• $61 Million Earmarked for State Wildlife Grants
  
• Energy Star Popularity, Recognition on the Rise
  
• Connecticut Governor Accepts Climate Friendly Plan
  
• Two Men Indicted for Smuggling Rare Peruvian Orchids
  
• Spill Settlement Benefits Degraded Wisconsin Wetlands
  
• Wild Condor Egg Sighted in California
  
• Iowa Midwinter Bald Eagle Survey Sets Record
  
• Texas Crab Trap Cleanup Removes Over 3,000 Traps
  
• Disease Forecasting From Space
  

$61 Million Earmarked for State Wildlife Grants

The funding is derived from the Land and Water Conservation Fund. This fund receives money mostly from fees paid by companies drilling offshore for oil and gas. Other funding sources include the sale of surplus federal real estate and taxes on motorboat fuel.

Norton said the grants will underwrite conservation partnerships with state wildlife agencies.

The three largest grants of $3,060,095 each will go to Alaska, California and Texas. The next largest grant of $2,945,190 goes to New York, and next largest after that - $2,592,300 goes to Florida. Apportionment of funds is done by a formula based one-third on land area and two-thirds on population.

States may use the funds for project planning or implementation activities. To be eligible for the funding, each state must complete a Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Plan or Strategy by October 1, 2005.

A state may receive no more than five percent or less than 1 percent of the available funds. The District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico receive .5 percent and Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marina Islands receive .25 percent.

Fish and Wildlife Service Director Steve Williams said, “Because so many issues related to wildlife conservation are not contained by borders, states and the Service must work together to coordinate efforts to conserve endangered and threatened species, manage migrating birds and ensure that the foundations for wildlife management are good science and habitat."

Current State Wildlife Grant projects taking place with funds awarded in earlier years include work being done by the Georgia Wildlife Resources Division to manage swallow-tailed kites in the Satilla River watershed in southeastern Georgia. The state is also working with nearby landowners for kite conservation.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission is using federal money to protect more than 30,000 bats of six species at two mines in Pennsylvania. The state will install special gates at the entrances to these bat caves – called hibernacula or winter homes - to prevent disturbance and vandalism during periods when these species are highly vulnerable.

The Oklahoma Department of Conservation will use the results of an instream flow study in the state’s Ecologically Sustainable Water Management process for southeastern Oklahoma rivers. This process will help guide future water management and species conservation for fish and mussel species of conservation concern in the selected watersheds.

The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish is translocating and establishing threatened Chiricahua leopard frogs in available and suitable habitats on a large ranch with the cooperation of the landowners. The work will help expand the current range and numbers of Chiricahua leopard frogs, provide insight into the factors involved in their successful translocation, and potentially provide a source population for translocation to other suitable habitats in New Mexico.

Energy Star Popularity, Recognition on the Rise

Connecticut Governor Accepts Climate Friendly Plan

"The Committee’s significant and practical recommendations touch upon nearly every aspect of life in our state," said Governor Rowland, a Republican. "Together they are projected to account for more than half of the greenhouse gas emission reductions we’re targeting by 2010. It’s the equivalent of planting nearly three million acres of trees or removing over 750,000 cars from our highways over a year’s time."

Among the recommendations is a new program that will allow Connecticut ratepayers to choose to pay for electricity generated by renewable sources. Ratepayers will soon have access, through their existing electric company, to a whole new series of clean energy options that are pollutant-free, including wind, solar, hydro, fuel cell and biomass power.

A recommendation for new automobile emission standards could take effect as early as model year 2007. The General Assembly is expected to act on this legislative proposal this year.

The committee, which took a year to formulate its recommendations, also suggested the use of energy efficient materials and design concepts in the construction of new state buildings; and the benchmarking of state facilities to identify which properties can be made more efficient users of electricity.

The governor is also considering a requirement that all state government agencies purchase at least 20 percent of their energy from clean energy sources such as wind, solar or fuel cell power by the year 2010 with further incremental increases through 2050. He will be working with agency heads over the next several months to determine the best way to implement this standard.

New England was the first region to tackle greenhouse gas emissions as a shared concern, beginning with the March 2001 New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers climate change workshop.

Following the governors and premiers' meeting, Rowland formed an official Steering Committee on Climate Change, which contacted citizen stakeholders for recommendations on reducing greenhouse gas emissions statewide.

