u.s. fish & wildlife service state wildlife action plans ...auga recovery team to recover this...

1State Wildlife Action Plans in the Midwest RegionU.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Working Together for WildlifeA Midwest Region Approach toImplementing State Wildlife Action Plans

2 State Wildlife Action Plans in the Midwest Region

3State Wildlife Action Plans in the Midwest Region


U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Midwest Region project leaders and their staffs have been meeting with state wild-life action plan coordinators to develop strategies to assist the states with the implementation of their State Wild-life Action Plan. An initial report on progress was produced in April 2007. This report provides an update on activi-ties since April and includes summaries of meetings, emerging strategies for working with each state and ex-amples of new and ongoing projects that support action plan goals and objectives.

IllinoisFish and Wildlife Service Contact:John RognerChicago Field [email protected]/381-2253

The Illinois Department of NaturalResources, Service project leadersand Regional Office program manag-ers met to become familiar with theIllinois State Wildlife Action Plan,discuss Service field station activi-ties and priorities, and identifyopportunities to coordinate asIllinois implements its wildlife actionplan.

The DNR has already formed aState Wildlife Action Team of about30 key conservation stakeholdergroups, including the Service.

The meeting was co-chaired byMike Conlin, chief of the IllinoisDNR’s Office of Resource Conserva-tion and John Rogner, field supervi-sor for the Chicago EcologicalServices Field Office. Conlin’s officehas the lead for implementing theState Wildlife Action Plan andintends to use the plan as the pri-mary tool for driving its priorities.

Joel Cross and James Renn of theDNR provided overviews of the planand the implementation process.Rogner summarized the Service’scontributions to the plan and saidthat this meeting was a naturalcontinuation of involvement as theService and the DNR look for waysto collaborate and leverage re-sources for shared priorities.

Participants in the meeting agreedthat successful implementation ofthe plan will require closer coordina-tion from a statewide perspective.

Three outcomes were proposed:

• Service project leaders willcontinue to coordinate activities withlocal DNR staff.

• As the DNR sets up a system forthe State Wildlife Action Team tocommunicate, Service project lead-ers will have access to the team’ssecure Web site to provide feedbackon plan implementation and updateson how Service projects may besupporting implementation.

• As the Wildlife Action Teamcontinues to organize around theplan’s priorities, Service projectleaders will have the opportunity toparticipate in work groups that willdevelop actual project proposals.

All agreed that DNR and Serviceproject leaders will schedule annualcoordination meetings.

Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley signs the Calumet Ecotox protocol, which will providea framework for restoring the property.

- USFWS photo

Calumet Ecotox Protocol WillCalumet Ecotox Protocol WillCalumet Ecotox Protocol WillCalumet Ecotox Protocol WillCalumet Ecotox Protocol WillReclaim Urban WReclaim Urban WReclaim Urban WReclaim Urban WReclaim Urban Wetland Birdetland Birdetland Birdetland Birdetland BirdHabitatHabitatHabitatHabitatHabitat

On June 9, 2007, formal agreementwas reached on a multi-agency effortto rehabilitate wildlife habitat in oneof the Midwest’s most heavily indus-trialized areas, the Lake Calumetregion, which has suffered from 120years of intensive industrialization,pollution and waste disposal whilesupporting valuable wetland birdhabitats. Roughly 4,000 acres of theCalumet area will become part of theCalumet Open Space Reserve, amatrix of open lands to be coopera-tively managed for preservation –and in some cases for recreation.When completed, the reserve willrepresent a sizeable contribution tothe Illinois Wildlife Action Plan’s“Wetlands Campaign.” Staff fromthe Fish and Wildlife Service’sChicago Field Office worked closely

with theIllinoisDepartmentof NaturalResources,the City ofChicago.


- USFWS photo

- USFWS photo

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Through challenge cost-sharegrants, the Service is helping theIllinois Natural History Surveystudy habitat dynamics of the log-gerhead shrike on the sand prairiesof Lost Mound and control thespread of invasive crown vetch atthe Lost Mound Unit of the UpperMississippi River National Wildlifeand Fish Refuge. In cooperationwith INHS research, a bobcat studyis in its second year at Lost Mound.Scent stations with hair collectingtraps are being monitored to deter-mine the genetics and status of thelocal bobcat population. In addition,a cooperative research project isexamining relationships amonggrassland birds, plants, and insectsat the large remnant prairie on LostMound and will aid in developingguidelines for prairie managementand restoration.

Cache River WCache River WCache River WCache River WCache River WatershedatershedatershedatershedatershedSurveysSurveysSurveysSurveysSurveys

Cypress Creek NWR continues towork with the Illinois DNR toaddress sedimentation and hydrol-ogy restoration in the Cache RiverWatershed. The refuge and DNRhave worked with the NaturalResource Conservation Service,Union County Soil and Water Con-servation District and privatelandowners to complete severalprojects associated with an overallBig Creek Pilot Watershed Project.Past land clearing, channelizationand poor farming practices on highlyerodible soils resulted in excessivesheet and rill erosion and instreamsedimentation throughout the BigCreek watershed. Big Creek is theprimary tributary contributing highsediment loads into the LowerCache River Wetlands, a NationalNatural Landmark and Wetland ofInternational Importance.

Illinois EasternIllinois EasternIllinois EasternIllinois EasternIllinois EasternMassasaugaMassasaugaMassasaugaMassasaugaMassasaugaRecovery TRecovery TRecovery TRecovery TRecovery TeameameameameamStays Active in 2007Stays Active in 2007Stays Active in 2007Stays Active in 2007Stays Active in 2007

In October 2005, theIllinois Department ofNatural Resources andthe Fish and WildlifeService formed theIllinois Eastern Massas-auga Recovery Team torecover this smallrattlesnake, once abun-dant in some wetlandsand grasslands in theMidwest. The Easternmassasauga was listedas endangered by thestate of Illinois in 1995and as a candidate forfederal listing in 1998,and in 2005 was identi-fied as a species ofconservation priority inthe Illinois State Wild-life Action Plan. Inaddition to gatheringdata on habitat at designated sites,biologists captured, measured,marked with microchips and re-leased individual massasaugas.

Mike Redmer, left, of the USFWS Chicago Field Office, and Daniel Ludwigof the DNR Division of Wildlife Resources, conduct surveys for theEastern massasauga rattlesnake in Illinois.

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The Upper Mississippi RiverNational Wildlife and Fish Refugepartnered with the Illinois DNR to

design a new youth anddisabled deer hunt inclosed areas on LostMound in 2007. Thismanaged hunt willallow the harvest ofdeer in areas that havepreviously been a deersanctuary because ofthe presence of envi-ronmental contamina-tion. Deer populationsare twice the recom-mended carryingcapacity within theclosed areas. A deercheck station will beoperated to survey thecondition of the herd.

