U.S. Wildlife Officials Plan to List Monarch Butterflies

Migrating monarchs  -  NPS Photo

The US Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed listing the monarch butterfly as threatened with extinction under the Endangered Species Act. The law states that a species is labeled "threatened" when it is likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future.

Winter is the time when millions of monarch butterflies journey thousands of miles across North America to spend winters in the forests and mountains of central Mexico.But over the years, the beloved butterfly has seen such a troubling decline in its population.

Monarch butterflies in New Jersey are no exception and also migrate to Mexico for the winter. Every year, they embark on an incredible journey, traveling up to 3,000 miles from as far north as Canada to the mountain forests of central Mexico1. New Jersey plays a special role in their migration, as thousands of monarchs stop at the tip of the Cape May peninsula to rest and refuel before crossing Delaware Bay. 

The monarch plays a significant role in maintaining its ecosystem's biodiversity. It is an important pollinator and a vital food source for various animals.

the threats are all too common - habitat loss (often from legal or illegal logging), exposure to insecticides, and the climate crisis. These factors have shifted the monarch's breeding and migratory patterns.

The loss of pollinators would have far-reaching consequences for ecosystems and economically for agricultural production. Pollinators are responsible for 75% of the production of the food for humans. But with President-elect Donald Trump - whose previous administration attempted to water down protections for endangered species - protection of a species may be much more difficult..

It was two years ago that the International Union for Conservation of Nature categorized the migratory monarch butterfly, specific to North America,as endangered due to climate change and habitat loss. In just one year, between 2021 and 2022, the presence of monarch butterflies in their Mexican forest wintering grounds dropped by 22%, according to a recent report from the World Wildlife Fund.

More at njconservation.org/our-marvelous-mysterious-migrating-monarchs/

50th anniversary of the New Jersey Endangered and Nongame Species Conservation Act

 

ENSP biologist Kathy Clark checks bald eagle nest

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the New Jersey Endangered and Nongame Species Conservation Act. This landmark legislation protects hundreds of wildlife species, including raptors such as bald eagles and ospreys, threatened shorebirds such as the piping plover and red knot, rare amphibians and reptiles such as the Eastern tiger salamander and timber rattlesnake, and even butterflies and freshwater mussels.

From the state's press release: “The New Jersey Endangered and Nongame Species Conservation Act was a milestone in the history of environmental protection, coming at a time when the environment was under siege from pollution, wanton use of pesticides and uncontrolled development,” said Commissioner Shawn LaTourette. “Without this law, many of the species that we enjoy today, from bald eagles to bobcats to bog turtles, might no longer be part of New Jersey’s landscape.

Fifty years on, the state encounters new threats including climate change, invasive species, illegal collection and roadway mortalities.

Governor William T. Cahill signed the New Jersey Endangered and Nongame Species Conservation Act into law on Dec. 14, 1973, two weeks before President Richard M. Nixon signed the federal Endangered Species Act. The state law established NJDEP Fish & Wildlife’s Endangered and Nongame Species Program (ENSP), a small, highly dedicated team supported by hundreds of volunteers throughout the state.

ENSP’s mission is to actively conserve New Jersey’s biological diversity by maintaining and enhancing endangered, threatened and nongame wildlife populations within healthy ecosystems. Today, ENSP is responsible for the protection and management of more than 500 wildlife species, including 83 currently listed as threatened or endangered.

The state has many success stories. Probably better known are ones such as the recovery of ospreys to their historic population size, the return of the peregrine falcon statewide; and the remarkable rebound of bald eagles. But there are also many species that get less attention by the public, such as the Eastern Tiger Salamander pictured here.

Eastern Tiger Salamander

Growing up to 8 inches long, the Eastern tiger salamander is the largest salamander in New Jersey, yet it is elusive and rarely seen. Historical distribution was across 10 counties. Today it is only found in parts of extreme southern New Jersey, and it has been lost from surrounding states. Conservation efforts focused on the vernal ponds they need for reproduction have slowed the decline in New Jersey, giving hope for this species.

The bald eagle was nearly extirpated in New Jersey and was down to one active nesting pair in the early 1980s. As a result of a comprehensive restoration program and a ban on the pesticide DDT, they now number more than 250 nesting pairs. This is considered one of New Jersey’s greatest wildlife conservation success stories.

