Endangered Species & Wildlife / Public News Service

Since the beginning of 2022, seven Western states have initiated programs to maintain wildlife habitat and safe passage, through fencing, signs, overpasses and underpasses, according to Pew research. (TaborChichakly/Adobe Stock)

Monday, January 30, 2023

NM Lawmakers Weigh Next Step for Wildlife Crossings

Reducing the number of wildlife-vehicle collisions is the goal of a bill before the New Mexico Legislature this session. Sen. Mimi Stewart, D-…

According to the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, the state's Wildlife Migration Initiative has tracked almost 10,000 animals. (Utah DWR)

UT Pitches In to Help with Wildlife Migration

Two state agencies have teamed up to make safer wildlife migration a priority in Utah. The Utah Wildlife Migration Initiative relies heavily on GPS …

The San Francisco-San Joaquin Delta is the heart of California's water system. (Steve Martarano/USFWS)

Conservation Groups Criticize State Water Board's Side Deals for Delta Water

The State Water Board now says it will take another two years to finalize the San Francisco-San Joaquin Delta water management plan, and it is …

Forty-one species of freshwater mollusk live in Darby Creek waters, eight of which are on the Ohio endangered list, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. (Adobe Stock)

Public Hearing Deadline Nears for Darby Creeks' EPA Designation

Disappearing mussel species and threatened water quality from development have prompted advocates to push for increased protections for Ohio's Big and…

Lowering top wires on fencing to 40 inches or lower decreases the chances of animals becoming entangled as they jump over. (F&J McGinn/Adobe Stock)

Study Locates Fences in SW MT for Sake of Migrating Wildlife

Migrating wildlife can struggle with the extensive fencing throughout the West, and a new study is filling in the gaps on where these fences are in …

Last April the California Fish and Game Commission rejected a petition from the <a href=

Humane Society to eliminate the state's bear hunt altogether. (California Department of Fish and Wildlife)">

Fight over CA Black Bear Hunt Heats Up This Week

A controversial proposal to let individual hunters kill two bears per season instead of one is on the agenda at a meeting of the California Fish and…

The conservation group Keep it Colorado has awarded $197,000 in grants to protect 8,512 acres of lands, including 2,500 acres adjacent to Mesa Verde National Park, that would otherwise be at imminent risk of being sold, subdivided or converted to other uses. (Adobe Stock)

New Grants to Help Preserve Iconic Mesa Verde Viewshed

A new grant is expected to help close the deal to protect key parcels of historic ranchlands and wildlife habitat adjacent to Mesa Verde National Park…

According to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, five species of sea turtles are found on the Georgia coast, but only the loggerhead nests regularly on Jekyll, Ossabaw, Sapelo, Sea and other barrier islands. (JEANNE/Adobe Stock)

GA Group Challenges Elimination of Coastal Dredging Protections

The new year brings a new legal challenge to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, asking it to reconsider its decision to dredge year-round on the …

Researchers followed all 26 elk herds that call the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem home, tapping data from 1,088 GPS-collared elk. (Adobe Stock)

Third of Yellowstone Elk Habitat Not Protected from Development

More than a third of all known elk habitat in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem remains wide-open for human development, according to new analysis …

High rates of survival and reproduction have allowed the bison population to increase by 10% to 17% every year. That's 10 times faster than the human population grows worldwide, according to the National Park Service. (Adobe Stock)

Group Rallies to Protect Montana Constitution

The new year begins with the prospect of big changes to the Montana state Constitution that have been drafted by GOP lawmakers and opposed by conserva…

Some 80% of lobster in the U.S. come from Maine's adjacent waters while the lobster industry is estimated to create over 35,000 jobs in addition to state licensed lobstermen, lobster dealers and processors, and seasonal restaurant workers. (Adobe Stock)

U of Maine Lobster Study Aims to Protect State’s Vital Fishing Industry

Researchers at the University of Maine are studying how warming Arctic waters flowing into the Gulf of Maine are affecting the region's lobster popula…

California has the most imperiled biodiversity of any state in the contiguous United States, according to NatureServe, but it also has more land under biodiversity protection than any other of the lower 48 states. (iNaturalist.org)

Imperiled Global Species Map Shows Texas Ranks High

When a scientist with the nonprofit group NatureServe began studying where biodiversity is most at risk in America, she never expected Texas to rank …

Pile burning in Whitaker Research Forest within Redwood Mountain Grove. (Rob York/UC Berkeley)

Coalition Teams Up to Save Sequoias

California's old-growth sequoia trees are dying at an alarming rate - so land managers across the Sierras are mounting an emergency response…

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee established the Southern Resident Killer Whale Recovery Task Force in 2018. (Scott Bufkin/Adobe Stock)

Ships Slow Down for Puget 'Quiet Sound' Program to Aid Orcas

Ships are getting on board with a program to make Puget Sound quieter for the region's endangered orca population. Sixty-one percent of vessels …

The Department of Natural Resources estimates Wisconsin's wolf population to be around one thousand. (Adobe Stock)

