U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Suspends Operations in Missouri Due to Federal Government Lapse in Appropriations

Due to a lapse in appropriations that has caused a federal government shutdown, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service facilities and lands are now closed to the public and public use activities have been suspended nationwide. This includes all National Wildlife Refuges, Waterfowl Production Areas, National Fish Hatcheries, Fish and Wildlife Coordination Offices and Ecological Services Offices.

In Missouri the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has closed nine national wildlife refuges, one ecological services office, one national fish hatchery and one fish and wildlife coordination office totaling more than 61,000 acres of land.

Squaw Creek, Swan Lake, Great River, Clarence Cannon, Big Muddy, Middle Mississippi, Pilot Knob, Mingo and Ozark Cavefish national wildlife refuges and Neosho National Fish Hatchery are all now closed to public access and any events scheduled at these facilities have been cancelled.  In addition, the Columbia Fish and Wildlife Coordination Office, Ecological Services Office and Private Lands Office are also closed.

Wildlife-related recreational activities on U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lands, such as hunting, fishing, environmental education or other public events scheduled at any of these facilities are cancelled.

We are asking the public to delay their plans to visit any of these locations until U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lands and facilities are re-opened.

In the Midwest Region of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service which covers the states of Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin, more than 800 employees have been placed in unpaid furlough status and 55 national wildlife refuges, 12 wetland management districts, six national fish hatcheries and more than 1.2 million acres of federal public lands are closed.

Wildlife Refuge Near Arrow Rock Change Hunting Regulations

Missouri River (Photo credit: kewing)

The Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge will restrict hunting on the Jameson Island Unit of the refuge to archery only, and a portion of the unit will be closed to public entry. The reason for this change is to provide safer conditions for contractors and the public as contractors with heavy equipment begin work on a side channel construction project in the closed area. This refuge unit is adjacent to the historic community of Arrow Rock, Missouri. 

Previously the unit was open to all legal hunting methods in accordance with state and federal codes. Other permitted activities such as hiking, fishing and nature observation will continue outside the immediate closed construction area. The immediate construction area will be closed to all public access for safety reasons until the project is complete. Violation of the closed construction area could result in prosecution. The Lewis and Clark Trail of Discovery will remain open for ¾ mile until it reaches the closed area. Access to the Missouri river from the trail will no longer be possible during the construction period. 

During the next year, this refuge unit will undergo habitat improvement to reconnect the Missouri River with its floodplain. The Jameson Island side channel project includes restoration of shallow water habitat through creation of an additional side channel extension on the Missouri River. A contractor for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District, will excavate a new side channel approximately one-mile long and link it to an existing side channel constructed in 2006 and 2007. The amount of flow diverted into this side channel from the Missouri River will be less than 10% during the navigation season.
Shallow, slower water provides better habitat for many fishes, in particular the endangered pallid sturgeon. 

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 94-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System that encompasses more than 560 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 70 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 78 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.

The Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge encompass over 16,700 acres of public land in eleven separate units in the Missouri River Floodplain between Kansas City and St. Louis. For further information about the Big Muddy National Fish and Wildlife Refuge and to see a map of the updated restrictions visit us on the web at www.fws.gov/refuge/big_muddy/.

Connecting with America’s Great Outdoors

More than 6 million people visit refuge lands around the Midwest Region each year. Refuges provide many great opportunities to connect with the outdoors. Whether you’re into hunting, fishing, or just getting outside - refuges have something for everyone. Today, more and more people consider refuge lands among their favorite places to visit - both in person and virtually.

To make it even easier for you to connect to all of your refuge lands, we have launched redesigned websites for all 57 National Wildlife Refuges and 12 Wetland Management Districts across the Midwest Region. These websites are designed to provide up to date information and help you find what you’re looking for quickly and easily.

Check out your favorite Midwest Region refuge’s website today!

