Defenders of Wildlife Blog

“You are making a difference! We’ve made a lot of progress, but we need you to stand strong!” That was the call to arms issued by Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) to 16 “citizen lobbyists” amassed for a Capitol Hill reception last week hosted by Cardin and longtime wildlife champion Representative Norm Dicks (WA-6).

The 100-person gathering was the culmination of a two-day lobbying marathon organized by Defenders and other conservation groups to help secure funding for wildlife conservation programs. In all, the heads of seven different enviornmental groups partiipated in the lobbying push along with countless other staff. And the 16 citizen lobbyists? They were the stars of the show, all having agreed last minute to put their personal lives on hold, fly to D.C. and speak from the heart about the importance of wildlife conservation funding to their local regions and economies.

They hailed from all walks of life—refuge managers, environmental activists, and local eco-business owners. And each had a unique story to tell about the importance of wildlife conservation in their area. Nathan Varley, owner and operator of The Wild Side, a wildlife tourism business, spoke to the crowd about how important wildlife is to his business and many others. “Put simply,” he said, “take away the wildlife and I don’t have a business and my employees don’t have jobs.”

Nathan’s plea was an apt one considering the total contribution from outdoor sports in the United States is nearly $821 billion a year, generating more than 6.4 million jobs and close to $100 billion in federal and state tax revenue. Wildlife viewing alone brought in close to $49 billion, including nearly half a million jobs and people visiting national wildlife refuges, parks, and other
recreation areas added another $47 billion.

“These programs are so vital to our natural heritage,” said Jamie Rappaport Clark, President of Defenders of Wildlife and emcee for the evening. “But we also must remember what they mean for jobs and so many local economies.”

With such earnest citizen lobbyists speaking out in favor of such programs, it’s not a lesson anyone is likely to forget soon.

A weekly homage to endangered species, large and small.

What do Robert Redford and a two-inch salamander have in common? They both learned to swim in Barton Springs pool in Austin, Texas. True to its name, the Barton Springs’ salamander is found only in Barton Springs­—a set of four natural water springs where Redford supposedly learn to swim when he was 5 years old.

Salamanders are amphibians, meaning they spend at least part of their lives in the water. Typically they have long tails, moist skin, and slender bodies. Adults can grow up to 2.5 inches long and usually have a purplish grey coloring. The tiny critters feed on brine shrimp, and other small crustaceans underwater. They have bright red external gills and unlike many other species that move from the water to the land during adulthood, Barton Springs salamanders remain in the water their entire lives.

One thing not unique about the salamanders is that they—like so many related species—are critically endangered. Nearly one third of all documented amphibian species around the world face extinction, and the Barton Springs salamander is no exception. They rely on the pure, flowing currents of the Barton Springs to survive, and urban expansion and development in the area continues to severely contaminate the water.  According to the Center for Biological Diversity, the sediment runoff from construction clogs the salamanders’ gills, smothers their eggs, reduces the availability of spawning sites, and lessens water circulation and oxygen. In 1997, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the Barton Springs salamander as an endangered species.

WHAT GOOD ARE THEY?

The cleanliness of the Barton Springs is a critical issue for both salamanders and humans since the springs provide much of Austin’s municipal water supply. Salamanders are particularly sensitive to contaminants and the Barton Springs salamander serves as a very important indicator of the health of a water supply used by much of southern Austin. Even while they distribute clean water to the city, the springs themselves are also a treasured place that people want to see protected, and the Barton Springs salamander is a key indicator of the springs’ health. Researching them has even led to the discovery of another endangered species—the Austin blind salamander.

The Barton Springs salamander evolved under such unique and specific conditions that they might also provide valuable information to scientists about the development of the ecosystem and possibly even help in the development of modern medicine.

Luckily for us, there are a number of things people can do to help the salamanders, and none of them involve abstaining from swimming in the popular Barton Springs pool. The salamanders require clean and consistent water flow which means no dumping chemicals or waste into the springs. There are even things you can do at home to help. Little changes like shutting off water while brushing your teeth or washing dishes helps reduce the amount of water used which helps keep it in the springs for the salamanders.

Continual monitoring and protection efforts by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the local communities will be essential if we hope to continue swimming with these special and rare creatures in the future.

Although deer continue to be the number one victim of wildlife-vehicle collisions, accidents on the road impact a wide range of animals. In a 2007 study on wildlife-vehicle collisions, the Western Transportation Institute compiled a list of 21 federally listed threatened and endangered species in the United States for which direct road mortality is among the major threats to the survival. That list not only included mammals like the San Joaquin kit fox, Canada lynx and Florida panther, but even reptiles like the American crocodile and birds like the Florida scrub jay. Watch our video to see the full range of listed species.

Sadly, those are only the animals that are affected by direct collisions with vehicles. If the study had included other impacts of roads and associated development, such as habitat loss and fragmentation, that list would have been much, much longer.

Florida panther: Poster child for the road to extinction?

With only an estimated 100 to 160 remaining in the wild, Florida panthers are one of the most endangered mammals in the world. Meant to range over large areas in search of food and mates, these cats are forced to crisscross the Sunshine State’s dangerous highways all too often. As a result, collisions with vehicles take a terrible toll on panthers—16 were killed on Florida roads in 2010, and a record-breaking 17 in 2009.

Fortunately, progress is being made to protect these big cats. Next week, builders will break ground on a Remote Animal Detection System (RADS) in Florida’s Big Cypress National Preserve. The preserve is a stronghold for the Florida panther, with the Turner River area specifically providing prime panther habitat. But the roads that cross the preserve also make it a very dangerous place for the endangered cats, especially breeding females and their kittens. By detecting large animals like panthers on the Turner River area of US 41 and alerting drivers of their presence, the system is intended to cut down on the amount of cats killed on the road.