At one time lost from the wild in all states east of the Mississippi River due to the pesticide DDT, the peregrine falcon is still considered endangered or threatened in many eastern states, but it has been restored to many natural cliffs and has adapted to the tallest urban buildings. Through reintroduction and careful management, New Jersey is now home to more than 40 pairs of these impressive birds of prey.

Those magnificent birds get a lot of love from the public, but other species, such as snakes and bats, still have a stigma surrounding them based on folk tales and misinformation.

White-nose syndrome is a fungus that decimated bat populations in eastern North America. In New Jersey, efforts to protect their populations include installing bat-friendly gates to protect hibernating bats from human disturbance during winter months; preserving land to safeguard important bat hibernacula and fall foraging habitat; improving communications with residents and nuisance wildlife control companies about proper handling of bats in buildings and using new techniques to study and monitor bats.

• For more information about the New Jersey Endangered and Nongame Species Conservation Act, visit https://dep.nj.gov/njfw/conservation/endangered-species-conservation-act/ 
• Learn how you can help support New Jersey’s wildlife here: https://dep.nj.gov/njfw/conservation/how-you-can-help/  
• Learn about New Jersey’s endangered and nongame species and their management here: https://dep.nj.gov/njfw/wildlife/species-and-management/  
• Learn about the Connecting Habitat Across New Jersey Project (CHANJ) and other major endangered and nongame species programs here:
  https://dep.nj.gov/njfw/wildlife/major-programs/  
• Like NJDEP Fish & Wildlife’s Facebook page at
   facebook.com/NewJerseyFishandWildlife  
• Follow NJDEP Fish & Wildlife on Instagram
  https://www.instagram.com/newjerseyfishandwildlife

Right Whales in the Wrong Places

Entangled North Atlantic right whale spotted off New Jersey on October 11
Credit: Artie Raslich/Gotham Whale

At the end of last year, NOAA officials were on a search and rescue to find an entangled northern right whale that had been sighted in October near the approaches to New York Harbor.

The Gotham Whale group were on the American Princess New York-based whale watch vessel and spotted the whale 2.7 miles east of Sea Bright, N.J. 

The group's photographs allowed the New England Aquarium, who keep track of the highly endangered right whale population, to identify the whale as #4680, a 4-year-old juvenile male.

Whale #4680 had been last been reported July 7 in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and at that time was not entangled in fishing gear.

The whale is the calf of Dragon, a 19-year-old female whale, who was last seen severely entangled off Nantucket with a buoy lodged in her mouth, according to the Aquarium. Dragon is not expected to have survived her entanglement.

“To have two members of the same right whale family become severely entangled in the same year highlights the entanglement threat that right whales are facing every day,” Amy Knowlton, a senior scientist with the Aquarium’s right whale team, said in a press release.

North Atlantic right whales got their name for the wrong reason. They were considered to be the "right" whales to hunted by whaling ships because they floated when they were killed. The species has never recovered to pre-whaling numbers. These whales have been protected since 1935, when the international prohibition on whaling went into effect. North Atlantic right whales have been listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act since it was enacted in 1973, but have been experiencing a steady population decline for nearly a decade.

During the search for #4680, researchers spotted another North Atlantic right whale entangled in marine lines. It was spotted south of Nantucket on October 19, 2020, and identified as #3920 (AKA Cottontail), an 11-year-old male that was last spotted in the same general area in March of this year.

On February 28, 2021, officials confirmed that Cottontail #3920 was found dead 15 miles off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. They collected biological samples, placed a tag on the whale to continue to track its location, and removed ropes entangling the animal. 

NOAA Fisheries the public that these majestic animals are exceedingly rare and endangered, with only 400 North Atlantic right whales remaining.

North Atlantic Right Whale Catalog

wobm.com/officials-give-updates-on-entangled-new-jersey-right-whale-more/

savecoastalwildlife.org/whales-of-the-jersey-shore

nationalfisherman.com/mid-atlantic/entangled-right-whale-off-new-jersey

nationalgeographic.com/travel/2021/01/why-whale-watching-is-having-a-moment-in-new-york-city/

The Endangered Species Act at 46 Years

On December 28, 1973, the Endangered Species Act was signed into law by President Nixon. Some people may be surprised that it was Nixon who had outlined his environmental agenda to Congress the year before.

“This is the environmental awakening. It marks a new sensitivity of the American spirit
 and a new maturity of American public life. It is working a revolution in values,
as a commitment to responsible partnership with nature replaces
cavalier assumptions that we can play God with our surroundings and survive.”

