US wildlife actions plans launched

27/10/2007 00:00:00 The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has approved wildlife action plans for all 56 states and territories in the USA, marking the final phase of an important step in conservation history. For the first time ever, all state and territorial fish and Wildlife agencies have established comprehensive conservation plans that, together, provide a nationwide blueprint of actions to conserve imperilled species and prevent them from becoming threatened or endangered. The Wildlife Action Plans are a thorough state-by-state look at wildlife and the actions needed to ensure their survival. The plans will also allow state and territorial fish and wildlife agencies to continue to receive grants under the State Wildlife Grant program.

In order to be eligible for State Wildlife Grant funds, each state fish and wildlife agency was required to complete a wildlife action plan. The plans were developed as a collaborative effort that included biologists, conservationists, landowners and the general public. The plans were reviewed by a national team that included representatives from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and several state fish and wildlife agencies. ‘The plans identify what species and habitats are declining, but not yet officially threatened or endangered,’ said Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne. ‘By using this information we can act now before it's too late.

Each plan must provide information on low and declining populations of wildlife and the habitats they require, identify problems impacting these populations, identify needed research and survey efforts to improve conservation, and determine priorities. Agencies will revise and update their plans at least once every 10 years.

The state plans must also contain specific actions. For example, Alabama will use some of the grant money to establish a facility dedicated to captive breeding the state's fish, mussel, snail and crayfish species of highest conservation concern. Alabama is hoping to reintroduce a number of these species back to their historic habitats in the future.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has provided more than $360 million in grants to states and territories for conservation efforts. A state may receive no more than 5% or less than 1% of the available funds. The District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico each receives 0.5% and Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands each receives 0.25%.

To learn more about a particular state's plan, please see www.wildlifeactionplans.org.