Egrits: January - February 2017 by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Southeast Region

Chief Editor: Elsie Davis

January - February, 2017

RD’s What’s old is new again.... Corner (New World Screwworm, that is)

As we begin another year together carrying out our conservation mission, what most excites me is the clarity we are achieving about where we are headed. In the Southeast Region, no matter what program we are part of or what position we hold, we are uniting around a shared vision, now and for the future: 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. A vision is our view of the world, the lens through which we see what we must do to achieve our mission. All of us have a piece of the action; no one sits on the bench. In our vision statement, every word matters and holds within it infinite possibilities for our creative action that will make a difference for wildlife and people. Our vision guides us as we move forward; and looking back at all we have accomplished to enact our vision, strengthens and encourages us for the journey ahead. In the Southeast Region, 2016 was a banner year. It is only fitting that we take a moment to celebrate our accomplishments and the people who made them happen. Thank you very much for all you do – together we are making a difference for fish, wildlife and plants in the Southeast. What we achieved in every area extended, in many instances, beyond regional boundaries. While continued on next page...

By Jennifer Koches, South Carolina Ecological Services Field Office In talking to people about what our agency does for endangered species, you can’t help but conjure up images of those iconic species that have helped frame the visual. Species like sea turtles, manatees, wood storks, red-cockaded woodpeckers, whooping cranes, and freshwater mussels immediately come to mind. As the lead for about 380 endangered species of plants and animals here in the Southeast, we also get to claim the poetic cuteness that is Florida’s endangered Key deer. Standing only about three feet in height, this smallest subspecies of the North American white-tailed deer is unique to about 20 to 25 of the Lower Florida Keys islands. Geographically and genetically isolated from other populations of whitetailed deer, they have evolved and adapted to the environment of the Keys. Years of over-hunting, habitat degradation, fragmentation, and human disturbance drove this species to the brink of extinction by the early 1950s, reducing the herd to only a couple dozen individuals. With the passage of the Endangered Species Preservation Act of 1966, Congress enacted the very first piece of comprehensive endangered species legislation. It was under this act that the first list of threatened and endangered species was compiled – to include Florida’s key deer buck at refuge headquarters Key deer - officially listed as federally endangered on March 11, 1967. Although population gains have been made over the years, Key deer remain under threat of extinction and continue to be listed as endangered. Created for the purpose of protecting and maintaining the remaining habitat for the Key deer and actively managing the population, the National Key Deer Refuge was established in 1957. In 1968, the Service bought the first habitat for protecting an endangered species – purchasing 2,300 acres for the Florida Key deer. Today, the refuge continued on page 5...

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service RD’s Corner continued... our people are dispersed across 10 southeastern states and two Caribbean territories, the impact of their efforts was felt nationally. Our work has inspired other Fish and Wildlife Service regions, State programs and partners and expanded the reach of our vision for sustainable wildlife resources. Read on, and be inspired with me as we continue to pursue our passion: partnering with others to conserve fish, wildlife, plants and habitats for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations. n The Southeast Conservation Adaptation Strategy (SECAS) is a prime example of how we are implementing our bold vision to connect lands and waters, working with and for others. In the history of North American conservation, SECAS is the first-ever, seamless, Regionwide, partnership-directed, and science-oriented comprehensive vision or blueprint of the conservation landscape of the future, addressing terrestrial and aquatic systems; past, present, and future forecasts of climate and urban growth; and cultural and socio-economic dimensions. n Through SECAS, 15 States, 14 Federal agencies, and multiple non-profit and private organizations have created a blueprint that helps focus our conservation actions and investments on common goals. SECAS enables conservation organizations and partners to meaningfully engage in the decision-making relative to future infrastructure, growth, and development needs. At a SECAS Conservation Leadership Summit in 2016, partners affirmed their leadership commitment to supporting and refining this groundbreaking conservation model. Conservation leaders across the nation are looking closely at SECAS, with the idea of implementing similar initiatives or taking SECAS to a national level.