He specifically asked for a new Endangered Species Act (ESA) that would provide early identification and protection of threatened species, and treat hunting or capturing endangered species as a federal offense. In 1973, the House and Senate versions were combined. The Senate passed the bill unanimously, and the House by a vote of 355 to 4.

In the 46 years to follow, the law has helped prevent the extinction of our nation's wildlife, including a beloved symbol of America, the bald eagle. Over 95 percent of species listed under the Act are still with us today and hundreds are on the path to recovery, which is an astonishing success rate.

The Endangered Species Act also provides added benefits to people by maintaining healthy natural systems that provide us with clean air and water, food, medicines and other products that we all need to live healthy lives.

In 1973, We owe it to our children and grandchildren to be good stewards of the environment and leave behind a legacy of protecting endangered species and the special places they call home.

But as recent headlines, such as this one from August 2019 in The New York Times -- "U.S. Significantly Weakens Endangered Species Act" -- indicates, the Trump administration has announced changes in the way the Endangered Species Act is applied that weaken its protections.

Today, the Endangered Species Act protects over 2,140 listed species. The US Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA continue to develop new technologies and management approaches to ensure the ESA remains effective and that endangered species populations can rebound and their habitats can recover.

As much as I try to avoid politics in writing about endangered species and places in our state, I recognize that politics drives most of the protections or lack thereof atthe highest levels of implementation.

Poster via www.endangered.org

More on Protecting the ESA and Endangered Species

• endangered.org/campaigns/protecting-the-endangered-species-act/
• defenders.org/endangered-species-act
• summary of the ESA epa.gov/laws-regulations/summary-endangered-species-act
• oceantoday.noaa.gov/endspeciesact/
• worldwildlife.org ESA Q&A

Trump Administration Overhauls Endangered Species Act

The bald eagle is the most visible symbol of the success of the Endangered Species Act

The Trump administration announced on Monday a major overhaul to the Endangered Species Act. The main thrust is to reduce regulations.

Environmentalists immediately responded by saying that it will say will threaten more animals and plants to extinction. This is especially true in light of threats from climate change and human activities.

The Endangered Species Act has prevented more than 99% of listed species from going extinct, according to Earthjustice, a group of lawyers for the environment. They also say that in polling, 90% of Americans support the act.

The changes end blanket protections for animals newly deemed threatened.

It allows federal authorities for the first time to take into account the economic cost of protecting a particular species.

Two statements from the administration explain the move in these ways:

“The best way to uphold the Endangered Species Act is to do everything we can to ensure it remains effective in achieving its ultimate goal – recovery of our rarest species. The act’s effectiveness rests on clear, consistent and efficient implementation.” -  U.S. Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt 

"...the revisions finalized with this rulemaking fit squarely within the president’s mandate of easing the regulatory burden on the American public, without sacrificing our species’ protection and recovery goals." - U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross

Monarch Butterfly on Butterfly Milkweed plant  - USFWSmidwest photo

President Richard Nixon signed the Endangered Species Act into law in 1973. The act was critical to bring back the bald eagle, California condor, grizzly bear and many other animals and plants nearing extinction.

On the side of environmentalists, the reaction is similar to the comments of Noah Greenwald, the Center for Biological Diversity’s endangered species director:

“These changes crash a bulldozer through the Endangered Species Act’s lifesaving protections for America’s most vulnerable wildlife. For animals like wolverines and monarch butterflies, this could be the beginning of the end. We’ll fight the Trump administration in court to block this rewrite, which only serves the oil industry and other polluters who see endangered species as pesky inconveniences. We’ll do everything in our power to get these dangerous regulations rescinded, including going to court.”

The arguments and court cases will certainly start immediately and probably continue for years to come.

COVERAGE IN THE NEWS
www.nytimes.com
www.usatoday.com
www.chicagotribune.com

What Has Happened to the Animals on the Original Endangered Species List?

 

Indiana Bat  (Myotis sodalis)
Photo: Andrew King, USFWS via Wikimedia

What Happened to the Animals on the Original Endangered Species List is what a post on time.com
recently asked and answered.

The mammals that had the unfortunate distinction of being included in the first cohort of endangered species when the Endangered Species Act was approved December 28, 1973, were put on the first U.S. government list of endangered and threatened species.

