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Endangered Resources News & Events
2008 State Lands Inventory Forest Raptor Surveys
The Natural Heritage Inventory undertook an effort to perform targeted inventory work on multiple Department properties throughout the state in 2008. One focus of this effort was the forest raptor group. Broadcast call surveys were played for the State Threatened Red-shouldered Hawk & State Species of Special Concern Northern Goshawk in appropriate habitats during April and May to elicit a territorial response identifying presence. Thirteen state properties were surveyed and results were very encouraging for Red-shouldered Hawks as 29 active nests or territories were identified. In addition, one active Northern Goshawk nest was found. Inventory data from these and additional surveys will be used to guide the future management of these properties.
The Landowner Incentive Program Hosts Field Trips to Privately Owned Project Sites
On July 8, The Landowner Incentive Program hosted its second annual field trip to 2 privately-owned properties in Rock and Jefferson Counties. Landowner hosts John Van Altena and Kim Karow each led a tour of their properties and discussed their management efforts with approximately 25 guests, including local landowners and individuals from the DNR, TNC, Madison Audubon Society, UW, NRCS, and Gathering Waters Conservancy. Read More...
Wisconsin Falconwatch 2008 Nesting Season Report
A new report has just been released by Wisconsin Falconwatch that outlines the success of nesting Peregrine Falcons in Wisconsin in 2008. The report supplies the reader with up to date nest production information. colorful photographs of the adults and their chicks along with information on how long the nest has been active through the years. Data also includes nest locations, banding information, clutch size and hatch dates. There are also links to nest web cams and a list of Falconwatch partners. View the Report [PDF 2.6MB]
Donate to the Wisconsin Endangered Resources Fund!
We are happy to announce the release of the Endangered Resources Online Donation Center! The options by which individuals can make a donation to the Endgangered Resources Fund have now been expanded to include the ability to donate with a credit card or eCheck.
The Landowner Incentive Program Awards 19 Grants to Private Landowners, Currently Accepting Letters of Interest for Fall 2008 Funding
Wisconsin’s Department of Natural Resources is pleased to announce 19 new cost-share grants have been awarded this spring to private landowners through the Landowner Incentive Program. This program, run through the Bureau of Endangered Resources, is intended to support private landowners who choose to manage their property to benefit rare and threatened plants and animals. Read More...Flambeau River State Forest Biotic Inventory Now Available
The Flambeau River State Forest Biotic Inventory was a multiple-year project to survey and analyze selected natural resources of the Flambeau River State Forest and select nearby areas. The Natural Heritage Inventory Program, part of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources' Bureau of Endangered Resources, conducted the inventory in cooperation with the Division of Forestry. Project goals were to provide baseline information on rare species, high-quality natural communities, significant aquatic features, and the overall ecology of the Flambeau River State Forest. This report will provide an ecological context for the property and its natural features and highlight opportunities to conserve biological diversity. Read More...
June 2008 - Wisconsin's Fourth Annual Invasive Species Awareness Month
Attend workshops, field trips and lectures throughout the state to learn more about the impacts of invasive species in Wisconsin. Read More...Why Did the Turtle Cross the Road?
Anyone traveling Wisconsin roadways has likely seen the broken shells and other soft pieces of a once living turtle. Many involve the more common species like the painted turtle, but some are the rare Blanding's or wood turtles. Their misfortune is the result of them trying to cross the road to find food, mates, or especially at this time of year, suitable nesting sites. More...
Bird Banding & Natural Resource Foundation Tour
It was a busy day at the Waupaca Field Station on Saturday, May 10. Forty participants signed up to be part of a Natural Resources Foundation field trip to learn more about neotropical bird migration and get hands-on experience with songbirds while helping bird banders with their work. The field trip also focused on barrens restoration being done at the field station. "Property owners Bob Welch and Debra Martin and their assistants did an excellent job banding birds while educating the group about the value of banding birds" stated Mark Martin, co-leader and conservation biologist with the Endangered Resources Program. Field trippers spent part of their day banding birds, and part of their day exploring the barrens restorations with Mark Martin. "Everyone enjoyed releasing the birds after the banding process was completed. It was important to make the connection between the habitat found on the property and kinds and numbers of birds that were banded that day", Martin went on to say. The nets were busy all day and were finally closed at 5:00 P.M. with birds waiting their turn to be processed.
