This animal is really the star of a great comeback story! The black-footed ferret was thought extinct until 1981 when it was discovered on a Wyoming ranch by a dog named Shep. This led to a captive breeding and release program, led by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, designed to restore the species to the wild.

The black-footed ferret is the focus of major conservation efforts on the ground today due to its endangered status. There are only about 500 animals in the wild, but successful recovery could one day mean ferrets can be downlisted to threatened and eventually delisted and removed from the Endangered Species List. The target is 1,500 breeding adults for downlisting and 3,000 breeding adults for delisting. But much work remains to bring back this native species to the prairie grasslands, where it has a long and valued natural history.

Defenders of Wildlife, over the last decade, in cooperation with state and federal wildlife agencies, has been instrumental in reintroducing and recovering black-footed ferrets. This species is quite different from the domestic ferret known as a pet. Did you know the black-footed ferret is a carnivore that relies solely on the prairie dog for its survival? One ferret can eat 100 prairie dogs per year. Not only do they eat prairie dogs, they also occupy the prairie dog burrows dug deep into the ground. Without prairie dog colonies, black-footed ferrets cannot survive.

The black-footed ferret is endangered in large part because of the more than 90 percent loss of prairie dogs. Over the last 100 years, prairie dog colonies across the West have been plowed and poisoned across vast areas. A new threat is the exotic disease plague, which arrived in North America in 1900 and can wipe out entire prairie dog colonies.

The loss of prairie dogs affects more than just black-footed ferrets. Prairie dogs are known as a “keystone species” that significantly contribute to the survival of many wildlife species. Many animals benefit from prairie dogs as their prey and the network of burrows they dig as their homes. Swift fox and grassland birds such as ferruginous hawks, mountain plovers and burrowing owls are just some of the species that rely on these prairie dog towns. These species and others have also declined in large part due to the loss of prairie dogs.

But hope is not lost! Conservation actions for prairie dogs are really making a difference for the successful recovery of the black-footed ferret. For example, protection and restoration of prairie dog colonies on some public, tribal and private lands is helping the ferret return to its historic range. Over 20 sites are now home to this endangered animal! Also, on-the-ground plague mitigation, supported by Defenders and many others, can help control the spread of plague on these important sites. National Ferret Day is a great day to celebrate this comeback story of the interconnected species of native wildlife on America’s grasslands.

The post Happy National Ferret Day! appeared first on Defenders of Wildlife Blog.

The American bison and Badlands National Park go hand in hand. The Great Plains ecosystem has long included these large, hearty beasts that once numbered in the millions.

Prior to European settlement, about 30 million bison inhabited North America. But by the late 19th century, fewer than 1,000 could be found on the continent, with only a handful of wild bison left in the American West. Badlands National Park, with its rugged landscape of layered rock formations and sprawling grasslands, hosts a variety of wildlife species and offers the perfect backdrop for bringing back the bison to its native range.

For conservationists, restoring bison to the Badlands means this grazer can once again play an important ecological role on the plains. The animals graze heavily on native grasses and disturb the soil with their hooves, allowing many plant and animal species to flourish. Prairie dogs prefer lands grazed by bison for establishing their colonies. Prairie dog colonies in turn, provide food for the endangered black-footed ferret that preys on prairie dogs, which large birds of prey and coyotes also prey on. For Americans, it means bringing back an iconic wildlife species to the West and giving the country’s official national mammal a second chance.

Bringing the Bison Back to the Badlands: The Efforts Begin

Today, thanks to major conservation efforts and coordinated collaborations, a healthy herd of bison is thriving in Badlands National Park.

The effort to bring bison back to their historic range in Badlands National Park first began with the reintroduction of 50 animals to the park in the 1960’s from Theodore Roosevelt National Park, followed by 20 more in the 1980’s from Colorado National Monument.

More recently, park officials joined forces with several partner groups on a project to expand the area open to bison within the park’s borders. In cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service and nonprofit organizations, the park completed a land swap with a neighboring ranch, which will allow bison to move freely into the eastern portion of the park where there are more than 80,000 additional acres to roam. Before bison could be released into this new area, it first needed fencing to be installed around the park boundary to keep bison out of adjacent ranches and from intermingling with cattle. Defenders of Wildlife, along with our partners at the World Wildlife Fund and the National Park Foundation, provided the significant funding needed to match the federal funding for the fence’s construction.

“With this project, the stars aligned,” Childers said. Congress appropriated funds in the form of competitive grants made available to the National Park Service for the National Parks Centennial. Those grants required a 50 percent match and with the quick and hard work of partners like Defenders of Wildlife, World Wildlife Fund, and the National Park Foundation, the national philanthropic partner of the National Park Service, those matching funds as well as additional funds were secured resulting in more than $1.2 million for bison conservation in the Badlands.

A Healthy Herd

After many years of good stewardship and the park’s continued partnership with conservation groups to restore bison to their native lands, today’s herd count is upwards of 1,200 animals. “These bison are inhabiting some of the last remaining mixed grass prairie grasslands in the nation,” said Eddie Childers, wildlife biologist for Badlands National Park. “We know these animals are good for the prairie and rangeland health, but we were also motivated with this project so our visitors could once again see bison in the wild,” Childers said. This partnership, which has been bolstered by the support of Defenders of Wildlife, the World Wildlife Fund, and the National Park Foundation, is truly a conservation success story.

With the bison population above the 1,000-animal threshold, the long-term genetic integrity of the herd is believed to be stable and therefore, this “conservation herd” has a high probability of being sustainable in the long term. Most conservation herds number less than 500 individuals; only a handful have reached the 1,000-animal benchmark.

Celebrating Success

To honor the conservation partners for their collaboration and stewardship, Badlands National Park recently held an all-day event on June 1^st for the major donors and partners. The event, which was held on a scenic bluff overlooking the park, included a field tour of the Sage Creek unit where the herd is located, as well as a dinner with live music and speeches by National Park Service officials and the conservation partners who raised critical funding for the cause.

Defenders of Wildlife was recognized during the event and as our representative in attendance, I spoke on behalf of Defenders about the important ecological role bison play and how they bring balance to their environment.

A focal point of the celebration was when, James Cross, council member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe of the Lakota people, conducted a Lakota blessing to “bring the family home,” the “tatanka,” translated as “buffalo” or “buffalo bull.”

The lives of Native Americans have revolved around the bison’s migration across the vast plains of North America—from Canada to Mexico, the Pacific Northwest to the Appalachian Mountains—for centuries.

“For thousands of years we have had a relationship with this animal and we still do today,” Cross said. This relationship can once again prosper with Badlands National Park’s determination to return the bison back to its historic range and with the support of the Lakota people and the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota.

“Our ancestors depended on the bison; it was our food, our clothing our shelter,” said Cross, as he held up an eagle feather to begin the blessing of the bison.

Defenders of Wildlife is committed to this recovery effort to reestablish the American bison in the Badlands and to establish additional conservation herds of 1,000 or more animals on large landscapes in other national parks and public and tribal lands across the West.

Follow us on social media to stay up-to-date on the status of our bison conservation efforts and other developments important to wildlife conservation and our work. Don’t forget to sign up for our emails where you will get all the latest news and action alerts to support wildlife.

The post Bringing Bison Back to the Badlands appeared first on Defenders of Wildlife Blog.

This spring, we wrapped up another exciting field season for our Wolverine Watchers! This data collection program, in partnership with the Bitterroot National Forest, set up monitoring stations for medium-sized carnivores of the Northern Rockies. We were particularly looking for wolverines and fishers, and hoped to also find Canada lynx.

Well, what a year! With more than 140 volunteers tallying well over 2,000 volunteer hours, we gathered more than 12,000 photos of wildlife in the mountains and creek bottoms of the Bitterroot National Forest, south of Missoula. We found 20 different species, including some of the ones we were most eager to see! We found black bear, bobcat, a variety of bird species, deer mouse, flying squirrel, marten, moose, mountain lion, red fox, red squirrel, snowshoe hare, western striped skunk, wolf and wolverine. Here are some great shots from the remote cameras:

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moose

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bobcat

The most photos taken were of martens and birds. Their eagerness to consume the bait bit by bit was thoroughly entertaining to observe via the stream of photos they left behind. And the most exciting result of all – we had wolverines at seven of our stations, compared to only four last year! From what we can tell from the unique markings on their chests, it appears that we actually documented four individual wolverines! We won’t know that for sure until the genetic results come back from the lab, which will likely take some time, but it certainly looks that way. Based on their unique markings, we got to know our wolverines rather well, and were thrilled to watch them pop up at each of the stations. Last year, once we got our results back, it was very exciting to learn that we had documented two wolverines, a male and a female. It looks like this year at least one and perhaps both of those wolverines was still in the neighborhood and visited our stations again.

Also, one of our volunteers is a photographer, so he set up a fancy camera set that has a trigger and flash system near one of our monitoring stations and got an AMAZING photo of one of our favorite individual wolverines!

This region is an important chunk of core habitat for wolverines, and a connectivity zone that links several large mountain ranges together. If we had not found any wolverines with this project, it would have been very concerning. So while we weren’t surprised to see them, it was definitely reassuring to see that wolverines are still using this landscape.

While we were excited about the wolverine results, we are disappointed that once again we did not find fishers. We set most of our monitoring stations in fisher habitat and areas they have been found in the past – but we did not find any. This may be a cause for concern – it could mean that the population numbers have dropped, and too few were left in the area to find the bait stations. Two years of data isn’t enough to tell for sure though – we’re still hopeful that we will see fishers here next year.

Now we’re assembling the data from this year’s project to share with wildlife and land managers, contributing to the larger wildlife monitoring effort in this region and helping them make more informed decisions about activities on the landscape.

I want to take a minute again to thank our extraordinary volunteers. These amazing people gave so much of their time and effort to this project, many going above and beyond to contribute to the effort. They’ve been an inspiration to work with, and are the reason that this project was so successful once again. Hooray for citizen science, wolverines, and our public lands!

The post Citizen Science Superheroes find Wolverine(s) appeared first on Defenders of Wildlife Blog.

Originally published in The Huffington Post Denver

His movements were first recorded in Wyoming in 2008. He took off in 2009, heading south for hundreds of miles. He traveled across inhospitable lands looking for a place he might fit in and finally settled in Colorado. He wandered around Colorado for years, then headed north once again, possibly up to Montana. He trekked east across flat lands and found himself in North Dakota.

This is no tale of a wandering, fugitive human, following some wanderlust or trying to find a job. This is M56. He’s a wolverine, the largest (and arguably the toughest) member of the weasel family. These fearless scavengers are incredible — they can drive grizzly bears and wolves away from carcasses, and have been documented climbing 5,000 vertical feet in the middle of winter in less than two hours. M56 was an ambassador for his species, captivating the entire state of Colorado with hope of a reestablished wolverine population, and inspiring all who learned of his immense travels and ability to traverse unlikely habitat. Sadly, wolverine M56’s remarkable life and unbelievable journey ended a few weeks ago near Alexander, North Dakota, where he was killed by a ranch hand who didn’t recognize what M56 was and thought he could threaten livestock.

