U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Acting Director Rowan Gould today announced revisions to the list of bird species protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA). Species appearing on this list are governed under migratory bird hunting and permitting regulations concerning most aspects of possession, transportation, sale, purchase, exportation, and importation of protected species. The list, last updated in 1985, incorporates the latest taxonomic and scientific data for migratory birds. The changes include 186 new additions and 11 subtractions, bringing the total number of species protected under the MBTA to 1007.
 
“This update to the list of federally protected birds reflects the best available science on bird taxonomy and distribution and will help us improve management of our nation’s migratory birds,” said Gould. “The new list benefits researchers, hunters, conservationists, state agencies, tribal governments, and birdwatchers by extending federal protection to all migratory bird species native to the United States while highlighting advances and changes in bird taxonomy that have accumulated since the list was last published.”
 
The Service is the primary federal agency responsible for managing migratory birds. Federal migratory bird regulations, including the list, implement the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, which in turn implements treaties with Canada, Mexico, Japan and Russia. All species included on the list are considered federally protected, and governed by federal regulations limiting take (from the wild), possession, and other use.
 
The newly revised list reflects the addition of species based on new evidence of their occurrence in the United States or its territories. The revisions also remove species no longer known to occur within the United States and change some names to conform to accepted usages.
 
The changes also reflect taxonomic revisions to the bird taxa of North America published by the American Ornithologists’ Union and changes in the Migratory Bird List incorporate name changes and revisions moving some species from one taxon to another.
 
The final rule can be found online at http://migratorybirds.fws.gov.
 
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit http://www.fws.gov/.

Related posts

• No related posts.

UK outdoor association pulls ad declaring 'Career women make bad mothers' | Media News: http://bit.ly/7HCTVl via @addthis

At the sommerset house vampire weekend gig in london with the rest of the NME news crew. Random. Ice skating and ornate outdoor surroundings

RT @slowfamily: RT @ChildrenNature: Nature Deficit Disorder named top outdoor news story of the 21st century. http://bit.ly/6tPRFe

@fergalindo WTF????? is she going to handle the outdoor & hunting section of the news?

Adult hunters may apply for one of nearly 57,000 permits to hunt a five- or seven-day season in one of 77 permit areas. Youth 17 and younger no longer need to apply for the lottery. They will be able to purchase a spring turkey permit for any permit area and any time period directly from a license agent. Applicants choose one of eight time periods in which to hunt.

Hunters who want to get in the field early for the 2010 spring turkey hunt must apply by Friday, Jan. 8, wherever hunting and fishing licenses are sold.

A new rule effective in 2010 allows hunters not selected in the permit lottery to purchase a permit in any area for one of the hunt’s last two time periods.

Additional details are available online at www.mndnr.gov/hunting/turkey.

As 2009 draws to a close, the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) reminds anglers to purchase a new sport fishing license before casting a line in 2010. Licenses are required of any person 16 years of age or older when taking any fish, shellfish, reptile or amphibian in California.

In December, the Fish and Game Commission voted to rescind the long-standing requirement that fishing licenses be worn above the waist. This regulation will go into effect March 1, 2010. Until then, all licenses purchased online or from an agent must still be displayed above the waist and clearly visible while fishing.

Sport fishing licenses, stamps and report cards are valid for one calendar year. Information about the specific license types and fees is available at DFG’s Web site at www.dfg.ca.gov/licensing/fishing/fishdescrip.html.

New Fishing Regulations to Take Effect in March

All resident and non-resident sport fishing licenses, both annual and short-term, and selected stamps and report cards are available for purchase from DFG sales offices and authorized license agents. Anglers can find a list of sales offices and business hours or look up license agents in their area at www.dfg.ca.gov/licensing.

Anglers with Internet access can also purchase a sport fishing license and selected stamps online at www.dfg.ca.gov/OnlineSales. The purchaser can print out a one-day or two-day license, or a temporary annual license. Non-residents can also purchase a 10-day license. Licenses purchased online may be printed at home for immediate use; annual license purchasers will receive a permanent license in the mail within 10 days. Report cards must still be obtained from one of the 1,800 authorized license agents throughout the state or at a local DFG license sales office.

Additionally, beginning January 1, 2010, the Bay-Delta Sport Fishing Enhancement Stamp will no longer be required.

DFG sells approximately 2 million sport fishing licenses and generates more than $62 million in revenue annually. One-third of the revenue generated by these sales is earmarked for DFG’s Hatcheries and Fish Planting Facilities Program; the rest supports fisheries management and protection through the Fish and Game Preservation Fund.

National Saltwater Angler registration is free in 2010. To register beginning Friday, anglers can visit http://www.countmyfish.noaa.gov and click on the Angler Registry link, or call the toll-free registration line at 1-888-MRIP411 (1-888-674-7411) from 4:00 am to 12 midnight EST daily.