Endangered Species Day - May 16th!
Governor Jim Doyle has proclaimed [PDF 14KB] Friday, May 16, 2008 as Wisconsin Endangered Species Day. The state celebration coincides with the third annual national observance that is celebrated across the country to bring attention to endangered fish, wildlife and plants and what we can do to help. There are currently several endangered and threatenened species in Wisconsin. Take the time out this year to enjoy Endangered Species Day at one of Wisconsin's wonderful National Wildlife Refuges. Necedah National Wildlife Refuge (exit DNR) is home to Karner blue butterflies, whooping cranes, wolves, eagles, and the list goes on. Horicon National Wildlife Refuge (exit DNR) is renowned for its abundance of wildlife. Both refuges offer great outdoor recreation opportunities for you to celebrate our recent successes in Wisconsin:
• Delisting of Gray Wolves
• Delisting of Bald Eagles
• Whooping Crane Reintroduction
International Migratory Bird Day - May 10th!
Migratory birds travel long distances between breeding and non-breeding sites, often resting and sometimes nesting along the way. The International Migratory Bird Day on Saturday, May 10 will focus on the birds that make these fantastic journeys, the habitats on which they depend, and the people who are important to a successful journey. Read More... [PDF 62KB]Milton Cougar - Same as Chicago Cougar
On January 18, 2008, a trapper was investigating some large tracks in an old barn, when he spooked a cougar from the second floor. The cougar cut one of its toes as it jumped out of the barn. A drop of blood left behind in one of its foot prints allowed the DNR to determine from DNA that the cougar was a male, of North American origin, and most likely from South Dakota. This was the first confirmed wild cougar in Wisconsin in 100 years. Read More...
Wisconsin Wildife Action Plan Conservation Priority Setting Process Results
In 2005, Wisconsin's Wildlife Action Plan was accepted by the US Fish and Wildlife Service as our state's blueprint for conserving our fish and wildlife 'Species of Greatest Conservation Need' and their habitats. The plan laid out over 1,700 conservation actions that would help secure the future of these species. Read More...Announcing the 2008-2009 Citizen-based Monitoring Partnership Program Funding
Since 2004, the DNR’s Citizen-based Monitoring Partnership Program has provided funds for 64 projects that have brought together volunteers, organizations and department staff on inventory, planning, restoration and other resource management projects statewide. Up to $100,000 is available for the 2009 state fiscal year funding period. For more information and to access application materials please visit the Citizen-based Monitoring Network website.American Marten Inclusion in the NHI Portal
Data on the state endangered American Marten has been collected and entered into the Natural Heritage Database, a database of rare species locations. For the first time, DNR staff statewide can access an up-to-date geographic distribution map for this animal. Distribution data are based on snow track and hair snare surveys and live-trapping studies within the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest (CNNF). A fact sheet on the American Marten was developed to guide DNR staff when making decisions about possible impacts of an action or project on the animal and is available for download. For more information on what work is being done to strengthen the marten population in Wisconsin, please read our recent DNR news article.A Closer Look at Whooping Cranes
The Wisconsin DNR and Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership presents: A Closer Look at Whooping Cranes: Whooping Crane Education in Wisconsin and Eastern North America. The program offers whooping crane and wetland-based activities specifically designed to meet Wisconsin Academic Standards. It is a supplement to our whooping crane education trunks and an activity guide to Educators. More...