The Eastern massasauga rattlesnake is a species of concern in Illinois.

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- USFWS photo

- USFWS photo

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The largest concentration of basinmarsh and glacial wetlands in Illinoisis in the Chicago metropolitan area.Through the early 1990s many of theregion’s “hemi-marsh” wetlandsprovided habitat for birds listed bythe state as rare or endangered.However, as urban and suburbandevelopment has continued, formermarshes have either become toshallow or become lakes, resulting ina regionwide decline in marshdependant bird species such as theyellow-headed blackbird and blacktern. In May 2007, biologists fromthe Illinois Department of NaturalResources and the Fish and WildlifeService formed a working group ofregional land managers who will devise a plan for coordinated water levelmanagement throughout the region. It is hoped that this approach willallow altered wetlands to cycle to ensure optimal conditions for marsh-dependant birds. This approach would also assist with implementing as-pects of the Illinois Wildlife Action Plan’s “Wetlands Campaign.”

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In 2001, the Illinois DNR and theCity of Chicago successfully com-peted for $1.5 million in grants fromthe Service’s State Wildlife GrantsProgram to purchase 100 acres ofHegewisch Marsh and work withpartners, including the Service, toprotect and restore this remnantcoastal wetland in the one-timebackwaters of Lake Michigan,nestled in one of the most heavilyindustrialized areas in the country. Astate-of-the-art environmentaleducation center to be built on thesite, funded in part by the FordMotor Company, will provide forarea children and their families anearby place to experience frogs,birds, fish and wetlands in a naturalsetting — a world that they mightnever know otherwise.

The yellow-headed blackbird, seen here at the DNR’s Black Crown Marsh, is listed as endangered by thestate of Illinois.

A restored vernal pool at Hegewisch Marsh.

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- USFWS photo

- USFWS photo by Mike Sweet


lation will set the stage for greatercooperative efforts for on-goingprojects.

The Web site will also provide anopportunity to identify new projectssuch as conducting surveys tomonitor species about which infor-mation is lacking, or targetingacquisition of lands with existingimportant habitat or where habitatrestoration can pay big dividends.

After all the part-ners have had anopportunity to con-tribute data onconservation actions,the DNR will summa-rize this information,identify gaps inconservation, renewcoordination effortswith partners andadjust activities asappropriate.

The Indiana Con-servation Action Planwill serve as a forumfor regular meetings

IndianaFish and Wildlife Service Contact:Bill McCoyPatoka River National [email protected]/749-3199

Nine Fish and Wildlife Serviceproject leaders in Indiana met withthe Indiana Department of NaturalResources to discuss the Conserva-tion Action Plan and potential areasof collaboration.

Preparation of Indiana’s compre-hensive wildlife strategy marked thefirst time the DNR thoroughlyassessed its habitats, wildlife speciesand conservation partners. Theresulting database will track part-ners’ operation action plans toenhance effective collaborationamong agencies, organizations andindividuals where resources andconservation needs overlap.

The DNR will establish the Indi-ana Conservation Action Plan, aWeb site through which all partnerscan provide input on their conserva-tion projects such as habitat restora-tion and management actions ben-efiting specific fish and wildlifespecies across the state. This compi-

of conservation partners to set newpriorities, collaborate on mutualpriorities, promote conservationactivities through the media, iden-tify new partners and interestgroups, and generate funds to domore to meet the habitat needs ofthe full array of wildlife and wildlife-related issues across Indiana.

Both the Fish and Wildlife Service and the state of Indiana strive toprotect the marsh wren.

Sandhill cranes migrate in large numbers through Indiana, stopping at places like the state-managedJasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area.

Patoka River NWR employee Bob Dodd places anelectric fence on Tern Island at the Cane Ridge Wild-life Management Area on the refuge. Cane RidgeWMA is a partnership project to provide nesting habi-tat for the interior least tern, an endangered speciesand a species of conservation concern in the IndianaConservation Action Plan.


- USFWS photo

Least tern chick at Cane Ridge WMA.

- Indiana DNR photo by John Castrale

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A view of the restored Tern Bar Slough in southern Indiana, with a wildlife observation deck in the foreground.

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One noteworthy project coming tofruition is the restoration of habitatat the Tern Bar Slough WildlifeDiversity Area in southwest GibsonCounty. This 840-acre property liesadjacent to the Cane Ridge WildlifeManagement Area (WMA) adminis-tered by the Patoka River NationalWildlife Refuge (NWR).

Tern Bar Slough is managed bythe Wildlife Diversity Section of theIndiana Division of Fish and Wild-life.

Tern Bar Slough is an example ofcollaborative efforts among state,federal and non-governmentalorganizations to provide criticalhabitat for a state and federalendangered species, as well asoutstanding habitat for many otherbirds and waterfowl.

In 2002, the staff of Patoka RiverNWR volunteered to prepare aHabitat Conservation Plan LandAcquisition Grant on behalf of theIndiana Department of NaturalResources. The Indiana DNRsubmitted the grant application andreceived $850,000 for land acquisi-tion to provide nesting habitat forthe state and federal endangered

interior least tern.The refuge initiated negotiations

with a willing seller of the 840-acresof prior converted farmland adjacentto the existing 463-acre refuge-owned Cane Ridge WMA.

Additional funds were needed, sothe refuge requested the land ownerto enroll the land in the WetlandReserve Easement Program admin-

istered by the NaturalResource ConservationService.

Mineral rights to the deepminable coal reserves wereowned by another privateparty. Surface access rightsto mine the coal had to besecured from the mineralowner to protect the surfacefrom future disturbancesrelated to underground coalmining. Ducks Unlimitedplayed a critical role insecuring a purchase agree-ment of these surface accessrights.

In June 2003, the land waspurchased with payment

made by Wetland Reserve Programeasement and a portion of the HCPgrant received by the Indiana DNR.NRCS also agreed to carry out thewetland restoration activities withthe Indiana DNR responsible for theinterior least tern nesting islands.

Wetland restoration efforts andconstruction of the interior least ternnesting island were initiated in 2006.By June 2007, the NRCS had com-pleted 50 percent of the wetlandrestoration with a final goal of 663acres plus 150 acres of bottomlandhardwood forest to be planted in2008. The interior least tern nestingpool with two fenced islands was alsonearing completion with a target usedate of spring 2008.

Tern Bar Slough is a shiningexample of what can be accom-plished to preserve and restorehabitat for a wide diversity ofwildlife. The Indiana Comprehen-sive Wildlife Strategy can lead theway to renewing partnership effortsfocused on habitat restoration toconserve all species.