Scientists studying wolverines in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming fitted M56 with a radio transmitter in 2008 to track his movements. In April 2009, M56 traveled south from the Tetons, through the ‘Red Desert’ in Wyoming and crossed I-80 in Wyoming over Memorial Day weekend. By June, this lone, young male wolverine made headlines when he was spotted (and radio-confirmed) in Rocky Mountain National Park. This was the first time a wolverine was documented in Colorado in more than 90 years. By the time he reached Colorado’s borders, M56 had trekked over 500 miles.

He stuck around and became known as Colorado’s wolverine. In the three years that M56 was tracked by Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), he traveled hundreds of miles across our state from Rocky Mountain National Park, across I-70, and even to the mountains southeast of Leadville.
Coloradans were excited about M56 and what he represented for the state. With fewer than 300 wolverines in the lower-48 states, we hoped his presence might signal that Colorado would once again become home to a population of wolverines.

And it wasn’t just residents interested in seeing wolverines return to Colorado. CPW began drafting plans to reintroduce wolverines to Colorado, and held multiple conversations with stakeholders about the possibility of restoring this animal to our rugged mountains. Climate change models predict that Colorado’s southern Rocky Mountains will maintain enough snowpack for wolverines to den with their young, making it one of the best refuges for wolverines from the anticipated effects of climate change.

Sadly, when the Fish and Wildlife Service decided not to list wolverines under the Endangered Species Act in 2014, CPW put its plans for reintroduction on hold.

M56’s last known location in Colorado was documented in October 2012. Scientists lost track of him after that point, assuming the battery in his tracking device died. But Coloradans’ interest in this remarkable animal held strong. Backcountry hikers kept a watchful eye for M56 (one lucky hiker found him!) and school children asked curiously where he was and what he was doing. It’s safe to say the idea of reintroducing wolverines — and maybe even helping M56 find a mate — caught hold. Now, after learning about M56’s senseless death, many in our state, especially all wolverine fans out there, are left with a surprisingly strong sense of mourning.

Is there anything that can be gained from his passing? M56 may perhaps go down as the most famous wolverine yet known, other than a certain Marvel character. M56’s audacious, wild movements across fragmented, western landscapes is a clear indication of this species’ resilience if we are willing to help them recover. His journey reminds us of the need to connect fragmented lands so wolverines can thrive and to push for wolverine reintroduction in Colorado and other places with quality (but currently unoccupied) wolverine habitat. M56’s story too clearly demonstrates that the patchwork protections afforded by states are insufficient to help this highly imperiled species recover. That’s why we won’t stop fighting to get wolverines throughout the Lower 48 the Endangered Species Act protections they’ve needed for decades.

To best remember and sustain wolverine M56’s immense spirit, we need to harness the inspiration he represents to do something real, substantial, and fast before wolverines across the Lower 48 run out of the snowy habitat they need. Let’s do what M56 did and all wolverines do — push hard, tackle uphill battles, and triumph over boundaries that seem impossible.

The post The Other Wolverine Who Rivaled X-Men for Fame appeared first on Defenders of Wildlife Blog.

It’s February, and the woods are quiet except the occasional rustle of snow drifting down from the tall pines and the gurgle of the creek below. The air is clear and bright. The sky is cloudless and the bright sun reflects off the snow. Any humans would be cold in this weather, but wolves aren’t: they were made for winter. Wolves’ paws have thick pads on them, and they have two layers of dense fur for warmth.

February also marks the height of wolves’ breeding season, and alpha wolves (the parents in any wolf pack) celebrate with increased howling and play. Pups born last spring are around 10 months old now, and food is usually plentiful. Many elk and deer perish naturally in the winter when grass is harder to find, and their own breeding season leaves even the strongest males weakened and more vulnerable to predators. This is how nature designed our forests. A balance of predator and prey that would endlessly cycle and nurture the ecosystem by keeping elk and deer from overpopulating and damaging the forage that supports all life here. If prey numbers decline, then predator numbers decline as well. If prey populations increase, so do predators.

Humans don’t frequent the woods much at this time of year, so the pack is less on guard than during other seasons. Imagine hearing these wolves howl together –a hauntingly beautiful song that fills the woods and echoes back. We don’t know exactly what happens next but, sadly, we can imagine.

A wolf’s hearing is exceptional. They can hear sounds from miles away. Suddenly, the winter peace is broken. The wolves hear an unfamiliar buzzing to the west. It vibrates slightly through the trees. All the wolves stand at alert. Perhaps the breeding female whines and looks around for her youngest pups. She barks twice, a warning to her pack to be on guard. Her pups likely hurry to her side and look toward the unfamiliar noise.

The noise grows louder. The mother barks again. The older wolves sense the sound is heading in their direction and begin to run. The pups run behind them and trust the adults to lead them to safety from the unknown danger. The buzzing quickly grows louder, the noise vibrating the trees and pushing clouds of snow in front of it. The wolves run faster and the loud cloud of snow circles around them, cutting off their escape into the deeper woods. The mother wolf tries to hide beneath the bushes but the pups are in the open. She runs to one just as the first shot rings out. His body drops. Another shot, then another. There is no escape. At least one of the adult wolves is wearing a radio collar that gives away the pack’s exact location. Every wolf seen is killed except one that is left to rebuild a new pack and unwittingly lead the gunners to it again next winter. Only she remains alive when the helicopter moves on to hunt for the next pack. Within a few days, the mission is complete.

Earlier this month, at the request of Idaho Game and Fish Department, the United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services’ agents aerial gunned down 20 wolves in the remote Lolo Creek area of the Clearwater National Forest — public lands that belong to the American people. State officials blamed these wolves for killing too many elk, which are their natural prey. Before the wolves returned to this area in the 1990s, elk here were already in steep decline. At that time, the state blamed it on bears and cougars, encouraging hunters to target them. But that did not bring back the elk for hunters.

Now the blame has turned to wolves. Why? Because state officials are unwilling to admit that this forest habitat can no longer support these huge elk herds and it’s not because of wolves or cougars or bears. It’s because this habitat has changed dramatically. Fire suppression, invasion of nonnative weeds, and pressure from climate change and hunters on ATVs have changed the habitat conditions. The huge open meadows cleared by fire have converted to brushy thickets, denser trees and less grass. It can no longer support the huge elk herds that once grazed here. Even if the state killed every wolf, it would not bring back the elk herds to their historically high levels. But that is not stopping Idaho’s anti-wolf politicians from using wolves as the scapegoat for elk’s continued decline. These aerial gunners killed 80 to 90 percent of the wolves in the area.

There were fewer than 1,000 wolves estimated left in the entire state in 2014. There are also 3,000 mountain lions, 20,000 black bears, 50,000 coyotes, 100,000 elk and nearly a quarter million deer statewide. Yet the state of Idaho plans to spend millions of tax dollars to kill wolves. State political leaders value the elk and deer populations. Many politicians even say they wish they could kill all the wolves in Idaho. Many wish wolves had never returned.

On February 15, 2016, nearly 70 men, women and children gathered on the steps of the state capitol in Boise to speak for the wolves. We protested the killings, and we demanded the Governor and state legislature stop the unrestrained killing of this important but undervalued species.

Wolves were nearly eradicated by man’s ignorance and fear and they are threatened once again by these same perceptions. It’s time to stop this madness. Will you join with us? The Idaho Department of Fish and Game is holding a public hearing on March 9 in Boise, Idaho at 7 pm. Even if you just bring a sign expressing your support for wolves, it is important that you attend. If you can speak on behalf of wolves, we can help you prepare a 3 minute testimony. The wolves cannot speak for themselves. They need all of us to fill every seat with people who care. And if you don’t live in Idaho, you can still speak out against the actions the state took in the Lolo.

Will you come and speak for the wolf?

The post The Wolves Lost in the Lolo appeared first on Defenders of Wildlife Blog.

As heavy snows blanketed the ground of Western Montana during the holiday season and into the New Year, the 2016 Wolverine Watchers project kicked off with an enthusiastic “Grrrr!” A small army of volunteer citizen scientists took to the forests and mountains of the Bitterroot Valley once again, joining the Bitterroot National Forest to set up monitoring stations for medium-sized carnivores of the Northern Rockies.

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Searching for wolverines, fishers, martens and lynx is no easy task – these rare, elusive animals are difficult to detect. In fact, that’s exactly why this effort is so important. We need more regional information about presence (or absence), locations and behavior of these animals to know how to best protect them. More than 150 dedicated volunteers make this monitoring effort possible, many of them returning for more after they helped us successfully kick off the project last year. These hearty wildlife enthusiasts include Wildlife Society and Wilderness Association students from the University of Montana, a women’s book club, avid outdoorsman retirees, serious backcountry skiers, tech-savvy contributors willing to sort through photos and data sheets, and aspiring biologists looking to gain invaluable field experience. Ages run from a 7-year-old to those in their 70s, and we appreciate them all!

While coordinating 150 volunteers and supplies for 23 monitoring sites across two mountain ranges is a logistical challenge, it is incredibly rewarding in terms of data collected, and adventurous day trips into the backcountry. This year, Defenders staff and two highly dedicated and trained station helpers were lucky enough to get out with each group and assist with the setup at each of the monitoring sites in the Bitterroot and Sapphire Mountains. The dedication and enthusiasm of our volunteers is truly inspiring. To gather data, these groups travel to sites that range anywhere from a half mile to 12 miles round-trip, accessed on foot, snowshoes, or skis.

Wolverine Watch 2016, © Defenders of Wildlife

Wolverine Watch 2016, © Defenders of Wildlife

Wolverine Watch 2016, © Defenders of Wildlife

Wolverine Watch 2016, © Defenders of Wildlife

Using non-invasive tools to gather data on multiple wildlife species simultaneously is a pretty cool and effective way to get a detailed look at local wildlife. Monitoring sites are baited with a chunk of wild game meat and combined with a (horribly) aromatic scent lure placed on nearby trees, making the sites irresistible to carnivores. Each site also includes a motion-triggered camera mounted nearby and hair-snagging brushes near the bait that can provide invaluable genetic samples of our targeted species.

With all 23 sites now set up, we’ll be returning to each of them in the coming weeks to resupply the bait, collect hair samples and photos, and see what kind of visitors have stopped by. It’s an exciting time as data starts to roll in! Stay tuned for more updates.

This project is made possible in part by funding from Patagonia’s Environmental Grants Team

The post Wolverine Watchers 2: The Sequel appeared first on Defenders of Wildlife Blog.