For clickable map visit site

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Fisheries’ recreation and conservation activities are huge economic drivers for nation

Image via WikipediaWASHINGTON -- The fisheries program of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
in association with state agencies and other conservation organizations,
contributes $3.6 billion to the nation’s economy and supports 68,000 jobs
across the country, according to a new report issued by the agency.

“The report confirms once again that fishing, hunting and other outdoor recreational activities are an economic engine for our country,” said
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. “When we invest in restoring fish
and wildlife habitat and creating opportunities for people to enjoy
outdoor recreation, we are investing in economic growth and jobs for the
American people.”

Overall, hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation contribute an estimated
$730 billion to the U.S. economy each year, Salazar noted. One in twenty
U.S. jobs are in the recreation economy – more than there are doctors,
lawyers, or teachers.

The report, Conserving America’s Fisheries, An Assessment of Economic
Contributions from Fisheries and Aquatic Resource Conservation, shows that
each dollar invested in the Service’s Fisheries Program, combined with its
partners, generates about $28 in economic contributions and value.
The economic contributions generated are evidenced at sporting goods
stores, marinas, guides and outfitter services, boat dealerships, bait
shops, gas stations, cafes, hotels, and many other enterprises.

“Since 1871, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Fisheries Program has been
a leader in managing species, conserving habitat and sustaining the
biological health of America’s aquatic resources,” said U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe. “These resources are inextricably tied
to the health and wealth of our nation. These benefits are ecological,
scientific, aesthetic, recreational, commercial, subsistence, social,
cultural – and economic in nature.”

The report – the first time that Service economists have analyzed the
economic contributions of the nation’s fisheries programs – finds that a
total of 68,000 American jobs are associated, directly or indirectly, with
the fisheries conservation programs and projects.

The report also shows the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Fish
Hatchery System alone generates $900 million in industrial output and $550
million in retail sales. National Fish Hatchery programs generate 8,000
jobs and $256 million in salaries and wages.

Meanwhile, the National Fish Passage Program works with partners to reopen
an average of 890 miles of river habitat annually, which has a economic
value of $483 million and supports 11,000 jobs. That is more than $542,000
in economic benefit per stream mile restored.

The Service’s Fisheries Program plays a vital role in conserving America’s
fisheries, along with key partners from states, tribes, federal agencies,
other Service programs, and private interests.

The fisheries program consists of almost 800 employees nationwide, located
in 65 Fish and Wildlife Conservation Offices, 70 National Fish Hatcheries,
9 Fish Health Centers, 7 Fish Technology Centers and a Historic National
Fish Hatchery and Archives.

The program supports the only federal fish hatchery system, with extensive
experience culturing more than 100 different aquatic species.

These employees and facilities provide a network that is unique in its
broad on-the-ground geographic coverage, its array of technical and
managerial capabilities, and its ability to work across political
boundaries and embrace a national perspective.

For a copy of the report, or to see the summary of the report titled Net
Worth: the Economic Value of Fisheries Conservation, please visit
http://www.fws.gov/FHC/.

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• America's Great Outdoors (missourioutdoors.blogspot.com)
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Fish and Wildlife Service Releases Blueprint for the National Wildlife Refuge System

Image via Wikipedia

FAMILY-OUTDOORS

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today made public a renewed vision for
the growth and management of the National Wildlife Refuge System. The
document, initially drafted by the Service and the National Wildlife
Refuge Association, articulates a 10-year blueprint for the Refuge System.


Entitled Conserving the Future: Wildlife Refuges and the Next Generation,
the Service’s vision was developed with extensive input from stakeholders
through a transparent public process during the last 18 months. The final
version of the document is now available online at
www.americaswildlife.org.

“For more than 100 years, the National Wildlife Refuge System has
conserved America’s great wildlife heritage and working lands for current
and future generations, and this blueprint will ensure that a new era of
conservation – one rooted in strong partnerships with the community –
remains vibrant for the next 100 years,” said Secretary of the Interior
Ken Salazar. “I applaud the Fish and Wildlife Service for their commitment
to increasing the public’s access to open spaces and to inspiring a new
generation to enjoy America’s great outdoors and get involved in
conserving our nation’s wild things and wild places.”