IowaFish and Wildlife Service Contact:Jim MunsonIowa Private Lands [email protected]/994-3400

Staff representing all Serviceoffices and programs in Iowa hasdiscussed opportunities to collabo-rate with Iowa Department ofNatural Resources staff to accom-plish Iowa Wildlife Action Planobjectives.

Previously both agencies devel-oped independent approaches forcoordination and implementation ofthe plan, which will be evaluated toidentify partnering opportunities.

Potential actions for Servicecooperation on Iowa Wildlife ActionPlan implementation include partici-pation on the plan implementationteam the Iowa DNR expects todevelop. The team will incorporatefederal, state and county naturalresource agencies, private conserva-tion organizations and landowners,and will identify mutual priorities,partnership opportunities, fundingneeds, and monitoring and strategiesneeded to accomplish plan goals.

The Iowa Multiple Species Pro-gram Technical Manual, whichconcerns Iowa’s 296 species ofgreatest conservation need, willlikely be reviewed by Fish andWildlife Service biologists to deter-mine its applicability to agencywildlife monitoring programs. TheIowa DNR has asked the plan’sconservation partners consider usingthe manual protocols for monitoring,whenever appropriate or possible, topromote data sharing and consis-tency.

Other ongoing efforts are alreadysupporting Iowa Wildlife ActionPlan goals, strategies and priorities.

Protecting Amphibians andProtecting Amphibians andProtecting Amphibians andProtecting Amphibians andProtecting Amphibians andReptilesReptilesReptilesReptilesReptiles

Port Louisa NWR has partneredwith Iowa DNR, Corps of Engi-neers, county conservation boardsand The Nature Conservancy tocreate the nation’s first designatedAmphibian and Reptile Conserva-tion Area, in southeast Iowa. Ef-forts will be made to better managethis priority landscape for herptileson nearly a half-million acres ofpublic and private lands within theMississippi alluvial plain. Of 51resident species currently docu-mented in this “herptile hotspot,”

one third are Iowa Species ofGreatest Conservation Needas designated in the IowaState Wildlife Action Plan.

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The Partners for Fish andWildlife program in Iowa willreview designated priorityareas in the plan to deter-mine where overlap occurswith Partners focus areas,and target those areas forcollaboration.

Desoto NWR and Neal SmithNWR will work cooperatively withthe Iowa DNR to develop implemen-tation strategies for plan goalsrelated to wildlife recreation andeducation, two of the six prioritypublic uses of national wildliferefuges.

Existing coordination groupsfocused on the upper MississippiRiver, prairie potholes, Loess Hills,Missouri River, and southern Iowaprairies and oak savannas could beused as entry points into efforts toimplement the Iowa Wildlife ActionPlan. Service staff assigned to thesegroups will learn about the plan’sgoals and, where mutual objectivesexist, recommend using mechanismsdeveloped by these working groupsto accomplish the plan’s objectives.

One such coordination group, theFish and Wildlife Workgroup, aninteragency subgroup of the Corpsof Engineers St. Paul District’sRiver Resources Forum, includesmembers from federal and statenatural resources agencies, includingthe Service and the Iowa DNR. Theworkgroup has prepared environ-mental plans for the habitat in pools1 through 10 of the MississippiRiver.

The interagency Mussel Coordina-tion Team is tasked with restoringand enhancing populations of theendangered Higgins eyepearlymussel. The team is made upof state and federal natural re-sources agencies including theService and the Iowa DNR.

Alliances formed to preserve andprotect Iowa’s Loess Hills includepartners such as The Nature Con-servancy, Natural Resource Conser-vation Service, Iowa Department ofNatural Resources, county conserva-tion boards, private landowners andthe Service.

DNR Wildlife Biologist Bill Ohde (left) and Port Louisa NWRManager Tom Cox unveil sign for the Southeast Iowa Amphib-ian and Reptile Conservation Area, against a background oftypical herptile habitat at Horseshoe Lake.

- Photo courtesy Doug Harr, Iowa DNR


MichiganFish and Wildlife Service Contact:Jerry McClainAlpena Fishery Resources [email protected]/356-5102

At a meeting of Service projectleaders and Michigan Department ofNatural Resources staff this winter,a central focus was on becomingfamiliar with the State WildlifeAction Plan developed by the DNR.Project leaders discussed how theService could assist the state withits implementation process.

Mike Sweet, of the MidwestRegion Federal Assistance Program,and Amy Clark Eagle, the MichiganDNR’s wildlife action plan coordina-tor, provided their perspectives.The group developed a strategy forproviding assistance and agreed on anumber of action items as startingpoints. Continued discussion be-tween the Service and the DNR willhelp guide the collaborative effort.

As a first step, the state willassemble available information onwildlife populations, habitat condi-tions and threat severity, and iden-tify data gaps. The DNR is alsotrying to assemble information aboutwhich conservation needs named inits plan are already being met andwhich are not yet being addressed.To help with this effort, the projectleaders agreed to provide a sum-mary of Service activities in Michi-gan.

The Michigan DNR convened aWildlife Action Plan ConservationPartners’ Working Meeting, in whichthe Fish and Wildlife Service partici-pated to help refine priorities in theaction plan and develop a commonset of statewide priority research,monitoring and on-the-groundactions.

Other efforts inMichigan arealready going along way towardmeeting thepriorities andgoals of theMichigan WildlifeAction Plan.

Partners in theMichigan BirdConservationInitiative orga-nized a MichiganOrnithologicalCongress meet-ing of stateagency andService scientists,non-government conservationprofessionals, birders and othercitizen stakeholders aimed at shar-ing information and updating thegroup on bird planning initiatives.

The Michigan State Wildlife ActionPlan and Joint Venture bird conser-vation plans were a focus of discus-sion. Although these planninginitiatives developed independently,they are complementary.

The State Wildlife Action Plan andJoint Venture Plan will be revisedperiodically as implementation ofhabitat actions occur, results aremeasured and new research findingsallow refinement of recommenda-tions for goal achievement. Greaterlinks between the two efforts willexist in the next iteration of bothplans.

Controlling Invasive SpeciesControlling Invasive SpeciesControlling Invasive SpeciesControlling Invasive SpeciesControlling Invasive SpeciesAn on-going cooperative project

addresses invasive species—one ofthe highest priority threats identi-fied in Michigan’s wildlife actionplan—on Seney National WildlifeRefuge and adjacent state forestlands. The goal of the project is tocontrol glossy buckthorn in alowland area along a stream whereit otherwise could significantlydecrease species diversity with itscapacity to crowd out native shrubsand completely dominate an area.The Michigan DNR provides aprison crew and the refuge pro-vides a staff person to guide thecrew as they work with buckthornon both refuge and state forestlands.