n Where the future of the Gulf of Mexico is concerned, 2016 will go down in history: Our Gulf Restoration Team worked with our State and Federal partners and the Department of Justice to finalize the $20.8 billion global settlement with BP over the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The largest civil settlement with a single entity in the history of the United States, it was approved by a Federal court in April 2016, and includes billions in natural resource damages and Clean Water Act penalties that will be used for Gulf restoration. With our partners, we completed both the Programmatic Damage Assessment and Restoration Plan and a revised RESTORE Council Comprehensive Plan, documents that lay out the multi-billiondollar strategy that will be used to restore, protect, and revitalize the Gulf region over the next decade. n Working with all DOI Bureaus and the five Gulf States, our Region led the Department’s comprehensive implementation of 11 Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration Early Restoration projects totaling $119 million. Because they see us as trusted partners, States gave us some of their project dollars to implement restoration on Federal, State and local government lands. Early Restoration projects include a $1.3 million dune restoration project in Alabama to enhance endangered beach mouse habitat, a $10.8 million project on Gulf Islands National Seashore to increase tourism and outdoor recreation in Florida, and a $72 million island restoration project on Breton National Wildlife Refuge off coastal Louisiana to benefit migratory birds and promote coastal resiliency. n Our visionary leadership with our partners also enabled a comprehensive compilation of population objectives for 84 species inhabiting 15 Biological Planning Units across the Gulf. These population objectives reflect input from State, Federal, and NGO partners through collaborative planning processes associated with

recovery plans, Joint Ventures, and Landscape Conservation Cooperatives. The objectives are a cornerstone of the future of Gulf restoration. n For more than a decade, we have been visionary leaders in Service efforts to offset our carbon footprint through carbon sequestration. In August 2016, our peatland restoration achievements at Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) gained international acclaim at the 15th International PEAT Congress in Kuching, Malaysia. n The Southeast Region leads the Service’s largest visitor services program in the nation, hosting more than 14.5 million visitors to our National Wildlife Refuges and National Fish Hatcheries. On our Refuges in 2016, we worked with and for people and increased visitation by 250,000, fishing visits by 100,000, and hunting opportunities on three Refuges in partnership with States. n Because our stations are such rewarding places to work, our volunteer numbers continue to grow. We had 10,858 volunteers this year, an increase of more than 3,400, which provided more than $9 million in hours of work to the Service. We also added a new Friends Group at Cache River NWR. n A new chapter in the history of the recovery program for the Puerto Rican Parrot began on November 30, 2016, when 31 parrots were released for the first time at the Maricao Commonwealth Forest in Puerto Rico. This is a key milestone towards the recovery of this iconic species. n In cooperation with State wildlife agencies in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina, the Department of Defense (DoD) and Military Services, we developed the Department of Defense Gopher Tortoise Conservation and Crediting Strategy that will be finalized in early 2017. This boldly innovative conservation approach creates a crediting mechanism by which DoD installations in the unlisted range of continued on next page...

U.S. Fish Fish and and Wildlife Wildlife Service Service U.S. RD’s Corner continued... the gopher tortoise can implement conservation actions for the species that can be used to offset impacts to the tortoise if the species is listed in the future. We also worked closely with DoD and many partners to restore, enhance, and manage nearly two million acres of longleaf pine habitat while preserving local timber-based economies and meeting Defense installations’ ground and air training needs. This included establishment of approximately 140,000 acres of new longleaf pine forests. It is an excellent example of our effort to keep working lands working. n The Southeast Region is home to six coldwater mitigation facilities that in 2016 supported a thriving recreation fishery by producing 5.5 million trout and more than 14 million eggs for 26 Corps of Engineers and 13 Tennessee Valley Authority waters in six States in two Regions. Our activities generated 3 million angler days and $250 million in economic impacts. n The benefits of our One-Service approach to conservation were aptly demonstrated by the Region’s Aquatic Habitat Restoration Team. The Team engages employees from our Refuges, Ecological Services, Fish and Aquatic Conservation programs to complete complex projects with significant ecological benefit at substantially reduced costs in time and money. In 2016, the Team completed several culvert removal and replacement projects in partnership with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, benefitting at-risk aquatic fishes and mussels; opened 6 miles of stream habitat, saving more than $325,000; completed three major stream restoration projects with the U.S. Forest Service, American Rivers, and others to reduce stream-bank erosion in rivers in Arkansas and Florida, saving more than $500,000; and removed two dams and breached another, benefitting species such as the endangered Cape Fear shiner, while saving another $500,000. Our Team is renowned Service-wide for responding to needs outside our Region, such as the projects

completed in Texas to remove the Ottine Dam. This structure was a significant human safety hazard and impeding the lifecycle activities of recreational fish.

