Duck Hunting Chat» USFWS

Service Enforcement Officers Foil Artifact Trafficker

USFWS — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 17:47:52 +0000

An Illinois man was sentenced to pay $150,326 in restitution to the Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge in southern Illinois after admitting that he excavated more than 13,000 artifacts from a Native American archaeological site on the refuge so he could sell them and live off his profits.

Archaeological Resources Protection Act

Secretary Salazar Moves to Ban Importation and Interstate Transfer of Burmese Python and Eight Other Giant Invasive Snakes

USFWS — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 19:41:00 +0000

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today announced the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will propose to list the Burmese python and eight other large constrictor snakes that threaten the Everglades and other sensitive ecosystems as “injurious wildlife” under the Lacey Act. More than 1,200 of the snakes have been removed from Everglades National Park since 2000, where they threaten many imperiled species and other wildlife.

Two Service Biologists Lost in Oregon Plane Crash

USFWS — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 18:07:43 +0000

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service pilot-biologist Vernon Ray (Ray) Bentley, 52, and David Sherwood (Dave) Pitkin, 49, were killed when their plane crashed January 18th near Corvallis, Oregon. The two pilots were participating in the Mid-winter Inventory of waterfowl along the Oregon coast and were returning to Corvallis when the crash occurred. Every winter, select teams of Service pilot-biologists and observers take to the skies to survey North America’s waterfowl during January in one of the oldest wildlife surveys, dating back to the 1930s.

Coral Smuggler to Pay More than $35,000 in Penalties

USFWS — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 17:44:38 +0000

A German national who runs a coral export business out of that country has been ordered to pay more than $35,000 in criminal fines, restitution, and community service payments after pleading guilty to smuggling over 40 tons of coral into the United States from the Phillippines. The Philippines bans any export of its coral resources; coral trade is also regulated under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.

Ginseng Dealer Sentenced to Prison Term, Fine

USFWS — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 16:30:02 +0000

A North Carolina man who illegally sold and transported American wild ginseng in violation of State law and the Federal Lacey Act will spend one year in Federal prison and pay a $50,000 fine. A Service undercover agent documented this trafficking during a three-year investigation focused on the illegal take and interstate sale of ginseng and bear parts in the southern Appalachian region.

Salazar Hosts Forum on Renewable Energy, Job Creation, and Climate Impact and Adaptation

USFWS — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:23:46 +0000

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar hosted a Clean Energy Economy Forum earlier this week with stakeholders from 39 states across the country at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, D.C. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Sam D. Hamilton joined Deputy Secretary David Hayes and other top Department of the Interior officials in discussing the importance of renewable energy and job creation, climate impact and adaptation, and efforts to support and maintain the treasured landscapes of America in the emerging clean energy economy .

Video (The White House)

Climate Change Webpage

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Brings Together Latin Conservationists

USFWS — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:16:17 +0000

This week in Montelimar, Nicaragua, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Fauna & Flora International are jointly conducting a precedent-setting workshop aimed at developing a cadre of conservation professionals in Latin America.

U.S. Hunter Found Guilty of Smuggling Leopard Trophy

USFWS — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:54:53 +0000

A Federal jury has convicted a South Dakota man on smuggling and wildlife charges in a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service case that exposed illegal hunting in South Africa and the "laundering" of smuggled leopard trophies through Zimbabwe and then on to the United States. The investigation previously secured guilty pleas from two South African outfitters, a Denver taxidermist, and four other U.S. hunters.

Case Summary

Service Announces Proposal to List the Salmon-crested Cockatoo as Threatened under Endangered Species Act

USFWS — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:53:07 +0000

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced a proposal to protect the salmon-crested cockatoo of Indonesia as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). If made final, the measure would extend ESA protection to this species. The measure was published in the November 3, 2009, Federal Register.

National Wildlife Refuges Reach Out to Homeschoolers

USFWS — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:49:47 +0000

Environmental education is vital to understanding the National Wildlife Refuge System and our Nation’s wildlife heritage. Outdoor experiences play a crucial role in helping to shape positive lifelong attitudes toward wildlife and nature. Kenai National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska offers the Magnificent Moose program designed to reach local homeschooled children and increase awareness about the biology and behaviors of moose. Homeschool days at J.N. “Ding” Darling Refuge in Florida offer programs revolving around a Service theme such as Nature Photography, Junior Duck Stamp and Estuary Day. Read more in the current issue of Refuge Update, the bimonthly newsletter of the Refuge System.