The blanding’s turtle is a species of conservation concern in states across theMidwest, including Michigan.


The Service, the Michigan DNR,the Michigan DEQ and other part-ners worked collectively to con-struct a lake sturgeon spawningreef in the Detroit River near BelleIsle.

- USFWS photo


Partners Help EstablishPartners Help EstablishPartners Help EstablishPartners Help EstablishPartners Help EstablishPriority NeedsPriority NeedsPriority NeedsPriority NeedsPriority Needs

A Wildlife Action Plan Conserva-tion Partners’ Working Meeting inMarch brought together more than80 representatives of 53 conserva-tion partner organizations to developa set of 25 common statewide prior-ity conservation needs for address-ing threats to wildlife and theirhabitats in Michigan. These priori-ties will help to guide actions for allpartners in the years to come, andhelp to identify projects for fundingthrough the State Wildlife Grantsprogram.

Managing Habitat forManaging Habitat forManaging Habitat forManaging Habitat forManaging Habitat forEndangered BirdsEndangered BirdsEndangered BirdsEndangered BirdsEndangered Birds

The Fish and Wildlife Service andMichigan DNR have for many yearscooperatively managed jack pinehabitats in the northern lowerpeninsula for many species of great-est conservation need, including theendangered Kirtland’s warbler, andfor other more common species.Management occurs on both stateand federal lands and includeshabitat management, cowbirdcontrol and survey efforts. Bothagencies are part of the Kirtland’sWarbler Research and RecoveryTeam that reviews research anddevelops outreach efforts. TheService and the DNR are alsoworking together on piping ploverprotection, which includes habitatprotection, predator exclusionefforts, surveys, monitoring of active nests, and outreach efforts.

The Service and Michigan DNR manage forest land in Michigan for the endangered Kirtland’s warbler.

- Photo courtesy David Kenyon, Michigan DNR

Banding piping plovers in Michigan.- Photo courtesy David Kenyon, Michigan DNR

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MinnesotaFish and Wildlife Service Contacts:Scott Glup, Litchfield WetlandManagement [email protected]/693-2849

Jim LeachMinnesota Refuges [email protected]/713-5406

Published in 2006, the MinnesotaState Wildlife Action Plan focuses onspecies of greatest conservationneed in the state, and emphasizesmonitoring, restoring, managing andpreserving habitats to support thesespecies.

The Minnesota Department ofNatural Resources and the Fish andWildlife Service have a long historyof working cooperatively to meetsimilar conservation goals. TheMinnesota wildlife action planpresents an excellent opportunityfor these agencies to further developand strengthen this alliance.

To date, the Service’s coordinatorsfor working with Minnesota on itsplan have undertaken a number ofactivities including meeting withDNR Ecological Services and Wild-life divisions to determine how tobegin helping to implement the plan.

The first phase of working withthe DNR was to ensure that Servicefield project leaders in Minnesotawere aware of the plan and assistthem in becoming familiar with it.Project leaders receive informationon the plan via e-mail and at meet-ings where emphasis on the plan ismade.

The Service will continue tocoordinate with the DNR to relayinformation to Service field stationsregarding implementation strategiesand opportunities. A second print-ing of the Minnesota State WildlifeAction Plan is complete, and copies

have beendistributed toeach Servicefield station.

The DNRidentifiednative prairieand oak sa-vanna as keyhabitats onwhich to focusmanagementwhile imple-menting itsplan. TheService and theDNR will lookfor opportuni-ties to worktogether tosurvey andmonitor these habitats as well asimplement management actions.

The Service has a representativeon a Partnership ImplementationTeam, to help guide implementationof the plan.

Coordination between the DNRand the Service on the MinnesotaState Wildlife Action Plan willcontinue. However, Service fieldstations will not wait for this processto mature, but rather actively lookfor opportunities to cooperate withthe DNR at the individual fieldstation level. Many opportunitiesexist through ongoing efforts.

Several wetland managementdistricts are working with part-ners—including the DNR and otheragencies and organizations, andprivate landowners—to controlwoody vegetation invading nativeprairie and surrogate grasslandhabitats. This effort includes shar-ing equipment and funding. Many ofthe sites targeted for woody vegeta-tion control are native prairie onpublic and private land with knownpopulations of species of greatestconservation need, including birdsthat require open grassland habitat,and a variety of mammals andinvertebrates.

Wetland management districts,refuges and the Partners for Fishand Wildlife program have beenworking with the DNR and TheNature Conservancy to conductprescribed burning on public andprivate lands to enhance nativeprairie, surrogate grasslands, oaksavanna and early succession brush-land. This will benefit a host ofspecies of greatest conservationneed that rely on these habitats,among the rarest in Minnesota.

Several Fish and Wildlife Servicefield stations are working with theDNR and various watershed dis-tricts to monitor water quality andimplement water quality improve-ment strategies on a variety ofwatersheds in Minnesota. Waterquality improvement actions com-pleted include grassland plantingand wetland restoration that will notonly benefit aquatic species ofgreatest conservation need such asmussels and fish, but will also ben-efit wetland-dependent species suchas marbled godwit, black terns,wading birds and waterfowl.

The Service’s Fisheries Programhas a long track record of workingwith Minnesota Department ofNatural Resources on aquatic

In May 2006 and 2007, a one-day Shorebird Blitz survey was conducted to documentthe presence of marbled godwits, upland sandpipers and Wilson’s phalaropes innorthwest Minnesota. Each year more than 20 Service, TNC and state employees,and volunteers have completed this 80 miles plus walking survey in one day.

- USFWS photo


species of greatest conservationneed. Most notable are effortsrelated to recovering paddlefish inthe upper Mississippi River and lakesturgeon in the Red River.

Several Fish and Wildlife Servicefield locations in Minnesota havebeen working with the DNR, DucksUnlimited, Pheasants Forever, andprivate landowners to restoreshallow lake habitat, managingwater levels to remove invasive fishspecies such as carp, fathead min-nows and bullheads, and restorewater quality and clarity. Thisresults in increased growth of plantsthat are beneficial to water-depen-dent birds, many of which are on theMinnesota species of greatest con-servation need list.