1. Indiana Bat, Myotis sodalis.Status: Endangered. The only member of this first group that is also listed on New Jersey's Endangered and Threatened Species list. For more on the Indiana bat in NJ, see http://www.nj.gov/dep/fgw/ensp/pdf/end-thrtened/indianabat.pdf
2. Delmarva Peninsula Fox Squirrel, Sciurus niger cinereus. Status: Delisted due to recovery, in 2015.
3. Timber Wolf, Canis lupus lycaon. Status: Varied. The Gray Wolf is endangered in some portions of the mountain-prairie region, threatened in the Great Lakes region and delisted due to recovery in other areas. Recently, the Eastern Timber Wolf was found to be a separate species from the Gray Wolf, Canis lupus, and the status of the Eastern Wolf was put up for review.
4. Red wolves, Canis rufus. Status: Endangered except, as of 1986, a non-essential experimental population in North Carolina and Tennessee. ("Experimental" populations are those that have been reintroduced within the species' historical range but outside the regions where it is currently found. Experimental populations can be deemed either essential or inessential to the species' survival.)
5. Indiana Bat, Myotis sodalis. Status: Endangered.
6. San Joaquin Kit Fox, Vulpes macrotis mutica. Status: Endangered.
7. Grizzly bears, Ursus horribilis. Status: Downgraded to 'threatened' status in 1975, with an additional non-essential experimental population in Idaho and several other regional populations under review.
8. Black-footed Ferret, Mustela nigripes.  Status: Endangered except, as of 1991, a non-essential experimental population in Wyoming and portions of other Western states.
9. Florida panther, Felis concolor coryi. Status: Endangered.
10.   Florida manatee, Trichechus manatus latirostris. Status: Endangered.
11.   Guadalupe Fur Seal, Arctocephalus philippi townsendi. Status: Threatened.
12.   Key Deer, Odocoileus virginianus clavium. Status: Endangered.
13.   Sonoran Pronghorn, Antilocapra americana sonoriensis. Status: Endangered except, as of 2011, a non-essential experimental population in Arizona
14. Columbian White-tailed Deer, Odocoileus virginianus leucurus. Status:Endangered in the area surrounding the Columbia River, but delisted due to recovery in an area of Oregon

You can see that many remain endangered, but some have been moved to “threatened” status or removed from the list entirely.

The unfortunate exception to the rule is that Caribbean Monk Seal, Monachus tropicalis, which was removed from the list due to extinction. The seal had not actually been seen since 1952, but it took decades for scientists to conclude that there were no members of the species left. Fortunately, it remains the only mammal in the first class of listed species to have gone extinct.

Humpbacks at the Jersey Shore

A group of humpback whales feeding on small fish

Humpback whales have been spotted feeding off the Jersey coast this month. Though we don't know a lot about their time off our coast, it is thought that humpbacks may only be using New Jersey waters as a migratory pathway between their summer feeding grounds in the north and their winter breeding grounds in the south. Feeding has been regularly documented in New Jersey waters and individuals have been observed close to the shoreline, including within Delaware Bay.

Recently, a paddle boarder off Stone Harbor spotted the whales from the beach and paddled
out for a closer look and shot some video.

During the summer, humpback whales spend most of their time feeding and building-up fat in the cold waters of the North Atlantic. These fat stores are crucial since after their long migration to winter breeding and calving grounds, located in warmer subtropical or tropical waters, there will be no feeding for the entire winter.

Humpback whales have one of the longest migrations of any animal. They have been known to travel up to 5,160 miles between summer feeding grounds and winter breeding grounds. Humpbacks have been known to travel 3,000 miles in as few as 36 days.

In 1966, the International Whaling Commission prohibited commercial whaling of humpbacks due to the decline of the species. It was listed by the federal government as endangered in 1970 and, as a result of that federal status, was automatically added to the New Jersey endangered species list following enactment of the New Jersey Endangered and Nongame Species Conservation Act in 1973.

Humpbacks are provided with additional protection with the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972. Marine mammals should not be approached closer than 50 yards. Despite the ban on hunting, humpback whales face a number of human threats, including entanglement in fishing gear, collisions with ships, harassment by whale watchers and habitat impact.


http://www.conservewildlifenj.org/species/fieldguide/view/Megaptera%20novaeangliae/

American Eel Does Not Make the Endangered Species Act List

American eels face a battle in migration because of changing stream habitats and dammed rivers. It was thought that they might make the Endangered Species List this year, but they will not says the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

One reason for not listing them is the removal of 13 dams in the northeast U.S. The USFWS still recommends that efforts continue to build healthy habitats, and that harvest levels are monitored.  Efforts are also being made to upgrade river routes to make them easier for migrating eels.