investments and garnering five donations through partnership with the National Wildlife Refuge Association, The Nature Conservancy, The Trust for Public Lands, and The Conservation Fund.

n We supported the Service’s effort to develop a tri-State, tri-Regional focus area in which to address the conservation needs of identified pollinators, the monarch butterfly in particular. Our Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program collaborated with States in three Service Regions—Missouri, Oklahoma, and Arkansas—to improve coordination and collaboration on this national initiative.

n A 33 percent reduction in staff notwithstanding, we broke records in fire management in 2016: We expanded partnerships and grant applications to achieve successful prescribed fire events on more than 200,000 acres, the most in the Region’s history, the most of any DOI organization, and more than 54 percent of the total for the entire Service.

n Being a trusted partner involves persistence. We worked through challenges to partner with the State of North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission to co-manage projects and programs on Mattamuskeet NWR, an effort that resulted in hundreds of thousands more dollars in FY16 to remove invasive exotic plants, improve public access, and study complex water quality issues. Our States are reaching out in trusted partnership: for example, the State of Tennessee is renewing a lease with the Service to manage water levels and thousands of acres at Reelfoot Lake as part of Reelfoot NWR, continuing a longstanding, excellent partnership. n Nowhere is trusted partnership more important than in law enforcement, an essential component of our conservation mission. Our Region and our State partners provided exceptional support to our national Law Enforcement undercover operations in Operation Rock Bottom, involving illegal harvest and sale of marine life from National Wildlife Refuges, National Parks, National Marine Sanctuaries, and other protected areas; and Operation Man Root, involving the investigation of Lacey Act violations stemming from the illegal harvesting of ginseng from Federal property. n In 2016, we exceeded land acquisition goals for the National Wildlife Refuge System through wise acquisition

n At the end of 2016, we precluded the listing of 80 at-risk species through a boldly innovative At-Risk Species Strategy that includes use of all existing conservation tools, including the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, Candidate Conservation Agreements with and without assurances, and targeted status surveys for species. Through our conservation efforts across the Southeast, an additional 13 species were recovered (4 species), downlisted (4 species), or were listed or proposed for listing as threatened rather than endangered (5 species). n The Caribbean Landscape Conservation Cooperative made a significant contribution to SECAS and to connecting lands and waters by completing its first island-wide watershed prioritization for Puerto Rico, resulting in the decision to focus partners’ collective energies on two distinct pilot areas with significant ecological and human well-being resources in play. Prioritization was based on a suite of shared objectives that will guide future investments under a strategic habitat conservation approach. n The South Atlantic LCC (SALCC) released version 2.1 of the Conservation Blueprint, a living spatial plan to conserve natural and cultural resources for future generations. The SALCC provided extensive support to numerous Blueprint users, such as the American Planning Association, resulting in a significant continued on next page...

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service RD’s Corner continued... conservation accomplishment throughout the broad partnership. A landmark outcome of these efforts included recognition by the Department of Defense of 33 eastern North Carolina counties as a Sentinel Landscape, incorporating Blueprint priority areas for conservation action and advancing shared goals of resource conservation while sustaining the military mission. n The SALCC Blueprint has led to grants to acquire conservation lands, including more than $1 million to fund the protection of almost 1,000 acres of forest adjacent to the Savannah River. The high-quality pine and forested wetland habitat is ideally positioned to connect a nearby Wildlife Management Area and Sumter National Forest. The Blueprint, ecological indicators, and strong partner relationships were key to our securing $1.75 million from the Wildland Fire Resilient Landscapes funding for the SALCC geography. These funds support application of prescribed burning in priority longleaf pine focus areas, directly benefiting rare species such as the red-cockaded woodpecker. n The Service, through the Peninsular Florida LCC, collaborated with the U.S. Air Force to initiate a pilot project for a statewide approach to conservation that simultaneously addresses military readiness on and around the eight installations in Florida. This proactive approach looks beyond the boundaries of a single base and will likely be instrumental in both recovering species (at risk, Statelisted, and Federally-listed) and providing military readiness and mission flexibility for the Air Force into the future. n Southeast Region employees participated in 35 outreach events at colleges, universities and conferences to promote Service employment opportunities. We conducted diversity and EEO training on-site at 37 locations across two Regions, with 921 participants.

