Interior Secretary
Gale Norton today announced more than $70 million in grants to 28 states
and one territory to support conservation planning and acquisition of
vital habitat for threatened and endangered fish, wildlife and plant
species. The grants will benefit species ranging from the Delmarva fox
squirrel in the East to peninsular bighorn sheep in the West.
"The strength of our
partnership with the states is clearly one of the keys to the Bush Administration's
success in conserving and recovering threatened and endangered species
throughout this country," Norton said. "Today's grant awards
support state efforts to build and strengthen important cost-effective
conservation partnerships with local groups and private landowners to
benefit wildlife."
Funded through the Cooperative
Endangered Species Conservation Fund and authorized by Section 6 of
the Endangered Species Act, the grants will enable states to work with
private landowners, conservation groups and other agencies to initiate
conservation planning efforts and acquire and protect habitat to support
the conservation of threatened and endangered species.
The Cooperative Endangered
Species Fund this year provides $49 million through the Habitat Conservation
Plan Land Acquisition Grants Program, $8.6 million through the Habitat
Conservation Planning Assistance Grants Program and $13.5 million through
the Recovery Land Acquisition Grants Program. The three programs were
established to help reduce potential conflicts between the conservation
of threatened and endangered species and land development and use.
"These grant programs
are some of the many tools we have to help landowners conserve valuable
wildlife habitats in the day-to-day management of their lands,"
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Steve Williams said. "They
help landowners finance the creative solutions to land use and conservation
issues that ultimately lead to the recovery of endangered and threatened
species."
Under the Habitat Conservation
Plan Land Acquisition Program, the Service provides grants to states
or territories for land acquisitions associated with approved Habitat
Conservation Plans. Grants do not fund any mitigation required of an
HCP permittee, but are instead intended to support acquisitions by the
state or local governments that complement actions associated with the
HCP.
A Habitat Conservation Plan
is an agreement between a landowner and the Service that allows the
landowner to incidentally take a threatened or endangered species in
the course of otherwise lawful activities when the landowner agrees
to conservation measures to minimize and mitigate the impact of the
taking. A Habitat Conservation Plan may also be developed by a county
or state to cover certain activities of all landowners within their
jurisdiction and may address multiple species. There are more than 357
Habitat Conservation Plans currently in effect, covering 458 separate
species on approximately 39 million acres, with some 407 additional
plans under development, covering approximately 100 million acres.
Among recipients of today's
Habitat Conservation Land Acquisition grants is Scotland County, North
Carolina with a $1.9 million grant to acquire and manage land that will
aid in the recovery of the North Carolina Sandhills West population
of the federally-endangered red-cockaded woodpecker. In addition to
the woodpecker, the acquisition will enable North Carolina to increase
the intensity of restoration and management of the longleaf pine habitat
in the area.
The Habitat Conservation
Planning Assistance Program provides grants to states and territories
to support the development of Habitat Conservation Plans, through funding
of baseline surveys and inventories, document preparation, outreach
and similar planning activities.
Of today's grants, more
than $380,000 will fund Colorado's efforts in developing a Habitat Conservation
Plan to conserve the southwestern willow flycatcher in the San Luis
Valley in Alamosa, Conejos, Mineral, Rio Grande and Saguache counties.
The Plan will cover about two million acres and 150 stream miles. Not
only will it benefit the flycatcher, but also the bald eagle and the
yellow-billed cuckoo.
The Recovery Land Acquisition Grants Program provides funds to states
and territories to acquire habitat for endangered and threatened species
in approved recovery plans. Acquisition of habitat to secure long-term
protection is often an essential element of a comprehensive recovery
effort for a listed species.
One of these grants will
provide $500,000 for acquisition of lands near the Machias River in
Hancock and Washington Counties in Maine. The acquisition of the 47
miles of lakeshore and 13 miles of stream frontage will benefit Atlantic
salmon rearing and spawning habitat as well as a bald eagle nesting
site.
For more information on
the 2004 grant awards for these programs (Catalog of Domestic Federal
Assistance Number 15.615), see the Fish and Wildlife Service's Endangered
Species home page at <http://endangered.fws.gov/grants/section6/index.html>.
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 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses
542 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other
special management areas. It also operates 70 national fish hatcheries,
64 fishery resource offices and 81 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 Assistance program that distributes hundreds of
millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment
to state fish and wildlife agencies.
NOTE: A complete list
of grants follows. Secretary Norton will hold a press teleconference
on Thursday, September 23 at 2p.m. to discuss the grants. During this
call she will be joined by Lynn Scarlett, Assistant Secretary for Policy,
Management and Budget, and Steve Williams, Director of the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service. Media representatives may join the call by calling
866-261-3331.
Habitat Conservation
Plan Land Acquisition Grants by State:
California
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Assessment
District 161 HCP (Riverside County, CA) $4,545,000. The grant will
support the purchase of habitat within the Wilson/Cactus Valley area.
The acquisition of properties in Wilson/Cactus Valley will benefit
wildlife populations by conserving occupied habitat in large, interconnected
blocks, ensuring that the ecosystem processes are maintained. In addition
to providing core habitat areas for the Western Riverside Multiple
Species Habitat Conservation Program (MSHCP), both of these areas
support a suite of Federal and State listed species covered under
the MSHCP. These species include the threatened coastal California
gnatcatcher, endangered least Bell's vireo, Quino checkerspot butterfly,
and Stephen's kangaroo rat. The plant communities found in the area,
such as Riversidean sage scrub and riparian habitat, are representative
of the original, native habitats of the region. The public benefits
of maintaining these areas as open space include the use for various
recreational purposes such as hiking, mountain biking and other appropriate
activities.
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City of
San Diego and County of San Diego Multiple Species Conservation Program
NCCP/HCP (San Diego County, CA) $4,402,238. The grant will be used
to acquire parcels of land on Otay Mesa that make up a large part
of the southern portion of lands within the Multi-Habitat Planning
Area (MHPA), the City of San Diego's targeted preserve area under
the Multiple Species Conservation Program (MSCP). Because of their
size and location, the parcels are crucial for protecting the integrity
of the MHPA along the U.S./Mexico border and for connecting the southern
portion to other MHPA areas to the north. The parcels support a number
of listed and rare habitats and species, including the threatened
coastal California gnatcatcher, burrowing owl, cactus wren, and species
endemic to the San Diego region such as San Diego barrel cactus and
snake chollas. There are several vernal pools on the parcels, some
of which support the federally listed endangered San Diego fairy shrimp,
California orcutt grass and San Diego button celery. Acquisition of
the Crest Tract is a high priority for San Diego County's MSCP. The
Crest Tract supports threatened California gnatcatcher and San Diego
thornmint, and provides upland habitat for the federally listed arroyo
toad. In addition, numerous other MSCP covered species are known in
the area. The Crest tract provides a key linkage between the San Diego
National Wildlife Refuge to the south and the State-owned Crestridge
Preserve. This approximately 1,400 acre tract includes numerous parcels,
which if allowed to develop, would result in a fragmented landscape
that will preclude connectivity between two large conserved areas.
