Coral Smuggler to Pay More than $35,000 in Penalties
January 19, 2010 by USFWS
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
January 15, 2010 by USFWS
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
November 4, 2009 by USFWS
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)
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Brings Together Latin Conservationists
November 4, 2009 by USFWS
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
November 3, 2009 by USFWS
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.
Service Announces Proposal to List the Salmon-crested Cockatoo as Threatened under Endangered Species Act
November 3, 2009 by USFWS
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
October 28, 2009 by USFWS
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.
Service Awards $800,000 in Grants to Explore Cause, Control of White-Nose Syndrome in Bats
October 26, 2009 by USFWS
At an event held in conjunction with the Smithsonian Institution’s National Zoo in Washington, DC, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wildlife and Parks Jane Lyder announced 6 grant awards totaling $800,000 going toward research efforts to explore the cause and control of white-nose syndrome, a wildlife health crisis of unprecedented proportions that has now killed more than a million bats in the Northeast and remains unchecked
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| Brown bat with white-nose syndrome. Credit: Marvin Moriarty / USFWS | |
Service, United Kingdom Net Internet Ivory Trafficker
October 26, 2009 by USFWS
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service special agents, working undercover out of the agency’s law enforcement office in Richmond, Virginia, helped British authorities successfully bring charges against a man using e-Bay to sell elephant tusks, whale teeth, and other products made from ivory. Investigators with HM Revenue & Customs showed that the man had also falsely obtained and altered a certificate of exemption for use in exporting ivory.
Service Proposes Critical Habitat for Polar Bear
October 22, 2009 by USFWS
The Service announced a proposal to designate 200,541 square miles as critical habitat for the polar bear and will open a 60-day comment period on the measure. The critical habitat proposal identifies habitat in three separate areas: barrier island habitat, sea ice habitat and terrestrial denning habitat.
Assistant Secretary Strickland Announces Support for Listing Atlantic Bluefin Tuna on International Trade Endangered Species List
October 15, 2009 by USFWS
Tom Strickland, Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Fish and Wildlife and Parks, announced that the United States supports a proposal submitted by the principality of Monaco to list the Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) in Appendix I of the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES). CITES Appendix-I listing affords a species stringent protection and prohibits all international commercial trade. The fifteenth regular meeting of the CITES parties is scheduled for March 13-24, 2010 in Doha, Qatar (CoP15).
Critical Report Documents the Risks of Giant Invasive Snakes in the United States
October 13, 2009 by USFWS
Five giant non-native snake species would pose high risks to the health of ecosystems in the United States should they become established here, according to a U.S. Geological Survey report. The report details the risks of nine non-native boa, anaconda and python species considered invasive or potentially invasive in the United States. Two of these species are documented as reproducing in the wild in South Florida, with population estimates for Burmese pythons numbering in the tens of thousands. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will use the report to assist in further development of management actions concerning the snakes when and where these species appear in the wild.
View Report (USGS)