If you’re a fan of the Northern Rockies fisher, you probably know why we’re so excited. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service finally announced that this imperiled population of fishers may warrant federal protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The Northern Rockies fisher, a cat-like member of the weasel family, has faced many challenges over the years, and we’ve been working for years to get these animals the protection they deserve. Defenders of Wildlife, along with several conservation allies, filed a petition to list the Northern Rockies fisher under the ESA in 2013, and we are thrilled to see the Service finally take some action toward protecting them.

What’s so special about the Northern Rockies fisher?

Fishers are rare and agile forest carnivores found only in North America. A relative of mink, otter and wolverine, fishers (Pekania pennanti) sport the thick soft fur, narrow bodies, sharp noses, and long bushy tails of the weasel family. They’re really very cute. They prey on a variety of small and medium-sized mammals and birds, and have a remarkable ability to successfully hunt porcupines. Despite their name, fishers do not eat fish.

Fishers are solitary, mostly nocturnal, and big travelers – they may cover many miles in their search for food. Fishers rest and den in hollow trees and logs, and may use holes in trees made by other animals. The Rocky Mountain population of fishers live in extensive, dense forests containing old, large trees. The presence of fishers in an ecosystem in the West is a great indicator of the health of the surrounding forest. Without large, interconnected swaths of mature trees, the fisher cannot survive.

Why are the Northern Rockies fishers struggling?

The fisher has been so reduced in its range and numbers in the Northern Rockies that today it is one of, if not the, rarest carnivore in the region. They nearly went extinct in the early 20th century because of uncontrolled trapping, logging of old-growth forests, and enormous forest fires.

Today, these fishers still have to contend with loss and deterioration of their forested habitat thanks to logging, insect infestation, disease and human development. And, as the climate changes and severe fire becomes more frequent throughout the West, they will likely lose even more of their habitat.

But more than any other threat, a dramatic increase in trapping is pushing these critters close to the brink. Despite their very low numbers, it is still legal in Montana to purposely trap fishers. And in Idaho, even though direct trapping is not allowed, incidental trapping (the accidental trapping of fishers when intending to catch something else) has reached an alarming high. Since fishers are curious by nature, they are especially vulnerable to traps set for other species such as marten or bobcat. Since 2000, at least 300 fishers have been trapped in Idaho alone, and 1/3 of those incidents occurred between 2012 and 2014. With fishers considered to be one of the rarest carnivores in the Rockies, there is no time to lose when it comes to protecting the Northern Rockies fisher.

So what happens next?

Conservation groups originally petitioned for Northern Rockies fisher listing under the Endangered Species Act in 2009, but the request was denied because levels of incidental trapping were lower at the time and we knew less about the habitat that fishers need to survive. As our knowledge about these animals improved and trapping conditions grew worse, we decided to try again, and the latest petition for protection was filed in September 2013. When the Service failed to respond to it after a whole year, our partners filed a lawsuit – just the kick in the pants the Service needed to act.

This latest announcement means that the Service believes the Northern Rockies fisher may warrant protection and it will now undertake a year-long status review to determine whether or not to grant protection. If the fishers are listed under the ESA, it would provide federal resources to promote fisher recovery. It could trigger a ban on trapping of these vulnerable animals in places where it is still legal (Montana) and could include new rules on modifying the traps set for other animals so that they’re less likely to catch fishers. A listing under the ESA could also prompt greater protections for the mature forests that make up the habitat that is critical for fishers’ survival. In short, it could make a world of difference for these imperiled creatures.

The post Fantastic News for Fishers appeared first on Defenders of Wildlife Blog.

Colorado

This past November, Colorado Parks and Wildlife proposed a resolution banning Mexican gray wolves from being reintroduced into our state. Jonathan Proctor, our Rockies and Plains Program Director, attended the Commission’s meeting in Wray and, as the only member of the public present to speak, strongly stated Defenders’ opposition to the anti-wolf resolution: 

“The department’s vision statement reads: “Colorado Parks and Wildlife is a national leader in wildlife management, conservation, and sustainable outdoor recreation for current and future generations.” A ban on active wolf recovery would not make Colorado Parks and Wildlife a leader in any of these categories; rather, it would be a betrayal to current and future generations.  Colorado is better than this! We are honored to share our lands with wildlife, including the Mexican gray wolf which needs our great state to recover.”

The Commission was expected to vote on the anti-wolf resolution at its January meeting, so we encouraged all local wolf advocates to rally and speak out for wolf recovery in Colorado. To prepare for this fight, Defenders hosted a series of briefings to explain why Mexican gray wolves need to expand into Colorado to survive. Wolf advocates learned how to write compelling comments and testimony, and more than 50 supporters rallied with us and our partners in the conservation community at the hearing.

As expected, the pro-wolf community turned out in force to the Commission meeting. The meeting room was filled to capacity with 150 people, and 30 additional attendees were forced to stand outside the meeting room doors listening to the debate. On top of that, 100 more people waited outside the building, hoping to have the opportunity to testify.  It was fantastic to see wolf supporters dominating the turnout.

Unfortunately, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission voted to approve its anti-wolf resolution, which “opposes the intentional release of any wolves into Colorado,” including Mexican gray wolves. Even though this decision was a blow to Mexican gray wolf recovery, we were so inspired by the number of passionate citizens who showed their support for one of our most iconic animals.

New Mexico

At its August meeting in Santa Fe, the New Mexico Fish and Game Commission heard an appeal from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, after the Commission had denied the Service’s permit to release captive wolves into New Mexico. The following month, the commission denied the appeal at its meeting in Albuquerque, and in October, the Turner Endangered Species Fund made its appeal on the denial of the permit it has held for the past 17 years to hold Mexican gray wolves at its Ladder Ranch pre-release facility. These large, fenced holding pens gave Mexican gray wolves a safe haven en route to or from the wild.

At each commission meeting, we gathered with dozens of Defenders of Wildlife members to show our support for wolves. We were not allowed to speak at any of these meetings, so instead, we held signs that read, “More Wolves, Less Politics.” The message was a powerful if silent one.

When the rally before last week’s meeting began at 8 a.m., the mercury measured below 20 degrees. But despite the cold temperatures, more than 50 activists – roughly the number of Mexican wolves in the state – gathered outside to march with signs and listen to speakers comment on this pressing matter. It was heartening to see so many dedicated advocates brave the elements in support of Mexican gray wolves.

Even after the commission voted unanimously to deny the permit, we recognized that our fight was not over. Despite continued opposition from the game commission, wolf advocates have continued to make their voices heard in letters to the editor, at meetings with local elected leaders, and at rallies and meetings across our state. Without a doubt, we’ve made this an issue that the state cannot ignore.

We Want Wolves

The momentum for protecting Mexican gray wolves is strong, and together, we succeeded in raising the profile and visibility of this important issue. Defenders will keep moving forward with our wolf recovery efforts and we hope that you will continue to speak out and stand with us. The enthusiasm and dedication of hundreds of wolf supporters in New Mexico and Colorado sent a clear message from wildlife advocates that we are not giving up until lobos are home for good!

The post Howling for Wolves Across State Lines appeared first on Defenders of Wildlife Blog.

About 150 years ago, millions of bison roamed the Great Plains, including many parts of Colorado. Unfortunately, mass slaughter of bison beginning in the early 1800s led to fewer than 1,000 bison remaining by 1889. Today, thanks to the work of Native American tribes, government agencies, groups such as Defenders of Wildlife and passionate citizens, wild bison are making a small comeback in a few scattered places.

This year, another location has joined the list of places restoring wild bison. As part of National Bison Day celebrations, ten bison, descendants of wild Yellowstone National Park bison, were reintroduced to Soapstone Prairie Natural Area, a city-owned property just north of Fort Collins, Colorado. This new herd currently consists of seven adult bison females, two yearling females and one bull calf. The short-term goal is to more than double the pasture size – currently about 1,000 acres – within the next year or so to accommodate more bison. The long-term goal is not yet decided, but the potential for expansion is tremendous. It’s up to the people of Fort Collins, Colorado and Larimer County to decide.

Defenders was happy to help make this reintroduction a reality by providing financial support for the bison fencing, and by volunteering at Soapstone Prairie last summer to help ready the range for the bison’s return. Thanks to the conservation vision of the City of Fort Collins, Larimer County, Colorado State University and others, bison are once again roaming a landscape that has not seen the hoof prints of these iconic animals for nearly 150 years. Defenders staff and supporters joined more than 350 community members to witness the reintroduction and celebrate as these animals thundered out of their holding corral, home once again on the prairies of Colorado.

Defenders staff and supporters were excited to watch the release.

© Melissa Rider

Community members enjoy the Welcome Home, Bison ceremony at Colorado State University’s Foothill Campus.

© Caitlin Cattelino

Members of the Crow Nation blessed the bison herd before their release.

© Christine Tapparo

Crowd gathers to watch the reintroduction

© Caitlin Cattelino

Bison roar out of their holding corral and onto their new home at Soapstone Prairie Natural Area.

© Christine Tapparo

View of the holding corral and bison pasture

© Caitlin Cattelino

Bison roar out of their holding corral and onto their new prairie home Soapstone Prairie Natural Area.

© Christine Tapparo

Bison roar out of their holding corral and onto their new prairie home Soapstone Prairie Natural Area.

© Christine Tapparo

Up close look the fence around the bison pasture

© Melissa Rider

The post The Bison Are Back! appeared first on Defenders of Wildlife Blog.

Seabiscuit and Louise have an important role at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge (Arsenal) – and they are up for the challenge. Stationed close to the park’s visitor center, these two are the “ambassador” black-footed ferrets of the Arsenal, and afford all of the park’s visitors a rare and up-close look at one of North America’s most endangered mammals.

Seabiscuit hunts for his breakfast at the Arsenal NWR visitor center.

Black-footed ferrets once numbered in the tens of thousands, but due to loss of habitat and prey, they were brought to the brink of extinction. In fact, in 1986, only 18 ferrets remained in the wild. Thankfully, today these imperiled critters are making a comeback. Collaborative efforts among state and federal agencies, conservation organizations, Native American tribes, and private landowners have helped restore nearly 500 black-footed ferrets in the wild.

Recently, the Arsenal, one of the largest urban wildlife refuges in the county, was selected as the newest reintroduction site for the endangered ferrets. With numerous prairie dog colonies (the ferret’s main food source), a healthy expanse of shortgrass prairie, and other plains wildlife such as bison, mule deer, coyotes, and eagles, this urban oasis is an ideal location for restoring these predators to their native habitat.