The American eel is the only freshwater eel found in North America.. Eels were part of the diet of New Jersey colonial settlers who saw them harvested in large numbers by American Indians.

Their snakelike appearance makes most people imagine that they are not fish, but they are fish that have fins and can breathe underwater with gills instead of lungs. 

After Hurricane Sandy, the USFWS gained $10.4 million in resilience funding for fish passage and this is being used to remove 13 dams in Maryland, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Connecticut.

These eels begin their lives in the ocean, live in freshwater rivers, then spawn in the ocean. They live in rivers from Venezuela to Greenland and migrate to the North Atlantic to spawn with their preferred spawning ground being the Sargasso Sea.

Not all eels will migrate to freshwater for the winter, though why some eels move inland and others do not is not known. According to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife, many people once thought that male eels remained in the estuarine waters and only females went upstream to freshwater. Territories for eels may be determined more by density with higher concentrations more likely to be males.

American eels are not exclusively "American" as in the United States but as in "the Americas." Eels are panmictic, meaning that as a species they have one population worldwide, as a result of their random mating behavior.

Species Profile: American Eel in NJ

In 2013, the Aquarion Water Company, The Nature Conservancy, Sacred Heart University, the U.S. Geological Survey's Silvio O. Conte Anadromous Fish Laboratory in Turner's Falls, Mass., and the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) collaborated to release and monitor 30 radio-transmitter-tagged eels into the Aspetuck River in Easton, Connecticut. The three releases, which included 10 eels each, were scheduled to coincide with significant rain events to spur the eels' migrations, encouraging them to move downstream to salt water where they spawn.

The Greater Sage Grouse Isn’t Being Listed As An Endangered Species

The mating strut of a male sage grouse near Rawlins, Wyo. Fish and Wildlife Service officials in America
 have determined that the number of birds and the extent of its habitat are sufficient to assure their survival.
Credit Jerret Raffety/Rawlins Daily Times, via Associated Press and the nyt.com

The greater sage grouse is a bird that’s been at the center of a major conservation fight the past year. Today, it was announced that it will not be protected under the Endangered Species Act by the Department of Interior.

Is this a good thing? In a video announcement, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell called the decision a “milestone for conservation in America” and a point of pride for the department.



She said that the decision not to list the bird — a designation that would have meant that the greater sage grouse was “in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range,” and would have subjected it to certain federal protections — came because of an “unprecedented” conservation effort in 11 western states over the last few years.

Once seen in great numbers across the West, greater sage-grouse have declined in number over the past century because of the loss of sagebrush habitats essential for their survival and had been candidate species for listing under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

This "unprecedented effort" by dozens of partners across 11 western states included state leaders, ranchers, conservation groups, and other stakeholders. Each for their own reasons, they have made enough progress that the bird’s future looks bright enough to leave it off the endangered species list.

Perhaps, the hopeful message here is that it may offer lessons for conserving other threatened species,

Not everyone is happy with the decision. Some groups will still point to the decision being made in order to allow energy development on public lands.

Brian Rutledge, Central Flyway conservation strategy and policy adviser for the Audubon Society’s Rockies office, said that as long as the federal government sticks to its plan to preserve sage grouse habitat on public lands — a plan that includes limits on oil, gas, solar, and wind development inside the sage grouse’s habitat — he doesn’t think additional drilling will be a major threat to the bird.

There are many articles now online about the decision - a few listed below.

What is your reaction to the decision? Is it a good sign for the future?

• http://thinkprogress.org
• http://www.nytimes.com
• http://www.washingtonpost.com

Will Monarch Butterflies End Up on the Endangered Species List?

On December 29th, 2014, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced it would be conducting a status review of the monarch butterfly under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The Service has reason to believe a listing may be necessary due to considerable evidence from a petition submitted by the Center for Biological Diversity, the Center for Food Safety, the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation and Dr. Lincoln Brower. The petition stated that habitat destruction and loss of milkweed due to pesticide use are two of the most contributing factors to the declining monarch population. Other factors include disease and predation, overutilization for commercial purposes, and lack of existing conservation procedures.


