Snake-sniffing Dogs in the Everglades

A collaboration titled “EcoDogs” between Auburn University’s Canine Detection Research Institute and scientists has trained dogs to utilize their highly tuned sense of smell to hunt for Burmese pythons in Everglades National Park. The dogs were originally meant to be bomb sniffing agents but were re-assigned after their temperament showed more promise for work in the outdoors. So far the results are encouraging. The dogs bypass the snake’s ability to hide from human sight and have a 75 – 92% success rate in locating the snakes. They also can search an area more efficiently, at about 2.5 times the rate of a human. The “EcoDogs” team isn’t stopping at pythons—the dogs are being trained to sniff out tree fungus, skunks, bears and other animals.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/30/us-usa-pythons-dogs-idUSBRE83T19J20120430

Secret-Agent Parachute Mice in Guam

After 60 years of outright domination of native landscapes, the millions of Brown tree snakes (Boiga irregularis) in Guam may be meeting their maker. A new plan to eradicate, or at least reduce, the massive number of these snakes in Guam involves air-dropping mice laced with acetaminophen. The chemical, used as a pain reliever in humans, is 100% lethal to the brown tree snake. It may sound like a last-ditch effort by conservationists on the island, and that’s because it is. Scientists are forced to get creative because other more conventional methods to control the snakes have had little effect on the snake populations. A successful reduction of snakes is critical if the ecosystem is to return to a state of normalcy, even after ten of 12 native forest bird species have disappeared in the last 30 years. Cheryl Calaustro, of the Department of Agriculture explains that, “the birds here evolved without predators. They were quite naive. And when the snake arrived on Guam it ate eggs, juveniles, adults. Whole generations disappeared.”

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/09/guam-snakes-poison-mice-parachute_n_1503615.html

Five Delicious Ways to Utilize an Invasive Plant Problem

Invasive plants are just as troublesome as invasive wildlife. They can slowly take over landscapes without ordinary citizens even realizing what is happening. If only these plants could be marketed somehow or even just used as some kind of a resource… In pondering these questions, our friends at treehugger.com have compiled a list of recipes that feature free, local, and abundant invasive species as the main ingredient. What better way to balance out your diet while simultaneously helping to control an environmental catastrophe? Check out the recipes below.

http://www.treehugger.com/green-food/5-invasive-plants-you-can-eat.html

The Lacey Act, passed in 1900, was designed by Iowa Republican Representative John Lacey in response to a growing national concern over the interstate profiteering of wildlife and wildlife by-products. Throughout the century many powerful amendments were added to the Lacey Act such as the regulation of fish and plants, prohibiting international trafficking of any illegally possessed wild animal, boosting enforcement capabilities, and adding tribal laws and U.S. treaties to the list of underlying laws upheld by the Act. It is now considered the cornerstone of American conservation law and has been used as a model by Japan, New Zealand, Australia and the European Union in drafting similar laws.

In 2008, Republicans and Democrats came together to expand the Lacey Act’s scope to include more broad regulations pertaining to plants. As an effort to protect American logging interests and minimize illegal logging abroad, President George W. Bush supported the expanded amendments through his Presidential Initiative against Illegal Logging. The increased protections were also praised by unions, conservation organizations, and trade associations representing a wide array of stakeholders. Since the enactment of the 2008 amendments, illegal logging has been reduced by as much as 25 percent worldwide, and 50-70 percent in some key countries.

The two bills (RELIEF and FOCUS) currently referred to committee are in response to several notable federal raids on Gibson Guitar factories in Tennessee. The federal agencies that are enforcing the 2008 amendments of the Lacey Act claim that the famous guitar maker imported wood that was harvested without complying to Indian labor laws.

The RELIEF Act, sponsored by Representative Jim Cooper, D-TN, seeks to protect American consumers by limiting liability but in effect will restrict judicial enforcement of the Lacey Act in two crucial ways. The first is found within Section 3(c) whereby the role of “innocent owner” is introduced, expanding exemptions not only to persons or retailers but also to corporations who may be found guilty of certain elements of the Lacey Act. Section 4 would cap civilian penalties for plants and plant products at $250 regardless of the value of the contraband. Obviously, not much deterrent exists if one attempts to import a large sum of illegal products with a market value of tens of thousands of dollars with the only threat being a $250 fine.