On October 5th, 30 ferrets bred at the National Black-footed Ferret Conservation Center, just north of Fort Collins, were released onto 1,300 acres of prairie dog colonies in the northeast section of the Arsenal. It is an often difficult transition that ferrets make from being captive animals to finding their way in the wild. It involves catching prey, avoiding predators, and learning a new landscape – all skills that require the energy of youth and quick reflexes that even the best trained ferrets sometimes fail to master. Because of their advanced age, Seabiscuit and Louise will remain near the visitor center, continuing to act as the “face” of their wild kin, and educating visitors of all ages about the important role these animals play in the grassland ecosystem.

The black-footed ferret’s recovery is a remarkable story. One of the original animals placed on the endangered species list in 1967, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began a captive breeding program to prevent this native species from going extinct when its population in the wild plummeted to just 18 individuals. Because the ferret was federally protected, funding and other resources were available to help establish six captive breeding facilities across the United States, including two in Colorado. The Endangered Species Act (ESA), our nation’s cornerstone and most popular conservation law, was essential in saving the black-footed ferret from the brink of extinction.

But while the ESA has provided us with countless conservation success stories like the one above, today some in Congress are trying to dismantle this bedrock conservation law, piece by piece. Too often the ESA is wrongly blamed by its foes for all sorts of economic woes. Unfortunately, these groups today have too many willing allies in Congress to do their bidding. In fact, since January 2015, Congress has been flooded with more than 80 bills, amendments, and riders, including numerous provisions in the funding bills for the Department of the Interior and other agencies, designed to weaken the ESA or remove protections for specific listed species.

Congressional efforts to dismantle the ESA are in stark contrast to Coloradans’ attitudes regarding endangered species protection. A recent poll conducted by Tulchin Research shows strong a majority of Colorado residents support the ESA and believe decisions about which imperiled species should or should not be protected under the law should be made by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists, not by members of Congress. Specifically, 80% of likely 2016 Colorado voters support the ESA, and 87% believe that decisions about federal protections for specific species should be made by biologists.

These poll results should send a strong message to Colorado’s elected officials — broad-based support for the ESA extends across the political spectrum and Coloradans want endangered species conservation decisions left to the scientists, not politicians.

Even as we celebrate the return of the black-footed ferret to the Arsenal, the law that made it possible to save the ferret from extinction and has been the source of many similar conservation success stories, the Endangered Species Act, is under growing attacks. Now is the time to roll up our sleeves and take on these special interests, so that the Seabiscuits and Louises of the animal world stand a fighting chance.

The post Bringing Endangered Ferrets Back to their Historic Habitat appeared first on Defenders of Wildlife Blog.

With fewer than 300 individuals in the Lower 48, the wolverine is one of the most imperiled species in the U.S. Wolverines once thrived throughout the West’s high elevation mountain ranges but, by the early 1900s, they were trapped to local extinction throughout most of the states. Today, these 300 animals are hanging on in the Northern Rocky Mountains of Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming and in parts of the North Cascades Range in Washington. And this week, news surfaced that wildlife biologists confirmed wolverine sightings in areas in Wyoming they hadn’t recently been recorded, including the Gros Ventre, Wind River and Absaroka Mountain ranges! We’re thrilled to see wolverines in this part of their historic range, since there remain many areas such as the mountains of Colorado and California where wolverine populations still do not exist. These parts of Wyoming contain areas of high elevation and rugged terrain that remain cold and snow-covered for much of the spring and summer. This makes it great habitat for wolverines, which are so reliant on spring snow pack. As you may remember, last year Defenders took legal action against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the agency’s decision not to list the wolverine under the Endangered Species Act. This process is still ongoing, but in the meantime, we’re thrilled to see wolverines being spotted in great habitat in Wyoming!

Wolf Science – “When shooting a coyote kills a wolf”

A new paper published this week documents how wolf recovery is hampered by continued human-wolf conflict. The paper points to the illegal killing of wolves by coyote hunters as a primary reason for wolves’ high mortality rates in many areas of the country. We’ve seen several examples of coyote hunters illegally shooting wolves just this year. Take for example the wolf shot by a coyote hunter in Kremmling, Colorado in April, or the famed wolf “Echo” who traveled hundreds of miles from the Northern Rockies to the Grand Canyon only to be shot in February. This paper underscores our view that as wolves continue to recover and disperse to new areas, state wildlife agencies must increase efforts to educate hunters and local communities about the potential presence of wolves, their status as a protected species, and how to tell the difference between wolves and coyotes.

Rare Lynx Sighting Caught on Camera!

Canada lynx were reintroduced in Colorado about 20 years ago, and although there are a reported 200-300 in the state today, sightings of these elusive cats are rare and always special! So, we thought you’d like to see this photo of a Canada lynx captured by a remote wildlife camera in the San Juan Mountains in southwestern Colorado. Last year, Colorado Parks and Wildlife began an important study examining lynx and their habitat in the area, and they aim to continue this research. The Colorado lynx reintroduction and this valuable research effort offers important contributions to lynx conservation in the West.

Save These Sharks!

The smooth hammerhead and bigeye thresher sharks are experiencing alarming population declines. Due to bycatch in fisheries and the global shark fin and shark meat trade, both species have suffered disastrous decreases in population in recent years. Now the National Marine Fisheries Service is considering whether these animals should be listed under the Endangered Species Act. Take action in support of listing the bigeye thresher and the smooth hammerhead sharks under the Endangered Species Act!

Alarming Rates of Plastic in Sea Turtles
A new study claims that more than half the world’s sea turtles have eaten plastic. This is a serious issue for sea turtles, which are either threatened or endangered in the U.S. Ingesting plastic can sicken or kill sea turtles, and the more trash we dump into our rivers, lakes, streams and seas, the harder it will be to ensure that these ancient creatures continue to swim for generations to come.

The post Wildlife Weekly Wrap Up appeared first on Defenders of Wildlife Blog.

Like the bison, prairie dogs are grassland keystone engineers. Their presence shaped the ecology of the Great Plains and interior mountain grasslands. Yet they were largely eradicated to make way for crops and cattle. Prairie dogs that remain today are a shadow of their former abundance. Increasingly, prairie dogs are also under siege from newer threats. Plague, a bacterial disease more famous as the black death of the middle ages, is now ubiquitous in the environment of the prairie dog. Without immunity from this disease that was introduced to North America around 1900, prairie dog populations can completely die out in some areas when outbreaks occur. Even if the colony survives, some level of infection usually remains, impacting their survival and reproduction.

So despite the impression that prairie dogs seem to be everywhere, a few highly visible colonies scattered over a large landscape are a far cry from the prairie dog ecosystem of old. That ecosystem – created by hundreds of millions of prairie dogs – once supported large numbers of birds, amphibian, reptiles, insects and mammals, including black-footed ferrets, one of North America’s most endangered mammals. The black-footed ferret is the only ferret species native to North America (common pet ferrets are the domesticated version of a ferret species from Europe). They can only survive among thousands of acres of prairie dog colonies, and those colonies need to be arranged closely together in large, contiguous blocks. Restoring prairie dogs is the first building block to reviving the once-vibrant grasslands of central North America. Which brings us to the American Prairie Reserve (APR) in northeastern Montana.

APR is buying private ranchlands with the express purpose of managing them primarily for wildlife, returning millions of acres to grassland habitat. We came to them with a proposal: Because prairie dogs need a boost, can we try some techniques to grow the small colonies on the Reserve to the kind of large complexes needed to replicate the historic colonies that once blanketed the grasslands? APR enthusiastically responded “Yes!”

So in June, Jonathan Proctor and I, along with Defenders’ volunteer Curt Freese (an early co-founder of the Reserve along with myself) traveled to the Reserve to begin the effort to expand prairie dog colonies. We enlisted the Prairie Dog Coalition of the Humane Society of the US, which brings extensive experience in moving prairie dogs out of the way of big development projects, and has developed techniques to build artificial temporary “homes” for prairie dogs. The final partner in the project was a team of volunteers with the nonprofit Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation. These sturdy young biologists (Caroline Hedin, Rachel Karlov, Grace Ellison, Brady Koss, Nathan Collier, and crew boss Ryan Rock) work closely with the Reserve on conservation projects through APR’s Landmark citizen science program.

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Our goals were threefold. First, we wanted to make new habitat more prairie dog friendly, so, we cut down greasewood brush and mowed tall grass in and around a small existing prairie dog colony to encourage expansion and improve survival. Prairie dogs avoid areas with these kinds of plants because they provide cover for predators to hide in. The team cleared a total of 50 acres – that’s a lot more room for prairie dogs!

Next, we wanted to encourage prairie dogs to move into this new area by giving them a place to escape. Prairie dogs are world class diggers, but it’s not so easy to start a new burrow from scratch while keeping an eye out for predators. So we installed 45 artificial “nest boxes”—a ready-made escape tunnel—throughout the new habitat. If we could get them to spread out a bit more, it would encourage the colony to grow. APR staff reported less than a week later that that is exactly what happened: Prairie dogs are already using the new homes and grazing in the short grass!

Lastly, we wanted to protect the growing colony from plague. While exciting advances in managing this disease in wild populations are on the horizon, the current best practice is to tediously go to every burrow in a colony and spritz a small dose of insecticide to kill the fleas that carry plague. So that’s exactly what we did, dusting a total of 12,000 burrows! As prairie dogs come and go from the burrow, they rub on the flea powder and, much like the flea collar on a dog or cat, fleas are controlled. In total, we expanded and protected more than 400 acres of prairie dog colonies!

So American Prairie Reserve, along with its bison restoration, stream restoration, and grassland restoration, is now overseeing a growing network of prairie dog colonies, and Defenders is happy to be a partner. Our success here is crucial—if the techniques at APR encourage prairie dog colonies to grow and expand, we can use the same methods in restoration efforts throughout the prairie dog’s range, restoring this key element of our native grasslands. As we saw, it’s a lot of work restoring prairie dog habitat – but it’s worth it. In time, we may see more “prairie dog wranglers” bellying up to western bars after a long day in the tractor mower saddle…at least we can hope.

The post A Prairie Dog “Ranch” appeared first on Defenders of Wildlife Blog.

Last month, a dozen Defenders of Wildlife supporters and staff joined Conservation Colorado and other conservation organizations for a Sagebrush Safari: Greater Sage-Grouse Lek Tour near Craig, Colorado.

We began our day very early, piling into two large vans and driving north out of Craig. After about an hour, we arrived at the lek site—an ancestral breeding ground for sage-grouse. We could hear the grouse as soon as we got out of the vans: A faint, but unmistakable, call of male sage-grouse. The bubbling sound is incredibly unique and personally, one of the coolest sounds I’ve heard in nature.

We began the short walk to the viewing trailer, donated for sage-grouse watching by Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and settled in. As the sky lightened, we watched an incredible scene unfold before us. Male sage-grouse engaged in an elaborate and flamboyant dance to attract females. Fanning their tail feathers and puffing out their chests, the strutting birds simultaneously flutter their wings, toss long, thick plumes at the napes of their necks above their heads, and emit a sequence of popping gurgling sounds from yellow air sacs on their breasts.