In response, more than 80 businesses, nonprofit organizations, state and local government agencies and academic institutions met in public forums. They adopted a report which suggests legislative and regulatory changes covering electricity, transportation, education and the field of agriculture, forestry and waste; as well as the residential, commercial, industrial sector.

This is the first time I’ve seen a state produce a comprehensive plan of action that includes an actual short term implementation plan," said Steve Winkelman of the Center for Clean Air Policy which seeks to promote and implement innovative solutions to environmental and energy problems. "The New England region is ahead of the country in acting on climate change issues."

"The suggestions made to address climate change come from a true cross section of Connecticut organizations, with diverse points of view," he said.

Other initiatives Rowland is supporting include:

• landfill projects that capture methane gas for use as a power source
  
• increasing recycling rate through education and enforcement of requirements and programs
  
• smart growth efforts and sustainable transportation choices
  
• a pilot program to test biodiesel
  
• encouraging consumers to buy local produce which reduces emissions associated with the transport of agricultural products
  
• encouraging consumers to discard older appliances and replace them with more energy efficient ones

Two Men Indicted for Smuggling Rare Peruvian Orchids

All species of orchid are protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Phragmipedium species are listed on Appendix I of the CITES treaty, which prohibits international trade in species classed as endangered.

The indictment, returned Thursday, alleges that the men used invalid permits for the orchid shipments and falsely labeled many of the plants to cover up the lack of a valid permit. The shipments all were allegedly for commercial purposes.

Arias is alleged to have sold several shipments of orchids to Norris between January of 1999 and October of 2003. He would allegedly obtain a CITES permit for the shipment from Peruvian authorities that authorized the export of certain numbers of artificially propagated specimens of particular species of orchids.

At the instruction of Norris, Arias would allegedly include specimens of species not included on the CITES permit in the shipment and falsely label the protected species as a species listed on the permit.

Arias would allegedly provide to Norris a code for deciphering the false labels and identifying the true species of the orchids. In some instances Arias allegedly shipped orchids that were wild collected rather than artificially propagated.

One shipment in February of 2003 allegedly included some 1,145 specimens, of which 490 were of species not authorized for export by the accompanying CITES permit.

Both men are charged with making a false statement to federal authorities. Norris faces an additional two counts of smuggling related to alleged sales and domestic shipments of orchids that he knew had been imported contrary to law. If convicted, the maximum penalty for each of the counts of the indictment is up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The United States and Peru, along with over 160 other nations, are CITES Parties. The United States implements CITES through the Endangered Species Act.

Special agents of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service led the investigation with assistance from the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs, and the Department of Agriculture. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Florida as well as the Wildlife and Marine Resources Section of the Department of Justice.

Spill Settlement Benefits Degraded Wisconsin Wetlands

The draft restoration plan outlines a variety of alternatives that might be used to restore the site and associated wetland and coastal areas. The proposed alternative calls for preservation and restoration of equivalent aquatic habitat focusing on coastal and lakeplain wetlands within the Lake Superior basin in Wisconsin.

In the early morning of June 30, 1992, a Burlington Northern train derailed near U.S. Highway 35, south of Superior, Wisconsin, resulting in the spill of approximately 30,000 gallons of "aromatic concentrates" to the Nemadji River, 19 river miles upstream from Allouez Bay of Lake Superior.

The report issued by the Fish and Wildlife Service on the spill said that in addition to the fish kill, the aromatic hydrocarbons injured fish beyond the confines of the river in the short term.

It is likely, the Service said, that the cloud of volative hydrocarbons released soon after the spill "injured terrestrial wildlife directly and by driving adult birds away from nests and young."

In addition, it is likely that the short term exposure of fish to aromatic hydrocarbons resulted in sub-lethal effects, including gill and liver damage, which may have "compromised the performance capacity of exposed fish and reduced the size of fish populations," the Service said.

The claim for natural resource damages against Burlington Northern was settled in a consent decree filed in federal court in 1995, and the railroad company made $140,000 available to the U.S. Department of the Interior to fund restoration activities. This amount does not cover complete restoration of the damaged area.

Trustees for the natural resources affected by the spill, including the Service, the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, and the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, along with the Fond du Lac Band of Chippewa Indians, worked together to assess damages from the spill and develop the restoration plan.