The FOCUS Act, sponsored by Paul C. Broun (R-GA) in the House and Rand Paul (R-KY) in the Senate, takes a much more hard line approach to amending the Lacey Act. Section 2(a) of FOCUS will remove all violations predicated on foreign laws, thus hindering international conservation partnerships. Sections 2(b) and (c) delete all criminal penalties, permit sanctions for violations, and an agent’s ability to seize vehicles or other instrumentalities used in a Lacey Act crime. Section 2(d) virtually withdraws all remaining law enforcement capabilities pertaining to the Lacey Act such as:

• Eliminating the authorized officers’ authority to conduct searches for evidence.
• Eliminating a Magistrate’s authority to even issue a search warrant when probable cause of a violation of the Lacey Act exists. In doing so, it strips the Government of its fundamental ability to obtain vital evidence to prove a violation of the law.
• Eliminating the authorized officers’ broad authority under the Lacey Act to detain and inspect any vehicle, vessel, or other conveyance and any package, crate or container and its contents being imported or exported.
• Removing law enforcement agents’ ability to make an arrest under the Lacey Act even with the clearest, most demonstrable evidence in hand.
• Baring judges from issuing an arrest warrant for violations of the Lacey Act.
• Eliminating the explicit statutory authority of authorized officers to carry firearms under the Lacey Act.

This proposed amendment not only destroys the efficacy and spirit of one of the world’s most effective conservation laws but also endangers the 280 on-the-ground FWS officers. These officers are responsible for the safety of 44 million annual National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) visitors and in the last year have seized 246,000 lbs of marijuana and 62 kilos of cocaine, apprehended 2,372 undocumented aliens, and have responded to 43,733 service calls all on the NWR System.

To best manage wildlife on refuges now and for future generations it is critical that wildlife officers retain the ability to enforce time-tested laws such as the Lacey Act. While Lacey is not perfect by any means it still remains a constructive tool to build upon. These bills would hurt it to the point of near uselessness. If we skirt our international responsibility to reduce illegal logging operations we would be sending a very negative message to the world and would hurt biodiversity around the globe and at home.

With so many opportunities available to TWS student members IN ADDITION TO SCHOOL it would be easy to miss the large deadlines that are looming for our young academics:

1. Student Chapter of the Year Award: The Student Chapter of the Year award is presented annually to one student chapter in recognition of that chapter’s achievements over the course of the year. The winning chapter will be given a commemorative plaque, have their chapter name added to a permanent display plaque at TWS Headquarters in Bethesda, MD, and will receive a $1000 travel grant to send a delegation to this year’s annual conference in Portland, OR. Check online for more information and be sure your student chapter’s application is in by June 30, 2012.
2. The Student Research in Progress Poster Deadline: The Student Research in Progress session will take place during this year’s Annual Conference in Portland, OR, and students who would like to refine their presentation skills are encouraged to participate. The session will be open only to students and will take place before the Student Professional Mixer. Abstracts are due June 1, 2012, details are available on the conference website.
3. Student Travel Grants Deadline: Each year TWS, and some TWS subunits, award Student Travel Grants that pay for the recipient to attend the Annual Conference. This year’s deadline is June 30, 2012. For more information on all TWS student travel grants for the conference in Portland, OR, please visit the conference website.

Our website will also list other travel grants available for students, such as:
TWS’ Native Students Professional Development Grant ($1,500) – July 13, 2012
TWS’ Biological Diversity Working Group ($500) – June 15, 2012
TWS’ Biometrics Working Group ($2,500) – July 1, 2012
TWS’ Canadian Section ($500) – September 1, 2012
TWS’ Washington Chapter – August 1, 2012
TWS’ Wildlife & Habitat Restoration Working Group (conference registration + $100) – August 17, 2012
TWS’ Wildlife Toxicology Working Group ($500) – May 18, 2012

Best of luck to all of our student members!

African elephant at a game fence. Copyright Tim Lewthwaite.

The Human-Wildlife Conflict Collaboration is one of conservation’s more unique organizations. Born of the realization that ‘human-wildlife conflict is as much a conflict between humans and wildlife, as it is a conflict between humans about wildlife,’ HWCC offers training courses for wildlife professionals who feel they’ve reached an impasse in human-wildlife conflict. The training, which has been approved for continuing education hours by The Wildlife Society, concentrates on human conflict resolution, a tactic that seems to be very effective.  The success of HWCC’s method has been recognized all over the industry and now four AZA accredited zoos (Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Denver Zoo, and Houston Zoo) have joined together to sponsor wildlife professionals from eight African countries in HWCC training. Thanks to the support of these four organizations, and HWCC’s training, program participants are already reporting successful solutions to longstanding problems.