n In support of the DOI goals under the Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act and ahead of the required date, we quickly aligned more than 25 field-based IT positions under our Regional Chief Technology Officer in a way that we estimate will save more than $300,000 annually through better use of staff and technology resources. Our model position descriptions will be used Servicewide. n Our Refuge Law Enforcement Program completed a first-ever review of all 130 station law enforcement programs, improving accountability, internal controls, and safety. We also took the lead for developing a “train the trainer” catalog for all the Service’s Regional Heavy Equipment Coordinators, supporting them in being successful in training new heavy equipment operators. n We developed a first-of-itskind regional Waterfowl Management Strategic Plan to ensure harmony between on-theground management actions and objectives with internationally agreed waterfowl objectives from the North American Waterfowl Management Plan. The Regional plan was developed in close collaboration with Migratory Bird Program staff and Joint Venture System partners, including dozens of States, NGOs, and other partners. n We worked with our East Gulf Coastal Plains Joint Venture partners to develop “The Pocket Guide to Pine and Grassland Birds of the Southeastern Coastal Plain” to assist private landowners with an interest in implementing practices on their property to benefit birds and other wildlife species. The Guide contains information on conservation practices and programs available to landowners, and contact information for organizations that can provide technical assistance. It is being distributed to landowners by our own biologists, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, multiple State agencies, and nongovernmental organizations.

n There is no better way to connect lands and waters than through our close working relationship with States and Territories. Through our historic Wildlife and Sportfish Restoration Program, we worked with fish and wildlife agencies to acquire 33,647 acres of protected fee-title terrestrial habitat. Approximately 16.5 million acres of Wildlife Management Area lands were managed under Wildlife Restoration grants; 5 million fish were produced at 41 hatcheries operated and maintained under the Sport Fish Restoration program; 1,579 acres were acquired using National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program funding; 640 acres were acquired using Sport Fish Restoration funding; and 142,508 students were educated under the Aquatic Education Programs. n Reaching out to new partners is an important component of working with and for people on our conservation mission. In 2016, we developed vision documents for Urban Wildlife Partnerships for Southeast Louisiana and South Florida; and we launched a third major metropolitan area partnership through the South Fork Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership in Atlanta, GA. n We reached thousands of people through events across the Southeast celebrating the 100-year anniversary of the Migratory Bird Treaty, which formed the foundation of nearly every important domestic bird conservation activity since then. Employees from across programs worked with numerous trusted partners to conduct Bird Fests at Sea World/Busch Gardens, Memphis, Miami, New Orleans and Atlanta.

Cindy

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Screwworn continued... consists of more than 84,000 acres in the Lower Keys (8,983 are terrestrial), a patchwork of small and large tracts of pine rockland, mangrove forest, hardwood hammocks, freshwater wetlands, and marine waters. If you think you’ve been hearing more about Key deer as of late, you are correct. Sometimes our endangered species make the headlines for reasons not of our choosing. In what almost seemed like a living nightmare, a horror began to unfold for this species in July of last year. Sick deer were being reported with increased frequency to refuge staff - and these deer were more than just “sick”. They were showing up with large, maggot (fly larvae) infested wounds – wounds unlike refuge staff had ever seen before. Specimens of the fly larvae collected from the deer were submitted to the University of Florida and the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Veterinary Services Laboratories in late September and both entities quickly confirmed these larvae as New World Screwworms. New World screwworms are fly larvae that can infest livestock and other warmblooded animals, including people. Most often entering an animal through an open wound, they feed on the animal’s living flesh. If not treated, infestations can be fatal. Key deer fatalities were coming, one after another. By early October, more than 100 Key deer had either been killed by New World screwworms or had to be euthanized. A crisis had erupted for this imperiled population of Key deer and it became an “all-hands-on-deck” undertaking at the Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuge Complex. On October 3, 2016, a unified command Incident Command Post was established to address the eradication of New World screwworms, protect human health, Florida's livestock industry, and other animals. Personnel from multiple Service Regions and Programs (Refuges, Ecological Services, Fire, and Law Enforcement) were detailed down to south Florida to work with USDA, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and other partnering agencies under this unified command. In all, over 125 interagency responders answered the call to unite and address the emerging New World screwworm infestation in south Florida. By midOctober, the Service had established an Incident Management Team,