The lek we visited is one of Colorado’s largest. At one point, we counted more than 140 males displaying for the attention of more than 30 females. Watching the grouse was truly remarkable and after just a few minutes, one of the tour attendees whispered that male greater sage-grouse is “like the Liberace of all sage-grouse.” An apt description for the species.

Looking good, feeling confident!

(© Richard P. Reading)

Hanging with the fellas early morning on the lek, an ancestral breeding ground for sage-grouse….

(© Richard P. Reading)

….but breeding is also serious business, with males often tussling for territory on the lek.

(© Richard P. Reading)

It’s all about the ladies, even if they mostly ignore the guys.

(© Richard P. Reading)

In fact, there were more ladies than the fellas knew what to do with on this lek.

(© Richard P. Reading)

Essentials for sage-grouse viewing: coffee, warm clothing, binoculars…and fellow grouse enthusiasts.

(© Caitlin Balch-Burnett/Defenders)

Also on the lek: A horned lark, a fraction of the size of sage-grouse, but just as pretty.

(© Richard P. Reading)

A golden eagle: the biggest, baddest raptor in the Sagebrush Sea.

(© Richard P. Reading)

Oil and gas drilling has degraded important winter habitat for mule deer in the Sagebrush Sea, causing local population declines. Protecting sage-grouse would benefit the beleaguered “muleys” as well.

(© Richard P. Reading)

Built for speed. Pronghorn, another icon of the Sagebrush Sea, evolved to outrun predators that went extinct more than 10,000 years ago.

© Richard P. Reading

Hitting a home run: sage-grouse and sandhill cranes on the same morning!

(© Richard P. Reading)

Wildlife watching is an enjoyable, sustainable, economically valuable activity that is increasingly popular across the country. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reported that 72 million Americans—30 percent of the U.S. population—participated in wildlife viewing in 2011.

(© Caitlin Balch-Burnett/Defenders)

The Sagebrush Safari lek tours are very popular – selling out weeks in advance and hosting more than 200 people – and provide a positive, conservation-driven benefit to the economy of Craig. In fact, the owners of a local motel credited a bump in business from the lek tours last spring (during an otherwise slow period) for keeping their doors open another year. It’s wonderful to see that these popular tours not only raise awareness about this majestic but imperiled bird, but also bring much-needed revenue to rural communities.

Sage-grouse conservation is a hot topic in Washington, DC, and out West. Federal agencies and states are engaged in an unprecedented planning process to protect and recover the grouse and their habitat. All agree that more must be done to conserve this charismatic species, which would also benefit countless other flora and fauna, including elk, mule deer, pronghorn, native trout, golden eagles, jackrabbits, butterflies and hundreds of other fish and wildlife. Visit a sage-grouse lek and it’s impossible not to become an advocate for this fancy dancer.

The post Sagebrush Safari appeared first on Defenders of Wildlife Blog.

Will BLM say “No” to Wolf Killing Contest? Next week, we’ll find out. According to news reports, BLM plans to issue a final verdict about whether or not they will allow a hunters’ rights group called Idaho for Wildlife to hold a multi-day predator killing contest on millions of acres of national public lands in the east-central part of Idaho this January. Before BLM can issue a final ruling, they are required to review the many thousands of public comments submitted on this proposal – 57,000 of those were from Defenders members requesting the agency to deny the proposal. Great work, everyone! We’ll let you know whether or not BLM issues the special permit for this derby next week.

An Update from the Field: A Summary of this Week’s Wolf Research Panel in Seattle: Leading wolf management researchers from state and federal agencies as well as from multiple universities gathered this week in Seattle. Sponsored by the Pacific Wolf Coalition (of which Defenders is an active member), this forum highlighted important new research by Dr. Rob Wielgus from Washington State University that showed that when wolves are killed to protect livestock, it can actually lead to an increase of livestock depredations by wolves the following year. The panel also included fascinating social science research by Dr. Jeremy Bruskotter from Ohio State University on the human aspects of conflicts regarding wolves. His research points to the importance of building trust among all groups and how demonizing one’s opponents can turn potential allies into foes.

The post Wolf Weekly Wrap-Up: Happy Howl-o-ween! appeared first on Defenders of Wildlife Blog.

Returning bison to tribal lands in the Great Plains was not without risk. Many outspoken Montana state legislators opposed to wild bison restoration attempted to undercut the Tribes’ plans. Despite this resistance, the Tribes of Fort Peck persevered at a time when state and federal agencies refused to do so out of fear of controversy. For these reasons, on September 18, Fort Peck Tribal Chairman Rusty Stafne will receive Defenders’ Wildlife Conservation Award, celebrating exceptional commitment to wildlife conservation. Chairman Stafne will accept the award on behalf of the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Reservation, which in 2012 took a leadership role in restoring wild Yellowstone bison to the heart of their historic Great Plains habitat.

The Tribes worked diligently for years to prepare a place at Fort Peck for these important wild bison, descendants of the last bison herd left in the wild after the slaughter of the 1800s. Although a few hundred pure bison survived in captivity, fewer than 25 remained in the wild, deep within Yellowstone National Park. Almost all bison that exist today are captive, and are descendants of bison that were crossbred with cattle long ago; very few wild and pure bison remain. Restoring and growing a new herd of Yellowstone bison is essential to the species’ future. To date, the Tribes have secured more than 24,000 acres for their bison program, and they intend to continue expanding this habitat until they have an area large enough to maintain a healthy herd of at least 1,000 wild bison.

Today, bison at Fort Peck are managed as a “cultural herd” – meaning that the animals are kept as wild as possible, helping the people of Fort Peck Reservation restore their traditions of long ago. This work is invaluable for wildlife conservation, too. By bringing Yellowstone bison to Fort Peck, the Tribes are helping restore wild bison – at least in one place – to their important role as a keystone species of the Great Plains.

So, why was this bison restoration effort controversial? Some in the livestock industry and their friends in state government view wild bison as a competitor with cattle for grass – even on public lands in Montana. Though Montana is more than 94 million acres in size, some in the livestock industry believe there is no room at all for wild bison, a native species. Bison opponents also use the issue of brucellosis – a disease brought to North America by cattle and transmitted to wild bison and elk – as a reason to oppose wild Yellowstone bison relocation. But their concerns don’t match the facts: There is no documented case of bison transferring disease to cattle in the state in the past several decades of study.

Against this backdrop, a program began in the early 2000s to bring a few dozen Yellowstone bison into temporary confinement and identify those free of brucellosis through a scientific process of selection, testing and retesting. Within a few years, biologists had certified these Yellowstone bison free of disease. In 2011 the disease-free bison were ready to leave their years of quarantine. Anti-bison partisans, however, were adamant that none would ever move further into Montana. The search for a new home for these important animals to begin a second wild population, which should have been a cause for celebration, instead became a rallying point for anti-wildlife fear mongering. As the anti-bison vitriol spilled into the public arena, it became clear that no agency or organization, and not even the state of Montana, would escape the attacks of the bison haters, and those who would have offered the animals a new home withdrew in the face of withering attacks. And yet, in a true spirit of community and a sense of cultural obligation to the bison, the Tribes of Fort Peck stood firm.

In January 2012, the anti-bison partisans sued the state of Montana to prevent the bison from being relocated – a step that could have doomed them to years of legal limbo and probably destruction. The bickering continued for weeks, the air of conflict and controversy making it increasingly impossible to find federal or state agencies willing to stand up to the potential backlash for restoring the animals to public lands. Finally, in a dramatic move and with no court order blocking the transfer, the bison were trucked to Fort Peck – during a blizzard, no less! This marked the first ever return of wild Yellowstone bison to the Great Plains – the heart of the bison’s historic range – and the first bison to leave the Yellowstone region alive in decades. The day after the transfer, anti-bison partisans sought an injunction to have them returned to the Park, to which then-Tribal Chairman Floyd Azure responded, “”Now that they’re here, they are here to stay,” asserting the Tribes’ sovereign jurisdiction to manage the bison once they had reached Tribal lands. In 2013, the Montana Supreme Court agreed, ruling unanimously that the move was legal.

It took incredible courage and mettle to do what was indisputably the right thing for bison conservation. Standing up to the bullying of powerful entrenched interests for the sake of preserving Yellowstone bison, a significant biological and cultural resource, was a bold act that serves as an example for conservation practitioners and leaders everywhere. Accordingly, the Assiniboine and Sioux people of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation are more than deserving of this great award.

Watch this 16 minute video to see the return of wild Yellowstone bison to Fort Peck Reservation:

The post Courage for Conservation appeared first on Defenders of Wildlife Blog.

I recently joined managers from the Medicine Bow National Forest, the group of folks who oversee management of the Thunder Basin National Grassland, and a crew of young hands from the Montana Conservation Corps (MCC), on the plains of eastern Wyoming. The managers were celebrating a day unchained from their desks, pitching in with their own field biologists to complete some of the work that goes on daily in keeping the lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service healthy and productive habitats for wildlife. The MCC crew was hired by Defenders, World Wildlife Fund, and the Humane Society of the U.S. specifically for the purpose at hand, which today was “flea control.”

Some species of fleas carry the plague (Yersinia pestis) bacteria, the same plague that gained fame in the Middle Ages by wiping out about a third of the entire population of Europe. Today, plague has a less dramatic effect on human populations — there are only about seven or eight human plague cases a year in the U.S., easily treated if caught in time — but the disease has taken on a much more significant role in decimating North American wildlife populations. Its deadly effects are due to a lack of immunity in many wildlife species to this disease that arrived on our continent very recently, around 1900.

Prairie dogs are well known victims of plague, dying by the tens of thousands each year. Scientists believe plague may be implicated in the deaths of other wildlife as well, including species like mountain lions, pikas and highly endangered black-footed ferrets. For Defenders, the key to ensuring that black-footed ferrets are recovered is twofold. First it’s critical that ferrets have a fighting chance to beat exposure to plague, and second, it is important that the ferrets’ primary food source — the prairie dogs — are also able to survive. Currently, the main way to manage plague outbreaks is to keep flea populations low. Wildlife managers do this by “dusting” — spreading an insecticide powder around burrow entrances, where the prairie dogs brush up against it coming and going and ultimately dust their coats, which kills most of the fleas they may be carrying. While the pesticide kills fleas, it’s not harmful to the prairie dogs or to other animals. The beneficial effects of one treatment last a long time; in some cases, a single treatment can keep plague outbreaks at bay for up to several years. Without the dusting, all prairie dogs in the colony would likely become infected, leading to a sudden and catastrophic population collapse where virtually no prairie dogs in the entire colony survive. When this happens, it can take a decade or more for prairie dogs in that region to recover their former numbers, if ever. To keep plague in check, dusting has become a critical tool in the arsenal to save ferrets and prairie dogs, and the role of the MCC applicators is equally critical.