Were you surprised to learn that human conflict resolution training has been so helpful during human-wildlife conflicts?

Many of the testimonies urged members of congress to consider the importance of the Conservation Title of the Farm Bill with the understanding that sound environmental management of working lands now will save taxpayer funds in the future. Additionally, almost every testimony noted the necessity of the conservation programs in protecting available farmland from encroaching development. Programs such as the Farm and Ranch Land Protection Program, the Grassland Reserve Program, and the Wetlands Reserve Program work with federal and local partners to create easements for working lands to ensure productivity of the landscape and wildlife conservation on the land. However, many farmers see redundancy in having multiple programs that provide framework for such easements and therefore support the consolidation of similar programs into a single Agricultural Land Easement program.

As the House Agriculture Subcommittees were conducting hearings on different titles within the Farm Bill, the Senate Agriculture Committee was marking up their version of the bill. The mark up, originally scheduled for this Wednesday, was delayed due to opposition from Southern senators on behalf of the peanut and rice industries. The Senate Agriculture committee passed a revised Farm Bill onto the full Senate by a vote of 16-5, including proxies, late yesterday afternoon. The amended Senate Agriculture Committee Farm Bill is estimated to save tax payers $24.7 billion over the life of the bill. Revisions consolidated the 23 Conservation Title programs named under the 2008 bill to 13 as part of the 2012 bill. Included in the Conservation Title were two environmental victories: the passage of the Sodsaver Amendment and guaranteed funding for the Biomass Crop Assistance Program with language to remove any incentives to plant invasive, or potentially invasive, species. The Sodsaver Amendment, introduced by Senator Thune (R-SD), limits the federal incentive for converting native grasslands to crop production, protecting critical habitat for wildlife.

Much work has yet to be done to finalize the bill, but Congress is aiming to have a finalized Farm Bill on President Obama’s desk prior to the expiration of the 2008 bill on September 30^th, 2012.

Cactus wren corpses found in claim markers (Credit: Nevada Department of Wildlife)

In late 2011, a law change in Nevada made it legal for any citizen to remove hollow PVC pipes used as mining claim markers on public land. The change came in response to an astonishing number of dead birds and other wildlife found within uncapped pipes, which TWS reported in the November 2011 issue of Wildlife Policy News. Small species of birds in particular are attracted to the pipes as potential nesting sites, but once inside are unable to escape the smooth walls inside the pipes and eventually die of starvation or dehydration. In January 2012, the American Bird Conservancy (ABC) called for federal action to update standards for mining claim pipes to prevent bird deaths, citing the mandate for agencies to uphold the Migratory Bird Treaty Act by addressing this threat to migratory bird species. Some birds found in the pipes are species whose numbers are in decline already.

Now, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), US Forest Service (USFS), and ABC are partnering to identify and implement solutions. The BLM is currently drafting a policy to address this issue and including the topic in its draft Migratory Bird Strategy. The BLM’s Washington office is urging all states to use partnerships and available funds to discover, then cap, fill, or pull pipes–a call to action that the California BLM office is actively implementing through public outreach. In 2010, over 3 million mining claims were on record on BLM-managed lands in 12 western states. With pipe pulling efforts showing an average of 1 bird death per pipe, the pipes could be responsible for millions of bird deaths to date. The BLM, USFS, and ABC have agreed to meet again in early summer after various approaches have been reviewed.

Want to get involved? The Nevada Department of Wildlife and the International Conservation Volunteer Exchange are seeking volunteers to participate in mining claim pipe removal efforts, with daily food per diem and housing provided. Click here for more information.

How the Program Works

The Wildlife Society believes that one of the most effective ways to support indigenous wildlife students is to give them the opportunity to attend TWS’s Annual Conference – the largest gathering of wildlife professionals on the North American continent. The Society is therefore raising funds to enable indigenous students to attend the 19th Annual Conference, to be held in Portland, Oregon, October 13-18, 2012. Individuals selected for this program will receive funds to help cover registration fees, lodging, meals, and transportation. Program participants also will receive a one-year membership in The Wildlife Society and become members of the Native People’s Wildlife Management Working Group. As TWS members they will receive our quarterly member magazine The Wildlife Professional, our monthly electronic newsletter The Wildlifer, discounts on TWS peer-reviewed publications such as The Journal of Wildlife Management, and access to the TWS website, Membership Center, blog, job board, and other online resources.