Watch a monarch emerge from a chrysalis in the wild in this video by Tina Shaw/USFWS




During the summer months, the monarch can be found throughout the United States where milkweed, the species’ host plant, is plentiful. Milkweed provides nutrients to hungry caterpillars as well as space for mature females to lay their eggs. Although an adult monarch may lay up to 500 eggs in its lifetime, it has now been discovered fewer and fewer butterflies make the migration each year.

SOURCE: www.conservewildlifenj.org 

Red Knot Is Now On The Federal Threatened Species List

Red knots             Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has designated the red knot, a migratory shorebird, as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act. A “threatened” designation means a species is at risk of becoming endangered throughout all or a significant portion of its range.

“This federal designation will make a big difference in strengthening the protections of this incredible shorebird,” said David Wheeler, executive director for Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey. “Here in New Jersey, we are restoring the vital beach habitat that had been decimated by Hurricane Sandy, and this designation ensures the safeguards we are providing can be complemented along the East Coast,” Wheeler added.

Since the 1980s, the knot’s population has fallen by about 75 percent in some key areas. Wildlife biologists believe the major threat to the red knot is the dramatic decline of horseshoe crab eggs, an essential food source at the most critical stopover during their 8,000-mile trip from southern wintering grounds to Arctic breeding territory. High-energy horseshoe crab eggs provide nourishment for red knots to refuel and continue their journey.

“The major decline of horseshoe crabs in Delaware Bay is one of the largest threats to the survival of the shorebird,” explained Larry Niles, a biologist who leads the beach restoration efforts for Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey and American Littoral Society, and has studied red knots for three decades. 

Shorebird Makes Federal Threatened Species List - The SandPaper

Bill Proposes Changes to the Endangered Species Act

Four new amendments to the 41-year-old Endangered Species Act (ESA) will require that government agencies involved with the conservation and protection of species to become more "transparent" to the public about their decisions.

One amendment, still being discussed, will require surveyors to count all of the animals in both private and public lands. This will allow the federal government to get a full count of all endangered or threatened species.

This bill may allow for researchers to discover that some species are no longer endangered. This bill was introduced by Chris Stewart, a Republican Representative from Utah who believes that this amendment will make the endangered species list smaller. The bill is seen by some as a way to "rein in" the ESA.

In a press release, Stewart said he agrees with the fundamental purpose of the Endangered Species Act -- to protect species from extinction -- but says the law as it is now goes beyond that.

"Unfortunately, not all laws are perfect," Stewart said. "And in this case, the interpretation of the law is resulting in inaccurate data collection, potentially preventing healthy and growing species from being removed from the threatened or endangered list."

Stewart cites the Utah prairie dog as an example, saying the species is only counted on federal lands, which results in a gross miscalculation of their total number.

"There are large populations of prairie dogs in yards, parks, cemeteries, and fields that never get counted toward recovery because they don't live on federal lands," Stewart said.

Defenders of Wildlife said the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service does count endangered species on private lands when the option is available.

But counting species on private lands can be problematic because it assumes all private property owners will be cooperative It is also a practice that can have wide variations depending on the time of year and weather conditions and that counting should be seen as only one of a number of important data points in determining the status of a species.

Oregon Chub Is The First Fish Ever Taken Off The Endangered Species List

The Oregon Chub has the distiction of being the first fish to be taken off the Endangered Species List. This tiny minnow that lives only in Oregon backwaters is the first fish ever taken off U.S. Endangered Species Act protection because it is no longer threatened with extinction.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced this week that the Oregon chub has recovered after 21 years of being on the Endangered Species list. The agency will monitor the fish for nine years to make sure populations continue to grow.

"We’re not saying it won’t need management," said Paul Henson, Oregon director of Fish and Wildlife. "But they can leave the hospital and get out to be an outpatient."

Read more from The Associated Press

Endangered Species Act - As Important As Ever

Peregrine falcon nest monitoring in Jersey City

A good opinion column "Endangered Species Act is as important as ever" by George Fenwick


...The Endangered Species Act protects plants and animals on the list by protecting their natural habitats. Sometimes, but not always, that process puts limits on proposals to develop certain portions of the landscape. It’s also a process that has helped prevent the extinction of 99 percent of the plants and animals the act has been used to protect, including irreplaceable but less charismatic species, such as the Okaloosa darter, the Maguire daisy and the Lake Erie water snake.

In other words, when this law is allowed to work as it was designed, it is remarkably effective. Unfortunately, the Endangered Species Act has been undercut for years by high-profile critics. Some of them blame the act (falsely) for larger economic problems. Some would gladly sacrifice rare species and their habitats in order to boost short-term profits.