All of this is taking place in a critical landscape: Thunder Basin is the single most important prairie dog habitat anywhere in the Great Plains today. Elsewhere, plague has ravaged concentrations of prairie dogs, reducing the population of prairie dogs at Conata Basin, South Dakota, for example — formerly home to 30,000 acres of prairie dog colonies and the largest black-footed ferret population anywhere — by nearly 70%. Defenders estimates the current prairie dog populations at all existing black-footed ferret reintroduction sites are less than half what they were in 2008. Such a low number of prairie dogs is profoundly impacting the recovery of endangered ferrets, despite recent successes in places like Colorado and northern Montana to reestablish them. At 14,000 prairie-dog-occupied acres and growing, Thunder Basin represents the largest concentration of black-tailed prairie dogs existing anywhere. But it is also the only place with such a large population of prairie dogs where ferrets have not yet been reintroduced. That’s why Defenders and others are challenging a plan being pushed by the Governor of Wyoming that would force the U.S. Forest Service to poison prairie dogs at Thunder Basin.

At the Governor’s request, the agency would use taxpayer money to poison prairie dogs — a practice that some ranchers support because prairie dogs eat grass, and so do cattle. It was the poisoning of prairie dogs throughout the west over many decades that ultimately led to their decline, and also to the black-footed ferret becoming endangered. More than 56,000 Defenders supporters submitted comments opposing the plan in the first round of public comment. While we have not stopped this ill-conceived proposal yet, the Forest Service is now working to determine what impact the plan could have on prairie dog recovery, and we expect to see their findings later this year.

Back at Thunder Basin, during a break in the dusting work, one of the biologists takes me to visit another nearby prairie dog colony. This colony is special. In 2009, Defenders and our NGO partners began assisting the Forest Service by taking prairie dogs from areas where they were destined to be poisoned, and moving them to the interior of the grassland where they were fully protected and less likely to spread onto private lands. This colony was essentially created from scratch on the site where an old, abandoned colony existed. From that small start of a couple hundred prairie dogs, the colony has now grown to occupy more than 500 acres. In their role as keystone engineers, the prairie dogs have modified the grassland structure, which now resembles a lawn more than a forest of grass. As it turns out, this type of grassland structure is also preferred habitat for the rare mountain plover, a shorebird that has evolved to live in arid grasslands. In a matter of a year, a dozen or more of these birds have seemingly arrived out of nowhere to occupy this “new” neighborhood and have already fledged chicks here.

The work at Thunder Basin is already producing results for prairie dogs and other species that depend on them for survival. We’re showing that there are non-lethal ways to manage the prairie dogs here at Thunder Basin that can also expand habitat opportunities. Poisoning prairie dogs with taxpayer dollars when there are alternatives that promote conservation is an outdated and lackadaisical form of wildlife management that is out of place in today’s world. Even in a remote place like the Thunder Basin, we need creative solutions to coexist with wildlife in a world where habitat is increasingly under pressure from development and human encroachment.

Steve Forrest is the Senior Rockies & Plains Representative for Defenders of Wildlife

The post Gaining Ground appeared first on Defenders of Wildlife Blog.

A reintroduced ferret scopes out its new home.

Last month, I attended the first-ever meeting of the Colorado black-footed ferret working group.  You might think it curious that Colorado biologists had not convened earlier to discuss the fate of the species in the state, since Colorado has been “ferret central” for decades.  Wellington, Colorado houses the federal captive breeding center where most of today’s ferrets are produced and trained for life in the wild.  The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs has likewise been producing ferrets for reintroduction for decades and is where the lead advisor of the group tasked with ensuring captive breeding success resides.  The Wellington center is also home to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Black-footed Ferret Recovery Coordinator, and the Regional office of the USFWS  is in Lakewood, where all things Endangered Species Act for most states within the range of the ferret are decided.  Thus, the path to recovery for the ferret has always been led through the state.

Ferret reintroduction was given a chance here many years ago, in the northwest corner of the state. Unfortunately this early ferret reintroduction effort failed – likely due to a lack of protection for prairie dogs (a primary food source for ferrets), both from unregulated shooting and from plague, which killed many prairie dogs.  In truth, not everyone in Colorado was gung-ho on ferret reintroduction.  Colorado legislators passed a bill several years ago that precluded ferrets (and other endangered species) from being reintroduced anywhere in the state without legislative approval, which hindered participation of state biologists in the ongoing ferret recovery program for years.

Persistence paid off as the USFWS relentlessly chipped away at resistance to ferret restoration in Colorado. What broke the logjam in 2013 was a new program offered up by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in coordination with the USFWS that offered private landowners compensation for growing prairie dogs.  At the same time, a new statewide “Safe Harbor Agreement” between the USFWS and the state gave regulatory assurances that the presence of ferrets would not hinder existing activities like ranching or oil and gas development. Seeing an opportunity to turn their wildlife management challenge into a benefit, private landowners made it known that it might not be such a bad idea for some to get into the ferret-friendly ranching business.  And so a year ago, black-footed ferrets were released on private land.  The Walker Ranch near Pueblo, Colorado is the state’s first try with the new program.  Already, this year, demand is so high for the program that Defenders is supporting the NRCS and USFWS efforts to sort through the prospective new ferret-friendly landowners. We do this by supplying a contractor to collect data on prairie dog abundance that will help prioritize which landowners have the largest prairie dog colonies – and therefore the best chances of success for ferret reintroduction.

And so, amidst the glaze of donuts and the pots of coffee, Colorado’s biologists, those working for state, federal and nonprofit agencies, are at last sitting down to chart the future of the species in the state.  Speaking personally, the renewal and hope that accompanies restoration and reintroduction stands in sharp contrast with what most people in the room are faced with daily…the tally of disappearing habitat, lost opportunities, and impacts to wildlife from things great and small.  So the mood is jolly, a chance to get in on the ground floor of what we hope will be a new growth industry in Colorado…the comeback of the black-footed ferret and the grassland ecosystem it protects through its presence.

Steve Forrest is the Senior Rockies & Plains Representative for Defenders of Wildlife

The post Black-footed Ferrets in the Centennial State appeared first on Defenders of Wildlife Blog.

The night sky was completely dark except for the light from the Milky Way when I heard the dogs starting to growl. They could hear movement in the woods near the sheep bedgrounds and were automatically on guard. Wolves were denned not far away but I couldn’t yet tell what had the Great Pyrenees on edge. A few sheep baaed sleepily in response to the growls. The band of ewe sheep had been anxious lately after their lambs had been separated from them to be shipped to market. In the starlight, I could still make out the snowcapped peaked of central Idaho’s majestic Sawtooth Mountains across the valley.

Sleeping in small tents right near the flocks of sheep helps to deter wolves from preying on them during the night.

The wind stirred fluttering the aspen leaves in the trees around me as the dogs starting circling around the sheep, growling deeply. In the distance, a wolf howled and filled the valley with his lonely song. Coyotes quickly chimed in over the hills to our east. I scrambled out of my sleeping bag and searched for my flashlight but couldn’t find it. I did find the telemetry scanner and flipped it on. Given the summer temperatures, the Forest Service had set a ban on campfires and I could feel the sudden chill of the damp night air. I hadn’t slept well earlier that night because of the noise from the sheep band. The ewes were calling for their lambs until they finally settled down. Even calm sheep are noisy at night though. Whoever invented the fable about counting sheep at night to get a restful sleep had clearly never spent the night with the wooly beasts. My teeth were chattering as I scanned for radio signals. Bingo. The loud steady beep confirmed that the alpha male was close by.

This was my first night on my own at sheep camp as part of the new wolf guardians program, and the year was 1999. I listened to the two dogs as they paced. They were growing even more defensive. A wolf howled closer this time from the direction of the telemetry signal and then gave two short warning barks. Oh great. A train wreck was getting ready to take place. Wolves are usually wary of dogs but these wolves had pups nearby to protect. I had warned the sheep owner that moving his band toward the den site would likely cause a reaction from the wolves as they perceive that the dogs are just funny looking strange wolves and strange wolves are a serious threat to their pups. The dogs started barking loudly and charging toward the sound. I didn’t have any more time to look for my flashlight or my boots. Instead I grabbed the first things that I could find – a metal pot and a wooden spoon! – and charged out toward the direction of the signal clanging away on the pot and yelling at the top of my lungs. Seconds later, I could hear a large animal running away through the brush and splashing across the small creek. Half an hour later, the dogs settled back down and I spent the rest of the night watching for falling stars. I counted dozens before I finally drifted off to sleep before dawn. That night happened 15 years ago; just five years after wolves were reintroduced to Idaho. It was the beginning of my efforts to help local ranchers adapt to co-existing with wolves using nonlethal deterrents to protect their livestock and to help keep wolves from being killed in response to preying on sheep and cattle.

Nonlethal tools like fladry have proven extremely effective at deterring wolves from livestock without killing them.

Nonlethal deterrents were ridiculed in those early days. I knew that telling people that I chased off a wolf with a wooden spoon and a metal pot wouldn’t help convince the skeptics so I didn’t share that part of the story with many of the managers at the time. Fladry was a brand new tool being tested (and laughed at) in the Salmon River country. Radio activated guard systems that blared out everything from the sounds of helicopters to rifles firing and even rock music when they detected a wolf’s radio signal were being tested and revised for broader use. Few ranchers were willing to embrace these new (and some very old) techniques and were encouraged by the federal Wildlife Services’ agents to ignore them and stick with traditional lethal control. A few people stuck with the new tools though. Rick Williamson from USDA Wildlife Services in Idaho revolutionized the fladry system by making it electrified. His wife Carol built miles and miles of the new “turbofladry” by hand on her sewing machine. Rick received a national award for his innovative efforts from USDA, yet many of his colleagues refused to ever try the methods because they felt it would seem to the ranchers like they accepted wolves on the landscape when most deeply resented them.

This week, we held a workshop and field tour highlighting more than a decade of refining and adding new nonlethal tools to our program at the site of the largest nonlethal wolf and sheep coexistence project in the region. In central Idaho’s Sawtooth National Forest – a sheep superhighway and also wolf territory – Blaine County ranchers, county, state and federal agencies, and local wolf advocates are working together to effectively resolve conflicts using nonlethal wolf management and livestock husbandry methods. These methods include deterrents like fladry, livestock guard dogs, and electric fencing, that dramatically reduce or eliminate livestock losses and build social acceptance for wolves. And the results are undeniable. For the last six years, a total of more than 100,000 sheep and lambs have grazed across this area amidst wolf packs. Yet fewer than 30 sheep have been killed in the project area during this time, and no wolves have been killed by government agencies in the project area. Check out the coverage of our workshop on the local news:

These nonlethal control methods are cheaper than lethal wolf management, and Blaine County also has the lowest rate of livestock losses in the state. If you’re interested in learning more about these methods, let us know. We’re always eager to encourage those who have an open mind on the value of working together to resolve conflicts effectively by protecting both livestock and wolves.

