News Release - 03/16/07

Wildlife Spectacle: Sandhill Crane Migration Uncovers Big Picture Conservation Concerns

Experts announce plans to conserve wildlife before they are too rare and costly to protect.


KEARNEY, NE (March 16, 2007) -Today, on the Platte River, near the site of the world's largest sandhill crane migration, state and national conservation leaders gathered to take a closer look at the big picture of wildlife conservation. Those attending focused on the importance of funding proactive conservation, and the actions needed to put a stop to threats on wildlife populations and habitat.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Deputy Director, Randall Luthi, joined Matt Hogan , Executive Director of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and Kirk Nelson , Assistant Director of Nebraska Game and Parks Commission in front of a crowd of more than 50 conservationists and media to talk about the significance of the nation's new state wildlife action plans.

The action plans, recently completed by each state's fish and wildlife agency with the help of scientists, sportsmen and members of the community, lay out a proactive set of priorities for helping prevent wildlife from becoming endangered in every state. Teaming with Wildlife, a coalition of more than 5,000 conservation-minded organizations and businesses-including state fish & wildlife agencies, wildlife biologists, hunters & anglers, birdwatchers, hikers, nature-based businesses and other conservationists - is calling for increased federal, state and private funding for action plans in 2008.

In a recent survey, the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies estimated that an additional one billion dollars is needed to fully support the thousands of wildlife species and their habitats. Today, only about $200-300 million is focused specifically on preventing wildlife from becoming endangered, a large part of this from the federally funded State Wildlife Grants Program.

" Nebraska supports one of the largest wildlife migration spectacles in the world, as more than a half a million sandhill cranes and 10 million waterfowl visit the south central part of the state each spring," said Matt Hogan. "It is up to us to ensure these wildlife species and the places they live remain healthy for future generations to enjoy. If the state fish and wildlife agencies had an additional billion dollars for preventing wildlife from becoming endangered, it would translate into $11 million a year for Nebraska alone, compared to the $718,000 it presently receives through State Wildlife Grants. It's hard to account for all species with very little resources."

Completed in 2006, each state wildlife action plan contains information on low and declining populations of wildlife, their habitats, threats, and the conservation actions that must be taken to prevent them from becoming endangered. Individually, the action plans establish a set of conservation actions for each state, but together they represent a blueprint for conservation on regional and national scale.

In Nebraska , the state's wildlife action plan or The Natural Legacy Projects takes a habitat-based approach to conservation, identifying 40 biologically unique landscapes to help prioritize where conservation work can best be directed. These landscapes contain representative samples of each of the state's natural communities and the greatest known assemblage of biological diversity, including many populations of at-risk species. On the Platte River , there are many factors affecting wildlife and their habitat.

• Water Diversion -Sustainable water supplies from the Platte River are important to agriculture, is a source of drinking water for 7 out of 10 Nebraskans and is critical to migratory birds like cranes. Collaboration will be needed to ensure future Nebraskans can make use of this unequaled resource.
• Habitat Changes -Habitat along the Platte River has changed dramatically because of reduced river flows. Efforts to restore habitat need to accelerate to conserve wildlife and maintain the character of the Platte .
• Invasive Species -Invasive species such as common reed, purple loosestrife, salt cedar and Russian olive are crowding out native species and reducing habitat available for migratory waterbirds. New partnerships need to be formed to bring together all available resources to combat this serious challenge.
• Climate Change -New stresses from climate change put greater stresses on the Platte River and its wildlife resources. Scientists need to gain a better understanding of these impacts and use adaptive management to counteract these affects.
• Funding -Without greater and more sustainable funding we won't have the resources needed to sustain an important economic, cultural and ecological resource. If we don't act soon to secure funding we may be judged by future generations as penny wise and pound foolish .

"The pressures of threats such as clean air and water, invasive species and climate change only increase the need for pro-active conservation and management of fish and wildlife and their habitat in order to ensure their continued survival," said Rex Amack, Director of Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. "When fish and wildlife are pushed to the brink, other conflicts over scarce resources are frequently exacerbated. Dedicating a portion of funding for practical, preventive actions to conserve fish and wildlife resources can help improve larger conflicts."

The Teaming with Wildlife coalition is now working to support new legislation that will dedicate greater and more reliable funding to wildlife conservation, including part of several new climate change bills as well as exploring other funding sources.

To learn more about The Nebraska Natural Legacy Plan or another individual state wildlife action plan, visit http://www.wildlifeactionplans.org . Or, to learn more about the Teaming with Wildlife, visit www.teaming.com .

The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies -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 .

us , Public Affairs
Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
202/624-7890
rbrittin@fishwildilfe.org

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