Glacial Ridge NWR SupportsGlacial Ridge NWR SupportsGlacial Ridge NWR SupportsGlacial Ridge NWR SupportsGlacial Ridge NWR SupportsMinnesota Wildlife Action PlanMinnesota Wildlife Action PlanMinnesota Wildlife Action PlanMinnesota Wildlife Action PlanMinnesota Wildlife Action Plan

Glacial Ridge NWR in northwest-ern Minnesota is supporting thePrairie Parkland Province and RedRiver Prairie sections of the Minne-sota State Wildlife Action Plan in anumber of ways. Recent land acqui-sition included purchase of 491 acresfor inclusion in Glacial Ridge NWRthat will be managed as part of thetallgrass prairie ecosystem, withplans to remove woody vegetationand begin re-introducing fire on thelandscape. A 2006 Partners for Fishand Wildlife Program agreementwith The Nature Conservancy

resulted in cutting 300acres of brush and treesto improve fire manage-ment effectiveness forthe restoration ofupland prairie sites. In2007, the refuge as-sisted the MinnesotaDepartment of NaturalResources and theUniversity of Minne-sota-Crookston withresearch on prairiechickens, providing avehicle, bunkhousespace for volunteersand access to boominggrounds. The work involves captur-ing hens, placement of radio trans-mitters and recapture after nestingfor transplanting to new locations tohelp expand the population.

WWWWWater Level Management onater Level Management onater Level Management onater Level Management onater Level Management onthe Mississippi Riverthe Mississippi Riverthe Mississippi Riverthe Mississippi Riverthe Mississippi River

The Upper Mississippi RiverNational Wildlife and Fish Refugeand its partners in the River Re-sources Forum are helping to meetmussel restoration goals for theMinnesota and Wisconsin statewildlife action plans through sum-mer water-level pool drawdowns onthe Mississippi River. Three draw-downs have been conducted since2001 and planning is underway for a2008 drawdown. Significant biologi-cal benefits of the drawdownsinclude increases in perennial emer-gent vegetation, decreases in the

acres of open water, increased waterclarity and increased migratorywaterfowl and shorebird use. Theyalso provide the opportunity tomonitor the effects of drawdowns onfish and mussel species. A mussel“rescue” in 2006 moved mussels outof areas that would be exposedduring the drawdown.

Wildlife and Habitat ReviewWildlife and Habitat ReviewWildlife and Habitat ReviewWildlife and Habitat ReviewWildlife and Habitat ReviewTamarac NWR hosted a wildlife

and habitat review with federal,state and local government entities,university affiliates and non-govern-ment organizations to identify along-term vision, establish prioritiesand develop strategies for therefuge’s wildlife and habitat manage-ment. Participants provided a broadperspective, which served tostrengthen our resolve, redirect ourefforts and broaden or focus ourscope in the landscape. The Minne-sota State Wildlife Action Plan wasinstrumental in placing Tamarac in alandscape context and was used toidentify species and habitats ofconcern and critical conservationissues. We used the plan to identifytargets that would improve refugewildlife and habitat management aswell as contribute to the ecologicalintegrity of the National WildlifeRefuge System from local, regional,ecosystem and national scales.

In August 2006 and planned again this year,Glacial Ridge NWR will host a Prairie Appre-ciation Day to allow the public an opportu-nity to explore and learn about the TallgrassPrairie Ecosystem. The Service, The NatureConservancy and state wildlife biologistspresent a program with a guided tour of theprairie focusing on plant identification andother unique features of the area.

Rescuing mussels before a drawdown on the Mississippi River.- USFWS photo

- USFWS photo

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- USFWS photo

The Missouri Department ofConservation developed its Compre-hensive Wildlife Strategy as anapproach to conservation planningthat uses ecologically based assess-ments and existing plans to inte-grate conservation action for allwildlife.

The framework of the strategy isaction oriented toward cooperativeconservation efforts and identifiesplaces where state and federalagencies, conservation organizations,and private citizens can coordinatework to benefit species of concernand their habitats.

Service field stations in Missouriare collaborating with the MDC andits conservation partners towardmutual goals and priorities for the 33designated Conservation Opportu-nity Areas, or COAs, which arepriorities based on biological diver-sity, current stressors and interestfrom cooperating partners, amongother key elements.

Kelly Srigley Werner, the Service’sMissouri Private Lands Coordinator,met with MDC staff to discussapproaches to addressing the state’swildlife conservation strategy. Withinformation from this meeting,Service project leaders from all fieldoffices in Missouri met to discussopportunities, levels of cooperationand involvement to help meet imple-mentation objectives of the strategy.

A number of approaches andactions have been identified as firststeps toward helping implementMissouri’s Comprehensive WildlifeStrategy.

A core group of Service field

MissouriFish and Wildlife Service Contact:Kelly Srigley WernerMissouri Private Lands [email protected]/234-2132

leaders will convene with MDC staffto further refine Service field in-volvement with the strategy and thedesignated COAs.

The MDC has requested thatnational wildlife refuges developingcomprehensive conservation plansconsider incorporating COA strate-gies if appropriate, on a formal orinformal basis.

The MDC and the Service willidentify resources and strategies toaddress invasive species issues ofmutual concern; techniques andapproaches for invasives control;procedures for inventorying theextent of invasive species in COAs;and ways to work with other part-ners to help reduce this threat.

Existing partnerships are venuesto further implementation of thestrategy by ensuring Service per-sonnel are familiar with its goals anddesired outcomes.

Big Muddy National Fish andWildlife Refuge is a voting memberof Missouri’s Natural Areas Commit-tee and has preserved habitat on therefuge that is representative of high-quality natural communities in thestate.

The Missouri Private Lands Officeserves on the steering committee ofthe Missouri Bird ConservationInitiative, a consortium of more than40 bird interests working togetherfor on-the-ground restoration of keyhabitats to benefit all-bird conserva-tion. Since 2003, partnershave implemented nearly $1million of bird habitatprojects ranging from prairierestoration in southwest andnortheast Missouri to wet-land habitat restorationalong the Missouri Riverfloodplain, to controllinginvasive exotic species inKansas City.

Bringing Back a Fish SpeciesBringing Back a Fish SpeciesBringing Back a Fish SpeciesBringing Back a Fish SpeciesBringing Back a Fish Speciesof Concernof Concernof Concernof Concernof Concern

After three decades, a fish ofconservation concern in Missourinow inhabits Mingo National Wild-life Refuge. In 2001, Roderick Mayof Neosho National Fish Hatcheryproposed reintroducing alligator garat Mingo because of the refuge’sunique spawning and deep waterhabitat, similar to alligator garhabitat. This project is identified inthe Missouri State Wildlife ActionPlan under the Mingo Basin Conser-vation Opportunity Area. In thenext six years, the refuge continuedefforts to restore habitat, and Ref-uge Manager Kathleen Burchett,Missouri Department of Conserva-tion Fisheries Biologist ChrisKennedy and MDC Media OutreachCoordinator Phil Helfrich embarkedon public outreach activities, whileMDC Fisheries Resource ScientistSupervisor Bob Hrabik sampledfisheries resources throughout theMingo Basin. On May 25, 2007,Mingo NWR and the MissouriDepartment of Conservation re-leased 19 alligator gar—brought byMDC hatchery personnel andequipped with radio transmittersand floy tags to track their dis-persal—in Monopoly Marsh on therefuge. In July, some 200 small fryalligator gar will be released toaugment initial reintroductionefforts.