Defenders is hopeful that the RADS project will raise awareness about the need to drive carefully and watch out for wildlife in Big Cypress National Preserve. We will continue to work for long-term solutions to make this deadly stretch of road safer for wildlife and people, from increased awareness and law enforcement in the panther zone to exploring the possibility of safe passage under and over busy roads.

A weekly homage to endangered species, large and small

They’re big, slow, and always hungry. But they’re also absolutely irresistible, and we can’t help but love them. People travel across the country and from all over the world to Florida in hopes of glimpsing the majestic manatee. These slow-moving marine mammals can weigh more than 1,200 pounds and grow to nearly 10 feet in length. They eat sea grass and other aquatic vegetation they find in the warm coastal waters.

Manatees require warm water to survive which is why they congregate predominantly in Florida  year-round, although they’ve been spotted in waters as far north as Massachusetts in recent years and in waters throughout eastern Texas. This can also be their downfall, however, since man-made sources of warm waters such as power plant discharges also attract manatees. Although they have no natural predators, these graceful giants have long had to fight for survival against threats like climate change and boat collisions.  In 1967, the manatees were listed as an endangered species under a precursor to the Endangered Species Act, primarily as a result of habitat loss which remains a serious concern. Today experts estimate that there are about 5,000 manatees remaining in the United States.

Manatee money-tree

Manatees are Florida’s official state marine mammal. Possibly as a gesture of gratitude, these massive mammals bring in millions of dollars in tourism revenue annually. Visitors flock to two places in particular to catch a glimpse–Blue Spring State Park and Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park, where manatees are attracted to the warmer temperatures during winter months. Combined, the two parks draw nearly 400,000 visitors each year from outside their respective counties who spend in excess of $20 million. That revenue supports nearly 400 tourism-related jobs with a payroll of more than $5 million. Read more in Defenders’ Conservation Pays report.

To learn more about manatees, check out Defenders’ profile or the USFWS’ fact sheet.

Recently, wildfires raged throughout Bastrop State Park–considered the last remaining stronghold for the Houston toad featured in our recent “Can’t Live Without ‘Em” blog. Biologists are currently investigating the damage to the toad’s habitat and population. Hopefully these resourceful critters aren’t among the things we lost in the fire. Firefighters worked tirelessly to save the 6,000-acre Bastrop State Park after fires burned through much of the area located just east of Austin, Texas. According to reports, more than 1,000 homes have been destroyed throughout the affected area along with buildings and habitats inside Bastrop State Park. Read the full article.

Watch the full story as Texas Wildlife officials try to stop the blaze:

Famed conservationist Jeff Corwin looks back on 20 years of leadership from Defenders of Wildlife’s retiring president Rodger Schlickeisen.

I remember when I first met Rodger.

It was 2003 and we were standing on the steps of the US Capitol building. The sun was shining but there was a distinct chill in the air. Beside us was an impressive assortment of environmental leaders and members of Congress. In front of us sat about 30 school children, equal parts nervous and excited. Our purpose that day? To celebrate the 30^th Anniversary of the Endangered Species Act.

And I remember how eloquently Rodger spoke about the Act – the bipartisan support it enjoyed, the creatures it had saved, the threats it faces – and I realized this man wasn’t just reading words on a page. He could have been working without prepared text at all, because this man was clearly moved. He felt what he was saying and he felt it deep and it was apparent to all. I have made the conservation of wildlife my life’s work and I knew right away, listening to Rodger, I had found a kindred spirit. It was the beginning of my proud association with Defenders of Wildlife and the beginning of what I hope will be a lifelong friendship with its departing leader, Rodger Schlickeisen.

Rodger isn’t just the head of one of the nation’s top environmental groups, he is the consummate hands-on, make-things-happen leader. He is as much at home in the Oval Office chastising the president as he is clad in a winter parka, releasing wolves back into Yellowstone. And you are just as likely to find him in a powerful Senator’s office as you are the wilds of Africa, tracking collared lions with Masai warriors.

And his brand of leadership has served Defenders well. When he joined the organization in 1991, it had 60,000 members. Now? The list of members and supporters tops one million. When he joined Defenders, the US Geological Service had no arm devoted to addressing the impacts of climate change on wildlife. Now they do. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the wildlife conservation programs, public and private, that were not in existence before Rodger made creating them a priority for Defenders.

When Rodger got started, environmental conservation had Democratic and Republican champions alike. And he deftly maneuvered back and forth across the aisle, exhorting champions from both sides to support key conservation programs. A decade later, when wildlife conservation became a political hot potato, Rodger read the writing on the wall, formed the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund, and began taking on some of the environment’s worst enemies at the ballot box. Richard Pombo, Sarah Palin, Steve Pearce, Marilyn Musgrave, all soon found that you cannot run roughshod over the environment without hearing about it from Rodger.

Leadership, foresight, flexibility, proven accomplishment, all things we look for in a leader, all things Rodger delivered.

But as Rodger moves on from Defenders, I find myself thinking back to that fall day in 2003. And I think about another leadership quality: dedication. On that day, I saw the intense dedication he shows to the cause he so clearly believes in and the organization he cares so deeply about. And I am left to ponder how rare such devotion is in many of the leaders we see today. Truly, lots of people run organizations, but few people actually lead with such dedication. Rodger did. And we − along with the natural world − are the better for it.