Conserving the Future underscores the importance of building and expanding
partnerships – working together with other federal agencies, states,
tribes, conservation organizations and citizens.

“The conservation challenges of the 21st century demand that the Service
renews its commitment to our important relationship with state fish and
wildlife agencies and with traditional partners such as anglers and
hunters,” said Dan Ashe, Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service. “At
the same time, we need to be creative and bold in forging new
partnerships.”

Among the vision’s recommendations, the Refuge System will:
launch an urban refuge initiative to increase the American
people’s connection with their natural heritage, including wildlife
refuges;
work with state fish and wildlife agencies to prepare a strategy
for increasing quality hunting and fishing opportunities – especially for
youth and people with disabilities – on wildlife refuges;
collaborate more with private and regional groups to conserve
wildlife habitat;
undertake an inventory and monitoring of the Refuge System’s land
and water resources to better protect them against future threats;
develop a plan to guide refuges in assessing potential climate
change impacts to refuge habitats and species; and
plan for strategic growth by prioritizing potential acquisition
sites and assessing the status of current habitat protection efforts.

To date, three implementation teams are focusing on 1) strategic growth of
the Refuge System; 2) an urban wildlife refuge initiative; and 3)
leadership development, and six more teams are being formed to focus on
aspects of the vision.

In describing the Refuge System’s role in addressing America’s
conservation challenges, the vision document states: “Human demands on the
environment combined with environmental stressors are creating an urgent
need for conservation choices. The scale of issues and challenges we face
is unprecedented and impacts us all; no single entity has the resources
necessary to address these challenges on its own. Conserving the Future
acknowledges that strategic, collaborative, science-based landscape
conservation -- along with effective public outreach, education and
environmental awareness -- is the only path forward to conserve America's
wildlife and wild places.”

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AMERICA’S GREAT OUTDOORS

Image via Wikipedia
WASHINGTON, D.C. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today announced a
draft vision plan to guide the growth and management of the National
Wildlife Refuge System.  The draft document, developed by the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service and National Wildlife Refuge Association, articulates
a 10-year vision for the Refuge System.

The vision document, entitled Conserving the Future: Wildlife Refuges and
the Next Generation, offers nearly 100 draft recommendations to protect
and improve the world's premier system of public lands and water set aside
to conserve America's fish, wildlife and plants for the continuing benefit
of the American people.  Starting today, the draft document will be
available for public comment until Earth Day, April 22, 2011.

The Conserving the Future process comes on the heels of President Obama's
America's Great Outdoors initiative to develop a conservation and outdoor
recreation agenda for the 21st century.  The process to develop a new
vision for the Refuge System goes hand-in-hand with many of the priorities
identified through the America's Great Outdoors national dialogue,
including greater access to recreation and connecting a new generation of
conservationists to the outdoors.

"The National Wildlife Refuge System is one of the crown jewels of our
conservation efforts and we must ensure that the System has the tools and
vision to meet the challenges of tomorrow," Salazar said. "I encourage all
Americans to participate in the Conserving the Future process and to voice
their bold ideas about the future priorities and management of our
national wildlife refuges."

There are 553 national wildlife refuges with at least one in every state
and U.S. territory. Spanning more than 150 million acres of land and
water, the Refuge System conserves wildlife habitat for hundreds of animal
and plant species and includes more than 20 million acres of designated
wilderness.  The last time a vision statement was articulated for the
System was 1999.

Among the draft vision's recommendations are:

       To engage youth in an array of work and volunteer programs;
       To review the Appropriate Use Policy, so a wider variety of
nature-based experiences may be possible;
       Within the next 10 years, to increase the number of minorities and
people with disabilities who work for the Refuge System, in part by
reaching high school and college youth from diverse communities and
exposing them to Service conservation careers.
       To develop a five-year plan to "green" the Refuge System;
       To encourage a "Friends" group for every staffed refuge; there are
now about 230 Friends groups;
       To develop standards for credibility, efficiency and consistent
application of science in planning and management;
       Working with state fish and wildlife agencies, to prepare a
strategy to double youth participation in hunting and fishing by 2020,
paying special attention to individuals of all ages with disabilities.