Kathy Burchett, Mingo NWR refuge manager, works with theMDC’s Chris Kennedy to reintroduce this alligator gar back intoMingo Basin Conservation Opportunity Area.


- USFWS photo

WWWWWorking on the Landscape inorking on the Landscape inorking on the Landscape inorking on the Landscape inorking on the Landscape inCOAsCOAsCOAsCOAsCOAs

The Fish and Wildlife Service isworking in just over half of the 33priority Conservation OpportunityAreas in Missouri and in some cases,multiple Service offices are partici-pating with state personnel andother partners to find ways to moveforward towards additional conser-vation in one or more COAs. Activi-ties include providing information onways the Service and MDC can worktogether, providing technical assis-tance and refugia for reintroductionsof declining species, and providingon the ground habitat restorationwork through the Partners for Fishand Wildlife program, the PrivateStewardship program and the FishPassage Program, which targetMissouri Species and Communitiesof Conservation Concern that in-clude Service trust resources.

Restoring Grasslands in theRestoring Grasslands in theRestoring Grasslands in theRestoring Grasslands in theRestoring Grasslands in theMystic COAMystic COAMystic COAMystic COAMystic COA

Kelly Srigley Werner, supervisorof the Missouri Private Lands Officeand Chris Woodson, Private LandsWildlife Biologist continue efforts innorthern Missouri to improve nativegrassland habitat by working withpartners including the Missouri

Prairie Foundation, Pure Air NativeSeed Company, the Natural Re-sources Conservation Service, theFarm Services Agency, TrumanUniversity, Audubon Society ofMissouri and the Missouri NationalWild Turkey Federation in theMystic COA. Restoration activitiesinclude fescue conversion, invasivespecies control, native grass and forbplanting, and pasture resting. Therestoration opportunity in northernMissouri is particularly importantfor declining grassland birds and forlisted species such as the Indianabat, Topeka shiner, western prairie-fringed orchid and Mead’s milkweed,and the state endangered greaterprairie chicken. To date, the Mis-souri Private Lands Office hasrestored nearly 2,000 acres of nativeprairie in the Mystic COA.

Collaborative Approaches inCollaborative Approaches inCollaborative Approaches inCollaborative Approaches inCollaborative Approaches inan Area Known for Floods,an Area Known for Floods,an Area Known for Floods,an Area Known for Floods,an Area Known for Floods,Ducks and DevelopmentDucks and DevelopmentDucks and DevelopmentDucks and DevelopmentDucks and Development

The Service is involved in theConfluence of the Missouri andMississippi rivers. Kelly SrigleyWerner is helping to lead collabora-tion among 40 partners to protectthe Confluence, which is largelyagricultural land, from development.Within the last two years, theMissouri Private Lands Office has

restored or begun restor-ing nearly 1,000 acres ofwetland habitat in theConfluence and we areworking with the largestland concentration ofduck clubs, landowners,county parks and non-profit organizations.Other activities includeinvolving landowners inwetland habitat restora-tion efforts near GreatRiver NWR and securingnew lands for the BigMuddy National Fish andWildlife Refuge. Fundsprovided by North

American Wetlands ConservationAct have helped secure severalconservation easements in associa-tion with Marais Temps Clair andB.K. Leach state conservation areasand have contributed to land protec-tion for waterfowl in the UpperMississippi Great Lakes JointVenture. On the fisheries side, MDChas successfully sampled for theendangered pallid sturgeon at theChain of Rocks low water dam.

Novel Mitigation ApproachNovel Mitigation ApproachNovel Mitigation ApproachNovel Mitigation ApproachNovel Mitigation ApproachMay Benefit Threatened FishMay Benefit Threatened FishMay Benefit Threatened FishMay Benefit Threatened FishMay Benefit Threatened Fish

The Missouri Department ofTransportation is in the first phaseof developing a Highway 54 looparound the heavily congested Lakeof the Ozarks region. More than3,000 feet of streams will be placedin culverts. Missouri DOT biologistsapproached the Missouri Depart-ment of Conservation, Fish andWildlife Service, and U.S. ArmyCorps of Engineers with a novel ideato meet their mitigation require-ments: replacing up to four lowerwater crossings over the LittleNiangua River with free-spanstructures that would open habitatfor the threatened Niangua darter.Columbia FRO surveyed all fourcrossings for their aquatic organismpassage impacts in December 2006.

Chris Woodson, wildlife biologist for the MissouriPrivate Lands Office, and Scot Mikols, MDC PrivateLands Services biologist, review the Partners for Fishand Wildlife program plan to restore native wet prai-rie and wetland habitat for Washington, Mo., on theMissouri River floodplain in a high priority area forall wildlife conservation.

- USFWS photo

The Service is working closely with partners in the Missouri/Missis-sippi River Confluence Conservation Focus Area to support habitatrestoration and protection through conservation easements.

Missouri continuedMissouri continuedMissouri continuedMissouri continuedMissouri continued


- USFWS photo

OhioFish and Wildlife Service Contact:Kurt WaterstradtOhio Private Lands [email protected]/469-6923

The Ohio Division of Wildlife’sState Wildlife Action Plan is basedon the DOW’s ten-year plan focusingon issues and opportunities as wellas specific geographic areas tosupport viable wildlife populations,unique habitats, and aquatic re-sources.

Assisting Ohio in implementing itswildlife action plan will help focusService efforts, creating measurablebiological outcomes.

After a Service representative metwith the Ohio DOW, a team ofService field staff began developingstrategies to assist with implementa-tion of the plan:

• Hold annual coordinationmeetings, by program area, toidentify priorities, build strategicalliances, strengthen the Service’spartnership and engage the DOW.

• Identify focus areas andpriorities for habitat restoration inOhio of mutual interest to bothagencies.

• Continue to emphasize field-level implementation of habitatmanagement activities.

In addition to newly developedefforts for cooperation identified inthe State Wildlife Action Plan, eachService program in Ohio has ongoingprojects and initiatives that willcomplement this process.

