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

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.

ALUS in Alberta – Good News for American Duck Hunters – ‘Farmers Conservation Plan’ Launches on Breeding Grounds

Today’s launch of the first Alternative Land Use Services (ALUS) pilot program in Alberta—a prime duck-producing province—is great news for U.S. hunters. Designed by Delta Waterfowl and backed by several Canadian farm groups, ALUS compensates agr…

Two Service Biologists Lost in Oregon Plane Crash

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

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

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.

House of Commons Votes to Repeal Long-gun Registry

A private member’s bill to repeal the federal long-gun registry passed its first hurdle Wednesday as the House of Commons voted to scrap the controversial measure that requires Canadian citizens to register all firearms—including shotguns and rifle…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Brown bat with white-nose syndrome. Credit: Marvin Moriarty / USFWS
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