A website, http://americaswildlife.org, has been created to gather
comments and ideas.  A refined vision document reflecting the comments and
ideas received online is expected to be published in July 2011.

The use of new technologies and social media for this process invites the
American people to contribute their bold ideas to set a new direction for
the Refuge System, said Rowan Gould, Acting Director of the Fish and
Wildlife Service. The time to engage is now. Join the conversation online
through the website.

For more information on Conserving the Future: Wildlife Refuges and the
Next Generation, please visit the website at http://americaswildlife.org.
Learn more about the National Wildlife Refuge System at
http://www.fws.gov/refuges.

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others
to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats
for the continuing benefit of the American people.  We are both a leader
and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our
scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources,
dedicated professionals and commitment to public service.  For more
information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit
www.fws.gov.

PRESIDENT REQUESTS $1.7 BILLION FOR U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE IN FISCAL YEAR (FY) 2012

Image via WikipediaThe President’s FY 2012 budget request of $1.7 billion for the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service (Service) will focus funding on the agency’s highest
priority conservation initiatives, such as the America’s Great Outdoors
initiative, while containing costs through management efficiencies and
other savings.  The requested $1.7 billion is a net increase of $47.9
million compared to the FY 2010 enacted budget.  The budget also includes
approximately $1 billion available under permanent appropriations, most of
which will be provided directly to States for fish and wildlife
restoration and conservation.

“In these hard economic times the Service recognizes budget requests are
very challenging as difficult choices have to be made,” said Acting Fish
and Wildlife Service Director Rowan Gould. “The investments considered for
this budget will support the Service’s mission to conserve, protect and
enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing
benefit of the American people and the great outdoors they love.”

Administrative Savings ($26.5 million decrease)
In support of the President’s commitment to fiscal discipline and spending
restraint, the Service is participating in an aggressive Department-wide
effort to curb non-essential administrative spending.  In accordance with
this initiative, the Service’s FY 2012 budget  assumes $26.5 million in
savings, built upon management efficiencies the Service began implementing
in FY 2011.  Savings will be realized in several areas, including travel,
employee relocation, and supplies.

National Fish Hatchery Operations – Mitigation ($6.3 million decrease)
The FY 2012 request contains a reduction of funding for National Fish
Hatchery Operations of nearly $6.3 million and 65 FTE.  At several of its
hatcheries, the Service produces fish to mitigate the adverse effects of
Federal water development projects constructed by other Federal agencies.
States depend on these activities to stock fisheries which provide
economic benefit to local communities. The Service has been working to
recover costs from the Federal agencies that built and operate these water
infrastructure projects, and will continue ongoing reimbursement
discussions with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), the Tennessee
Valley Authority, Central Utah Project Completion Act, and the Bonneville
Power Administration.


National Wildlife Refuge Fund ($14.5 million decrease)
The Service proposes the elimination of the entire appropriated portion
($14.5 million) of this program.  Over time National Wildlife Refuges
(Refuges) have been found to generate tax revenue for communities far in
excess of tax losses from Federal land ownership.  Refuge lands provide
many public services, such as watershed protection, and place few demands
on local infrastructure when compared to development that is more
intensive.  Refuges bring a multitude of visitors to nearby communities,
providing substantial economic benefits. Recreational spending on refuges
generates millions of dollars in tax revenue at the local, county, State
and Federal level.  The mandatory receipts collected and allocated to
States under the program would remain.

The budget supports the President’s America’s Great Outdoors initiative
with $140 million from the Land and Water Conservation Fund for Federal
land acquisitions the Service has identified as having the greatest
conservation benefits, and $15.7 million, an increase of $2.5 million to
support Youth in the Great Outdoors by providing a platform and programs
to orient children and young adults to the importance of fish and wildlife
conservation and encourage careers in natural science.