Public Comments Urged for WI Wolf Management Plan

Wisconsin residents have one month left to comment on a new wolf management plan for the state and conservation groups encourage people to express the…

Montana landowners and hunters have butted heads in the past about how to best manage the state's elk population. (kojihirano/Adobe Stock)

MT Trust Proposed to Enhance State Lands, Waters

With Montana lawmakers looking at a large budget surplus, a group of hunters, scientists and landowners is asking them to consider creating a trust …

Outdoor recreation added $11.6 billion to Colorado's economy in 2021 and supported more than 250,000 jobs. (Adobe Stock)

Conservationists Push Investment in Thompson Divide Protections

Outdoor recreation contributed a whopping $862 billion to the U.S. economy last year, according to the most recent accounting by the Bureau of …

According to the Connecticut Audubon Society, American oystercatchers are making a strong comeback in the state. In the 2022 breeding season, they produced 61 fledglings, the highest number recorded since 2012. (Adobe Stock)

New CT Audubon Society Report Showcases Conservation

As its 125th anniversary nears, the Connecticut Audubon Society has released a report detailing the effectiveness of conservation efforts in the …

The deer population in Iowa is estimated to number at least 445,000. (Adobe Stock)

Chronic Wasting Disease Threatens IA Deer

Wildlife biologists are warning Iowa hunters to have their deer tested for a deadly condition known to attack the animal's brain. Chronic Wasting …

Construction of the Little Goose Dam in eastern Washington began in 1963 and was completed in 1970. (Brigida I. Sanchez/U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)

With Leak Report, Snake River Dams Could Be Showing Their Age

Four dams on the lower Snake River have been the sites of contention in the Northwest, and a recent report of an oil spill at one of the dams could …

Approximately 60% of land in Colorado is privately owned. (Adobe Stock)

New Tools Available to Navigate Conservation Easements

Some three million acres of Colorado lands have been protected through land trusts and their partners, and new online resources launched by the group …

Biologists say there is ample natural winter range for Wyoming's elk populations without continued use of controversial winter feedgrounds. (Adobe Stock)

Getting Priorities on Track to Foster Healthy Elk Populations

After receiving input from stakeholders earlier this year, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department has released a list of priorities guiding its initial …

According to the Center for Biological Diversity, only about 500 adult American Burying Beetles remain in South Dakota. (Adobe Stock)

Wild Turkeys: A Blueprint for SD's Threatened Species

Wildlife advocates want more species to have the same shot at the type of recovery wild turkeys experienced. The game birds were once hunted to near-…

It is said founding father Alexander Hamilton once remarked,

Wild Turkeys in MA: A Model for Conservation Efforts Nationwide

Wild turkeys are not only the official game bird of the Commonwealth but the latest champion of conservation efforts in Congress, where …

There are only 350 black-footed ferrets remaining in the wild, according to a conservation group working with governments, nonprofits and private landowners to maintain and expand recovery sites for the animal. (Adobe Stock)

North Dakota's Wild Turkeys: Success Model for Threatened Species

Wildlife advocates want more species to have the same shot at the type of recovery wild turkeys experienced. The game birds were once hunted to near-…

Current funding for the State Wildlife Grants Program is $65 million per year. (Adobe Stock)

Wild Turkey Restoration in MD a Blueprint for Future Conservation Efforts

As Americans celebrate Thanksgiving, many may not realize a century ago, wild turkeys were on the brink of extinction. Conservation groups are …

Wild turkeys are among the many Nebraska species that would benefit from Recovering America's Wildlife Act funds. (Adobe Stock)

Wildlife Groups Await Senate Action on Conservation Bill

Nebraska naturalists and hunters are accustomed to seeing an abundance of wild turkeys, but it has not always been the case. Conservation programs …

New Hampshire Fish and Game officials says wild turkeys travel across four to five square miles during the year, although during the winter and nesting season, they often restrict their movements to within their restored habitats of 100-200 acres. (Adobe Stock)

Once Threatened, Wild Turkeys Now Thrive in New Hampshire

Turkey may be the star of Thanksgiving meals throughout the Granite State, but the wild turkey has become a focal point of new conservation efforts …

Indiana has maintained an average of four wild turkeys per square mile in recent years. (Adobe Stock)

Indiana Wild Turkeys: A Model for New Conservation Efforts

As Americans celebrate Thanksgiving, many may not realize a century ago, wild turkeys were near extinction. Conservation groups point to their …

Wild turkeys in Missouri are the eastern subspecies, one of five subspecies in North America. (Alison Toon/Adobe Stock)

Turkey Population Restoration a Model for New Conservation Efforts

As Americans celebrate Thanksgiving, many may not realize a century ago, wild turkeys were near extinction. Conservation groups point to their …

According to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, a wild turkey can see about seven times better than humans and hear about 10 times better. (Roger Hill/Iowa DNR)

Iowa's Wild Turkeys: A Success Story for Endangered Species

CORRECTION: Wild turkeys were not on the Endangered Species List, as it had not been created at the time they were hunted to near-extinction…

According to the Bureau of Land Management, the new policy is expected to increase financial costs for state BLM offices as habitat connectivity is assessed. (Adobe Stock)