For the wild ones,
Suzanne

Suzanne Stone is the Senior Rockies & Plains Representative for Defenders of Wildlife

The post Saving Wolves in Idaho appeared first on Defenders of Wildlife Blog.

First, our volunteers helped attach a barrier fence to an existing barbed wire fence at Rabbit Mountain Open Space to prevent prairie dogs from expanding their colony into neighboring private property where the owner did not want them on his land. One of the greatest obstacles to prairie dog recovery has been that when they take up residence on private land where they aren’t wanted, people often poison or shoot them. That’s why projects like this are so important. The barrier fence we put up created a 3-foot “apron” where the ground and the fencing met to deter the prairie dogs from burrowing under the fence. The top part of the barrier fence is loose and flaps down, making it challenging for prairie dogs to climb over the fence. It is important to Boulder County and other wildlife enthusiasts that this particular population remains in a prairie dog-friendly area, as they are a vital part of the local ecosystem, which includes a nearby golden eagle nest.

Once the barrier fence was finished, the group headed over to Lagerman Reservoir, another open space property, to help build a small log fence to protect habitat for several special status species protected by the county, including the Northern harrier and the burrowing owl. Additionally, this fence will protect an osprey nesting site and shorebirds habitat from disturbances by humans.

The western side of the reservoir is closed to hikers. However, the southern barrier was very minimal, and visitors often ignored it and continued to walk though important wildlife and nesting habitat. For the last six years, Boulder County biologists have wanted to build something more substantial to protect habitat for protected species and the new fence that we built will definitely do just that! In fact, the volunteers were able to see their hard work pay off when they observed a visitor walk up to the new fence and then turn around, staying on the open part of the trail. Success!

Thanks again to our fantastic group of Defenders volunteers for helping to protect Colorado’s wildlife!

Caitlin Balch-Burnett is the Colorado Outreach Representative for Defenders of Wildlife

The post Defenders Volunteers Protect Colorado Habitat appeared first on Defenders of Wildlife Blog.

A grizzly mama and cub trudge through the snow in Greater Yellowstone.

Due to this dramatic population increase around Yellowstone, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has been planning to “delist” these bears, removing them from the list of threatened species. This would return management to the three states in the region: Wyoming, Montana and Idaho. The Service recently announced it is taking additional time to conduct a thorough assessment of threats facing the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem’s grizzly bear population before issuing a draft delisting proposal. Initially expected this spring or summer, we likely will not see a delisting proposal for Yellowstone bears until the end of this year, after the Service has had time to conduct this analysis.

Defenders is carefully following this “delisting” process and will review all new research and policy documents regarding the Greater Yellowstone grizzly bear population. We believe the Service must carefully consider all threats facing long-term sustainable grizzly bear recovery before making a decision on delisting. Here are some of our top concerns for Yellowstone’s grizzly population that we feel must be addressed when considering removing the bears from the Endangered Species Act:

Human-caused bear deaths
Aside from loss of habitat, human-related grizzly bear deaths are the largest threat facing grizzly bears. Bears die when they get into trouble with people’s garbage, kill livestock, are hit by cars and trains or are illegally killed. But human-related deaths are also some of the most preventable. Bears that find livestock, birdseed, backyard chickens or other items on people’s property are often killed out of concern for human safety. Grizzly bears are also shot and killed in surprise encounters where using bear spray might have allowed the person to protect themselves while also giving the bear another chance. There are a number of tools and techniques that people can use while living, working and recreating in bear country that make it safer for both bears and people. Bear-resistant electric fence around chicken coops and fruit trees can stop grizzly bears from accessing those foods, and food storage orders on public lands have been highly effective in preventing food-conditioned bears in campgrounds. Using such tools has in turn reduced the number of bears that are killed or relocated as a result of such conflicts. Any delisting proposal will need to address human-caused bear mortality and ensure that these deaths remain at biologically sustainable limits, and do not significantly increase in a post-delisting environment under state management. It is also vital that measures are in place to ensure the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will quickly address concerning changes – such as a declining population trend – in a timely manner.

Secure Habitat and Connectivity
The closer grizzlies live to an open road or human development, the higher the rate of bear deaths, and the more likely the bears from one population are to become separated or fragmented. Grizzly bears deserve much-needed protections provided by securing what remains of their habitat.

Erin Edge spreading awareness of Defenders electric fencing incentive program. The fences are a great tool to aid in coexistence efforts.

Yellowstone grizzly bears are currently isolated from other grizzly bear populations to the north, which gives researchers some concerns about the overall genetic health of this population. It also begs the question about how resilient an isolated population of Yellowstone grizzlies will be in adjusting to future habitat, climate or other detrimental changes to their environment. Right now, researchers still need a better understanding of how and where male and female grizzly bears can safely move between the Yellowstone ecosystem and other recovery areas like the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem to the north. Any delisting proposal will require significant efforts to secure or conserve habitat within and between these zones, and widespread use of tools that reduce conflict between bears and people.

State Management Post-Delisting
Here at Defenders, we believe science – not politics – should guide the decision on whether or not to delist Yellowstone grizzly bears. Currently some of Defenders’ greatest partners are the state and tribal agencies’ bear management specialists who work tirelessly on conflict prevention and implementation of tools that prevent the unnecessary deaths of grizzly bears. We are concerned that anti-predator politics in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho could influence state management of Yellowstone’s grizzly bears in a post-delisting world. Defenders will continue to work with the states, fight anti-grizzly bear legislation if it arises and closely review any change in state policy to ensure that science – not politics – drives future state management of grizzly bears.

Grizzly bears face many of these threats whether they are listed under the ESA or delisted. Either way, we need grizzly bears and grizzly bears need people to help them on their way to recovery. By protecting their habitat, understanding how to avoid conflicts and through the knowledge and widespread use of tools like bear spray, bear-resistant garbage cans and bear-resistant electric fences we can both call this place home. This will take a concerted effort on our part but we are up for the challenge. Are you? Find out more about our coexistence efforts and what you can do to help grizzly bears here.

Erin Edge, Rockies & Plains Representative

Bear Awareness Week

The post Grizzly Bear Recovery in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem – It’s Complicated appeared first on Defenders of Wildlife Blog.

Russ Talmo stands alongside Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks staff after completing a much anticipated electric fence.

Last month we installed our first electric fence of the season. Working with staff from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, we built a permanent fence for a landowner in Eureka, Montana who had been experiencing annual conflicts with black and grizzly bears on his hobby farm. This region is just west of Glacier National Park and borders the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem, home to the largest population of grizzly bears in the Lower 48. Over the course of two days and variable weather, we managed to install a five-strand, electrified wire fence surrounding a large pig corral and a chicken coop. This particular project, involving a hobby farm in prime grizzly bear habitat, is largely representative of an ever-growing segment of the human population. These are not ranches producing commercial livestock. Hobby farms tend to be private landowners that often have a menagerie of small livestock, livestock feed and other attractants at their residence for personal use.

Chickens and geese look on, as the newly installed electric fence is activated for the first time.

Based on the level of interest and turnout of help to build this fence, I think it speaks volumes to the significance of this project. Multiple grizzly bears that have learned to find the stored grain used to feed pigs and chickens have been trapped at this location over the years, including one sow and cubs on two separate occasions. Furthermore, several black bears “guilty” of the same offense, were also relocated or killed due to conflicts. This site was a high priority with a long history of human-bear conflicts. Tim Thier, Regional Biologist for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks had this to say about the fencing project: “I really think this is going to work and am very hopeful that we have caught our last bear at this place. If so, I will look back when I retire and consider it one of the more significant accomplishments during my career.” We are proud to be a part of this fencing project and many more to come!

Russ Talmo, Rockies & Plains Field Technician

The post Notes from the Field: Installing Fences in Bear Country appeared first on Defenders of Wildlife Blog.

Russ sets a snare.

Hair snare stations use scent to lure an animal into investigating white plastic triangular boxes lined with brushes. In doing so, the brushes capture strands of their fur. Then we return in a few weeks to gather any hair on the brushes and send it to a genetics lab to determine what animal the hair belongs to. We’re mostly in search of hair from fishers, so when we select a site for the station, we try to think like a fisher. Fishers tend to rest and den in large, old trees, and they also prefer to run through big logs and downed branches along the forest floor. So we set the snares on the ground near those big logs or under large trees. We set up 38 of these hair snares!

So what exactly are fishers? The fisher (Martes pennanti) is a rare and agile forest hunter prized for its thick, soft fur. It is a member of the weasel family similar to otters, mink, and martens. Fishers live in forests containing old, large trees, where they prey on snowshoe hares and other small mammals and birds, and have a remarkable ability to successfully hunt porcupines. Despite their name, fishers do not prey on fish.

Defenders of Wildlife and other conservation groups filed a petition with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in September 2013 seeking Endangered Species Act protection for the Northern Rockies fisher, a subspecies with very small populations in the West. The Service will have to give us their answer within one year. Fishers in the Northern Rockies are in danger due to their small numbers and isolation. Ongoing loss and fragmentation of their habitat and human-caused mortality put them even more at risk. Logging and outbreaks of fire, insects, and disease have vastly reduced and isolated their habitat, and continue to consume thousands of acres each year. Historically, intentional trapping and poisoning for their pelts eliminated fishers from much of their range. Today, fishers continue to die each year from a legal trapping season that continues in Montana, and from traps set for other species (called incidental trapping) throughout their range. Levels of incidental trapping of fishers in the Northern Rockies have increased alarmingly in recent years.

A fisher gets caught on a remote camera checking out the area around a hair snare!

The region we selected for this monitoring survey in central/eastern Idaho near Missoula, Montana is one that in the past has contained numerous fishers, but recently, researchers have had considerable difficulty finding them. We thought we’d do what we could to find fishers by using this relatively cheap and easy hair snare monitoring methodology, putting published methods into practice to ensure our contribution is scientifically reliable and usable by researchers. Our results can be compared to a similar effort done 10 years ago, and we hope this will provide interesting information on how the fishers are currently doing in the area.

For the next couple months we will return every 3-4 weeks to those stations to renew the stinky lure and attractant, collect hair, and set it up for the next few weeks of hair collection. We’ll send the hair to the lab, and then we’ll contribute the information we’ve gathered to researchers and land managers in the area so they can learn more about the status of fishers in this important region. We’re interested in part because this information can help inform Defenders’ work in forest habitats to help in the conservation of fishers and other mid-sized carnivores in the Rockies. Stay tuned for late June, when we’ll be able to let you know the results!