located at the Refuge Complex Administrative Headquarters on Big Pine Key, to focus efforts on prevention of extinction and recovery of the Key deer. Through the Incident Management Team, Service biologists and wildlife veterinarians have USDA staff dosing and marking deer at Big Pine Key, been working photo: Jennifer Koches, USFWS countless hours, sterile insect technique in which sterile devising techniques male flies are released in infested areas. for treating infestations in Key deer and When those sterile males mate with local administering preventative medications. Remote medication stations, designed and females, no offspring result. Using this technique, self-sustaining populations of constructed by refuge staff and others New World Screwworm were eliminated detailed to the incident are helping to from the United States by 1966. Retreat deer in remote locations. Refuge infestations occurred sporadically in staff also has been coordinating volunteer the United States via animals crossing efforts for aiding in the administration the border from Mexico; but, the USDA of anti-parasitic medications to the more worked closely with Mexican officials to urban deer population - a true village reduce flies in their country. After 1982, undertaking! there were no more re-infestations in Service biologists also are working the United States. By 1991, Mexico was closely with researchers at Texas A&M officially declared free of New World to monitor and track the Key deer Screwworm. But what’s old has indeed population. To date, 135 Key deer have become new again. been lost due to New World Screwworm. Joining forces with the USDA, the Prior to New World screwworm, Service and other agencies have been population estimates ranged from 800assisting with addressing eradication of 1,000 Key deer. A population study New World Screwworm via the sterile concluded by Texas A&M in November insect technique. This recent outbreak 2016 places that number now somewhere is the first local detection of New World around 875. Those same researchers are Screwworm in the U.S. in more than 30 working with the Service on an effort to years. The Service has been working trap and radio-collar 30 adult/yearling closely with the USDA to undertake female Key deer to assist with gathering sterile fly release operations in and weekly population estimates, monitoring around the refuge. As jaw-dropping as of females during the fawning season, the beauty and splendor of the Keys are and if needed, facilitating preventative for most first time visitors, navigating treatments. the lands and waters that comprise the While it’s been many years since the Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuge United States has had to grapple with Complex takes seasoned practice. New World Screwworm, infestations of Coordination of the sterile fly releases this pest date back to the early 1800s. twice weekly at 25 different sites on In fact, New World Screwworm was 12 separate islands is much easier said once widespread in the Southeast, and than done; but, it is a battle that must be caused millions of dollars in agricultural undertaken in order to win the war on this losses (mainly livestock). USDA’s less-than-welcome blast from the past. Agricultural Research Service developed an eradication method in the 1950s using a form of biological control called the

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service While it is hard to capture all that has transpired over the past several months and the multitudes of Service employees that have come from regions and programs across the nation to address this crisis for the Key deer, one thing is certain - the Service can take pride in its ability to surmount hurdles. Oil spills, hurricanes, floods, wildfires…whatever confronts us, we present our unified front as One Service. What tests us makes us stronger. Out of crisis – opportunity. From despair – hope. We’ve had the opportunity to come together as One Service, and we are better for it. We hold hope for recovery of this iconic species of the Keys, and many more. Since November of 2016, Key deer deaths have slowed dramatically. As of this writing, the last Key deer lost due to NWS was on January 13, 2017. While the positive path continues, the Service continues this fight. For up-to-date information: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/National_ Key_Deer_Refuge/ https://www.facebook.com/ floridakeysrefuges v

What’s Trending By Katherine Taylor, External Affairs Apps: Are you a gardener with more fresh veggies than you know what to do with? Or are you someone who looking for organic produce? This free app let’s you see what neighbors have in their gardens to sell, swap, or share. #MostSharedStory: A fun holiday post of a “Rudolph sighting” at Eufaula NWR reached over 67,000 Facebook users. And it was a complete hit with parents who shared the image with their kids. Social Media: It’s a new year and fresh start to find new ways of connecting with the public! If you think social media is an option for your team contact Katherine, katherine_taylor@fws.gov v