BLM Prioritizes AZ Habitat Connectivity for Wildlife

The Bureau of Land Management says it will prioritize habitat connectivity of public lands in Arizona and other states, to improve migration routes …

Conservation efforts by the National Wildlife Federation and other conservation groups restored the U.S. wild turkey population from near extinction to thriving in almost every state in the country. (Brett/Adobe Stock)

Conservationists Urge Congress to Pass Recovering America's Wildlife Act

Environmental groups are calling efforts over the past half-century to restore the wild turkey population from the brink of extinction one of America'…

Conservationists: Recovering America's Wildlife Act Critical to Save Species

Environmental groups are calling efforts over the past half-century to restore the wild turkey population from the brink of extinction one of America'…

The Silver Creek Preserve is located about 30 miles south of Ketchum, Ida. (Neil Crescenti/The Nature Conservancy)

First Ever 'Trout-Safe' Certification Awarded to ID Farm

A farm in Idaho has received the first-ever "trout-safe" certification from an organization that protects habitat for the fish. The Nature …

A photo from the top of the berm near the Smurfit-Stone site shows how close the Clark Fork River is. (Lisa Ronald/American Rivers)

Tour of Former Mill Site Underscores Dangers for MT River

Community members and conservation groups recently toured a former paper mill because of urgent concerns that the site poses a threat to a nearby Mont…

Experts say populations of the sage grouse have plummeted in part because of fragmentation of their habitat. (Dale/Adobe Stock)

Bureau of Land Management Prioritizes Wildlife Connectivity

The Bureau of Land Management, which controls 67% of public lands in Nevada, said it is now going to make it a priority to protect wildlife corridors…

Sampling stations are open from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., test results will be available within four weeks. (Adobe Stock)

Some MO Deer Hunters Face Mandatory CWD Sampling This Weekend

As the November portion of firearms deer season opens in Missouri, the Department of Conservation is reminding hunters about mandatory sampling for …

The opossums of North America have a short lifespan - only about a year and a half. (cherwoman730/Adobe Stock)

Opossums: Popular Meme, Misunderstood Marsupial

The opossum has become a popular part of the internet, with memes dedicated to the funny-looking animal across the web. In the wild, an Idaho …

As buffalo herds graze, they inspire new vegetative growth across vast tracts of lands in a natural process that mimics the onset of spring. (Adobe Stock)

Buffalo Restoration Key to Wildlife Economy, Tribal Health

By Jake Bullinger for Bitterroot Magazine.Broadcast version by Eric Galatas for Wyoming News Service reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Pu…

According to the latest data from the Bureau of Land Management, the majority of wild horses in the U.S. are found in Nevada, followed by California and Wyoming. (Adobe Stock)

Utah Group Pushes to Protect Wild Horses from Intentional Shootings

At least 16 wild horses have been shot dead in Utah's rural San Juan County since the beginning of the year, and one group working to protect them …

In 2021, volunteers drove or flew 42 injured raptors 9,583 miles and donated more than 165 hours of their personal time to help wild birds rehabilitate. (Adobe Stock)

Teton Raptor Center Nears Historic Restoration Goal

The Teton Raptor Center was recently awarded a $10,000 grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation to help the site become a year-round de…

Warmer, dryer weather conditions have helped create larger wildfires that have killed millions of Joshua trees. (Caleigh Wells)

Advocates Push CA to List Joshua Trees as Endangered Species

By Caleigh Wells for KCRW.Broadcast version by Suzanne Potter for California News Service reporting for the KCRW-Public News Service Collaboration Th…

One million acres of grasslands, considered to be some of the most threatened ecosystems on Earth, are lost each year to agricultural and residential development in the United States. (Adobe Stock)

Wyoming, USDA Agree on Partnership to Conserve Wildlife Habitat

Gov. Mark Gordon has signed onto law a new pilot program in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which aims to support Wyoming …

Wildlife populations across the world declined an average of 69% between 1970 and 2018, according to the 2020 World Wildlife Fund. (Geschenkpanda/Pixabay)

Report: Declining Wildlife Suggests Planet's Deteriorating Health

The world's wildlife populations are dwindling, according to a new survey, which encourages urgent action to reverse the loss. Dr. Rebecca Shaw…

Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge, located in northeastern Montana, was established in 1935. (Danita Delimont/Adobe Stock)

National Refuges Hailed as 'Sanctuary to Wildlife'

National Wildlife Refuge Week may be over, but public lands are important to animals and plants year-round. There are about 600 wildlife refuges …

Land-use trends in the West, particularly in rural areas, almost invariably result in habitat loss and fragment historic migration routes. (PewTrusts)

Report Cites Wildlife-Migration Challenges, Solutions

Like humans, animals are creatures of habit and often do not adjust when their migration routes are disrupted. A new report said there is adequate …

Pronghorn make their way across the desert toward the mountains of Northern Nevada. (Cynthia/Adobestock)

New Report Underscores Importance of Wildlife Migration Corridors

A report out today calls on western states to do more to protect wildlife migration corridors. The migration routes are critical to animals such as …

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