The preferred alternative designated in the draft plan is acquisition and restoration of degraded coastal and lakeplain wetlands within the Lake Superior basin in Wisconsin. These wetlands include native wild rice beds that provide food for migrating waterfowl that need for high protein nourishment before or after crossing Lake Superior during migration.

The two most critical threats to coastal wetlands in this area are development and non-point source pollution, particularly sedimentation. Because many of the coastal wetland acres remain intact, acquisition would help to maintain existing resources and protect them from development, the draft plan reasons.

Restoration of the degraded wetlands that will be acquired is expected to improve habitat values for waterfowl, waterbirds, fish and other aquatic life dependent on this ecosystem.

The coastal wetlands provide breeding and migration habitat for Canada geese, mergansers, and tundra swans as well as several diver and dabbler waterfowl species including lesser scaup, ringnecked duck and canvasback; and mallard, black duck and wood duck.

Federally listed threatened species from the Nemadji River watershed and the Lake Superior subwatersheds potentially affected by the proposed restoration plan actions include the bald eagle and the Canada lynx. Federally listed endangered species include the gray wolf and the piping plover.

The combined draft plan and draft environmental assessment are available for public comment through April 12, 2004. Copies of the draft plan and assessment are available on the Service’s website at: http://midwest.fws.gov/nepa

Wild Condor Egg Sighted in California

Biologists believe three pairs of California condors have laid eggs this month with a fourth pair expected to lay soon. Biologists have had visual confirmation of one egg, while the other two nest caves are in remote locations with no visibility into the nests.

"The condors in the wild continue to follow their biological urge to reproduce, and with the slow steady progress we are experiencing, we get closer each year to reaching our goal of recovering this species from the brink of extinction," said Steve Thompson, manager of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s California-Nevada Operations Office.

The one egg that biologists saw belongs to a 24 year old original wild condor known as AC9, and his mate. AC9 was the last wild condor brought in from the wild in 1987. After 15 years in the captive breeding program he was released back into the wild May 1, 2002.

In the nests with no visibility, the presence of an egg is based solely on behavior. Each parent spends time incubating the egg while the other forages for food and then they trade off. While one of the pair is at the feeding site the other will be absent, which alerts the biologists observing them, to nesting activity.

If successful, the eggs should hatch in early April. Last year only one chick was produced in southern California and that chick died after four months.

The first wild chick to survive past first flight was hatched last year in Arizona, and biologists say at nine months that chick is doing fine.

There are 90 condors now living in the wild in California, Arizona and Baja, Mexico and 125 in captivity at the Los Angeles Zoo, San Diego Wild Animal Park and the Peregrine Fund’s World Center for Birds of Prey in Boise, Idaho.

The goal of the California Condor Recovery Plan is to establish two geographically separate populations, one in California and the other in Arizona, each with 150 birds and at least 15 breeding pairs.

The largest bird in North America, condors are scavengers that have soared over mountainous areas of California since prehistoric times, but they nearly vanished in the 20th century.

Causes of death were found to be loss of habitat and food, shooting, and poisoning with lead from shot and other toxics used deliberately to poison predators. Condors were listed as an endangered species in 1967, under a law that pre-dated the existing Endangered Species Act.

In 1982, the condor population reached its lowest level of 22 birds, prompting biologists to start collecting chicks and eggs for a captive breeding program.

By late 1984, only 15 condors remained in the wild. After seven of those condors died, it was decided to bring the remaining birds in from the wild for the captive breeding program. In 1992, the Recovery Program began releasing California condors back into the wild.

Iowa Midwinter Bald Eagle Survey Sets Record

An estimated 4,432 bald eagles spent part of their winter in Iowa this year, the department said, breaking the previous record of 2,493 set in 2001. The survey is done along the same routes each year.

The number of immature bald eagles surveyed continues to rise. In 2004, more than 40 percent of the eagles counted were juveniles.

"This is a substantial juvenile population and seems to indicated the overall population is stable or growing," said Mark McInroy, wildlife technician at the Department of Natural Resources' Boone research station.

The survey showed that there is about 160 established eagle nests in 61 Iowa counties. "The future of eagles certainly looks promising," McInroy said.

The Iowa survey results will be added to neighboring states that will provide a better picture of the eagle population. Eagle populations have been on the increase over the last decade.

Because of its long life, great strength and majestic looks, the bald eagle was chosen June 20, 1782 as the emblem of the United States of America, when the great seal of the nation was adopted.

