan Kildee (MI), Gary Peters (MI), 

Collin Peterson (MN), Keith Ellison (MN), Emanuel Cleaver (MO), Mike McIntyre (NC), 

Lee Terry (NE), Jeff Fortenberry (NE), Adrian Smith (NE), Carol Shea-Porter (NH), 

Ann Kuster (NH), Bill Pascrell Jr. (NJ), Albio Sires (NJ), Chris Smith (NJ), 

Jon Runyan (NJ), Steve Pearce (NM), Gregorio Sablan (NM), Dina Titus (NV),

Jerrold Nadler (NY), Carolyn Maloney (NY), Carolyn McCarthy (NY), Paul Tonko (NY), 

Michael Grimm (NY), Earl Blumenauer (OR), Jim Gerlach (PA), Allyson Schwartz (PA), 

Matt Cartwright (PA), Robert Brady (PA), Jim Langevin (RI), David Cicilline (RI), 

Sheila Jackson Lee (TX), Robert C. Scott (VA), Gerald Connolly (VA), Jim McDermott (WA), 

Suzan DelBene (WA), Derek Kilmer (WA), Ron Kind (WI) and Gwen Moore (WI).

Teaming With Wildlife Week Celebrates the 10-year Anniversary of the State Wildlife Grants Program

Through September 11, Teaming With Wildlife Week will celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the State Wildlife Grant program, which funds state-based conservation efforts to prevent wildlife from becoming endangered.

The State Wildlife Grants (SWG) Program provides federal grant dollars to every U.S. state and territory to support the development and implementation of their unique State Wildlife Action Plans. Wildlife Action Plans assess the health of each state’s wildlife and habitats; identify the problems they face; and outline the actions needed to conserve them over the long term.
For more than a decade, the SWG Program has served as a stable federal funding source for state fish and wildlife agencies in excess of $600 million. This stability has been critical to the recovery and conservation of many species in greatest need of conservation.

“The SWG program is part of the Department of the Interior’s ongoing commitment to the essential conservation efforts of states,” said Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar. “In our challenging economic climate, the program ensures that states will have the necessary resources to help conserve their highest priority wildlife, plants, and habitats – an investment that will pay dividends for years to come.”

“The SWG Program was created to meet a long-standing need for funding the conservation of fish and wildlife species that are typically neither hunted nor fished,” said Ron Regan, Executive Director at the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. “The program has been an important source of funds to help keep America’s common species common and to conserve wildlife before they become too rare and costly to protect them.”

States and their partners have used funding from the SWG Program to combat invasive species, protect natural areas, restore habitat, conduct research and implement monitoring programs that will provide better data on imperiled species and their habitats. Priority for use of grant funds is placed on those species and habitats with the greatest conservation need.

Teaming With Wildlife Week is sponsored by the national, bipartisan Teaming With Wildlife coalition, composed of 6,300+ conservation organizations and nature-based businesses including state fish and wildlife agencies, wildlife biologists, hunters and anglers, birdwatchers, hikers and other conservationists. The Teaming With Wildlife coalition is working to prevent wildlife from becoming endangered by supporting increased funding for wildlife conservation, education and nature-based recreation.

Across the country, state fish and wildlife agencies are hosting Teaming With Wildlife Week events. For more information, visit http://www.teaming.com/.

To learn more about funding allocations through the State Wildlife Grants Program for state, commonwealth, territories, and the District of Columbia visit the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program Web site at http://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/.

Climate Change Could Threaten Hundreds of Bird Species Warns New State of the Birds Report

Oceanic and Hawaiian birds are in greatest peril from the effects of climate change according to the new State of the Birds: 2010 Report on Climate Change released yesterday by the Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, on behalf of the partnership of federal and state wildlife agencies, scientific and conservation organizations that collaborated on the research.

The State of the Birds: 2010 Report on Climate Change is the nation's first assessment of migratory birds' vulnerability to climate change. The report indicates that climate change could have an increasingly disruptive effect on bird species in all habitats, although the way lands are managed can mitigate climate change impacts and help birds adapt to changing conditions.

Key findings in the 2010 report:

• Oceanic birds are among the most vulnerable species because they don't raise many young each year; they rely on a rapidly changing marine ecosystem; and they nest on islands that may be flooded as sea levels rise.

• Hawaiian birds such as endangered species Puaiohi and 'Akiapola'au already face multiple threats and are increasingly challenged by mosquito-borne diseases and invasive species as climate change alters their native habitats.

• Birds in coastal, arctic/alpine and grassland habitats as well as those on Caribbean and other Pacific Islands show intermediate levels of vulnerability; most birds in aridlands, wetlands and forests show relatively low vulnerability to climate change.

• For bird species that are already of conservation concern such as the Golden-cheeked Warbler, Whooping Crane and Spectacled Eider, the added vulnerability to climate change may hasten declines or prevent recovery.

• The report identified common bird species such as the American Oystercatcher, Common Nighthawk and Northern Pintail, that are likely to become species of conservation concern as a result of climate change.

"This 2010 report outlines many conservation actions that will be important as biological planning and design of large-scale conservation efforts are advanced," said John Hoskins, Chair of the U.S. NABCI Committee and recently retired Director of the Missouri Department of Conservation. "The proven delivery models exhibited by the Migratory Bird Joint Ventures and the actions outlined in the State Wildlife Action Plans in addition to new partnerships will be important as we tackle the additional threats climate change will place on the birds of our nation."

"While the specific implications of climate change on wildlife, including birds, are uncertain and vary on a regional and state basis, the 2010 State of the Birds Report only emphasizes how important the need is for increased conservation and science-based management," said Ron Regan, Executive Director of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. "State fish and wildlife agencies recognize that climate change is a large-scale issue and are working together and with the greater conservation community to develop landscape-scale responses that support managing robust populations and healthy habitats - the best insurance in an uncertain future."

The 2010 State of the Birds Report is the follow-up to a comprehensive report released a year ago showing that that nearly a third of the nation's 800 bird species are endangered, threatened or in significant decline.

The U.S. North American Bird Conservation Initiative--which is chaired by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and includes partners from the American Bird Conservancy, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Klamath Bird Observatory, National Audubon Society, The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, USDA Forest Service and the U.S. Geological Survey--produced the report. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service coordinated its development.

For more information visit www.stateofthebirds.org.