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Colton Transmission
Line HCP (San Bernardino and Riverside Counties, CA) $1,500,000. This
grant will support the purchase of habitat within the Colton Dune
ecosystem. The proposed acquisitions are intended to protect portions
of the Colton Dune ecosystem, unique to this region of Riverside and
San Bernardino counties. Approximately two percent of the Colton Dune
ecosystem still exists. The proposed acquisitions will permanently
conserve habitat occupied by a suite of federally and State listed
species native to this area including the endangered Delhi Sands flower-loving
fly, the threatened coastal California gnatcatcher, the Los Angeles
pocket mouse and the western burrowing owl. These lands are critical
to the survival and recovery of the Delhi Sands flower-loving fly
and many other species that occur within this ecosystem. The Delhi
Sands flower-loving fly and its habitat are addressed in the Western
Riverside MSHCP and possibly in the regional multiple species habitat
conservation plan in San Bernardino County. Conservation of these
areas will be protected in perpetuity allowing for appropriate recreation.
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El Sobrante
Landfill HCP (Riverside County, CA) $5,180,000. This grant will support
the purchase of habitat within the Alberhill area. The acquisition
of properties in Alberhill area is anticipated to benefit wildlife
populations by conserving occupied habitat in large, interconnected
blocks. In addition to providing core habitat areas for the Western
Riverside MSHCP, both of these areas support a suite of Federal and
State listed species covered under the MSHCP. These species include
the threatened coastal California gnatcatcher, the endangered least
Bell's vireo and Stephen's kangaroo rat. The plant communities found
in the area such as Riversidean sage scrub and riparian habitat are
representative of the region's original, native habitats. The Alberhill
area has one of the densest populations of the coastal California
gnatcatcher in the western Riverside County. The public benefits of
maintaining these areas as open space include the use for various
recreational purposes such as hiking, mountain biking and other appropriate
activities.
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Fieldstone
NCCP/HCP (San Diego County, CA) $1,512,900. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service is awarding a grant to acquire the Batiquitos Bluffs parcel.
The tract is central to a large expanse of wildlife habitat that includes
the Batiquitos Lagoon and habitat to be preserved in the Multiple
Habitat Conservation Program (MHCP) to the north, and the only contiguous
corridor between the lagoon and habitat conserved through the Fieldstone
Habitat Conservation Plan to the south and east. The property is within
the proposed MHCP preserve. It supports the federally threatened gnatcatcher
and is within its designated critical habitat. A variety of native
vegetation communities occur on the parcel including coastal sage
scrub, wetlands, and one of the largest remaining expanses of southern
maritime chaparral, which is a rare and declining vegetation type,
that likely supports the federally listed Del Mar manzanita and Encinitas
baccharis and possibly the federally listed Orcutt's spineflower.
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Orange County
Central/Coastal NCCP/HCP (Orange County, CA) $3,000,000. This grant
will support the acquisition of Saddle Creek. The acquisition of Saddle
Creek will reduce habitat fragmentation and provide critical habitat
and a movement corridor for the threatened coastal California gnatcatcher,
large mammals and other wildlife within this region of Orange County.
Saddle Creek straddles the Central/Coastal and Southern Subregion
NCCP/HCP and is significant as the only existing low-elevation wildlife
connection between the Subregions of Orange County. The property is
designated as critical habitat for the coastal California gnatcatcher.
In addition to the coastal California gnatcatcher, about 17 other
listed or sensitive species occur or potentially occur within this
area. Conservation of these parcels will ensure that the rural character
of the area is maintained which will benefit adjacent residents.
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Plum Creek
HCP Land Acquisition (Lewis & Clark County, MT) $3,610,800. This
grant will help protect 1,003 acres of habitat that could otherwise
be subject to logging and development. The project is part of a larger,
community-based conservation effort to eventually conserve 88,712
acres of former Plum Creek Timber Company lands. The grant will be
matched by donation of a conservation easement on 435 acres of nearby
important habitat. The projects would protect bull trout, grizzly
bear, and one of the last remaining populations of genetically pure
westslope cutthroat trout.
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North Carolina
Sandhills, Red Cockaded Woodpecker (Scotland County, NC) $1,901,250.
The objective of this project is to acquire and manage land that will
contribute to the recovery of the North Carolina Sandhills West population
of the federally-endangered red-cockaded woodpecker. Acquisition of
the Rich Tract will provide protection of a critical corridor between
two disjunct blocks of the North Carolina Gamelands, and acquisition
of the Carrington Tract will add 725 contiguous acres to Block F of
the Gamelands, protecting foraging habitat currently used by red-cockaded
woodpeckers on Block F. Purchase of these two tracts will help ensure
that encroachment of incompatible development around these blocks
does not adversely affect the State's ability to manage its lands
for the benefit of both listed and unlisted species. Further, this
action will enable the State to increase the intensity of restoration
and management of the longleaf pine habitat in this area, particularly
with the use of prescribed fire. The project will contribute substantially
to fulfilling the recovery strategies developed for the Sandhills
population of the red-cockaded woodpecker. Recovery of this population
is a high priority for the North Carolina Sandhills Conservation Partnership,
which is composed of six parties including the United States Army.
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Balcones
Canyonlands Preserve (Travis County, TX) $3,375,000. Grant funds will
be used for the acquisition of new preserve tracts vital for the ecological
viability of the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve. This preserve was
designed to encompass high quality habitat for the golden-cheeked
warbler, black-capped vireo, and the entire known range of three endangered
karst invertebrates.
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Bone Cave
Harvestman Preserve (Williamson County, TX) $1,353,750. Acquisition
and conservation of this 40-acre tract by the Williamson County Conservation
Foundation will add to the long-term success of the Brushy Creek MUD
Preserve as well as augment the conservation measures pursuant to
the Sultan & Kahn HCP, and will contribute to the eventual recovery
of the Bone Cave harvestman. The tract contains nine caves; the endangered
Bone Cave harvestman species has been confirmed in six of the caves.