Steve Medeiros, executive director of the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association and a leading advocate for a saltwater fishing license in his state, said the registry is an important step. “While it’s true that some fishermen don’t like the idea of having to register to participate in a sport they’ve taken for granted their whole lives, anyone fishing today knows that increasing pressures on the ocean are having a real effect,” he said. “If we’re going to pass the sport down to our children and grandchildren, we’re going to need sound management based on good data.”

“By registering, recreational anglers will make their catch count,” said Jim Balsiger, acting NOAA assistant administrator for NOAA’s Fisheries Service. “The National Saltwater Angler Registry is an important tool that will enable us to better estimate the health of marine fisheries so that we’re able to preserve the pastime of recreational saltwater fishing for generations to come.”

Many saltwater recreational fishermen will be required to register before fishing in 2010. The registry is open for registrations starting Friday, January 1. But if you have a state saltwater fishing license, you may already be part of the registry.

The registry will be used as the basis for conducting surveys of saltwater recreational fishermen to find out how often they fish. It will eventually replace the use of random-digit dialing to coastal households, a system NOAA has had in place since the 1970s. The goal is to improve survey efficiency and reduce bias by making calls only to homes where people fish, and reaching saltwater anglers who live outside coastal counties.

NOAA understands and predicts changes in the Earth’s environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and conserves and manages our coastal and marine resources. Visit us at http://www.noaa.gov and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/noaa.lubchenco.

Gordon Colvin, a biologist with NOAA’s Fisheries Service and interim senior policy advisor on recreational fishing to Balsiger, who has spearheaded the registry implementation, said that many anglers will not need to take any action to register, because their coastal states already have agreements in place with NOAA to share state saltwater fishing license information.

New program, part of improved data collection system, to help protect nation’s ocean resources

“Recreational fishers need the registry,” says Capt. Monty Hawkins, a party boat operator and recreational fishing advocate based in Ocean City, Md. “People’s lives depend on the quality of the government’s information. It’s the basis for management decisions on everything from creel limits to whether to shut down whole sections of the coast. I’ve been harshly critical of recreational fishing data in the past, but I welcome the registry as a way to improve upon the current system.”

Who Needs to Register:
Recreational saltwater fishermen will need to register if they:
• Hold a license from one of 10 coastal states or territories which do not currently have comprehensive saltwater angler license or registration requirements—Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Virginia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
• Fish for or are likely to catch anadromous species in tidal and salt waters; these are fish like river herring, shad, smelt and striped bass that live in the oceans but spawn in fresh water, OR
• Fish in the federal waters more than three miles from the ocean shore or from the mouths of rivers or bays

Who Doesn’t Need to Register
Some anglers don’t have to register if they:
• Hold a license from one of 15 coastal states with comprehensive licensing or registration — Alabama, Alaska, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Washington;
• Are not required under state law in one of these 15 states to hold a fishing license as is sometimes the case with seniors or active-duty military;
• Are under age 16;
• Pay to fish on licensed charter, party or guide boats;
• Hold a Highly Migratory Species Angling permit or subsistence fishing permit;
• Fish commercially under a valid license.

Recreational fishermen should also remember that regardless of whether an individual is registered with NOAA, they must obey all state regulations and licensing requirements where they are fishing.

Anglers will need to provide their name, date of birth, address and telephone number, and will receive a registration number that will allow them to begin fishing immediately. They will receive a registration card in the mail in about 30 days.

While the registry is among the most visible aspects of NOAA’s Marine Recreational Information Program, it is only one component of this rigorous multi-year, multi-phased overhaul of the system NOAA uses to collect and report recreational fishing data. Each piece of its design and implementation has been guided by close working relationships among NOAA personnel, fisheries managers, state partners, independent scientists and the recreational fishing community.

Saltwater recreational fishermen have long expressed concerns about the data used to estimate the effects of recreational fishing on ocean resources and the nation’s economy. The National Saltwater Angler Registry, which launches on Friday, will help address that concern by providing a comprehensive list of the nation’s saltwater anglers that will be used to improve surveys of fishermen. These surveys are used by NOAA scientists to assess the health of fish stocks and to estimate the economic contributions of anglers.

What is wildlife habitat? What kind of habitat do certain animals need? How can children help? Youngsters can learn the answers to those questions and many more in the pages of a new National Wildlife Refuge System Coloring Book, designed for children in grades 2-3.
 
Illustrated by a student from the Art Institute of Washington, D.C., the coloring book contains simple pictures of crocodiles, bears, eagles and other wildlife, as well as images of a variety of habitat types. On each page, children can find fun facts about wildlife species and the refuges they call home. The youngsters can also learn about the employees that protect these special places.
 
Children will want to hunt for the blue goose, the emblem of the National Wildlife Refuge System, which is hidden on many of the book’s pages. The blue goose, created in the 1930s by conservationist and award-winning political cartoonist J.N. “Ding” Darling, can be found on most entry signs of National Wildlife Refuges.
 