Texas Crab Trap Cleanup Removes Over 3,000 Traps

"There are fewer traps to be found because of past efforts, but there are still traps out in bays that we still need to get to," said Art Morris, crab trap cleanup coordinator. "We have removed roughly 15,500 traps during the three cleanups and the bays are looking better and better all the time."

The abandoned wire mesh cages continue to kill crabs, fish and other aquatic life as long as they are on the ocean floor. The traps also can be a hazard to navigation; they can foul shrimpers' nets and snag fishermens' lines.

In 2001, the Texas Legislature created the abandoned crab trap removal program, but until then only the trap's owner or a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) game warden could legally remove an abandoned crab trap.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission last fall adopted a permanent 10 day closure to occur on the third Friday of February of each year. From February 20 to 29, all Texas coastal waters were closed to crabbing with traps to allow TPWD staff and volunteers to search the bays in an attempt to remove abandoned traps.

During the cleanup, volunteers found an old trap marked with a metal tag from the license year 1992, and the Aransas Bay crew found live hard coral growing on several traps seven miles from the Gulf jetties.

Disease Forecasting From Space

Ronald Welch of NASA's Global Hydrology and Climate Center in Huntsville, is one scientist working to develop such an early warning system. He visits locations where people are suffering from malaria, and then uses information from satellites to determine what those conditions look like from space.

"I have been to malarious areas in both Guatemala and India," Welch says. "Usually I am struck by the poverty in these areas, at a level rarely seen in the United States. The people are warm and friendly, and they are appreciative, knowing that we are there to help. It feels very good to know that you are contributing to the relief of sickness and preventing death, especially the children."

Welch is doing research now in India where health officials are considering establishing a satellite based malaria early warning system for the whole country. There is hope that spraying to kill mosquitoes in advance of a predicted outbreak might keep the disease at bay.

In coordination with mathematician Jia Li of the University of Alabama at Huntsville and India's Malaria Research Center, Welch is hoping to do a pilot study in Mewat, a rural area of India south of New Delhi. The area is home to more than 700,000 people living in 491 villages and five towns, yet is only about two-thirds the size of Rhode Island.

"We expect to be able to give warnings of high disease risk for a given village or area up to a month in advance," Welch says. "These red flags will let health officials focus their vaccination programs, mosquito spraying, and other disease fighting efforts in the areas that need them most, perhaps preventing an outbreak before it happens."

Conditions that promote malaria are known. For the mosquito species that carries malaria in Welch's study area, for example, an outbreak hotspot would have pools of stagnant water where adult mosquitoes can deposit their eggs to mature into new adults.

These could be lingering puddles on dense, clay soil after heavy rains, swamplands located nearby, or even rain filled buckets left outside by villagers.

A malaria hotspot would be warmer than 18 degrees Celsius, because in colder weather, the single celled plasmodium parasite that causes malaria operates too slowly to go through its infection cycle before the host mosquito dies.

But the weather cannot be too hot, or the mosquitoes would not survive. The humidity must stay in the 55 precent to 75 precent range that these mosquitoes require for survival. There would be livestock nearby because the blood of animals is their preferred food.

Documenting some of these factors, such as soil type, mosquito behavior, and local bucket habits of human residents, requires observation by researchers in the field, says Welch.

This information is plugged into a computerized mapping system called a Geographical Information Systems (GIS) database along with other information from satellites, such as the locations of cattle pastures and human dwellings, rainfall, vegetation types, and soil moisture.

Out comes a disease risk forecast.

Previous studies have shown this is a sound approach for estimating disease risk. A group from the University of Nevada and the Desert Research Institute in Las Vegas was able to predict historical rates of deer-mouse infection by the Sin Nombre virus with up to 80 percent accuracy, based only on vegetation type and density, elevation and slope of the land, and hydrologic features, all derived from satellite data and GIS maps.

In another study, this one in California, a scientists from NASA, the national agricultural lab at Ames, Iowa, and the University of California at Davis achieved a 90 percent success rate in identifying which rice fields in central California would breed large numbers of mosquitoes and which would breed fewer, based on Landsat data.

"All of the necessary pieces of the puzzle are there," Welch says. Disease predictions, like weather forecasts, can never be perfect, but this new technique may help health authorities to meet conditions that foster disease with readiness.