- Storm Ranch, Texas Conservation
Easement (Hays County, TX) $1,766,004. This project partners the Hill
Country Conservancy with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Texas
Parks & Wildlife Department to conserve the 5,685-acre Storm Ranch,
which is located within the contributing zone of the Edwards Aquifer
in Hays County, Texas. A conservation easement will be purchased to
protect the quality of water recharging the aquifer and the springflow
discharging into habitat for the endangered Barton Springs salamander
at Barton Springs. This project was initiated in 2003 through the Cooperative
Endangered Species Conservation Fund program.
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Utah Division
of Wildlife Resources, Mojave desert tortoise (Washington County,
UT) $4,422,459. This grant will be used to acquire parcels of Mojave
desert tortoise habitat key to the viability of a reserve created
under the Washington County HCP. The reserve is vital to the long
term survival and recovery of the desert tortoise and will benefit
a suite of other species, including six federally listed species (the
bald eagle, southwestern willow flycatcher, Virgin River chub, woundfin,
dwarf bear poppy, and Silar pincushion cactus), one proposed endangered
plant (Shivwits milkvetch), and at least two dozen BLM species of
concern and State of Utah sensitive species. Purchase of the parcels
proposed for acquisition will significantly reduce habitat fragmentation
in the reserve.
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Cedar River
Watershed HCP (King County, WA) $1,000,000. The land acquisition will
result in securing the best of the remaining habitats in the lower
third of the Cedar River Watershed, as the upper two-thirds of the
watershed is already protected under the City of Seattle's HCP. Acquisition
will extend habitats for both listed and unlisted species, improve
connectivity particularly along the riparian corridor, and protect
habitats under immediate threat of development.
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Tieton River
Project, Cugini High Cascade Timberlands, Hoh River Conservation Corridor
(Yakima, King, and Jefferson Counties, WA) $10,050,710 (total for
three projects). The grant will be used to acquire lands on approximately
3,000 acres of fish and wildlife habitat in both eastern and western
Washington State. Conservation benefits will be secured by the purchase
of old-growth timber occupied by northern spotted owls and marbled
murrelets in the west, and the protection of rare pine forests and
diverse canyon habitats in the east. The Tieton River Project is awarded
$631,350 to protect 640 acres of mature ponderosa pine, Douglas fir
and riparian habitats in the Tieton River Canyon (Yakima County).
The Cugini High Cascade Timberlands project is awarded $5,716,143
to acquire approximately 560 acres of old growth forest in the northern
Washington Cascade mountains (King County). The Hoh River Conservation
Corridor project is awarded $3,703,217 to conserve approximately 1,755
acres of Hoh River lands between the interior and coastal portions
of Olympic National Park (Jefferson County).
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Yakima River
Wildlife Corridor Phase III, Washington State (Kittitas County, WA)
$1,763,795. The funding will allow The Cascades Conservation Partnership
to complete the third and final phase of acquisition of the Yakima
River Wildlife Corridor. The corridor connects essential wildlife
habitat across Interstate 90 through a low elevation passage in one
of the narrowest sections of the Central Cascades. This conservation
project provides habitat and a travel route for five federally listed
land species, and protects bull trout and steelhead habitat in and
along the Yakima River.
Habitat Conservation
Planning Assistance Grants by State:
California
-
East Contra
Costa County HCP (Contra Costa County, CA) $358,000. The endangered
San Joaquin fox, the threatened California red-legged frog and many
other declining species, are found in this area and their ability
to persist in this rapidly developing area depends upon the protection
of large blocks of contiguous habitat. This is an opportunity to plan
urban development in such a manner that will provide habitat for sensitive
species and open space for residents. In addition, the HCP/Natural
Community Conservation Plan (NCCP) will allow Contra Costa Water District
to utilize its full contractual allotment of federal water (Bureau
of Reclamation) from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta by addressing
the indirect effects resulting from water deliveries.
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Mendocino
Redwood Company HCP/NCCP (Mendocino and Sonoma Counties) $258,000.
Funds are being awarded to finalize the development of a combined
federal Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) and a California state Natural
Community Conservation Plan (NCCP) covering approximately 232,000
acres of the Mendocino Redwood Company's forest lands in Mendocino
and Sonoma Counties, California. This HCP/NCCP will benefit more than
11 species, including 19 federal listed species including the marbled
murrelet and northern spotted owl, several California state listed
species, and numerous species of conservation concern.
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Placer County
Phase 2 Area HCP/NCCP (Placer County, CA) $349,000. In partnership
with other local agencies and state government, Placer County's open
space and agricultural conservation effort known as Placer Legacy
is currently developing a comprehensive, multi-species HCP and NCCP
that will address listed and non-listed species, including Lahontan
cutthroat trout and the mountain yellow-legged frog. The plan is to
be developed in three phases. This 2004 grant will allow Placer County
to begin developing an Adaptive Management/Monitoring program through
the purchase of the HabiTrak system, development of the Phase 2 Land
Cover and Habitat Inventory, allow for the funding of the Phase 2
Science Advisors for two years, and allow for half-time participation
of a Department of Fish and Game environmental scientist. These project
tasks are fundamental to further implementing a successful Phase 1
and initiating Phase 2 of the HCP/NCCP. The Phase 2 area, particularly
the Martis Valley, is currently experiencing intense development pressure,
which makes the timing of this project crucial to the preparation
of the HCP/NCCP.
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San Bruno
Mountain HCP Reassessment Project (San Mateo County, CA) $118,560.
The project is for an amendment to the existing HCP. At a minimum,
the proposed HCP amendment will consider: (1) the extent that non-native
species invasion on San Bruno Mountain is affecting the callippe silverspot,
mission blue, and San Bruno elfin butterflies on San Bruno Mountain
in a manner not previously considered; (2) whether management and
restoration of conserved habitat on San Bruno Mountain is not occurring
consistent with the San Bruno Mountain HCP; (3) the extent callippe
silverspot and designated bay checkerspot critical habitat will be
affected by full implementation of the HCP's incidental take permit;
(4) the adequacy of the HCP's funding; and (5) the adequacy of the
HCP's avoidance and minimization measures.
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Santa Clara
County HCP/NCCP (Santa Clara County, CA) $300,000. Santa Clara County
has initiated a county-wide HCP/NCCP program which proposes to cover
most of the 841,000-acre county. The project is being undertaken in
partnership with the City of San Jose, Santa Clara Valley Transportation
Agency, and the Santa Clara Valley Water District, with potential
involvement from other cities in the southern portion of the county.
