USF&WS Press Release: Interior Department Approves Plans by 56 U.S. States and Territories to Keep Species from Becoming Endangered

Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne announced today that the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service has approved wildlife action plans for all 56 states and
territories, 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 imperiled
species and prevent them from becoming threatened or endangered.

"The states possess a wealth of knowledge about the conservation issues and
wildlife species within their borders,” said Secretary Kempthorne. “These
plans tap into this expertise and demonstrate our commitment to
conservation partnerships with the state wildlife agencies. Working
together with them, as well as with tribes, local governments, conservation
groups and private landowners, we can help prevent wildlife 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 signed by President Bush in
2001.

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 in-depth approval process took more than a year for some action plans.
The final nine plans were approved today by the Service, covering
Massachusetts, Ohio, Colorado, Arkansas, American Samoa, Guam, California,
Delaware and the District of Columbia.

“A strong cooperative approach was integral when constructing our state
wildlife action plans to ensure the health and survival of all wildlife,”
said Ed Parker, president of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
and bureau chief of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection.
“In just a few years time, we have already seen the results of working in
closer relationships with other conservation agencies and organization
within our states. Never has such a comprehensive set of plans been
constructed with so much input.”

"The plans identify what species and habitats are declining, but not yet
officially threatened or endangered," Kempthorne added. "By using this
information we can act now before it's too late. The Administration is
excited about this historic milestone since it offers a new and creative
approach to broad scale, cost-effective conservation and this sentiment is
shared widely by others in the conservation community."

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 percent or less than 1 percent of the available
funds. The District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico each
receives 0.5 percent and Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and
the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands each receives 0.25
percent. The apportionment is based on a formula that uses the state's
land area and population.

The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number for the State Wildlife
Grants is 15.634.

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

The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) -- the organization
that represents all of North America’s fish and wildlife agencies --
promotes sound management and conservation, and speaks with a unified voice
on important fish and wildlife issues. Found on the web at
www.fishwildlife.org