Employee Spotlight Meet Angela Romito: the Southeast Region’s most recent graduate from the Presidential Management Fellows program By Elsie Davis, External Affairs In October, Ecological Services formed the Branch of Decision Support within its Division of Environmental Review. Dr. Angela Romito, a biologist and decision analyst who has worked in Ecological Services since January of 2014, joined her colleague Erin Rivenbark in the new branch headed by Rob Tawes, chief of the Division of Environmental Review. Angela’s new position takes advantage of her skills and L to R; Dr. Angela Romito receives her graduation certificate from extensive training in Beth Cobert, acting director of the Office of Personnel Management the decision sciences. and Sydney Smith-Heimbrock, associate director of OPM’s Human Last January, she Resources Solutions, Center for Leadership and Development, photo: completed the Presidential Management Fellow Program requirements of the two-year Presidential Management Fellows program, a paid training position administered by the Office of Personnel Management for recent graduates with advanced degrees. Angela holds a Bachelor’s degree in Conservation Biology from Kent State University; a Masters in Entomology from the University of Georgia; and a Doctorate in Wildlife Ecology and Management from the University of Georgia’s Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit. “Before meeting Angela we knew very little about the Presidential Management Fellows’ Program, which provides vetted, highly skilled recent graduates, from a variety of disciplines, to the federal government,” says Rob Tawes. Angela has done a fantastic job for us, getting up to speed quickly, providing a unique perspective, and working to support, not just Ecological Services, but other programs as well. Based on our positive experience with Angela we are actively trying to recruit additional fellows, and we recommend the program for others.” The Presidential Management Fellows program was established in 1977 as a program for recent graduates with advanced degrees in law and political science who had aspirations to work in the Department of State. It expanded in 2003 to become a pathway to federal employment for highly-qualified individuals in any field. A STEM track was added in 2014 to make the program more accessible to both program finalists and hiring agencies in fields including science and technolgy. Angela was selected as a Presidential Management Fellow in 2013 and started her position with the Service in January 2014. She was required to complete 80 hours of classroom training each fiscal year and serve at least one developmental detail of four

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to six months in duration. Fellows are also assigned senior leadership mentors outside their chain of command, and during their fellowship, they earn paid annual and sick leave and paid federal holidays. They also receive life and health insurance and are added to FERS.

Status Assessments (SSAs) into the Southeast Region. SSAs are used to evaluate population and species viability given the best available understanding of system dynamics and current and predicted future conditions to inform decisions made under the Endangered Species Act, such as listing, reclassification, and recovery planning decisions. Her work includes developing and disseminating training, providing species leads with analytic support, coordinating and facilitating workshops, and helping to draft and review SSAs and other documents.

During her fellowship, Angela completed her 160 hours of training and served two developmental details. In the first detail, she worked as the Southeast Region’s Research and Recovery Permit Coordinator processing applications and issuing permits as required under Section 10 of the Endangered Species Act. Her second assignment was with the National Conservation Training Center where she worked on curriculum development, revision, and dissemination of courses designed to teach decision-theoretic principles and processes to professionals and graduate students as part of NCTC’s Structured Decision Making curriculum series.

For more information about the PMF program, visit https://www.pmf.gov/ v

Did you know? Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Angela Romito describes her parents, three brothers, and her husband as “city folk,” so how did she become interested in a natural resources career? She enjoys trail running with a dog by her side to gyms and treadmills, so she spent much of her time training in the Cleveland Metroparks and Cuyahoga Valley National Park. In addition to her love of the outdoors, she knew she wanted to be a scientist. Early in her college career, Angela took an Invertebrate Zoology course that she loved! The professor had a position available in his Aquatic Ecology Lab, and her early research experiences studying the importance of flood-pulsing in riparian wetlands sealed the deal for her.