Kylie Paul, Rockies & Plains Representative 

The post Gathering Information One Hair at a Time appeared first on Defenders of Wildlife Blog.

It was less than a year ago that the tribes of the Fort Belknap reservation, working with tribal biologists from the Fort Peck Indian Reservation and aided at critical times by Defenders, brought the Yellowstone female mentioned above to this pasture. She was one of 31 bison brought to Fort Belknap in 2013. The short drive of 100 miles from Fort Peck belied the grueling journey it took to get this new mother here. Preparations included upgrading fencing and purchasing grazing rights on tribal lands to allow the bison room to live and grow. More difficult for the female were years of capture and testing to prove that wild bison from the Yellowstone population did not carry brucellosis, a disease feared by the livestock industry. With a clean bill of health, they could be safely moved from the Yellowstone population to start new herds on the northern plains.

The next hurdle in the new mother’s move from the quarantine facility to Fort Peck was vigorous opposition by anti-bison and anti-wildlife extremists, who feared the return of the bison as a potent symbol of an expanding public desire for greater wildlife restoration and conservation. These extremists demanded that Yellowstone bison be forcibly removed from Fort Peck tribal land and returned to the national park. Defenders and our conservation partners joined Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks in taking this issue to court, and prevailed, freeing the bison to be ultimately transferred to Fort Belknap. Finally, only a month ago, Defenders learned of the latest victory in this journey: a court decision that upheld Defenders’ position that the bison of Yellowstone are indeed wild. The way home has taken many turns, but the trip was worth the effort, judging by the frisky enthusiasm of the new bison calf, which seems to leap at the sight of each waving clump of rabbitbrush.

Soon, the bison calf, under the watchful eye of its shaggy mother, will explore the limits of her new range. As the summer progresses, Defenders hopes to find additional resources to grow this space for her even larger, so that in three years, when it is time for this future mother to have calves of her own, it can be truly said that these new generations are of this place, as they once were and hopefully will be forever into the future.

Steve Forrest, Rockies & Plains Senior Representative

The post A New Season for Bison appeared first on Defenders of Wildlife Blog.

Along with the arrival of songbirds and sandhill cranes, a Montana spring brings a surge of news stories and controversy as wild bison leave Yellowstone National Park in search of grass and calving grounds outside the Park. This year, one important story line is Montana’s consideration of a proposal to significantly expand the year-round habitat available to wild bison from Yellowstone in Montana.

(Another story line is that bison are fleeing Yellowstone because they know that the Yellowstone super volcano is about to blow. Please, for everyone’s sake, ignore that one.)

On behalf of our organizations and our thousands of members and supporters in Montana and millions nationwide, we fully support year-round wild bison habitat in Montana. Giving wild bison from Yellowstone access to year-round habitat in Montana is long overdue and would help break the endless cycle of controversy surrounding this important wildlife issue.

Bison stampeding in Yellowstone National Park

The controversy and conflict – which includes taxpayer-funded slaughter and hazing of wild bison – stem from a disease called brucellosis, which can cause infected pregnant animals to miscarry. Cattle introduced brucellosis into the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem about a century ago, and some wild bison and elk still carry it. The livestock industry is concerned about wild bison transmitting the disease to livestock. Such a transmission has never been documented, but the potential, although incredibly small, exists.

Over the last decade, several changes have created an opportunity to write a new story for bison in Montana. With retired grazing allotments and fewer cows on the landscape, there are tens of thousands of acres of public land where there are no potential conflicts with cattle ever. Furthermore, the U.S. Department of Agriculture made sweeping changes to the brucellosis regulations a few years ago, and the regulations are now more reasonable and livestock-producer-friendly.

All of these recent changes are why a diverse group of Montanans got together a couple of years ago to suggest a better way forward for bison management. It was clear that the old ways of bison management needed to be updated. The Yellowstone Bison Citizens Working Group, which was supported by the State of Montana as well as the State’s federal and tribal partners in Yellowstone bison management, came to a consensus agreement supporting a significant expansion in year-round habitat in Montana.

The State responded by issuing a proposal last summer that includes a range of options, including the designation of significant year-round habitat. Over 99% of the more than 100,000 comments support increased year-round habitat.

But several months have passed since the public weighed in, and no decision has been made yet. Negotiations are taking place between the Montana Department of Livestock and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. The board that oversees the livestock agency wants to see the Yellowstone bison population drastically reduced and capped before it will agree to year-round tolerance.

It is a difficult process to observe. Science, economics, public opinion, and common sense make clear that opening up significant year-round bison habitat in areas without livestock conflicts is the logical path forward. Doing so would give the State more management options and flexibility. More fair-chase hunting opportunities would be created. Fewer taxpayer dollars would be wasted on unnecessary hazing, capture, and slaughter. Negative publicity for the State of Montana would be reduced. Wild bison would finally be allowed to roam a tiny sliver of Montana, bringing with them ecological and economic benefits, managed as wildlife, sharing the landscape with all of the other wild critters that call Montana home.

The proposal for significant year-round habitat is not an either-or choice between wildlife or livestock that would benefit one at the expense of the other; it would be a step forward for all Montanans. No compelling reasons have been advanced for not moving forward with significant year-round habitat in Montana. In fact, to not move forward – given all of the major recent changes – would be a great setback and failure for the State.

We urge the Governor of Montana and the wildlife and livestock agencies that report to him to do what science and the public have demanded: allow for year-round habitat for wild bison in Montana.

It is time.

Steve Forrest, Senior Rockies & Plains Representative

The post It’s Time for Year-round Wild Bison Habitat in Montana appeared first on Defenders of Wildlife Blog.

Make no mistake: its Idaho’s elected officials who are leading the charge against wolves. By implementing ever escalating wolf killing programs and ramping up the anti-wolf rhetoric to new heights, they are being successful in creating a destructive culture of wolf hatred and fear in the state based on myth and hype.

Wildlife Services agents fly the “killer bee” airplane over Flat Top ranch looking for coyotes and wolves to kill in response to sheep losses.

A prime example is Governor Otter’s recently established “wolf control board” to implement widespread wolf killing throughout the state. Apparently the zeal with which the Idaho Department of Fish and Game was killing wolves was not near good enough for the Governor, so he and the state legislature created an independent entity whose sole focus is the killing of wolves.  This sounds like a predator “management” strategy from the 1800’s, not the 21^st century. The five-member control board is charged with killing hundreds of Idaho’s wolves, driving Idaho’s current estimated wolf population of 659 down to as low as 150 animals. If any other wildlife population dropped as low as Idaho is planning to drop its wolf population, it would be a prime candidate for federal protection under the Endangered Species Act. With this latest move, Governor Otter is showing that he will stop at nothing to bring the wolf population down as low as possible in his state.

But Governor Otter’s wolf control board is just one arrow in the state’s quiver of wolf killing programs. Since December, Idaho state officials have authorized concealed aerial gunning programs, paid contractors to attempt to kill entire wolf packs in designated wilderness areas, allowed competitive wolf killing derbies to take place and liberalized  hunting and trapping regulations to kill as many wolves as possible as fast as they can. According to Idaho Department of Fish and Game’s annual population count released last week, a total of 473 wolves were killed by people in 2013, resulting in a 9 percent decline in the population. Since wolves were delisted in 2009 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Idaho has seen a 23 percent decline in its wolf population, and the reported number of successful breeding pairs in Idaho has declined by 59 percent.

Gibbon pack in Yellowstone.

Idaho is just getting started. The full effect of their new wolf-killing policies — like Governor Otter’s wolf control board or Idaho Department of Fish and Game’s new predation management plan – which calls for killing up to 60 percent of the wolves living in the heart of the federally designated Frank Church Wilderness area – have yet to be felt. With these aggressive tactics in place, Idaho state officials are openly  predicting a dramatic decline in Idaho’s wolf population.

This is one of the reasons why Defenders has now requested that Department of the Interior Secretary Sally Jewell initiate an immediate status review of gray wolves in the Northern Rockies as a first step to determine whether the species should be relisted under the Endangered Species Act in that region.

Idaho’s continued acceleration of wolf killing as a management strategy is institutionalizing a culture of wolf hatred and irresponsible wildlife management.  And it clearly raises serious concerns about the state’s ability to sustainably manage the species amidst such a climate of hostility. Acts that normally would fall well outside the bounds of fair chase and responsible  hunting ethics are now being touted  as justified and routine.  First, it was county employees who began taking matters into their own hands. A sheriff and his staff created the “shoot, shovel and shut up” raffle publicly condoning vigilante killing of wolves at a time when they were still protected under federal law. Next, a Forest Service employee posted pictures of himself posed in front of a leg hold trapped and injured wolf in a circle of snow soaked in blood before he killed it. After these acts were met with resounding silence from state and federal wildlife managers, the floodgates opened. It is truly unfortunate to now see the  number of social media sites promoting brutal wolf killing, for example: Idaho against the Gray Wolves ; Kill the Wolves ; Kill all the wolves (every last worthless vermin wolf!); Wolves Are Profane Vermin Not Scared Animals ; The Only Good Wolf is A Dead Wolf. And this vigilante attitude is spreading across wolf country. In Wyoming, wolf extremists are posting pictures of themselves in white hoods with dead wolves, earning them shockingly favorable comparisons to the KKK. Another strapped a dead wolf carcass to the top of his car and parked it in a local town square, then called the press, to attract more attention.

We must combat the notion that what Idaho is resorting to is traditional or responsible “wildlife management” before other states follow their lead. Washington, Oregon and hopefully, California have an important opportunity to manage wolves in a more principled, ethical and sustainable manner. These states should continue to focus on wolf management solutions that promote proven methods for people and predators to coexist, instead of archaic strategies that focus exclusively on killing as many wolves as possible.

Last year’s Wood River field crew.

Thankfully, there are programs in place that do just this, even in Idaho. For example, working with ranchers and local officials in Idaho’s Blaine County, Defenders has pioneered practical solutions to reduce livestock losses to wolves and other predators. Using non-lethal deterrents like fladry, range riders and electric fencing, we have developed programs that dramatically reduce or eliminate livestock losses and build social acceptance for wolves. We have proven that non-lethal wolf management strategies work better over the long term in reducing wolf/livestock conflicts than simply killing wolves.

Idaho is demonstrating to us all  that in the end, they are not capable of or interested in managing wolves responsibly. It would be an enormous tragedy if we saw this type of behavior move beyond Idaho to other states if this war on wolves is allowed to persist. It doesn’t speak well of us at all if this is how we want to be seen as stewards of our natural resources legacy.

After being persecuted for centuries, wolves deserve a better future in this country, and in Idaho in particular.

By Jamie Rappaport Clark, President and CEO of Defenders of Wildlife

This blog post was originally published in the Huffington Post.

The post Hatred is the New Wolf Management Plan in Idaho appeared first on Defenders of Wildlife Blog.