Vision for the Southeast Region

“Together we will connect lands and waters to sustain fish, wildlife and plants by being visionary leaders, bold innovators and trusted partners, working with and for people.”

Shout outs

• Cheri Ehrhardt, Natural Resource Planner, NWRS, for receiving the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Florida College of Design, Construction, & Planning.  Cheri received a Bachelor’s in Environmental Science/Studies and a Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning.

• Keith Weaver, Project Leader, Central Arkansas NWR Complex—and many others in the field, RO, and Solicitor’s Office.  After nearly six years of controversy and three years of litigation, the long-awaited demolition, removal, and restoration of the abandoned U.S. Highway 79 and associated bridges on Cache River NWR commenced August 5.  This issue put the Compatibility doctrine to the “acid test.” Ultimately, the Service successfully defended the Stipulations to Ensure Compatibility developed in the CD for this use and the Terms and Conditions of the associated Exchange Deed (ROW agreement) biologically, socio-culturally, fiscally, politically, and legally.

• North Louisiana NWR Complex staff for completed demolition of the old Refuge Headquarters office building at significant cost savings to the government.  Special thanks to Engineer and Equipment Operator Ron Tidwell for the operating expertise and Biologist Michael Renfrow for coordinating debris removal and other aspects of the project.

At-Risk

• Lindsey Lewis (Arkansas ES) assisted the Arkansas Department of Transportation with fish surveys on Big Piney Creek associated with the proposed Fort Douglas Bridge replacement project. Fish species collected included the Longnose Darter (petitioned for listing).  Additional stream assessments and post construction surveys will help ensure conservation measures are adequate and provide valuable insights to guide future conservation efforts for similar actions.

Species/Collaborative Conservation

• The Department of Defense (DOD) has released its Summary of Sentinel Landscapes (SL) Accomplishments and three are located in the Southeast Region. Sentinel Landscapes are coalitions of partners focused on advancing sustainable land practices around DOD installations.  The Department of the Interior and the Service play a key role in furthering collaboration, designing conservation for maximum effect, and implementing projects on and off installations within our regions.
• Biologist Robert Aldredge (Panama City ES) visited Cape Canaveral Air Force Station to discuss the Florida scrub-jay census methodology and met with Air Force and Service staff to highlight the benefits of implementing the use of ArcGIS Online and Collector to collect field data associated with sea turtle, Florida scrub-jay and other T&E species.
• The Alabama ES Strategic Habitat Unit (SHU) model was recently used as a success case of how to teach others about effective restoration planning and partnering in a new NCTC course called, "Watershed Restoration Policy, Planning, and Partnering." The instructor team was led by Russell Davis (Partners for Conservation), Susan Guiteras (Service), Dave Ross (Service-retired), Amy Wing (NCTC Course Coordinator) and several members of the Alabama SHU team including, Rebecca Bearden (Geological Survey of Alabama), Jonathan Stober (US Forest Service), and Jeff Powell (Alabama ES).  The course was a huge success and will hopefully, better prepare participants on improved ways to engage with partners, stakeholders and the public in carrying out the collaborative on-the-ground conservation work. 
• At Mississippi Sandhill Crane NWR, 11 endangered crane chicks survived this year, nearly doubling the previous record of six in one season. Several more crane chicks are close to fledging.  This continues a seven-year trend of record survival as compared to any other period in the refuge's 44-year history.

Habitat Management

• Emily Granstaff (Tennessee Partners Program biologist) is collaborating with The Nature Conservancy on the Elk and Duck River Watershed Riparian Buffer Initiative. Utilizing the Tennessee State Wildlife Action Plan data, Emily is working to identify those private lands in greatest need of riparian buffers.  This information will be used by the partnership to strategically reach out to new landowners to encourage involvement in the initiative.
• Biologist Andy Hartzog (Panama City ES) coordinated the transfer of Carson Stringfellow's unionid mollusk collection from the invertebrate museum at Columbus State University in Georgia to the University of Florida's Museum of Natural History where it will be curated into the mussel collection. This has been a multi-year effort since Professor Stringfellow passing in 2012.  The collection is a unique assortment of shells from the ACF Basin, the middle Chattahoochee River, and its tributaries.
• Biologist Chris Metcalf (Panama City ES) initiated a $124,000 contract with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to restore habitat on the Peace River near Zolfo Spring, Florida. This project will stabilize over 550 linear feet of streambank and over one mile of riverine habitat.  Project construction should begin winter/spring 2020.
• Lower Suwannee NWR (FL) staff Daniel Barrand and Jason Coates have been conducting refuge habitat restoration projects with heavy equipment mulching herbicide spray lane access, grinding non-desired habitat condition mid-story vegetation, and removing long-standing wind-row debris piles left over from the commercial logging days.
• Wapanocca and Big Lake NWRs (AR) Engineer and Equipment Operators, Ed Lovrien and Glen French, planted several waterfowl impoundments with millet for a total of 30 acres at Wapanocca NWR. In addition to this, they replaced four dilapidated water control structures that will provide waterfowl habitat on over 52 acres.
• Panther Swamp NWR (MS) Forestry Technicians, Adam Wright and Matt Korgie assisted D’Arbonne, Upper Ouachita, and Black Bayou NWRs (LA) marking timber and controlling invasive Chinese tallow trees.
• We have received credible reports of feral swine now residing on North Key of Cedar Keys NWR (FL), where we already have a raccoon problem. This island is our only ideal shorebird nesting island should birds be able to nest there and not get preyed upon.