Santa Clara County has experienced enormous amounts of population
growth over the past 50 years and is continuing to experience growth
pressures which pose a threat to more than 100 endangered, threatened,
and other rare species. This HCP/NCCP will provide a comprehensive
approach to conservation and management of multiple species countywide,
including preservation of much of the remaining habitat for several
federally listed species, establishment of habitat preserves, habitat
restoration, and streamlined regulatory permitting processes.
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South Sacramento
HCP (Sacramento County, CA) $308,000. The grant will help local officials
in South Sacramento continue the planning phase of a regional HCP.
This HCP is expected to cover 45 species, including seven federally
threatened and endangered species, within a planning area of approximately
490 square miles. This HCP proposes to cover two species of Orcutt
grass that are restricted to Sacramento County or for which this is
the southernmost extent of its range. The development community is
actively involved in this HCP because of their desire to streamline
the regulatory process in an area that has intense development pressure.
Environmental groups are also actively involved due to the wide variety
of biological resources in the planning area and because this is an
opportunity to preserve large, contiguous areas of habitat on a landscape
level.
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Western
Stanislaus County HCP/NCCP (Stanislaus County, CA) $285,000. The grant,
combined with local funding, will enable local officials to initiate
an HCP/NCCP process to develop a regional plan for 388,000 acres in
western Stanislaus County. Currently, the Interstate 5 corridor and
the cities of Patterson and Newman are experiencing significant growth.
Adequate and appropriate resolutions to endangered species issues
are key to successful implementation of economic development and public
works projects in these areas. Central to the plan will be a conservation
strategy developed by the County, California Department of Fish and
Game, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the San Joaquin kit
fox. The conservation strategy, currently in draft form but yet to
be implemented, will identify and protect a regional movement corridor
for the kit fox. Ecologically valuable grassland, riparian woodland,
and foothill habitats will also be conserved within the corridor,
providing for other covered species and maintaining connectivity and
ecosystem function in several watersheds. Stanislaus County will partner
with other local agencies, as well as federal and state agencies,
to develop this HCP/NCCP.
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Yuba and
Sutter Counties HCP/NCCP (Yuba and Sutter Counties, CA) $178,000.
The grant will help local officials in portions of Yuba and Sutter
Counties initiate the planning phase of a regional HCP/NCCP. Since
many land use plans within the HCP/NCCP planning area are still being
developed by the local jurisdictions, there are significant opportunities
to provide for natural resource conservation at this time. There is
an opportunity, through this HCP/NCCP effort to promote the development
of a comprehensive, multi-species conservation plan that will address
both listed and non-listed species including: California tiger salamander,
Swainson's hawk, giant garter snake, steelhead, and tricolored blackbird.
The Counties will partner with other local agencies, as well as federal
and state agencies, to develop this HCP/NCCP.
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San Luis
Valley Regional Habitat Conservation Plan (Alamosa, Conejos, Mineral,
Rio Grande, and Saguache Counties, CO) $384,000. The grant will fund
the development of a regional approach to southwestern willow flycatcher
conservation planning in the San Luis Valley. The HCP will cover approximately
two million acres and 150 stream miles. The project has widespread
support from numerous State, local, and Federal agencies as well as
non-governmental organizations. The project lies within the Rio Grande
Recovery Unit, one of six recovery units for the southwestern willow
flycatcher. The San Luis Valley is one of four management units within
the recovery unit, and provides the best potential in Colorado for
supporting recovery of the flycatcher. In addition to the flycatcher,
the HCP will cover the bald eagle and the yellow billed cuckoo.
Commonwealth of Northern
Mariana Islands
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Rota Island-wide
Habitat Conservation Plan (Rota, CNMI) $339,522. To develop an island-wide
habitat conservation plan (HCP) that addresses economic development
and endangered species conflicts on the island of Rota. The HCP will
protect and conserve existing secondary limestone forests for the
benefit of the endangered Mariana crow, and other suitable habitats
required by other species that may be impacted by development on similar
habitats elsewhere on Rota. Finalization of this HCP will complete
the early planning efforts for the Rota island-wide HCP begun in the
mid-1990s.
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Development
of an HCP for Imperiled Aquatic Species of the Etowah River Basin
Bartow, Cherokee, Cobb, Dawson, Forsyth, Fulton, Lumpkin, Paulding,
and Pickens Counties, Georgia) $392,608. The proposed project will
complete the planning process for the comprehensive Habitat Conservation
Plan for the Etowah River Basin in Georgia, ultimately resulting in
an incidental take permit. The overall goal of the HCP effort is for
each local government to implement growth management and local preservation
efforts that ensure the future conservation of aquatic imperiled species
in this basin. The incidental take permit will provide county and
municipal governments (regulatory agencies) the authority to authorize
projects that provide for the conservation of numerous aquatic species
in the Etowah Basin while allowing environmentally-acceptable development
to proceed. This is the fourth and final stage of planning for this
HCP. Specific objectives for this year include: Working with the 20
local governments to implement ordinances and policies that minimize
the impact of development on aquatic biota; Working with local governments
to revise comprehensive plans to reduce development pressures in sensitive
areas; Assisting local governments in putting policies in place for
acquisition and protection of sensitive watersheds; Establishing a
coordinating body for monitoring, enforcing and funding the implementation
of the Etowah HCP; Conducting scientific and economic analyses for
supporting the adaptive management aspect of the HCP; Crafting the
Environmental Assessment for the Etowah HCP; Completing a draft of
the HCP, the incidental take permit and the adaptive management plan;
and holding meetings with stakeholder groups and the public and working
with the media to facilitate better understanding of HCP implementation.
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HCP Development
for the Delmarva fox squirrel and Timber Harvesting on Maryland's
Eastern Shore (Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne's, Talbot, Somerset,
Wicomico, and Worcester Counties, Maryland) $128,625. The grant will
help support the conservation of the Delmarva fox squirrel in 90 percent
of the species' range. In partnership with the timber industry, the
objectives include assessing the impacts of timber harvesting on the
Eastern Shore of Maryland to the Delmarva fox squirrel, development
of conservation strategies for minimizing and mitigating such impacts
at a landscape level, and drafting an HCP for timber harvesting on
both private and State lands on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. In
addition, using light detection and ranging technology, establish
a baseline estimate of the acreage of suitable Delmarva fox squirrel
habitat on the Eastern Shore.