Allies of these critics in the U.S. Congress have repeatedly slashed funding for the Endangered Species Act’s listing and enforcement process, which has been admirably carried out by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife and National Marine Fisheries services.

Under the Obama administration, problems linked to funding cuts have been
compounded by a series of controversial proposals for ESA listings. For various reasons, those proposals fail to protect species in desperate need of conservation measures, such as the lesser prairie chicken, streaked horned lark, western yellow-billed cuckoo, a distinct bi-state population of the greater sage grouse, and northern spotted owl...

Happy Birthday Endangered Species Act

It was on this day in 1973 that the Endangered Species Act was signed into law.

Although there had been wildlife conservation laws in place for decades, by the late 19th century, the passenger pigeon was almost gone, the whooping crane population had plummeted, and many other species were being hunted into extinction. The causes were many - for food, for fashionable clothing, and sometimes just for sport.

In 1900, the Lacey Act was passed, regulating the sale of illegally captured or hunted wildlife across state lines. But the Lacey Act could only do so much; the passenger pigeon went extinct, and by 1941, there were only about 16 whooping cranes left in the wild. The whooping crane became the inspiration for the Endangered Species Preservation Act of 1966, which set aside money to buy habitat for endangered species.

In 1970, the Department of the Interior proposed adding the sperm whale to its list of endangered species, and the Pentagon and Commerce Department protested because the Navy used sperm whale oil in its submarines.


In 1972, President Nixon - not known for environmemtal protection - outlined his environmental agenda to Congress.

"This is the environmental awakening. It marks a new sensitivity of the American spirit and a new maturity of American public life. It is working a revolution in values, as commitment to responsible partnership with nature replaces cavalier assumptions that we can play God with our surroundings and survive." 

He specifically asked for a new Endangered Species Act that would provide early identification and protection of threatened species, and treat hunting or capturing endangered species as a federal offense.

In 1973, the House and Senate versions were combined. The Senate passed the bill unanimously, and the House by a vote of 355 to 4.

Source: writersalmanac.publicradio.org

Endangered Species List Will Be Finally Updated

The shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum)  is one of NJ's endangered species
Photo credit: Noel Burkhead, USGS

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has built up quite a backlog of species that have an undecided fate both in the natural world and as far as their status on the Endangered Species list. There are more than 250 species that need a determination regarding their status under the Endangered Species Act.

Unfortunately it took a federal judge to get the agency moving. There was a settlement of two lawsuits in 2011 by conservation activists, and now a judge has pushed the wildlife service to decide on all by 2018 and an agreement to act by September on the fate of 97 species.

According to The New York Times, USFWS has also finished preliminary work on more than 550 other potential candidates for the endangered-species list.

The Endangered Species List

Maybe it's time to review how a species get on the endangered species list. When the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or the National Marine Fisheries Service is investigating the health of a species, they look at scientific data collected by local, state and national scientists.

In order to be listed as a candidate, a species has to be found to qualify for protected status under the Endangered Species Act.
Whether or not a species is listed as endangered or threatened then depends on a number of factors, including the urgency and whether adequate protections exist through other means.
When deciding whether a species should be added to the Endangered Species List, the following criteria are evaluated:

• Has a large percentage of the species vital habitat been degraded or destroyed?
• Has the species been over-consumed by commercial, recreational, scientific or educational uses?
• Is the species threatened by disease or predation?
• Do current regulations or legislations inadequately protect the species?
• Are there other manmade factors that threaten the long-term survival of the species?

If scientific research reveals that the answer to one or more of the above questions is yes, then the species can be listed under the Endangered Species Act.

What does Endangered Species Act protection mean?
Once a species becomes listed as "endangered" or "threatened," it receives special protections by the federal government.  Animals are protected from “take” and being traded or sold. A listed plant is protected if on federal property or if federal actions are involved, such as the issuing of a federal permit on private land.

The term "take" is used in the Endangered Species Act to include, "harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill trap, capture, or collect, or to attempt to engage in any such conduct." The law also protects against interfering in vital breeding and behavioral activities or degrading critical habitat.

The primary goal of the Endangered Species Act is to make species' populations healthy and vital so they can be delisted from the Endangered Species Act. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service actively invest time and resources to bringing endangered or threatened species back from the brink of extinction.   