“I feel that my detail assignments greatly contributed to my growth as a Service employee. As Permit Coordinator, my daily interactions with permittees and species leads familiarized me with many of the on-the-ground recovery efforts that are being implemented both within and outside of the Service,” Angela said. “My duties as Permit Coordinator were a large departure from the skills I acquired prior to joining the Service and the duties I am assigned in my current position. The detail broadened my perspective on the diversity of functions that the Service fulfills.” “My detail with the National Conservation Training Center allowed me to interact with scientists, managers, and academicians in a wide variety of positions both within and outside the Service,” Angela continued. “Being an instructor in most of NCTC’s Structured Decision Making courses involves decision coaching, so my time at NCTC allowed me to work on a broad variety of decision problems, ranging from workload management to governance issues to more ecology-based problems, such as invasive species management.” Now, in her permanent position in Ecological Services’ Branch of Decision Support, Angela is working to develop integrated decision support tools to facilitate Endangered Species Act decision-making. Much of this work involves helping to usher Species Angela Romito with her dogs, photo: Anne Yarbrough

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

The mystery of the missing hummingbirds and more: Gulf Bird Fest By Nadine Siak, Gulf Restoration Team Lynn Waguespack could never figure what caused the delightful little hummingbirds to suddenly vanish from her backyard in New Orleans. She didn’t know about the seasonal migration of some bird species until speaking with Greg Perrin as he answered questions at the Gulf Bird Fest at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans November 11, 2016. Perrin, from the Wild Bird Center of Covington, Louisiana, was one of many partners who joined the Service, the Audubon Zoo and Entergy Corp in bringing to the zoo the Gulf Bird Fest celebrating the Centennial of the Migratory Bird Treaty. This 1916 agreement to cooperatively manage and protect birds that migrate across national borders was the first international agreement protecting wild birds. The zoo’s central plaza was aflutter with bird-themed activities for the event, including opportunities to take selfies with roving members of the New Orleans Pelicans basketball team Spirit Team and “Pierre the Pelican,” the team mascot; to watch members of the Potawatomi Tribe perform traditional dances and to learn about the ceremonial uses of migratory bird feathers; and to listen to, and try to imitate, bird calls at a Bird Karaoke station.

David Stoughton introduces a boy to the basics of using binoculars for bird watching, photo: Troy Wilson, USFWS

Zoo visitors congregated around tables covered with binoculars, bumper stickers and birding books, learning about migratory birds and what they as individuals could do to help conserve and protect this valuable natural resource. Children were particularly excited to receive stickers of migratory birds of the Gulf of Mexico region that they would put into their Gulf Bird Fest “passports.” More than 5,000 people visited the zoo that day, and close to 1,000 passports were distributed, along with many free bird posters and other giveaways. Robin Bosarge from Gulfport, Mississippi, left the Entergy station with a free water bottle and an understanding of Entergy’s commitment to protecting migratory birds through the implementation of their Avian Protection Plan. She was especially interested in learning how the company helps reduce the risks to birds and to the power system with measures including avianfriendly standards for new construction and retrofitting of older power poles.

Potawatomi tribe member Lyle Simmons performs a traditional Native American dance wearing a costume adorned with feathers, photo: Troy Wilson, USFWS

Molly Buckley is the Volunteer Coordinator for Entergy Services. She and a group of Entergy employees and their family members handed out water bottles, assisted at various stations and talked about the company’s environmental initiatives at the event. At the end of the day, she said that Gulf Bird Fest was a great success. “People learned a lot,” she said. “I learned a lot.” Gulf Bird Fest was organized by the Audubon Zoo and the Service’s Southeast Region Migratory Bird Program, the Gulf Restoration Program and the North Mississippi Refuges Complex. The event was sponsored by Entergy Corp and included the participation of: Southeast Louisiana National Wildlife Refuges Complex, Freeport-McMoRan Audubon Species Survival Center, Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge, Orleans Audubon Society,

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Wild Bird Center of Covington, Potowatomi Tribe, Bud Guidry (learn to tie basic fly-fishing knots), the Louisiana Junior Duck Stamp Program and the New Orleans Pelicans.