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Montana
DNRC Forested Trust Lands HCP (Montana) $589,500. The grant will allow
the State of Montana to complete the development of the HCP and associated
Environmental Impact Statement for 1,206,102 acres of lands owned
by the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation. These lands
provide important habitat and fulfill key life requirements for many
listed and sensitive species, including gray wolf, grizzly bear, Canada
lynx, bald eagle, and bull trout.
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Southern
Nye County Multiple Species Habitat Conservation Plan (Nye County,
NV) $175,000. Nye County, Nevada, will initiate the development of
a MSHCP within the Mojave Desert portion of southern Nye County. This
portion of the county lies within the range of the desert tortoise
(Gopherus agassizii), a species listed as threatened under the Endangered
Species Act. To provide conservation for the tortoise and five additional
species of concern while allowing economic growth and urban development
plans to move forward, Nye County will develop a draft MSHCP and related
Environmental Impact Statement and Implementing Agreement within one
year of the grant award. The MSHCP will include conservation actions
for six federally-listed and sensitive species that occur within the
planning area. These species occur in Mojave Desert scrub, mesquite
woodland, and desert riparian habitats. Development of the MSHCP will
complement the existing Clark County MSHCP and the draft Southeastern
Lincoln County MSHCP currently under development. Once the Lincoln
and Nye County MSHCPs are complete, almost all of the desert tortoise
habitat that occurs in Nevada will be included under habitat conservation
plans, with the exception of tribal and military lands.
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South Dakota
Statewide HCP (South Dakota) $188,249. The grant will assist the State
of South Dakota in gathering biological data that is essential in
their development of a statewide Habitat Conservation Plan. The funds
will also allow the State to begin developing the operating conservation
strategy for the HCP. Because of the large geographic scope of the
covered lands, the project has the potential to result in substantial
conservation benefits for the pallid sturgeon, least tern, piping
plover, and bald eagle.
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Williamson
County Regional Habitat Conservation Plan (Williamson County, TX)
$1,005,000. Grant funds will be used to finalize Williamson County's
Habitat Conservation Planning effort, which was initiated in 2003.
Establishment of the Williamson County Regional HCP (RHCP) will aid
in the conservation and recovery of three endangered karst species,
the golden-cheeked warbler, black-capped vireo, and the Georgetown
salamander, a candidate for listing. The RHCP is anticipated to include
at least nine species as covered species.
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Dungeness
Comprehensive Irrigation District Management Plan/HCP (Clallam County,
WA) $79,500. The HCP covers the lower 11 miles of the Dungeness River,
addresses long-term irrigation needs, and improves instream habitat.
The HCP will provide for the implementation of 24 specific conservation
measures with direct, measurable benefits for listed and unlisted
species as a result of addressing water quantity, fish passage, and
water quality issues.
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Family Forest
HCP (Lewis County, WA) $469,150. The HCP will cover over 100,000 acres
of small family forestlands managed by private landowners. The HCP
will provide an alternative to riparian harvest restrictions required
under state forest practices rules. Family forest landowners seek
this HCP as an incentive to keep family forests on the landscape.
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Foster Creek
HCP (Douglas County, WA) $518,605. The HCP will cover over one million
acres of agricultural land in Douglas County. The HCP will provide
a tool for agricultural landowners, operators, and managers to meet
their land management objectives while protecting and enhancing shrub-steppe,
riparian, and aquatic habitats for up to 63 proposed covered species.
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Teanaway
Conservation Plan (Kittitas County, WA) $312,700. The HCP will cover
55,800 acres of forest lands owned and managed by American Forest
Resources. The HCP would result from an innovative pilot effort between
the landowner and the state to develop a Landowner Option Plan for
northern spotted owls, as a precursor to receiving a federal incidental
take permit.
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Washington
DNR Aquatic Lands HCP (Statewide, WA) $1,057,100. This HCP will cover
over 2.4 million acres of submerged land managed by Washington State's
Department of Natural Resources in marine, estuarine, and freshwater
habitats. The HCP will ensure that covered activities promote sustainable
ecosystems, minimize cumulative impacts, and increase protection,
conservation, and recovery efforts for up to 75 proposed covered species.
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Development
of a Habitat Conservation Plan for the Northern Cumberlands Region
(Tennessee and Kentucky) $272,500. The project will result in the
initiation of planning for a comprehensive Habitat Conservation Plan
for the Northern Cumberlands Area, including the Tennessee and Cumberland
River watersheds, that will lead ultimately to an incidental take
permit. The permit will allow the States of Tennessee and Kentucky,
working with partners, to implement conservation measures to minimize
and mitigate impacts to rare and imperiled species while allowing
authorized activities such as timber harvest and coal mining to occur.
The HCP will focus on both terrestrial and aquatic species. This area
is renowned for its biodiversity and supports many rare plant communities
and some of the best remaining habitats for a number of endangered
freshwater mussels. The HCP will build upon The Nature Conservancy's
eco-regional planning effort for the Northern Cumberlands. The information
from this effort will provide a strong foundation from which to initiate
the planning for the HCP. Fifty-nine rare and imperiled species are
documented for the project area, and of these, 22 are listed as federally-endangered
or threatened. The Plan will focus on a minimum of 15 species including
8 federally endangered freshwater mussels (Cumberland elktoe, Cumberlandian
combshell, Oyster mussel, Tan riffleshell, Catspaw, Fine-rayed pigtoe,
Alabama lamp mussel, and Little-wing pearlymussel), endangered plants
including Purple bean and Cumberland sandwort as well as two bird
species, the Cerulean warbler and Golden-winged warbler. Initial planning
efforts include establishment of a Steering Committee and an HCP Development
Team; completion of a literature review of land use impacts on the
imperiled species for those species where knowledge gaps exist; research
on impacts of land management activities on imperiled species; GIS
analyses to define the priority habitats for the HCP; and, development
of an outreach program to engage additional partners, landowners and
stakeholders in the HCP process.
Recovery Land Acquisition Grants by State:
Alaska
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Nelson Lagoon
Steller's Eider Habitat Project (Nelson Lagoon, Alaska) $191,304.
Project partners will purchase strategic private inholdings from willing
sellers in the Nelson Lagoon area to protect Steller's eider habitat.
Nelson Lagoon is the most important fall molting area for the world's
population of Steller's eiders. Nelson Lagoon is located within the
state-designated Port Moller Critical Habitat Area. There are several
private inholdings in the Port Moller Critical Habitat Area that,
if developed, could threaten important Steller's eider staging, molting,
and wintering habitat, as well as hamper recovery of the listed Alaska-breeding
population of this species. Other species benefiting from this project
will include the emperor goose, Pacific brant, cackling Canada goose,
marbled godwit, bristle-thighed curlew, Hudsonian godwit, and other
more common species of ducks and shorebirds. This project is part
of a larger-scale project to integrate waterfowl and wetland protection
initiatives such as the North American Wetlands Conservation Act,
National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program, and the Pacific
Coast Joint Venture.