Why should we protect Threatened and Endangered species?
The Endangered Species Act is very important, because it saves our native fish, plants and wildlife from going extinct. Once they are gone, they are gone forever and there is no going back. Losing even a single species can have disastrous impacts on the rest of the ecosystem, because the effects will be felt throughout the food chain.

From providing cures to deadly diseases to maintaining natural ecosystems and improving overall quality of life, the benefits of preserving threatened and endangered species are invaluable.

Source:  U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Endangered

• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Basics of the ESA

Grey Wolf Endangered Status May Change Again

USFWS photo

The grey wolf, Canis lupus, is a study of how complicated the listing of endangered species has become. This is a species that has been on and off lists both federally and in certain states to the point of confusing most people about whether they are endangered or not.

Last week, a federal judge said the grey wolf should go back on the endangered species list in Montana and Idaho. That decision does not sit well with hunters, ranchers and states' rights advocates. The ruling overturned Interior Secretary Ken Salazar's decision to keep the grey wolf off the list in 2009.

The U.S. District Court Judge said that the the Endangered Species Act required endangered species like the Northern Rockies gray wolf to be treated as a whole population, rather than on a state-by-state basis. If it's listed as endangered in Wyoming, it should be listed that way in Montana and Idaho too.


Wolf supporters and many environmental groups say that the current Rocky Mountain population (1,700+ wolves) is not enough to ensure the long-term genetic health of the population.

Right now the reinstated protection means the states once again have to follow federal guidelines for managing wolves.

Wolves were eradicated from the region in the 1930's as part of an overall campaign to eliminate many of the native predators.

The Endangered Species Act in 1973 started efforts to restore the Northern Rockies wolf population.

Wolves that had moved into the Canadian/Montana border region starting in the 1970s began to return to their historic habitat in the region. By 1995, that population had grown to about 70 wolves.

Though this blog is clearly on the side of endangered species, I always tread carefully in the area of politics and law because it often has little to do with protecting wildlife and more to do with money and power.

Ranchers and landowners will say that wolves present the greatest threat to their livestock. Environmental groups will quote statistics from the National Agriculture Statistics Service, that show that only 1% of lost livestock, including unconfirmed losses, is due to wolves. They say the true threats are still disease, birthing issues, extreme weather, and other predators, including wild dogs.


By 2009, the Northern Rockies wolf population had grown to around 2,000 animals. That was the number that biologists had estimated was necessary for population recovery.

That same year, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service de-listed the wolves and opened a hunting season in Idaho and Montana. The population went down to 1,650 wolves which made it again endangered.

This back and forth way of determining status seem doomed to cause only controversy and offer limited protection to a species. It seems to me that decisions under the Endangered Species Act should be based on science, not politics. But that is definitely more esily said than done.




Yes, we don't worry much about wolves in New Jersey. But you can see wolves in our state. Check out wolves at the Lakota Wolf Preserve located near the Delaware Water Gap and the Turtle Back Zoo in Essex County.

• http://www.fws.gov/midwest/wolf/
• http://www.defenders.org/programs_and_policy/wildlife_conservation/imperiled_species/wolves/wolf_recovery_efforts/northern_rockies_wolves/
• Gray Wolves (Eye to Eye With Endangered Species) 
• The World of Wolves: New Perspectives on Ecology, Behaviour, and Management 
• Recovery of Gray Wolves in the Great Lakes Region of the United States: An Endangered Species Success Story

The Endangered Species Act Works

The Endangered Species Act works. Another example of that is the growing population of gray wolves in northern Wisconsin. State officials estimate the population is 700 to 750, the highest for wolves since pre-settlement times and far above federal goals set in the 1990s.

State officials are asking the feds to remove the wolf from the endangered species list and allow the state to manage the population.




Gray Wolves: Return to Yellowstone (America's Animal Comebacks)

Oil Disaster Shows Need for Endangered Species Act Overhaul

wired.com/images_blogs/wiredscience/

Of the many regulatory problems that helped make the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster possible, the Endangered Species Act’s shortcomings have received little attention — but fixing its flaws and loopholes could help prevent future catastrophes.

Oil companies never considered the impacts of a massive spill on the Gulf’s sperm whales or five sea turtle species. They didn’t have to, because the law doesn’t require it.

“We need to include disaster planning in the Endangered Species Act consultation process,” said environmental lawyer Keith Rizzardi. “We can learn from experience.”

Read more at http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/06/esa-overhaul/