The budget proposes an increase of $4 million for activities associated
with renewable energy development, including $2 million for the Endangered
Species Consultation program to support development of renewable energy
projects and $2 million for Conservation Planning Assistance (CPA).  The
increase for the CPA program will enable the Service to participate more
fully in priority landscape level planning to assist industry and State
fish and wildlife agencies’ siting of renewable energy projects and
transmission corridor infrastructure.

The budget will also support large-scale ecosystem restoration projects as
examples of the Service’s commitment to a landscape-scale, science-driven,
partner-engaged approach to conservation.

Additional highlights of the Service’s FY 2012 budget request include:

Cooperative Landscape Conservation ($10.2 million increase)
The requested funding increase of $10.2 million will enable the Service to
continue working with partners to conduct collaborative landscape-scale
biological planning and conservation design by completing the network of
Landscape Conservation Cooperatives (LCCs) initiated in FY 2010.

LCCs will continue to act as a focal point for collaborative work with
partners, especially the U.S. Geological Survey’s Climate Science Centers
to disseminate applied science products and tools for resource management
decisions across landscapes.  This collaboration allows partners to target
resources on activities that will produce the greatest benefits for fish
and wildlife for the American people.  Within the Service, LCCs help
support and augment many ongoing programs, including Endangered Species
Recovery Plans, Refuge Comprehensive Conservation Plans, fish passage
programs and habitat restoration.



Adaptive Science ($7.2 million increase)
With this additional funding the Service will be able to acquire the
necessary science to make better conservation decisions.  The funding will
be used to acquire risk and vulnerability assessments, conduct inventory
and monitoring, develop population and habitat assessments and models,
design conservation measures, evaluate management options for LCC
partners, and increase our understanding of conservation genetics.

Refuge Inventory and Monitoring Program ($8 million increase)
In support of LCC development and adaptive science management, the
requested increase of $8 million within the Refuge program will be used to
continue building the landscape scale, long-term inventory and monitoring
network that the Service began in FY 2010.

Endangered Species Act Petitions ($3.9 million increase)
The Service also is requesting an increase in funding for the Endangered
Species Listing Program, to reflect the increasingly large number of
Endangered Species Act (ESA) petitions being received. Between 1994 and
2006, the Service received an average of 17 petitions annually, covering
an average of 20 species per year.  In contrast, since 2007 the Service
has been petitioned to add more than 1,230 species to the list of
threatened and endangered species, more species than the Service listed
during the previous 30 years of administering the Act. With additional
funding, the Service projects to complete 39 additional 90-day and
12-month petition findings, while also initiating proposed listing
determinations for 93 species.

Coastal Impact Assistance Program
Under the Coastal Impact Assistance Program (CIAP), the Secretary of the
Interior is authorized to distribute $250 million to offshore oil
producing States and their coastal political subdivisions (CPS) for each
of the fiscal years 2007 through 2010.  This money is shared among
Alabama, Alaska, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas and is
allocated to each producing State and eligible CPS based upon legislated
allocation formulas.
This program has been implemented from its inception by the Bureau of
Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE), formally the
Minerals Management Service (MMS). However, in FY 2012, the Coastal Impact
Assistance Program will be transferred to the Fish and Wildlife Service as
the purpose of the CIAP aligns more directly with the mission of the
Service.  The transfer will allow BOEMRE to focus on programs more
directly aligned with its regulatory and enforcement mission.
Details on the President’s FY 2012 budget request are available online at
http://www.doi.gov/budget/ .


Fishing Missouri Trout Parks

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Seeks Comments on Draft Environmental Assessment on Farming and the Use of Glyphosate-tolerant Corn and Soybeans on National Wildlife Refuge System Lands

Image via WikipediaThe Midwest Region of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is inviting public comment on a draft Environmental Assessment that considers two issues: 1) the use of row crop farming as a technique to manage National Wildlife Refuge System lands in the Midwest Region, and 2) the use of glyphosate-tolerant corn and soybeans on these lands.