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Coal Mine
Springs Acquisition Phase II (Santa Cruz County, Arizona) $750,000.
The funding will purchase a 1900-acre tract of land in Coal Mine Canyon,
Santa Cruz County, Arizona. This is the second phase of a two-phase
acquisition benefiting the recovery of the Gila topminnow; the Phase
I acquisition was fully funded through this program in fiscal year
2003. Acquisition of the property will further protect water quality
for the Coal Mine Canyon population of the Gila topminnow, one of
the two largest naturally existing populations. Protection of this
population is of paramount importance to the continued existence and
recovery of the topminnow. In addition, the property will provide
foraging habitat for the lesser long-nosed bat, riparian corridor
for the Mexican spotted owl, and augmentation to primary nesting habitat
along Sonoita Creek for the western yellow-billed cuckoo.
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Dirty Socks
Spring (Inyo County, California) $92,500. This acquisition will protect
property that contains a natural spring, one-acre pond, outflow streams,
alkali wetlands, and salt grass marsh. Aquatic habitats on the property
will be used to establish new populations of Owens tui chub and Owens
pupfish, completing an activity identified in the Owens Basin Wetland
and Aquatic species Recovery Plan for Inyo and Mono Counties, California.
- Gabbro soil plant habitat
2004 (El Dorado County, California) $450,000. This acquisition will
purchase essential habitat of an extremely rare natural community comprising
approximately 10 percent of California's native plant species, including
the six Gabbro plants. This grant will add 227 acres to the existing
Pine Hill Ecological Preserve.
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Morro Bay
shoreline (San Luis Obispo County, California) $500,000. This acquisition
will conserve approximately 21 shoreline acres, connecting other State
and privately owned conservation areas. The wetland and dune habitats
provide habitat for several State and federally listed species and
other species of concern, including California sea-blite, salt-marsh
bird's-beak, western snowy plover, marsh sandwort, and Morro shoulderband
snail.
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Peninsular
bighorn sheep (Highway 74) (Riverside County, California) $75,000.
Acquisition of these parcels will contribute to the conservation goals
outlined in the recovery plan for bighorn sheep in the Peninsular
Ranges by ensuring that this area remains intact, preventing further
fragmentation.
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Ramona Grasslands
(San Diego County, California) $500,000. This acquisition will protect
intact and undisturbed grassland in Santa Maria Valley, benefiting
Stephen's kangaroo rat, arroyo toad, San Diego fairy shrimp, and coastal
California gnatcatcher. The grasslands contain numerous vernal pools
and will link adjacent parcels into a contiguous preserve of nearly
2,000 acres.
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Soledad Canyon
riparian properties (Los Angeles County, California) $185,000. This
acquisition will help achieve recovery goals for Arroyo southwestern
toad, unarmored threespine stickleback, least Bell's vireo, southwestern
willow flycatcher, and slenderhorned spineflower by securing habitat
and habitat connectivity within the upper Santa Clara River watershed.
The Santa Clara River is one of the last undammed wild rivers in southern
California and subject to natural hydrologic flow events which are
crucial for target species.
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Vernal pool
species recovery, Millville Plains (Shasta County, California) $317,716.
This grant will be used to purchase a conservation easement on approximately
250 acres of land containing vernal pool complexes within Millville
Plains, benefiting vernal pool fairy shrimp and slender Orcutt grass.
This conservation easement is adjacent to approximately 600 acres
of vernal pool habitat already protected.
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Acquisition
of the Patterson Tract on Holly Creek (Murray County, GA) $950,563.
Holly Creek is a tributary to the Conasauga River which is considered
globally significant to the conservation of freshwater diversity.
Approximately 80 native fish (including three federally listed fish)
and 40 native mussel species (nine federally listed mussels) occur
in the watershed. Although no federally listed species have yet been
documented in the project area, the federally listed endangered blue
shiner, southern pigtoe, coosa moccasinshell, and the federally listed
threatened fine-lined pocketbook and Alabama moccasinshell are known
to occur in the creeks adjacent to the property. The purchase of this
tract will contribute to a larger effort to enhance water quality
and protection of the Conasauga River watershed by securing land which
includes important riparian buffers in the headwaters and by enhancing
water quality by guarding against increased siltation.
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Manana Valley
watershed protection & habitat restoration project (Honolulu County,
Hawaii) $900,000. This acquisition and restoration is a multi-species
conservation effort that includes critical habitat for 15 listed plants
and Oahu elepaio as well as essential habitat for the Oahu tree snail.
This parcel contains five distinct forest types including wet and
mesic forest types and four miles of stream. This parcel is also adjacent
to a State forest reserve.
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Moen Ranch
property - Pahsimeroi River. The grant award to Idaho Department of
Fish and Game (IDFG) will help purchase approximately 208 acres of
riparian lands along the Pahsimeroi River that runs through the Moen
Ranch. This acquisition would protect habitat critical to listed bull
trout, salmon, and steelhead. This purchase will be accomplished through
a collaborative partnership with the State of Idaho Office of Species
Conservation, The Nature Conservancy (TNC), the Soil and Water Conservation
District and IDFG. The collaborative effort coincides with the property
owner's desire to avoid subdivision, and to continue agricultural
production along with habitat conservation. Therefore TNC will purchase
the entire property and sell the riparian section to IDFG for perpetual
conservation management, along with undertaking other transactions
to protect habitat while keeping cultivated areas in production. The
Pahsimeroi River is one of three key tributaries to the Upper Salmon
River subbasin which provides more anadromous fish spawning areas
(redds) than any other subbasin in the Columbia River Basin. The subbasin
produces 39% of the spring chinook salmon, 45% of the summer chinook
salmon and 25% of the summer steelhead returning to the mouth of the
Columbia River. In 2002 the Moen Ranch accounted for 63 of the total
125 chinook redds on the Pahsimeroi River.
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Land acquisition
for eastern prairie fringed orchid protection (Jones and Jackson Counties,
Iowa) $254,625. This grant will be used to acquire approximately 180
acres of wet to mesic tallgrass prairie through fee-simple acquisition,
which will facilitate management for the benefit of over 2,500 eastern
prairie fringed orchid plants. This project will advance the objectives
of the recovery plan by protecting sites in private ownership, enhancing
the protection of known populations, and acquiring a potential reintroduction
and expansion area. Acquisition of the site will protect and enhance
the viability of these populations, ensure that the minimum recovery
goals are met, and help move the species toward possible de-listing.