Biotic Inventory Reports Now Online
A biotic inventory is one of several sources of information used when developing a state forest master plan. These reports provide baseline information on rare species, high-quality natural communities, significant aquatic features, and the overall ecology for several of our state forests. Read More...Milton Cougar of North American Origin
Genetic testing indicates that a cougar observed last January near Milton is apparently a male of North American origin, the Department of Natural Resources announced today. Earlier genetic analysis by the U.S. Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station in Missoula, Montana, confirmed that the animal spotted east of Milton in Rock County was a cougar. DNA was obtained from blood left by a cut on the cougar’s foot as it ran through an old barn. Read More...Cougar Tracks Found Near Elkhorn
Department of Natural Resources biologists continue to look into the possible presence of cougars in southern Wisconsin based on observations of animal tracks over the past month. The latest probe involves cougar tracks found March 7 northeast of Elkhorn in Walworth County by state conservation warden Jason Roberts, Sturtevant. DNR mammal ecologist Adrian Wyedeven, Park Falls, verified the tracks as that of a cougar from photos taken at the scene. Read More...
John Muir Park Workday
A group of hearty volunteers, park property neighbors, DNR employees, and Sierra Club members met at John Muir Park in Marquette County for their annual winter work day. The park benefits from the labor of these individuals, as they work to restore the boyhood home of Wisconsin naturalist, founder of the Sierra Club and our national parks, John Muir. Work that day centered on opening the oak savanna areas by removing invasive tree species.
State Wildlife Grant News from Washington, D.C.
Congressman Ron Kind of La Crosse recently accepted an award for his leadership in working to secure more federal dollars for Wisconsin and the nation through the State Wildlife Grant program. State Wildlife Grants are the nation's core program for keeping wildlife from becoming endangered in Wisconsin. Pictured with Kind is Tara Bergeson of the WDNR's Endangered Resources program. Tara is currently on assignment in Washington, D.C. working for the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.New Cougar Pages!
The Bureau of Endangered Resources announces new cougar web pages, created by Dustin Driese and Adrian Wydeven, designed to educate people about cougars, and attempt to capture more of the reports of cougar observations in Wisconsin. Although ER has actively been involved in collecting cougar reports since 1990, it was only with the report of a cougar in Rock County in January 2008, that we have been able to verify the presence of a cougar in the state. The cougar web site will hopefully help us monitor additional cougars that may enter Wisconsin. View the Cougar Pages.
Work Parties at State Natural Areas
Wintertime is the perfect time to do invasive species removal to improve a site for endangered and threatened species who call our State Natural Areas home. This winter, DNR staff, property boundary neighbors, and volunteers did land improvement work at Abraham’s Woods SNA in Green County, and Lawrence Prairie SNA in Rock County. The Endangered Resources Program conducts many such work parties each winter.New Checklist of Wisconsin Birds!
The Great Wisconsin Birding and Nature Trail is pleased to offer the new, second edition of the Checklist of Wisconsin Birds. For this Second Edition, we have added 5 species to the Checklist (Cackling Goose, White-winged Tern, Greenbreasted Mango, Rock Wren, Great-tailed Grackle) and deleted one (Streak-backed Oriole) based on input from Bill Mueller, the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology’s Conservation Chair. We also updated other checklist elements to reflect the most current information on Wisconsin birds. Free copies of the guide can be obtained from the Endangered Resources Program. View the Guide [PDF 1.25MB]Wisconsin DNR's Draft Invasive Species Identification, Classification and Control Rule
Invasives species are a known threat to the aquatic and terrestrial resources of Wisconsin. Current state and federal laws on invasive species are inconsistent between species groups. The proposed rules will establish a fairly consistent classification and regulatory system for all listed invasive species. More...New Birding and Nature Trail Guide!
The Great Wisconsin Birding and Nature Trail
is your invitation to observe the fascinating and
diverse world of wildlife that exists in every
corner of the state.
By late 2008, the
Wisconsin DNR Endangered
Resource Program will have
developed a series of five
highway- based viewing
guides, each highlighting
unique regional ecosystems
of Wisconsin. Each will link a
set of waypoints, refuges and
wild places that offer the best
birding and wildlife watching opportunities. More...
Bald Eagle Watching Days 2008!