Eligibility

Candidates must be members of a Native American, First Nations, or Indigenous Tribe, and currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program in a relevant academic discipline such as wildlife biology or ecology. Applicants must display a record of academic excellence and a strong interest in pursuing a career in wildlife management or conservation. Qualified applicants will be evaluated by a panel consisting of the Chair of the Native People’s Wildlife Management Working Group, two other working-group members, a TWS staff member, and representatives from other program partners including the Native American Fish and Wildlife Society.

Applications

Submissions must include name, address, email, phone number, tribal affiliation, name of college or university, current level of study (undergraduate, graduate, post-graduate), field of study, and a copy of most recent report card, showing courses and grades. Mention any relevant extracurricular activities, memberships in societies, honors, or awards. Also include an essay (500-750 words) explaining why you’d like to participate, how this program might benefit your career development, how your personal and cultural experiences and skills contribute to the wildlife profession, and any other special circumstances you may have.

Deadline

Please email applications to nsvoboda@cfr.msstate.edu no later than July 13, 2012.

TWS would like to thank the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the USDA APHIS-Wildlife Services, the U.S. National Park Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs for their generous financial support of this worthwhile effort. With the help of these valued partners, TWS believes the wildlife profession will increase its diversity and benefit from the insights of indigenous people concerned

Plenary

After 75 Years of Progress TWS Continues to Lead

Second General Session

One Health, Ecology, and Conservation: Why Wildlife Diseases Matter, sponsored by the American Association of Wildlife Veterinarians

Workshops Tables (pre-registration required)

• Animal Trapping Techniques for Researchers and Managers
• Spatial Statistics in R
• An Introduction to Structured Decision Making for Natural Resources
• Investigating Wildlife Disease: Sampling and Interpretation Techniques for Biologists
• Behind the scenes of scientific publication and critical review
• Portland: A Green City for People and Wildlife
• Conservation Affairs and Subunit Leadership Workshop
• Bat white-nose syndrome: Pathology, Epidemiology, Diagnostics, and Management
• Avian Interactions with Power Lines Workshop
• Observer Reliability and Identification of Wildlife Tracks and Signs
• Pollutants and Wildlife Management: Ecotoxicology for Biologists and Land Managers
• Getting Your Story in Print: Mastering a Popular Writing Style
• An Introduction to HexSim
• Nature’s Notebook: Tracking wildlife and habitat within changing environments
• Resume and Interview Strategies for the Early Career Professional

Breakfast Round Tables (pre-registration required):

• Education for Biologists, how competent are graduates?
• Supporting Wildlife and Biodiversity through SFI Forest Certification
• Developing Conservation Blueprints For A Changing World
• Tick-Borne Diseases: Improving Health, Science and Policy
• How Can We Maintain Wild Wildlife Populations

Symposia

• Linking Animal and Conservation Ethics: A Challenge in Conservation
• Monitoring in the Service of Strategic Bird Conservation
• Synergistic Effects of Climate and Land-Use Change
• Core competencies and wildlife professionals in a changing world
• Recent Developments in and Applications Of Spatial Capture-Recapture Models.
• Ecosystem Services: Leveraging Incentives for Wildlife Conservation
• Hierarchical models for wildlife surveys over time and space
• Prairie Grouse Management: Doomed to Repeat the Past?
• Wildlife benefits from Farm Bill conservation programs
• Mitigating Impacts of Wind Energy Development on Golden Eagles
• Bats and wind energy: Ecology, behavior, and methodology
• Native Lands, Native Ways: Indigenous Conservation In The Northwest
• Monitoring and Managing Wildlife Populations on Military Lands
• Wildlife in Managed Forests: Perspectives for the Pacific Northwest
• Managing human-wildlife conflict in the Pacific Northwest
• Transformative research and management in northwestern large and meso-carnivores
• Connectivity conservation planning across political
• Wildlife Genomics: Keeping Up with Next Generation Technologies
• Multi-scale Modeling for Conservation of Migratory Birds
• Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program in the Pacific
• Ecology, conservation, and management of ungulate migration
• Conservation of the Northern Spotted Owl –Two Decades After Listing
• Diseases Impacting Wildlife Conservation in North America

Panel Discussions

• How Not to Give a Scientific Presentation: Effective Oral Presentations
• Entry-level Federal Career Opportunities
• Working Together to Implement the Fish, Wildlife, and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy
• Climate Smart Conservation on the Ground
• Is Best Science Being Used to Recover the Northern Spotted Owl and Protect Critical Habitat?
• Public Education of Wildlife Conservation Issues: The Next Step