Preserving Rare Species in Protected Areas

1. Acadia National Park Science Symposium The Schoodic Education and Research Center October 23, 2012 Preserving Rare Speciesin Protected Areas Peter A. Dratch, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Inventory and Monitoring Initiative E X P E R I E N C E O U R A M E R I C A

2. The Endangered Species Act directs the National Park Service and other agencies to: • “…utilize their authorities in the furtherance of the purposes of this Act by carrying out programs for the conservation of endangered species and threatened species.” Section 7(a)(1) • “…insure that any action authorized, funded, or carried out is not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of any endangered or threatened species.” Section 7(a)(2) E X P E R I E N C E Y O U R A M E R I C A

3. The Endangered Species Act of 1973 and the National Park Service Organic Act of 1916 set high standard for preserving species: • “…the fundamental purpose of the said parks, monuments, and reservations, which purpose is to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations. “ Section (1) • i.e. in Parks, save everything, for everyone, forever.

4. To meet its obligations under both the Organic Act and the Endangered Species Act for proactive conservation of federally listed species, the NPS works to: • don’t do stuff that results in take or jeopardy of species, • restore and maintain listed species’ habitats, and • to reestablish locally extirpated populations Endangered Florida panther kittens at Big Cypress National Preserve.

5. The NPS plays a vital role in the conservation of many rare plant and animal species. NPS manages approximately 84.4 million acres (338,000 km²) across 398 park units. About 75% of these units have significant natural resources. They represent sanctuaries and critical habitats for rare species. In the last eleven years, 30 federally listed species have been restored to NPS units and 14 have been out-planted. In 2008, 18 fishers were released into Olympic National Park, a three-year reintroduction project of this candidate species to the State of Washington.

6. The NPS maintains information about T&E species in parks (status, trend, expenditures) in an Access database. The numbers of park populations reported by park units has grown over the years. In 2001, about 400 park populations, in 2006, about 850 park populations; while today…. Threatened western prairie fringed orchid at Pipestone National Monument.

7. 2010 NPS T&E numbers are: BLM contracted with the CO Natural Heritage Program to start a similar database to track its rare species, and The FWS National Wildlife Refuge System is planning on doing a similar data call to its refuges this year.

8. Plants comprise the majority of the species while mammals comprise the majority of park populations. (Plants include conifers, cycads, flowering plants, lichens, ferns, and fern allies. Invertebrates include corals, crustaceans, clams, and snails.)

9. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service ECOS Refuge ESA: Updating T&E Status • A tool to collect ESA species occurrence data for the entire Refuge System. • 2. Used to update and inform current Refuge ESA species lists within ECOS Threatened and Endangered Species System. • 3. Updated status data will available to ES via ECOS. Compares list of TES from CCP and TESS Natural Resource Program Center

10. Expenditures for listed species in NPS units This includes the NPS T&E NRPP fund expended $7 million on 70 park projects that addressed on-the-ground conservation efforts at restoring species and the habitats upon which they depend.

11. NPS and the Center for Plant Conservation collected seeds (or sometimes tissues) for half of the 231 T&E plant populations. Seeds are stored at the National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation, the USDA Agricultural Research Service facility in Fort Collins. E X P E R I E N C E Y O U R A M E R I C A

12. Future Plant Collections • Periodic recollection of existing and newly designated T&E species • Species which were previously uncollected due to drought or infertility • Grow out and redeposit of new seed • Deposit of seed from species of management concern, flagship species, and state listed species • As climate change affects ecosystems, seed banking is important to protect NPS genetic resources Threatened Chisos Mountain hedgehog cactus at Big Bend National Park.

13. Animal Collections NPS T&E animal tissue samples can now be deposited in the Ambrose MonellCryo Collection at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. In June 2010, over 200 blood samples of endangered Channel Island foxes from Channel Islands National Park were delivered to AMNH — the first fulfillment of an historic accord between the Museum and the NPS to preserve the DNA of park T&E species. E X P E R I E N C E Y O U R A M E R I C A

14. In 2010, 31% of NPS park populations made progress toward recovery. The decrease since 2006 is due primarily to the delisting of the bald eagle, found in over 120 parks, and the American peregrine falcon, found in 46 parks.

15. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service FWS I&M Policy: • ESA status enters into prioritization of I&M surveys in Refuge System. • 2. Protocols for conducting surveys are assigned and reviewed. • 3. Helps improve reliability of surveyresults. • 4. Survey protocols and results will available to ES in Service Documents Catalog (ServCat). Natural Resource Program Center

16. The public can search for federally listed species by their common name, their scientific name, or NPS unit in which they occur, as well as how much is spent to recover them.

17. Acadia National Park Science Symposium The Schoodic Education and Research Center October 23, 2012 Preserving the Rare in the National Parks e

21. Data Store References – the Numbers! Linked to Acadia National Park 3000 Linked to all NETN parks 10,400 Total Digital Files 84,400 Total Data Store References 437,000 IRMA now includes both natural and cultural resource information New references created per year since IRMA went live 6/2010 New digital files uploaded per year since IRMA went live 6/2010

22. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Service Catalog: Storing and Finding FWS Documents • Repository for management, I&M other scientific information • Centrally archived on a secure system; locally populated • Fully documented with metadata • Readily discoverable and retrievable Currently: 7,200 Refuge System documents in ServCat Will be available for use by ES and other Service Branches Training Video and Workshops by NRPC First User from ES Natural Resource Program Center

23. Canis lupus (FWS) Finding ways to keep our wildlife watchable and wild.

24. Distinguishing the immigrant from the invasive

25. Cyprinidon diabolis Not spending so much on a few species.

26. Bringing the scientists off their islands.

27. The inspiration of a noble cause involving human interest wide and far, enables men to do things they did not dream themselves capable of before, and which they were not capable of alone. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain

28. Thank you, any questions?