Protection of Endangered Species and Other 

 Natural Resources 



Specific Endangered Species Protection Efforts 



During 1995, the U.S. Department of the Interior's U.S. Fish 

 and Wildlife Service (FWS) and several State wildlife 

 agencies asked ADC biologists to help protect threatened or 

 endangered species. Those requests involved control 

 activities to protect endangered warblers in Michigan, piping 

 plovers in Nebraska, three species of salmon in Washington, 

 Aleutian Canada geese in Alaska, and several endangered 

 plants in Hawaii. 



ADC was contacted by the Maine Audubon Society in 

 January for assistance in protecting a nesting colony of 

 endangered piping plovers from red fox predation during the 

 upcoming nesting season. ADC provided electric fencing 

 materials to personnel from the society so that they could 

 construct a predator-proof fence to exclude the foxes. As a 

 result of this effort, the nesting success for the piping 

 plovers has increased significantly. 



Biologists at DWRC captured 400 brown-headed cowbirds in 

 early April to be used in the cooperative recovery effort for 

 the endangered Kirtland's warbler in Michigan. The 

 cowbirds are used as decoys to trap other cowbirds in the 

 areas of jack pine forest where warblers nest, thereby 

 reducing the incidence of nest parasitism during May and 

 June. This was the 1 5th consecutive year that DWRC 

 biologists from the Ohio Field Station have provided the 

 FWS with cowbirds for this project. 



In Washington State, ADC and the Chelan County Public 

 Utility District entered into a cooperative agreement to 

 reduce predation on salmon smolt caused by northern 

 squawfish. Squawfish feed heavily on salmon smolts, and 

 at least three species of salmon are listed as endangered in 

 the Snake River and Columbia River. During the 14-week 

 squawfish control program, more than 17,000 fish were 



removed. Cooperative funding in the amount of $106,483 

 was provided to ADC by the District to conduct this control 

 project. 



ADC obtained a label from the Environmental Protection 

 Agency during 1995 specifically to use the M-44 device to 

 control arctic foxes in the Aleutian Islands in Alaska for the 

 protection of threatened and endangered bird species. ADC 

 conducted a joint training session with the Alaska 

 Department of Environmental Conservation in May to certify 

 FWS employees for M-44 use. ADC will maintain strict 

 monitoring of all M-44 use in Alaska via weekly reporting 

 from FWS. 



The Nevada Division of Wildlife and the Arizona Game and 

 Fish Department requested ADC assistance in a mountain 

 lion survey. Nevada officials speculate that an endangered 

 subspecies of lion, the Yuma puma, may be residing in 

 southern Nevada. ADC captured four lions and collected 

 blood samples for DNA analysis. 



The U.S. Army garrison in Hawaii signed a cooperative 

 agreement with ADC during the summer to conduct feral 

 goat and pig control operations in forest reserves and 

 military reservations that they manage on the island of 

 Oahu. These forests and mountains provide habitat for 

 numerous species of endangered plants that are at risk from 

 the goats and pigs. On the island of Kauai, ADC expanded 

 its control program to include the Huleia National Wildlife 

 Refuge near Lihue. In this area, feral cats and dogs that 

 prey on endangered waterbirds are being removed. 



In September 1995, a pack of six wolves killed at least three 

 500-pound calves about 40 miles southwest of Helena, MT. 

 ADC's wolf management specialist confirmed the loss, and 

 as directed by the FWS, trapped five of wolves, which are 

 listed as an endangered species. The wolves were then 

 relocated to another area where they were less likely to 

 cause damage. No further predation on calves has occurred 

 since the wolves were caught, 



ADC assisted research biologists from Louisiana State 

 University in capturing two nuisance Louisiana black bears 

 on Avery Island, which is located in lower Iberia Parish. The 

 bears, listed as threatened under the Endangered Species 

 Act, caused school officials to become concerned about 

 safety when the animals began frequenting the island's 

 elementary schoolyard in search of food. The bears were 

 immobilized and translocated 70 miles north to the 

 Atchafalaya River National Wildlife Refuge to resolve the 

 problem. 



ADC Program Highlights, 1995/9 