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Machias River
Project, Phase II (Hancock and Washington Counties, Maine) $500,000.
The Service's contribution toward the Phase II project will help protect
over 47 miles of lakeshore and over 13 miles of stream frontage. Some
of the special features of the Phase II project that will benefit
include: Atlantic salmon rearing and spawning habitat along Fifth
Machias Stream, the primary water source for downstream Atlantic salmon
habitat along the main stem of the Machias River; and multiple bald
eagle nesting sites on Third Machias Lake. The Machias River is one
of the eight river systems in Maine that are included in the Atlantic
salmon Gulf of Maine distinct population segment. Preserving the Machias
River system may help improve the status of the Atlantic salmon.
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Delmarva
fox squirrel habitat protection in the Nanticoke River Watershed (Maryland
- statewide) $267,183. Project partners will acquire a permanent conservation
easement in the Nanticoke Watershed, Maryland. The property, referred
to as the Mowbray Tract, totals 708 acres, and the entire property
will be under the easement. Protection of this parcel of Delmarva
fox squirrel habitat requires little or no management and will expand
upon an adjacent permanently protected area of land totaling over
3,000 acres. The easement will eliminate all but one development right
and require a Department of Natural Resources approved Forest Stewardship
Plan that addresses habitat requirements of the squirrel along with
migratory songbirds and other sensitive species that utilize the forested
block. The owner is also willing to explore reforestation of certain
areas of the property as squirrel habitat.
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Mitchell's
satyr recovery land acquisition (southwest Michigan) $416,189. The
grant will support acquisition of two parcels (53 acres) within the
Blue Creek Fen area, a 35 acre parcel in the Cook Lake/Rudy Road Complex,
and additional properties within the Mitchell's satyr priority area.
In addition to the Mitchell's satyr, the Blue Creek Fen hosts several
state-listed or special concern species including eastern box turtle,
spotted turtle, and white lady-slipper. The site has also been identified
as likely habitat for the =[ Eastern massasauga rattlesnake, a candidate
for Federal protection. Blue Creek Fen exhibits high species diversity,
has strong natural community integrity, and is supported by relatively
intact hydrological processes. The largest landowner, the Michigan
Department of Transportation, has been working with The Nature Conservancy
and the Service to develop and implement a management plan to achieve
long-term protection and management for the Mitchell's satyr butterfly
on the publicly owned portions of the fen since the mid 1990s. The
acquisition of this tract will increase managed habitat to nearly
one mile along Blue Creek. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources
will partner with the Southwest Michigan Land Trust to acquire approximately
35 acres in the Cook Lake/Rudy Road Complex, adding to the amount
of permanently protected land in the complex. In 2001, the Land Trust
leveraged private funds from donors and members to acquire the 12-acre
Cook Lake Fen Preserve which protects high quality prairie fen occupied
by the Mitchell's satyr.
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Eastern
Nebraska saline wetland land acquisition (Lancaster County, Nebraska)
$160,000. These funds will help acquire and restore 31 acres of eastern
saline wetland habitat, a habitat type that has experienced major
losses (approximately 80 percent) in Nebraska and is considered critically
imperiled. Without the project, the property would likely be bought
for development, resulting in a loss of the habitat benefits of the
property to least terns, piping plovers, and the Salt Creek tiger
beetle, and compromising the habitat benefits of nearby protected
saline wetlands by the indirect and direct effects of urban development.
The property is the highest priority acquisition for the Salt Creek
tiger beetle, a declining, narrowly distributed species awaiting listing.
The property will be managed in perpetuity for endangered species
and other wildlife benefits.
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Dave's Island
tract (Elko County, Nevada) $1,000,000. This acquisition will benefit
the Jarbidge River Distinct Population Segment of bull trout. The
draft recovery plan identified acquisition as the most important recovery
action for the Dave Creek population. This acquisition will also benefit
sage grouse and redband trout and eliminate grazing impacts.
New Mexico
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Blue Hole
Cienega, Santa Rosa, New Mexico: core conservation habitat for Pecos
sunflower (Guadalupe, New Mexico) $107,000. This acquisition will
protect 130 acres of high quality habitat within the Town of Santa
Rosa for the threatened Pecos sunflower. Pecos sunflower is a wetland
plant confined to spring and cienega (desert wetland) areas in New
Mexico and west Texas. The acquisition will protect one of the known
Pecos sunflower core conservation areas, and will fulfill a criterion
of the draft recovery plan.
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Pettiford
Creek, Ahearn Tract Land Acquisition (Carteret County, North Carolina)
$270,000. The Ahearn Tract (adjacent to recently purchased conservation
areas and near Croatan National Forest) is under immediate threat
of development. The purchase of this property will complete protection
of a 900 acre area bounded on three sides by Croatan National Forest
and 2.4 miles of frontage along Pettiford Creek. The purchase will
benefit red-cockaded woodpeckers directly by protecting foraging habitat
and active clusters on the tract and indirectly through its use as
a buffer to existing populations on Croatan National Forest. Biologists
believe the site has a high probability of supporting rough-leaved
loosestrife, which could benefit from protection and management (such
as prescribed burning) on-site. The property also supports a number
of rare and candidate species including Bachman's sparrow, Carolina
goldenrod, Venus flytrap, and southern hognose snake.
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Conservation
easement acquisition along Pymatuning Creek for clubshell mussel recovery
(northeast Ohio) $72,575. The objective of this initiative is to continue
to secure permanent conservation easements from willing landowners
along the main stem of Pymatuning Creek to aid in recovery efforts
for the clubshell mussel. The easements will help complement the land
acquisition efforts by the state and local agencies and other organizations.
Conditions of the conservation easements will assure the permanent
protection of the riparian corridor and create significant buffers
from potentially adverse land uses on adjoining properties. There
are three landowners identified to protect approximately 120 acres
to benefit 5,000 feet of riparian habitat.
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Recovery
of the Ozark big-eared bat and three other federally listed karst-dependent
species (Adair County, Oklahoma) $469,083. Purchase of up to 1,274
acres in Adair County, Oklahoma, by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife
Conservation, will benefit the Ozark big-eared bat and the gray bat.
