Grants Help Conserve Imperiled Wildlife

Idaho will get a federal grant of $715,817 this year to help keep imperiled wildlife from further decline. Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne announced earlier this month the awards for 2007 totaling more than $60 million from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to state and territorial wildlife agencies. For Idaho and the Department of Fish and Game, the grant provides the money to conduct surveys and to monitor at-risk species to determine their conservation status and to take conservation actions to keep them off the endangered species list. The State Wildlife Grants are matched 50-50 with funds from the sale of wildlife license plates and nongame income tax check-off hence doubling resources for at-risk species conservation. The money supports a nongame biologist in each of the department's regional offices who is responsible for conducting the surveys and monitoring of at-risk species at the local level and coordinating these efforts with local conservation partners, such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, non-governmental organizations, and private landowners. The department also uses a portion of the grant money for a third-party grant program wherein Fish and Game conservation partners can apply for funding to help implement Idaho's Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy. For information or an application form, go to http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/wildlife/grants/. The State Wildlife Grant program is designed to provide annual funding to all state and territorial fish and wildlife agencies that have established comprehensive conservation plans. "States know the most about conservation issues within their borders," Kempthorne said. "Taken together, all 56 state and territorial wildlife action plans represent the most comprehensive national assessment of the health of fish and wildlife resources, and steps needed to ensure healthy populations." The agencies' plans provide a nationwide blueprint of actions to conserve imperiled species and prevent them from becoming threatened or endangered. The plans are the results of a collaborative effort that included biologists, conservationists, landowners, hunters, anglers and the public. "The bottom line is that we use a strong proactive approach in constructing our state wildlife action plans to ensure the health and survival of all wildlife," said Ed Parker, president of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and chief of the Bureau of Natural Resources for the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection. Each state gets 1 percent to 5 percent of the available funds. Territories get less. The amount is based on the state's land area and population. The program has awarded a total of $367 million in grants for conservation efforts since its inception in 2001. For Idaho's plan, see http://www.teaming.com/state_pages/idaho_cwcs.htm. For state-by-state funding go to http://federalaid.fws.gov.