The book seeks to connect children to the natural world and foster a new generation of conservationists, as well as introduce them to the National Wildlife Refuge System. “If we’re serious about environmental protection and protecting the many wild creatures that depend on wild places, then we have to teach youngsters to make that special connection to nature,” said Sam Hamilton, Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “A coloring book is a good first step. But nothing replaces the real thing — getting outdoors and visiting a National Wildlife Refuge.”
 
 The National Wildlife Refuge System, managed by the Service, represents the world’s premier system of public lands and waters set aside to conserve America’s fish, wildlife and plants. Established in 1903, the Refuge System spans more than 150 million acres and 550 National Wildlife Refuges. There is at least one refuge in every state and one about an hour’s drive from most major metropolitan areas.
 
The Refuge System welcomes more than 40 million people annually to participate in wildlife-dependent recreation, including wildlife observation, wildlife photography, fishing, hunting, environmental education and nature interpretation programs.
 
The Refuge System has more than 2,500 miles of land and water trails. Scores of events are held on refuges year-round and can be found in the special events calendar online at http://www.fws.gov/refuges/SpecialEvents/FWS_SpecialEvents_Search.cfm.
 
A copy of the coloring book is free for downloading at http://www.fws.gov/refuges/kids/ or can be purchased by calling 1-800-344-WILD. For more information about the Refuge System or to find one near you, visit http://www.fws.gov/refuges/.
 
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.

• Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced today the award of $19.2 million to support 25 conservation projects benefiting fish and wildlife on more than 6,100 acres of coastal habitat in 11 states through the 2010 National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program.
   
  The federal grants will be matched by nearly $26 million in partner contributions from state and local governments, private landowners and conservation groups.
   
  The grants will be used to acquire, restore or enhance coastal wetlands and adjacent uplands to provide long-term conservation benefits to fish, wildlife and their habitat. States receiving funds include California, Florida, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Oregon, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.
   
  “There are few actions we can take that are more important to the health of our environment, our wildlife and ultimately our coastal communities and their economies than conserving and restoring these vital wetlands,” Salazar said. “The grants I am announcing today will enable us to continue to work in partnership with states, conservation organizations and other partners to acquire, protect and restore these vital areas and the fish and wildlife that depend on them.”
   
  The National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and funded under provisions of the 1990 Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act. Funding is provided by Sport Fish Restoration Act revenue – money generated from an excise tax on fishing equipment and motorboat and small engine fuels.
   
  Including the 2010 grants, the Service has awarded nearly $240 million to coastal states and territories since the program began in 1992. When the 2010 projects are complete, over 260,000 acres of habitat will have been protected, restored or enhanced.
   
  A complete list of projects funded by the 2010 grant program can be found online at: http://www.fws.gov/coastal/CoastalGrants/index.html.
   
  Several examples of projects include:
•  
• Lake Michigan Coastal Wetlands Protection, Shivering Sands Unit: The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, partnering with The Nature Conservancy and Door County Land Trust, was awarded $1 million to acquire 468 acres in Door County, Wisconsin. The site is characterized by lakeshore, coastal wetlands, dune-swale topography, embayment lakes and large tracts of mixed conifer forest. The proposed acquisition will become part of the Shivering Sands Unit of the Cave Point to Clay Banks State Natural Area, which encompasses 4,000 acres. The project will protect habitat for two federally listed species – the endangered Hines emerald dragonfly and threatened Dwarf lake iris.
   
  Madsen-Ridge Conservation Easement Great Marsh Estuary: The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, partnering with the Great Marsh Land Protection Team, was awarded $353,500 to permanently protect 177 acres of coastal salt marsh and associated upland buffer through the purchase of a conservation easement. The property is located south of Plum Island Sound and the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge. The Great Marsh is the largest salt marsh in New England covering 25,000 acres. It functions as a major shellfish and fin fish nursery and is a critically important foraging and resting area for migrating birds along the Atlantic Flyway.
   
  Stanley Point/South Willapa Bay Conservation: The Washington Department of Ecology was awarded $1 million to protect more than 700 acres of high quality wetlands, including estuarine emergent salt marsh, eelgrass meadows, mud flats, marsh scrub-shrub and freshwater forested wetlands in southwest Washington. The project area includes Willapa Bay, one of the most productive areas for oyster cultivation in the Pacific Northwest. The project area is also adjacent to the 15,000-acre Willapa Bay National Wildlife Refuge.
   
  Coastal areas are vitally important to fish and wildlife. They comprise less than 10 percent of the nation’s land area yet support the majority of wildlife species, including 75 percent of migratory birds, nearly 80 percent of fish and shellfish and about half of all threatened and endangered species. The Coastal Program is a vital tool in helping to recover listed species and maintaining populations of candidate species that depend on coastal habitats.
   
  Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, the Service’s Coastal Program provides strategic conservation planning and assistance in coastal areas. It represents one of the Service’s most popular and effective programs for voluntary, locally-based habitat restoration and protection efforts.
   
  The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.