The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has released its Candidate Notice of Review, an annual appraisal of the candidate species list detailing those plants or animals that may warrant protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Four species have been removed from the candidate list, five species has been added to the list, and eight species have a change in priority since the last review was published in December 2008. There now are 249 species recognized by the Service as candidates for protection under ESA. FWS is soliciting public comment and additional information on candidate species, as well as information about species that should be included in future candidate updates. For more information link to the news release and the Candidate Conservation Program website. (11-6-09)

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A compilation of new technologies, practices, and other tools for environmental field data collection during the analysis of existing conditions, impacts, and potential mitigation required under the National Environmental Policy Act are provided in a new report produced under the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP Project 25-25, Task 48). The research sought to develop and maintain an ongoing compendium of environmental fieldwork technologies through an online survey of all state departments of transportation. Detailed follow-up interviews also were conducted with state DOTs that identified themselves as leaders in environmental fieldwork technologies and practices in four disciplines: cultural resources, ecology, water permitting, and noise analysis. Additional surveys of selected consultants of some of the state DOTs were also performed. The report documents results of the surveys for each of the discipline areas and presents conclusions. For more information, link to the Compendium of Environmental Fieldwork Technologies (NCHRP 25-25, Task 48). (10-16-09)

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The Western Governors’ Association has posted to its website presentations and other materials from a meeting of the Western Governors' Wildlife Council (WGWC) held Oct. 4-6, 2009, in Helena, Mont. The WGWC was established in June 2008, following publication of the Wildlife Corridors Initiative Report, to identify key wildlife corridors and crucial habitats in the West and to coordinate policy options and tools for conserving those landscapes. The meeting included presentation of a draft white paper on the development of Decision Support Systems (DSSs) by states to help identify and protect key wildlife corridors, as recommended by the 2008 report. Other meeting materials available online include state wildlife pilot project concept papers; a list of meeting registrants; and presentations on topics including new federal policies for corridors conservation, conserving extensive connectivity in contested landscapes, and wildlife corridor initiatives of the Western Regional Partnership. For more information, link to the WGA Wildlife Corridors Initiative website. (10-13-09)

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The October 2009 issue of the Federal Highway Administration’s Successes in Stewardship newsletter features a series of workshops convened by the Nebraska Department of Roads and FHWA’s Nebraska Division Office to assist local planning agencies with streamlining the environmental review process for transportation projects to meet funding requirements of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The workshops, held in July and August 2009, paired planning agency representatives with transportation and resource agency staff who could offer technical assistance on streamlining the environmental review process under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The workshops led to the approval of 77 projects as of late September and showcase successful collaborative efforts between local, state, and federal agencies. The newsletter also features highlights of the 2009 International Conference on Ecology and Transportation (ICOET) held in Duluth, Minn., in September. The conference brought together over 400 international representatives in the fields of ecology and transportation to address the theme of “Adapting to Change,” incorporating transportation systems and ecosystems in the context of global climate change. For more information, link to the October 2009 Successes in Stewardship newsletter, Double Issue! Nebraska Environmental Streamlining Workshops and ICOET 2009. (10-8-09)

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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has released a proposed strategic plan for coordinating the agency’s efforts to address climate change impacts to natural resources. The strategic plan employs three key strategies: adaptation, or helping to reduce climate change impacts on fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats; mitigation, through reducing the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere; and engagement with agency employees, the public and private sectors, and key constituencies and stakeholders. The strategic plan offers a series of commitments that the agency will take to address climate change, including: leading efforts to develop a National Fish and Wildlife Adaptation Strategy; creating a National Biological Inventory and Monitoring Partnership to gather and analyze data on climate change impacts to fish and wildlife species and their habitats; and building regional Landscape Conservation Cooperatives. Comments on the draft strategic plan are due Nov. 23, 2009. For more information, link to the FWS Strategic Plan for Climate Change website. (9-23-09)

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Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has announced that the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission approved $33.4 million in grants under the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) to conserve 190,000 acres of wetlands. The grants will be used to support 34 conservation projects carried out by public-private partnerships in 24 states under the U.S. Standard Grants Program; partners in these projects will contribute an additional $89.3 million in matching funds. The Commission also approved the use of nearly $8 million in Federal Duck Stamp Funds to add more than 4,000 wetland acres to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Wildlife Refuge System. According to Secretary Salazar, the federal government now has made over $1 billion in grants under NAWCA over the past two decades, with over 25.4 million acres of wetlands and associated wildlife habitat conserved or restored. For more information, link to the news release. (9-9-09)