The Partners for Fish and Wildlifeprogram will assist in implementingOhio’s plan, which identifies conserv-ing and protecting habitat on privatelands within geographic focus areasas essential for viable populations offish and wildlife in Ohio. The Part-ners program works with conserva-

tion partners todeliver on-the-ground habitatrestorationthrough avariety ofinternal andexternal conser-vation programsthat benefitfederal trustresources.

The FisheriesProgram pro-vides technicalexpertise forpreserving andenhancinginterjurisdictionalfisheries andtheir habitats inLake Erie and the Ohio Riverwatersheds and works closely withDOW and other Service programoffices.

State Wildlife Grants provide morethan $8 million annually to reim-burse up to 75 percent of Ohio’s costsfor statewide wildlife managementprograms.

The DOW and Ottawa NWRjointly own and manage MetzgerMarsh, a 900-acre wetland unit withan experimental water control andfish passage structure, which allowsthe wetland to maintain its connec-tion with Lake Erie.

In addition, the DOW assists withavian censuses and cormorantcontrol on West Sister Island NWR,as well as goose and wood duckbanding on Ottawa NWR.

Partners For Fish and WildlifePartners For Fish and WildlifePartners For Fish and WildlifePartners For Fish and WildlifePartners For Fish and WildlifeThe Service’s Partners program in

Ohio is implementing many of thestrategies outlined within the OhioSWAP and has built its own Strate-gic Plan with focused efforts in keyareas around the state that comple-ment the state plan.

In 2007 alone, the Partners pro-gram will spend nearly $200,000 in

Ohio on habitat related projects.Nearly 400 acres of wetlands and 500acres of uplands will be restored andhundreds of acres will be affectedthrough technical assistance. Thesehabitat contributions work towardsthe goals of Ohio’s Wetland, Water-fowl, Grassland, and Unique HabitatTactical Plans identified in theSWAP. Nearly all of these projectsenlist our conservation partnerssuch as the Ohio Division of Wildlife,Ducks Unlimited and PheasantsForever.

As identified in the SWAP,streambank stabilization on privateland is critical to healthy waters inOhio. The Partners program contin-ues to work with private landownersrestoring riparian corridors alongsome of Ohio’s streams with highlevels of biodiversity. The “CeruleanWarbler Private Lands Initiative” isone of the Ohio Partners programgoals to reforest reclaimed coalminelands as is identified in the SWAP-Forest Habitat Tactical Plan. One ofthe most intriguing components ofthe reforestation process will beplanting a blight-resistant Chestnuttree specie in partnership with theDivision of Forestry and the OhioChestnut Foundation.

This scoured streambank along the North Fork of the Licking River contributed 1,100tons of sediment to the river system until a revetment project led by the Partners forFish and Wildlife program. Ohio’s Wildlife Action Plan identified restoring andprotecting privately owned riparian habitats as the single most critical componentof managing biotic communities in Ohio streams.


WisconsinFish and Wildlife Service Contact:Louise ClemencyGreen Bay Field [email protected]/866-1710

Wisconsin DNR and FWSWisconsin DNR and FWSWisconsin DNR and FWSWisconsin DNR and FWSWisconsin DNR and FWSProject Leaders DevelopProject Leaders DevelopProject Leaders DevelopProject Leaders DevelopProject Leaders DevelopStrategy for JointlyStrategy for JointlyStrategy for JointlyStrategy for JointlyStrategy for JointlyImplementing the StateImplementing the StateImplementing the StateImplementing the StateImplementing the StateWildlife Action PlanWildlife Action PlanWildlife Action PlanWildlife Action PlanWildlife Action Plan

In May, Fish and Wildlife Serviceproject leaders met with WisconsinDepartment of Natural ResourcesBureau of Endangered ResourcesDirector Signe Holtz, Lakes andWetlands Section Chief Jeffrey Bodeand DNR regional ecologists andother biologists to develop a coordi-nation strategy for implementingWisconsin’s Wildlife Action Plan.The plan identifies key links amongspecies of greatest conservationneed, Wisconsin’s Ecological Land-scapes and Natural Communities,and describes threats and neededconservation actions for rare ordeclining species. Service projectleaders described their prioritiesand how the Wildlife Action Plan hasprovided useful information to guidethose activities. The DNR andService identified ways to coopera-tively implement plan priorities,including Service assistance ingenerating maps and conservation

actions for inverte-brate species offederal interest suchas mussels, theKarner blue butterflyand the Hine’s emer-ald dragonfly; work-ing across state linesand integratingefforts with the plansof neighboring states,for example, throughthe Midwest DriftlessArea RestorationEffort; cooperativemonitoring of thestatus of priorityspecies; and sharingreports with the stateas the Service implements conserva-tion actions identified in Wisconsin’splan. The DNR will identify geo-graphic priority areas; in the initialanalysis, Big Rivers has emerged asan area where many State prioritiesoverlap. Later this year, the Service,along with other conservationpartners, will be invited to workwith the DNR to identify prioritiesamong the plan’s 1,700 listed conser-vation actions.

Bat Management PlanBat Management PlanBat Management PlanBat Management PlanBat Management PlanImplementing the Wisconsin bat

conservation and management planis part of a long-term approach formonitoring bats throughout thestate. Eight bat species recorded inWisconsin constitute 12 percent ofthe state’s mammal diversity. Fourof 14 mammals listed as species ofgreatest concern in the plan arebats. This cooperative projectanswers the call for increased inven-tory and monitoring efforts toaddress the lack of information onbats of Wisconsin; builds a lastingreference tool for acoustical surveyscompatible with the expandingresources of the citizen-based moni-toring network; and continues tobuild partnerships to leverageresources and gather information forscience-based resource planning.

Riparian Restoration HelpsRiparian Restoration HelpsRiparian Restoration HelpsRiparian Restoration HelpsRiparian Restoration HelpsReconnect HabitatReconnect HabitatReconnect HabitatReconnect HabitatReconnect Habitat

A project to restore the ripariancorridor of the east branch of thePecatonica River to pre-settlementconditions will result in a morediverse fishery, less fragmentedhabitat, and improved conditions forgrassland bird species. Ten acres ofagricultural fields will be convertedto wet prairie and 10 acres will beconverted to mesic prairie with atotal of 20 acres of treeless land.

Partners ProjectsPartners ProjectsPartners ProjectsPartners ProjectsPartners ProjectsThe Partners for Fish and Wildlife

program is providing critical re-sources for a project evaluating theeffects of habitat management—specifically, removing wooded fencerows—on density and productivityof grassland birds and their nestpredators. The objectives are todetermine the impact of removinglinear woody features on the densityand productivity of grassland birdsin idle grassland fields enrolled inthe Conservation Reserve Program.The Partners program is funding amajority of the wooded fence rowremoval on treatment sites.