Recreation/Outreach

• Miles Meyer, Nikki Colangelo and Ken Warren (South Florida ES) met with representatives from the local Audubon Advocates group in Vero Beach to discuss partnering on their environmental science and nature based after school program. This program serves more than 50 underprivileged and minority students each year and provides them an after school program which enhances their learning and appreciation of their local environment.  In the past, students have participated in a variety of projects including adopting a spoil island, building pollinator gardens, and nature photography and journaling.
• Theodore Roosevelt NWR Complex (MS) employees participated in the Mississippi Wildlife Extravaganza by hosting an information/education booth with employees reaching several hundred attendees this year.
• Red River NWR (MS) held an event featuring archery, a pollinator flower scavenger hunt, and flower crafts with 130 people attending.
• Wheeler NWR (AL) Rangers Daphne Moland and David Young presented the annual “Snakes Alive!” program twice on Saturday, August 10, to over 500 visitors. The program allows visitors to learn and get up close to the many native reptile and amphibian species of Alabama.

Wheeler NWR Ranger Daphne Moland presenting the annual “Snakes Alive!” program. Photo by USFWS.

Permitting/Law Enforcement

• While deployed to Operation Border Support, Angel Toro, Federal Wildlife Officer (FWO) for the Vieques NWR (PR), made contact with an undocumented alien in a drainage sewer who was unresponsive to his law enforcement commands. FWO Toro immediately notified U.S. Border Patrol to request an EMT to assess the person’s condition.  It was determined the person was suffering from heat stroke and Border Patrol Agents administered first aid.  Once recovered the person was detained by Border Patrol agents.
• Two individuals plead guilty in the Eastern District of North Carolina for taking over the limit of waterfowl. The defendants were sentenced to a $2,500 fine, probation and no hunting for one year.  FWOs Justin Mulligan and Federal Wildlife Zone Officer Frank Simms were the case officers.
• Federal Wildlife Zone Officer Bryant Marcial provided law enforcement support for a Mountain Bike event held at Cabo Rojo and Laguna Cartagena NWR (PR) bike trails. Approximately 2,500 cyclists of all ages participated in the event.
• Federal Wildlife Officer Jay Eddy assisted with the arrest of an individual observed slashing vehicle tires at the Cape Hatteras National Seashore during a joint operation with the National Park Service.
• FWO Steve Berger provided Regional Director Leo Miranda a tour of the National Key Deer Refuge (FL), visiting areas impacted by recent hurricanes and wildfires.
• North Mississippi NWR Complex Federal Wildlife Officer (FWO) Sammy Sain and Refuge Manager Travis Carpenter responded to a request for help from a person at Dahomey NWR suffering from heat exhaustion while scouting for deer. FWO Sain contacted Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks for assistance and together they responded to the call, found the person, and emergency services provide medical attention.
• FWO Jared Brierley investigated a trespass issues on Lake Wales Ridge NWR. Illegal ORV use and fence vandalism was curbed as a result.

Monitoring/Science

• North Mississippi NWR Complex, Wildlife Biologist, Becky Rosamond assisted U.S. Forest Service staff with mist netting for bats on the Holly Springs National Forest (NF). The group caught 13 total bats (three different species) with one Seminole bat being a new county record for Benton County and a new record for the Holly Springs NF.

Seminole bat caught during mist net surveys on the Holly Springs National Forest. Photo by USFWS.

• Tennessee NWR staff and the Friends of Tennessee NWR hosted the fourth annual hummingbird banding event. Two hundred and seventy-five visitors braved the 90+ degree temperatures to watch master bander Cyndi Rutledge capture, age, sex, weigh, and tag hummingbirds.  Sixty-five hummingbirds were banded.  Attendees learned about hummingbird biology and ecology throughout the day.
• Mississippi State University student Marshall Callicott completed the inventory and data analysis for an 80-acre portion of the Felsenthal upland forest comparing mortality in managed vs unmanaged stands. This project will provide Marshall with enough data to earn an additional three course credit hours toward his forestry degree at MSU.
• Theodore Roosevelt NWR Complex was invited to participate in a chronic wasting disease roundtable meeting at Mississippi State University. The invitation was extended by the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, and approximately 75 representatives from state and federal wildlife agencies interacted during the two-day meeting.  The outcome was information sharing such as lessons learned, with no changes expected in Mississippi’s surveillance and monitoring plan.
• North Mississippi NWR Complex (MS) captured and banded by rocket netting 35 wood ducks and one black bellied whistling duck at Coldwater River NWR. The Complex has banded 92 wood ducks this season.
• Staff have enjoyed a successful year banding wood ducks on Cross Creeks NWR (TN). They have banded 250 wood ducks with plans to make one more rocket net shot before needing to close the banding site before the early resident Canada goose hunt.
• Staff had another successful evening wood duck banding on Tennessee NWR (TN). Over 100 members of local Ducks Unlimited Chapters attended with their families to assist in the banding efforts.  Wildlife Biologist Clayton Ferrell and Assistant Refuge Manager Ferris Calderon captured 430 wood ducks and staff and volunteers banded 108, which brought the total number of banded wood duck for this year to 891.  Tennessee NWR has exceeded all banding quotas for the year.

Stories

Mussel returns to French Broad River after 100-year absence

Pearls in the Everglades

Barrens topminnows released into Short Springs