Each winter, bald eagles gather in the Sauk Prairie area due to a unique combination of factors. For winter survival eagles need open water for fishing, undeveloped shoreline with large trees for perching, and sheltered valleys for night time roosting. More...Volunteers Needed to Help Monitor Wisconsin's Carnivores
The Department is offering training sessions for the volunteer carnivore tracking program this fall and winter. Because carnivores are often secretive and occupy very large home ranges, it is difficult to monitor them by direct observation. Each session will include: mammal track identification, recognition of gait patterns, use of forms for recording data, methods for conducting surveys, and a test on your ability to identify tracks of Wisconsin mammals. More...Celebrating 50 Years of Wolf-Moose Research
In partnership with Michigan Tech University, the Department of Natural Resources
is joining in the celebration of marking 50 years of scientific studies of wolf-moose
interactions at Michigan's Isle Royale National Park. A consortium of educational,
governmental and natural resources organizations has banded together to celebrate
the 50th anniversary of the longest continuous predator-prey study ever conducted.
More...
(exit DNR)Prairie Remnants Seen As True 'Gems'
The goats never did show up, but "goat prairies" were evident on a tour last week of small remnants of native prairie that used to cover the hillsides of western Wisconsin. More... (exit DNR)Lake Laura Hardwoods Designated as 500th State Natural Area in Wisconsin
Lake Laura Hardwoods, an 852-acre old-growth forest of maple, basswood, red oak and hemlock that contains diverse wildlife from bald eagles to bobcats, has been permanently protected through designation as the 500th State Natural Area in Wisconsin. More...Changes in Bald Eagle Management with Federal De-Listing in Wisconsin
With federal de-listing, eagles will be managed as a protected wild animal (NR 10.02) and federally under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (Eagle Act) and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. More...Why Did the Turtle Cross the Road?
Anyone traveling Wisconsin roadways has likely seen the broken shells and other soft pieces of a once living turtle. Many involve the more common species like the painted turtle, but some are the rare Blanding’s or wood turtles. Their misfortune is the result of them trying to cross the road to find food, mates, or especially at this time of year, suitable nesting sites. More...
Donate to the Wisconsin Endangered Resources Fund!
We are happy to announce the release of the Endangered Resources Online Donation Center! The options by which individuals can make a donation to the Endgangered Resources Fund have now been expanded to include the ability to donate with a credit card or eCheck.
Federal Delisting of Wolf Transfers Management to State
Department of Natural Resources Secretary Scott Hassett joined officials from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in a wolf spotting flight from Siren to Ashland Monday, March 12. At a press conference at the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute at Northland College in Ashland following the flight, Hassett discussed the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s removal of the gray wolf from the federal list of threatened and endangered species and the transfer of wolf management in Wisconsin to a state management plan. More...
Learn more about the gray wolf in Wisconsin...
Wisconsin Frog and Toad Survey
The Bureau of Endangered Resources’ Ecological Inventory and Monitoring Section and Beaver Creek Reserve’s Citizen Science Center in Fall Creek, WI have recently completed updates to the existing Wisconsin Frog and Toad Survey (WFTS) web site (exit DNR) and associated volunteer survey manual. The Wisconsin Frog and Toad Survey is a citizen-based monitoring program coordinated by the Bureau of Endangered Resources and the Bureau of Science Services at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The primary purpose of the WFTS is to determine the status, distribution, and long-term population trends of Wisconsin’s thirteen frog species. The new WFTS site is intended to be a resource for WFTS volunteers as well as a general resource on identification of Wisconsin frogs and their calls, WFTS calling survey protocols and analyses, and WFTS publications. Current WFTS volunteers will receive their new survey manuals in March when yearly materials are distributed. Funding for this project was provided by the Citizen-based Monitoring Network of Wisconsin.
Caring for the Swans
Trumpeter swans are making an impressive comeback in Wisconsin. Nick Vander Puy from the Superior Broadcast Network checks out a swan nesting lake with DNR avian ecologist Pat Manthey. Pat Manthey is an avian ecologist who cares for trumpeter swans because trumpeter swans were missing from Wisconsin and the DNR Bureau of Endangered Resources attempts to restore animals that were adversely impacted by humans. More... (exit DNR)
Last Revised: August 15, 2008
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