The tract of land contains a portion of the largest known cave in
Oklahoma, which provides important maternity roost and hibernacula
habitat for the bats. The property is adjacent to the Ozark Plateau
National Wildlife Refuge. The Arkansas Natural Resources Department
is cooperating in the effort to conserve listed species within the
Ozark Karst Ecosystem of the Ozark Highlands Ecoregion, which occurs
in Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma.
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Elk River
Spit conservation easement for snowy plover (Curry County, Oregon)
$307,000. This grant will acquire a conservation easement for up to
80 acres of beach foredune behind the mean high tide line at the Elk
River Spit in Oregon. The purpose of the project is to manage the
land for the federally threatened western snowy plover and the State
listed pink sand-verbena and migrating shorebirds. The recovery plan
for the plover identified the Elk River Spit as one of 19 areas in
Oregon important to the western snowy plover's future recovery. The
spit's landowners are cooperating in the project by donating 25% of
the value of the conservation easement.
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Jacksonville
Woods Fritillaria gentneri (Jackson County, Oregon) $358,000. The
acquisition will benefit a very narrowly distributed plant found in
oak - madrone habitat. This species only occurs in two counties in
Oregon. Upwards of 1,000 individuals occur on the two parcels addressed
in the proposal.
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Bonneau
Ferry Tract (Berkeley County, South Carolina) $1,646,671. The property
is part of a larger three-phase project located along the Cooper River.
The Cooper River is the primary freshwater migration route for manatees
in South Carolina. The Cooper River also supports habitat for the
endangered shortnose sturgeon. These species will benefit directly
by protection of water quality in the river. Habitat for the shortnose
sturgeon may be included in the purchase. Additionally, the larger
property and adjacent properties already under protection support
bald eagle, foraging and roosting sites for wood stork, and a number
of other rare species (including swallow-tailed kite). The purchase
of this tract will contribute to the overall acquisition of 10.5 miles
of river frontage along Cooper River.
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Bellamy
Cave Purchase (Montgomery County, Tennessee) $65,500. Bellamy Cave
is identified in the Gray Bat Recovery Plan as a priority one site
for this species. This cave provides both winter and summer habitat
for gray bats with a colony of approximately 91,000 bats in winter
and a maternity colony of 35,000 bats in summer. Gray bats are sensitive
to human disturbance and the size of this colony makes this cave a
high priority. The State will purchase this property to ensure protection
and long-term management for this species and others such as the small-footed
bat, southern cavefish, and, potentially, Indiana bat.
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Land Acquisition
of the Lane Farm in Middle Tennessee (Wilson County, Tennessee) $285,750.
Acquisition of this property will provide protection for one of the
five existing populations of Tennessee coneflower and permit active
management and enhancement of a population of leafy prairie-clover.
Additionally, the property supports limestone cedar glades, an extremely
rare community which provides habitat for many narrowly distributed
plant species, including seven state listed plants. The property also
contains a small mixed grass barren. In the state of Tennessee, nearly
all such barrens have been lost to conversion for agricultural and
commercial or residential development.
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Land acquisition
of endangered and threatened wildlife habitat, specifically for golden-cheeked
warbler, near Cedar Hill State Park (Dogwood Canyon) (Dallas County,
Texas) $286,500. The acquisition of a 24-acre tract of land will provide
high quality breeding habitat for the golden-cheeked warbler in Dogwood
Canyon. Dogwood Canyon may be the only location in Dallas County currently
inhabited by the warbler, although this species was present in the
county historically. The acquisition is part of a larger project to
protect 250 acres of Dogwood Canyon for the benefit of the warbler
and the black-capped vireo, and other wildlife species.
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State of
Utah Virgin River Confluence acquisition (Washington County, Utah)
$615,000. The funds will be used to purchase 56 acres of riparian
habitat at the Virgin River Confluence essential for the protection
of threatened and endangered species, including woundfin, Virgin River
chub, southwestern willow flycatcher, desert tortoise, and bald eagle.
The proposed parcel represents pristine habitat where the Mojave Desert
meets the Great Basin and Colorado Plateau, and provides habitat for
dozens of species unique to the State of Utah. This project represents
Phase III of a project that will eventually protect a 530-acre ecosystem
complex of riparian habitats along 3.5 miles of the Virgin River.
To date, the State and its partners have permanently protected 275
acres of this total.
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Purchase
of Mitchell's satyr habitat in Virginia (Floyd County, Virginia) $183,974.
This project will provide permanent protection for one of the largest
concentrations of the federally endangered Mitchell's satyr butterfly
in Virginia. The wetlands on the subject property also support the
state endangered bog turtle. A key parcel at Camp Branch Wetlands
will be protected through purchase of a conservation easement and
the property will be dedicated by the Department of Conservation and
Recreation (DCR) as a state natural area preserve. Natural area stewardship
of the DCR Natural Heritage Program will manage the property to ensure
the continued viability of the two rare species and their habitats.
When Mitchell's satyr was federally listed, it was not known from
the State of Virginia. The species was discovered in Virginia in 1998,
one year after the recovery plan was finalized. All known sites of
Mitchell's satyr in Virginia occur within a 50 square mile area of
the New River watershed.
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Golden paintbrush
recovery at Ebey's Reserve (Island County, Washington) $187,300. This
acquisition proposal is a single species project that benefits a narrowly
distributed plant species. It is vital for species recovery because
it is one of only 11 remaining sites and one of the three largest
sites on which this plant is found. Acquisition will make a major
contribution toward recovery.
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An ecoregion
approach to recovery of the Ozark big-eared bat and three other federally
listed karst dependent species: Phase I (Benton, Marion, Newton and
Washington Counties, Arkansas, also includes lands in Oklahoma) $584,237.
The funds will purchase tracts in both Oklahoma and Arkansas adjacent
to several protected areas that provide foraging habitat or habitat
adjacent to foraging habitat for Ozark big-eared bat, gray bat, Indiana
bat, and Ozark cavefish. The project will result in the protection
of entire cave systems and their watersheds in the Ozark Karst Ecosystem.
Acquisition of land adjacent to the Ozark Plateau National Wildlife
Refuge (Oklahoma) will support recovery task 1 in the Ozark big-eared
bat Recovery Plan. Acquisition of land near to Slippery Hollow and
Garrett Hollow Natural Areas will provide protection of essential
surface foraging habitat and movement corridors for the same species.
Acquisition of land near to Cave Springs Natural Area will help better
protect the recharge zone of a cave which supports over half the world's
population of Ozark cavefish. This property also provides habitat
for gray bats. Lands purchased near Edgeman Cave will protect Indiana
bat hibernacula.
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