Secretary Jewell Announces Conservation Success Story in Down-listing of Wood Stork

Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell announced that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is down-listing the wood stork from endangered to threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), reflecting a highly successful conservation and recovery effort spanning three decades. Jewell made the announcement at the Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge, home to the largest wood stork rookery in Georgia.

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    When wood storks were listed as endangered in 1984, their population was dropping a precipitous 5 percent a year. Since then, the U.S. breeding population has shown substantial improvement in the numbers of nesting pairs as a whole and an expansion of its breeding range. Photo: DOI

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    Secretary Jewell provided remarks alongside U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuge manager Kimberly Hayes, Assistant Director of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Division Mark Whitney and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Recovery Coordinator for the Wood Stork Billy Brooks. Photo: DOI

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    “The down-listing of the wood stork from endangered to threatened demonstrates how the Endangered Species Act can be an effective tool to protect and recover imperiled wildlife from the brink of extinction, especially when we work in partnership with states, tribes, conservation groups, private landowners, and other stakeholders,” said the Secretary. Photo: DOI

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