U.S. Soil Conservation Service (SCS) 



The Soil and Water Resources Conservation Act (RCA) of 1977 has provided the 

 opportunity for SCS to conduct broad appraisals offish and wildlife habitat. RCA 

 requires periodic assessment of the status and condition of all non-federal lands 

 including farmlands, mined land, cropland, pasture land, wetlands, forestland, range- 

 land, and flood prone areas. The 1979 national appraisal was based on available data 

 from the 1977 SCS Natural Resources Inventory and did not include fish and wildlife 

 data. A fish and wildlife data base is being developed for the 1985 appraisal. 

 Activities concerning this fish and wildlife data base are coordinated through the 

 Office of the Chief Biologist, Washington, D.C.^ 



U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) 



The Endangered Species Act of 1973, the Clean Water Act of 1977, the National 

 Environmental Policy Act of 1969, and the Surface MiningControl and Reclamation 

 Act of 1977 (SMCRA) are some of the federal laws that have recently influenced the 

 design and development of computerized fish and wildlife species data bases within 

 the FWS. In addition, the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act of 1958 and several 

 migratory bird treaties also have influenced development of species data bases. As of 

 1980, seventeen computerized fish and wildlife species data bases were identified 

 within the FWS.* Fourteen were operational and three were being developed. Four 

 of the 14 operational data bases included information on both vertebrates and 

 selected invertebrates and three of these four were developed as comprehensive 

 statewide fish and wildlife data bases. The remaining 10 operational data bases 

 include only birds. The statewide species data bases were developed to provide fish 

 and wildlife information needed to meet the requirements of SMCRA. These data 

 bases contain information on 1008, 824, and 844 species of resident and common 

 migrant vertebrates and selected invertebrates in the States of Alabama, West 

 Virginia, and Pennsylvania, respectively.*- '°'" These prototype efforts involved 

 extensive cooperation among state and federal agencies. The basic methodology 

 developed during these pilot-tests is being further tested and implemented in seven 

 additional states. Specific information on FWS data bases is available from the U.S. 

 Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington, D.C., and the Migratory Bird and Habitat 

 Research Laboratory, Laurel, Maryland. 



Statewide Data Bases 



One of the first efforts to develop and implement statewide fish and wildlife species 

 data bases involved the FS, BLM, and other interest groups. This data base, called 

 RUN WILD, '2 included 724 species of vertebrates in Arizona and New Mexico. This 

 marked a major breakthrough in the development of computerized fish and wildlife 

 species data bases. This was the first interactive, totally contained system designed 

 primarily to meet the fish and wildlife information needs of managers and planners. 

 The RUN WILD system has been operational for approximately six years in Arizona 

 and New Mexico. It is a classic example of joint federal/state cooperative efforts to 

 compile and manage information about fish and wildlife species. 



Through another state/federal cooperative effort in the late 1970s, Thomas and his 

 coworkers designed and implemented a wildlife data base for birds and mammals 

 that inhabit the forests of the Blue Mountains of Oregon. '^ This system is now 

 computerized and is being expanded to include other organisms that inhabit forest 

 and rangeland communities.'" 



The Nature Conservancy has developed data bases in 28 states that include some 

 information on fish and wildlife. These Natural Heritage data bases contain inven- 

 tories of animals of special interest, summaries describing their life history, 

 references, and reference maps showing where these animals can be found.*'" 



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