In continuing proactive efforts to protect migratory birds, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today released its Birds of Conservation Concern 2021 report. The publication identifies 269 species of birds that represent high conservation priorities for the Service and deserve proactive attention. This science will be used for cooperative research, monitoring and management actions that can directly […]
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Posted inRegional
Collaborative partnership results in first ever release of 115 zoo-reared Foothill yellow-legged frogs
July 1, 2020 – Recently, 115 Foothill yellow-legged frogs, hailing from the Oakland Zoo, called the Plumas National Forest their new home. Little did these frogs know they were the part of a historical conservation moment – the first ever population of captive-reared Foothill yellow-legged frogs released into the wild. This colossal effort was the […]
Posted inRegional
Population of the Sierra Nevada Red Fox proposed for endangered species status
SACRAMENTO, Calif. January 10, 2020 – Based on the best available scientific information, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has determined the Sierra Nevada distinct population segment (DPS) of the Sierra Nevada red fox is at risk of extinction due to a variety of factors, including the effects of small population size and continued hybridization with […]
Posted inCalifornia
$2,500 Reward offered for information on gray wolf shooting
Sacramento, California January 7, 2020 – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is investigating the shooting of an endangered gray wolf found along County Road 91, Modoc County, California, in December 2018. The male wolf, known as OR-59, was wearing a Global Positioning System collar and the cause of death has been determined to be […]
Posted inCalifornia
“Jump Start” winter-run Chinook salmon return to Battle Creek
RED BLUFF, California May 22, 2019 – Wildlife and water management officials are heralding the early returns of a special group of winter-run Chinook salmon this spring to the Coleman National Fish Hatchery on Battle Creek near Red Bluff along the Sacramento River. As of May 16, 13 fish that were released into Battle Creek […]
Posted inCalifornia
Northern Sacramento Valley Hatchery fish released in second year of species reintroduction
ANDERSON, California April 8, 2019 – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released 185,000 marked juvenile winter-run Chinook salmon into the north fork of Battle Creek for the second year in a row in a continuing effort to jump-start the population. “Last year, approximately 200,000 hatchery-reared winter-run Chinook salmon were released into Battle Creek,” said […]
Posted inCalifornia
Service Seeks Additional Public Input on Proposed Listing of Pacific Fisher
February 1, 2019 – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is soliciting further public comment on its proposed rule to list the Pacific fisher in Washington, Oregon and California as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. About the size of a large house cat, fishers are in the weasel family and occupy mixed […]
Posted inCalifornia
Public Review of Final South Sacramento Habitat Conservation Plan
SACRAMENTO, Calif. May 15, 2018 – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announces the availability of the final Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report for the south Sacramento Habitat Conservation Plan (SSHCP). The SSHCP balances the need for new urban growth with the need to conserve natural landscapes, aquatic resources, and native wildlife and plant species […]
Posted inCalifornia
‘Whittling down’ non-natives crucial to save a beautiful and rare species, the Oregon silverspot butterfly
May 2, 2018 – The Oregon silverspot butterfly is beautiful and rare. Unfortunately, that beauty and rarity is at risk due to habitat degradation. And while the danger is real, there is a plan to address it led by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and their partners. The butterfly, listed federally as threatened since […]
Posted inCalifornia
Sparling Ranch Conservation Bank a win-win for ranchers, developers, wildlife
November 20, 2017 – Amidst the rolling grasslands and oak woodlands of Santa Clara and San Benito counties lies Sparling Ranch, just outside the small town of Hollister, California. On warm summer days, herds of cattle graze and rest on the sloping hillsides. During nighttime winter rains, small, brightly-colored amphibians called California tiger salamanders leave […]
Posted inCalifornia
Paiute Cutthroat Trout Return to Silver King Creek for First Time in 71 Years
October 31, 2017 – In 1946, the world was recovering from the devastation of World War II. In April, the League of Nations held its final meeting and in London the United Nations held its first General Assembly. In America, there were major shortages in jobs and housing for those returning from war. In July, […]
Posted inRegional
Public Comment Sought Ahead of Draft Environmental Impact Statement on Timber Company’s Spotted Owl Take Permit Application
SACRAMENTO, Calif. August 22, 2017 – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is soliciting public input following its receipt of an incidental take permit application from Sierra Pacific Industries for the federally threatened northern spotted owl and California spotted owl. This public engagement precedes the Service’s preparation of a draft environmental impact statement that will analyze […]
Posted inCalifornia
Join us: Help save future generations of seabirds
July 5, 2017 – Would you like to make a difference in a seabird’s life? You can. Just ask members of the newly formed North Coast Chapter of the Seabird Protection Network. They are looking for volunteers this spring and summer in Trinidad, California, to assist with Citizen Science. The organization needs volunteers to collect […]
Posted inCalifornia
Looks are deceiving for ‘scary-looking’ lamprey
July 5, 2017 – A parasitic eel-like fish with a gaping mouth, the rarely seen Pacific lamprey is often vilified. In reality, they provide an important service in our local California waterways. This native creature cleans our rivers, delivers food to the water system with marine nutrients and provides sustenance to tribes. “They can be […]
Posted inEnviro
Path to Safety: Man-made wildlife crossings cut animal-vehicle collisions nearly 80 percent
April 20, 2017 – Each year, thousands of animals are killed by motorists on interstate highways and roads that intersect critical wildlife habitats, greatly increasing the risk to human safety. Looking to address this issue, the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW), with grant funding from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and in collaboration […]
Posted inCalifornia
Return of the Rescue-Reared Salamanders
March 31, 2017 – You can’t blame Diane Kodama, manager of the Ellicott Slough National Wildlife Refuge, south of San Francisco, for having a strong connection to Santa Cruz long-toed salamanders, given how much effort she and her colleagues have put into helping the endangered amphibians survive the historic drought that plagued California the last […]
Posted inLife
Kids! Get in Touch with Nature Through the Saving Endangered Species Youth Art Contest
Feb. 2, 2017 – Protecting nature is critical to keeping our planet thriving for future generations. What better way to do that than by engaging youth to put their imaginative skills to work for wildlife in the 2017 Saving Endangered Species Youth Art Contest. The competition provides school children in grades K through 12 an […]
Posted inCalifornia
Rain or Shine, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Biologists Work Through Some Tough Weather Conditions
January 19, 2017 – The rains came, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service got to work. Whether it was to release more than a half-million steelhead, making sure rotary screw collection traps on the upper Sacramento River were preserved, or monitoring for Delta smelt, a little inclement weather wasn’t stopping the Service from crucial […]
Posted inUS
In a race against extinction, rusty patched bumble bee is listed as endangered
Jan. 10, 2017 – Just 20 years ago, the rusty patched bumble bee was a common sight, so ordinary that it went almost unnoticed as it moved from flower to flower, collecting nectar and pollen. But the species, now balancing precariously on the brink of extinction, has become the first-ever bumble bee in the United […]
Posted inEnviro
New Ocelot Den Found
December 27, 2016 – 2016 was an encouraging year for the endangered ocelots of south Texas! Several females with kittens were documented using remote cameras placed in strategic locations where ocelots live and reproduce. This along with the substantial efforts made by TXDOT to provide wildlife crossings made this recent discovery even more exciting. What […]