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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is requesting proposals from states and U.S. territories for grants to support conservation planning activities and habitat acquisition for federally protected species. For fiscal year 2010, President Obama’s budget request includes $100 million in funding for grants under the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund.  The service is soliciting proposals for three categories of grants: recovery land acquisition grants, habitat conservation planning (HCP) assistance grants, and HCP land acquisition grants. Also, for the first time FWS will consider climate change when evaluating proposals for grants. Proposals must be submitted to FWS regional offices by Aug. 19, 2009. For more information, link to the FY 2010 Request for Proposals on the FWS Endangered Species Grants website. (6-19-09)

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U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack has announced a list of 106 projects in 31 states that received over $228 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding for forest roads maintenance, decommissioning, and associated watershed and ecosystem restoration. According to Secretary Vilsack, the projects will help improve water quality by reducing sedimentation in streams and restore natural resources and fish habitats. For more information, link to the list of ARRA funded projects. (6-2-09)

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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced the proposed designation of portions of the Upper Mississippi River as a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. The designation includes over 300,000 acres of federal and state lands and waters of the Upper Mississippi River floodplain in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin, including the 240,000 acre Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge and the Trempealeau National Wildlife Refuge. The proposed designation, which does not affect any current uses of the river, now goes to the Ramsar Secretariat for review, with formal designation expected in 2010. For more information, link to the FWS news release and the list of RAMSAR sites. (6-1-09)

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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has distributed more than $61 million in funding to state and territorial fish and wildlife agencies under its State Wildlife Grant program. The program provides federal grants for the development and implementation of programs benefiting fish and wildlife and their habitats, including species not hunted or fished, with each state or eligible jurisdiction receiving grants through a formula based on their land area and population. For more information, link to the news release and the agency’s State Wildlife Grant Program website. (5-19-09)

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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has launched a monthly newsletter on actions and strategy underway at the agency to address climate change issues. The newsletter is distributed to FWS employees.  For more information, access the May 2009 Climate Change Update. (5-12-09)

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A report published by the Federal Highway Administration features research conducted with 15 state departments of transportation to study the impact of animal-detection warning signs on reducing vehicle speeds or collisions with large animals. The final report documents Phase II of the study, which involved system modifications to reduce blind spots so that warning signs could be attached and investigation of the effectiveness of the system at reducing vehicle speed and collisions. The report also offers recommendations for agencies considering the installation of an animal detection system alongside a road. For more information, link to Animal-Vehicle Crash Mitigation Using Advanced Technology Phase II: System Effectiveness and System Acceptance. (March 2009)

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U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar have announced that the two agencies will revoke a Dec. 2008 Bush administration final rule regarding interagency consultation under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act. The rule limited the circumstances under which federal agencies must consult with wildlife experts at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service prior to taking actions that might affect endangered or threatened species. The decision to revoke the rule follows a memorandum issued by President Obama in March 2009 directing the agencies to review the Section 7 rulemaking and a provision in the 2009 Omnibus Appropriations Act specifically authorizing the secretaries to revoke the regulation. For more information, link to the FWS news release and the related final rule. (4-28-09)

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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has awarded nearly $58 million in fiscal year 2009 grants to states in support of conservation planning activities and habitat acquisition for federally protected species. The grants were awarded under the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund in three categories: habitat conservation planning (HCP) assistance grants, HCP land acquisition grants, and recovery land acquisition grants. For more information, link to the FWS Endangered Species Program Grants website and the complete list of 2009 grant recipients. (4-20-09)

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A May 12, 2009, webinar by the Transportation Research Board features efforts to design and implement mitigation techniques to prevent animal-vehicle collisions. The webinar provides an overview of more than 30 mitigation strategies that have been implemented across the United States and internationally and include presentations on design and implementation strategies for some of these mitigation efforts. For more information, link to the TRB Animal-Vehicle Collisions Webinar.  (4-20-09)

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A manual of best practices for reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions has been posted on the Federal Highway Administration website. The manual covers the complete range of strategies for reducing such collisions, from statewide and regional planning through site-specific mitigation. It includes guidance on incorporating wildlife-vehicle collision reduction into roadway design, reducing collisions involving large animals or threatened and endangered species, and monitoring and evaluating collision mitigation practices. The manual also provides a checklist for implementing a collision reduction program and identifies potential funding sources. The manual expands on a study of wildlife-vehicle collisions submitted to Congress in November 2007. For more information, link to Best Practices Manual: Wildlife Vehicle Collision Reduction Study. (4-16-09)

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