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Endangered Resources
For over 25 years, the Endangered Resources Program has worked to conserve
Wisconsin's biodiversity for present and future generations. Our goals are to
identify, protect and manage native plants, animals and natural communities
from the very common to critically endangered. We work with others to promote
knowledge, appreciation and stewardship of Wisconsin's native species and ecosystems.
Features
The State of the Birds: 2010 Report on Climate Change
A news release issued by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar concludes that
climate change threatens to further imperil hundreds of species of migratory birds
that are already under stress from habitat loss, invasive species and other environmental
threats. The report, a collaboration of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and
experts from the nations leading conservation organizations, shows that
climate changes will have an increasingly disruptive effect on bird species in
all habitats, with oceanic and Hawaiian birds in greatest peril. This report calls
attention to the collective efforts needed to protect natures resources
for the benefit of people and wildlife. Read the 2010
State of the Birds report...(exit DNR)
Peregrine Falcons are back in Madison
On February 25th, peregrine falcons were spotted for the first time this year
at Madison's MG&E nest site, where three young were successfully produced in 2009.
Last year's nest pair were Verne and his mate Frightful. However, the birds spotted
this year are another pair. Steve Schultz, Executive Director - MGE Energy Production, was able to read a band
number via their web cam. The falcon ID'd is "Suzuki", a male produced
along with 4 siblings in 2006 at We Energies Pleasant Prairie Power Plant. The
female's identification is still unknown at this time. Peregrines are known to
be quite territorial and as there was a fair amount of turnover of falcons at
the MG&E site last year, it will be interesting to see if Suzuki ends up holding
his ground and nesting there. Watch
the MG&E nest box videos.... (exit DNR)
Cougar spotted on trail-cams in Clark County; tracks in Bayfield County
Trail cams and individual track observations continue to help DNR biologists track
cougar sightings in the state. Two trail cam sightings occurred within 13 miles
of one another in Clark County and cougar tracks were also observed in Bayfield
County. If this cougar is the same seen in Minnesota in December, this animal
has travelled approximately 136 miles in 44 days. Previous observations of a cougar
in Dunn and St. Croix counties proved through genetic testing to be of the same
individual. Read more on the latest sightings...
Cougar Travels to Dunn County - seen on a trail camera
On December 19th, a cougar was photographed on a trail camera on a farm in Dunn
County. Fresh tracks and a recent deer kill were found nearby.
This location is approximately 16 miles southeast of the area where tracks were
seen on December 16th (see story below). Assuming this is the same cougar as
the one coming out of the Twin Cities, it appears to be traveling to the ESE
at 5-7 miles per day. Read
more on cougar sightings...
Banding Together for Research - 60 years of raptors at Cedar Grove
Since 1950, Helmut Mueller and Dan Berger have been trapping and banding raptors
and other birds at Cedar Grove Hawk
Research Station and they continue their research today. The station has the
longest sustained record of activity in North America for trapping and banding
migratory raptors and more than 20,000 birds of prey of 23 species have been live-trapped,
banded, measured, and released. Berger and Mueller were recently recognized by
the Department of Natural Resources and the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology
for their six decades of research at the site. Largely self-funded and relying
on an all-volunteer crew, the facility has the "longest sustained record for birds
of prey in North America," said Gloria McCutcheon, DNR regional director. Read
more.... (exit DNR)
Road trips to the right place at the right time: Wisconsin's Birding and Nature Trail
Nothing builds an appreciation for nature like seeing, hearing and watching it
for yourself. Though wild animals don't suddenly appear on cue, experienced bird
watchers have tried to tip the odds in your favor by forming lists of "best bets"
to see birds in key places at key times of the year. That was the concept in compiling
the Great Wisconsin Birding and Nature Trail – a series of regional auto routes
that could get you to the right place at the right time to find the places where
birds congregate during their courtships, breeding seasons, migrations, resting
times and feeding periods. Read
the full Wisconsin Natural Resources Magazine article...
White-nose Syndrome: A Grave Threat to Wisconsin's Bats

Bats are a vital part of the ecosystem, vacuuming up insects that spread West
Nile virus and other illnesses. Without them, farmers would need more pesticides
for their crops. For now, Wisconsin's bat population is healthy and hearty. But
a devastating fungus is racing through cave-dwelling bat populations in eastern
states and it's headed this way. White-nose syndrome has now killed an estimated
1 million bats, and experts say it could reach Wisconsin within two to three years.
More...
(exit DNR)
Read
more... (exit DNR)
Donate to the Wisconsin
Bat Conservation Endowment Fund... (exit DNR)
Gray Wolf Back on Endangered Species List

On June 29th, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agreed to reinstate federal
protection of wolves in the upper Great Lakes region. A coalition of wolf advocate
groups led by the Humane Society of the United States filed a lawsuit June 15,
challenged the federal government's decision. A court-ordered settlement restores
federal Endangered Species Act protections for more than 4,000 gray wolves around
the Great Lakes. The Service will provide an additional opportunity for public
comment on the rule to ensure compliance with the Administrative Procedures
Act. While the Service gathers additional public comment, gray wolves in the
Western Great Lakes area will again be protected under the Endangered Species.
All restrictions and requirements in place under the Act prior to the delisting
will be reinstated.
Read more about the changes... (exit DNR)
Read about the gray wolf in Wisconsin
Recovery of Gray Wolves in the Great Lakes Region of the United States: An
Endangered Species Success Story
A new book edited by Adrian Wydeven (mammal ecologist and wolf program coordinator for the Wisconsin DNR), Tim Van Deelen (assistant professor of wildlife ecology at UW- Madison), and Ed Heske (Illinois Natural History Survey) is available for purchase with a portion of the proceeds from sales going to support the conservation of wolves for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The book on the recovery of gray wolves examines the history of wolf management, habitat, depredation management, population dynamics, ESA listing process, social surveys, and education efforts within the region that has allowed this recovery to occur. The book contains 21 chapters, authored by 47 individuals, including 8 current or retired employees of the Wisconsin DNR. More Information... (exit DNR)
The Vanishing Present: Wisconsin's Changing Lands, Waters, and Wildlife
A new book edited by Donald M. Waller (Professor of botany and environmental studies at UW-Madison) and Thomas P. Rooney (assistant professor of biological sciences and environmental sciences at Wright State University) is available for purchase with a portion of the proceeds from sales going to support the research fund of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources' Bureau of Endangered Resources. "The Vanishing Present brings together a distinguished set of contributors including scientists, naturalists, and policy experts to examine how human pressures on Wisconsin's changing lands, waters, and wildlife have redefined the state's ecology." More Information... (exit DNR)
More Endangered Resources News...
Last Revised: March 8, 2010
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