Students remove woody debris at the Pecatonica River Restoration underthe guidance of the Wisconsin Waterfowl Association. This project wasfunded with State Wildlife Grant dollars.

- USFWS photo by Matt Ruwaldt

- USFWS photo by Mike SweetThe willow flycatcher is designated as a species ofconcern in the Wisconsin State Wildlife Action Plan.


Wildlife Action Plan is aWildlife Action Plan is aWildlife Action Plan is aWildlife Action Plan is aWildlife Action Plan is aReference for RefugeReference for RefugeReference for RefugeReference for RefugeReference for RefugePlanningPlanningPlanningPlanningPlanning

The Upper Mississippi NationalWildlife Refuge Complex has re-cently completed its ComprehensiveConservation Plan, for which theWildlife Action Plan is a reference.Species group specific step-downplans and the monitoring plan willbuild off the Wildlife Action Plan.The refuge will use the informationin the plan to target land acquisitionand guide development of habitatrestoration projects with the Corpsof Engineers. Part of the complex,the Driftless Area NWR protectstwo species of greatest conservationneed, the Iowa Pleistocene snail andthe Northern monkshood. Thestate’s plan will also be used toidentify the suites of species benefit-ing from closed areas being imple-mented under the new Comprehen-sive Conservation Plan.

Addressing the Needs ofAddressing the Needs ofAddressing the Needs ofAddressing the Needs ofAddressing the Needs ofPriority SpeciesPriority SpeciesPriority SpeciesPriority SpeciesPriority Species

The Green Bay Ecological Servicesoffice addresses priority conserva-tion actions for wildlife identified asSpecies of Greatest ConservationNeed in Wisconsin’s Wildlife ActionPlan, through habitat management,restoration, surveys, and populationmonitoring and species protection

for the whooping crane, lake stur-geon, piping plover, Kirtland’swarbler, Hine’s emerald dragonflyand Karner blue butterfly, support-ing conservation actions that restorethe eight natural communitiesidentified in the state plan and thenumerous associated species. GenoaNational Fish Hatchery and LaCrosse Fisheries Resource Officeare implementing actions consistentwith Wisconsin’s plan for freshwatermussel restoration, focusing onwinged mapleleaf, Higgins eye, blacksandshell and sheepnose mussels.They are also contributing towardslake sturgeon restoration, and largeand smallmouth bass restoration.

Activities in the Lake SuperiorActivities in the Lake SuperiorActivities in the Lake SuperiorActivities in the Lake SuperiorActivities in the Lake SuperiorBasinBasinBasinBasinBasin

Focusing on the Lake SuperiorBasin, the Ashland Fisheries Re-source Office is co-located with theU.S. Geological Survey and is willingto coordinate efforts with USGS tosupport the Wisconsin WildlifeAction Plan. The office can also useWisconsin’s plan to guide prioritiesfor Coastal Program funding, whichsupports restoration projects inGreat Lakes coastal habitats inWisconsin.

Habitat ManagementHabitat ManagementHabitat ManagementHabitat ManagementHabitat ManagementPlanningPlanningPlanningPlanningPlanning

Whittelesey Creek NWR is work-ing to restore coldwater streams andcoastal wetlands. The refuge re-cently completed its habitat manage-ment plan. The state’s WildlifeAction Plan is helping to identifytypes of habitat needed to be re-stored in lowland forests. Therefuge has focused habitat restora-tion efforts for coaster brook trout,but can use Wisconsin’s plan toidentify other priority species intheir habitats.

Wisconsin continuedWisconsin continuedWisconsin continuedWisconsin continuedWisconsin continued

The Green Bay Fisheries Resource Office works in the Lake Michigan basin on lake sturgeon rehabilitation andhabitat restoration projects that will contribute to implementation of Wisconsin’s plan.

Restoring Savanna andRestoring Savanna andRestoring Savanna andRestoring Savanna andRestoring Savanna andPrairiePrairiePrairiePrairiePrairie

Horicon NWR used informationfrom Wisconsin’s plan to identifypriority habitats for its Comprehen-sive Conservation Plan, and will berestoring oak savanna and uplandprairie at the Refuge. Refugemanagement will now target restora-tion of free-flowing river conditions.The refuge has found the state planuseful in guiding management of thevarious units to benefit primaryspecies.

Whooping CraneWhooping CraneWhooping CraneWhooping CraneWhooping CraneManagement PlanManagement PlanManagement PlanManagement PlanManagement Plan

Ecological Services staff helped toguide development of the 2006Wisconsin Whooping Crane Manage-ment Plan. The whooping crane isidentified as a species of greatestconservation need in the WisconsinState Wildlife Action Plan and isbeing reintroduced by a coalitionthat includes the Service and theDNR. The crane management planwill be used by the state to informmanagement decisions and guidemanagement actions. The whoopingcrane is one of the nation’s mostendangered birds and resourcemanagers and wildlife professionalsin Wisconsin and other states willuse the plan to guide activities.

- USFWS photo by Eric Engbretson


Material for this booklet came from the Midwest RegionMaterial for this booklet came from the Midwest RegionMaterial for this booklet came from the Midwest RegionMaterial for this booklet came from the Midwest RegionMaterial for this booklet came from the Midwest RegionAccomplishment Reporting System.Accomplishment Reporting System.Accomplishment Reporting System.Accomplishment Reporting System.Accomplishment Reporting System.

“The states possess a wealth of knowledge about the conservation is-sues and wildlife species within their borders. These plans tap intothis expertise and demonstrate our commitment to conservation part-nerships with the state wildlife agencies. Working together with them,as well as with tribes, local governments, conservation groups andprivate landowners, we can help prevent wildlife from becomingthreatened or endangered.”

--Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne, Feb. 16, 2007

For more information about the Wildlife Action Plansfor the eight states in the Midwest Region,

click on http://www.fws.gov/midwest/FederalAid/state_plans_home.html

July 2007

U.S. Fish & Wildlife ServiceMidwest RegionOffice of External Affairs1 Federal DriveFt. Snelling, MN 55111

612/713-5360

http://midwest.fws.gov

Photos included are used by permission and may be copyrighted.

Equal opportunity to participate in, and benefit from programs and activities of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Serviceis available to all individuals regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, religion, sexual orienta-tion, status as a parent and genetic information. For information contact the U.S. Department of Interior, Officefor Equal Opportunity, 1849 C Street N.W., Washington, DC 20240

State Wildlife Action Plans in the Midwest Region

u.s. fish & wildlife service state wildlife action plans ...auga recovery team to recover this...

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