Ressee Collins and an Entergy volunteer cheer on a child at the Bird Karaoke station, photo: Troy Wilson, USFWS

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Bragging Rights A focus on history and partnerships By Andrew Currie, Dale Hollow NFH Dale Hollow National Fish Hatchery marked its 50th anniversary on October 26, at the hatchery. The celebration focused on history and partnerships. Dale Hollow National Fish Hatchery was officially dedicated on September 3, 1966, and the history of the hatchery and Dale Hollow Dam are intertwined. Historic photographs, depicting the people and events associated with the Dam and hatchery were on display. Fish and Aquatic Conservation Program’s Assistant Regional Director Allan Brown served as Master of Ceremonies.

Nate Wilke was the keynote speaker at Dale Hollow’s 50th anniversary, photo: Pat Roberts, Friends of Dale Hollow National Fish Hatchery

Speakers representing the three major partner agencies were Brenda Brickhouse, vice president of Environment and Energy Policy, Tennessee Valley Authority, Knoxville, Tennessee; Diane Parks, chief of Operations, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Nashville, Tennessee; and Frank Fiss, chief of Fisheries, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, Nashville, Tennessee. The keynote speaker was Nate Wilke, branch chief of the Service’s Hatcheries and Applied Sciences in Arlington, Virginia. All of the speakers spoke of the value of the hatchery program to Clay County and to the State of Tennessee and about the inter-agency partnerships that are required to make the program work. Clay County residents and elected officials also took part in the ceremony. v

Region 4 represented at NFFP annual fall workshop By Moria Painter, Wolf Creek NFH and Sara Seagraves Mammoth Springs NFH In September, Moria Painter of Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery and Sara Seagraves of Mammoth Springs National Fish Hatchery attended the National Fisheries Friends Partnership (NFFP) Workshop at D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery and Archives in Spearfish, South Dakota. This was the first trip for Moria and Sara to D.C. Booth, and they felt incredibly lucky to have had the opportunity to experience the hatchery during its peak season. The NFFP is working on building a stronger partnership between From left to right NFFP board members and FAC staff – Leon Alexander (NFFP), Denise Jessen (NFFP), the Fish and Aquatic Ellen Broudy (NFFP), Moria Painter (Wolf Creek NFH), Carlos Martinez (D.C. Booth), Sara Seagraves Conservation Program (Mammoth Spring NFH), Vince Mudrak (NFFP), Bob MacCord (NFFP), April Gregory (NFFP), Kirk Otey and its Friends Groups, (NFFP) advocating for the Fish they are hoping to expand next year into all seven Regions of the Service. Region 4 has and Aquatic Preservation Program and the largest representation on the board. There were a number of great ideas discussed providing support for local Groups. The that can be utilized at the local level. Moria and Sara, as Fish and Aquatic Preservation NFFP Board is currently made up of Program points of contact, helped the board develop a better understanding of the members from Regions 3, 4, 5 and 6, and Service’s mission and how it can best help the Fish and Aquatic Preservation Program.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Mammoth Spring receives LEED certificate By Sara Seagraves, Mammoth Spring NFH After years of hard work and dedication, Mammoth Spring National Fish Hatchery opened their Aquatic Conservation Center and public aquarium in March of 2014. The hatchery’s aquatic center was awarded LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver status by the Green Building Council in December. Hatchery staff members, the Mammoth Spring Chamber of Commerce, and representatives from Riley Construction gathered at the Aquatic Conservation Center where the award was presented. Also in attendance were the Friends

Group’s Board of Directors, as well as Bryan Ellington and Joey Eldridge, engineers from the Southeast Regional Office. Hatchery Manager, Richard Shelton, started the ceremony by thanking the Friends Group. He continued by discussing just what LEED means and how it relates to the new facility.

and reuse, and native plantings,” Shelton said. “LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification system. The building is the brick and mortar embodiment of the Service’s conservation mission. This award is not just for this building, but also for Riley Construction’s work in making this building what it is.” v

“The new Aquatic Conservation Education Center is home to one of the most energy efficient buildings ever built by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The center features energy efficient mechanical and electrical systems, recycled and locally available building materials, educational exhibits and meeting spaces, store, water – capture

Leave No Trace travelling trainers By Nova Clarke, Black Bayou Lake NWR For a week in November, Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Located in Monroe, Louisiana, hosted the East Central Team of the Subaru Leave No Trace Travelling Trainers. Amanda Nieman and Greg Smith are one of four teams who travel the country educating people about the principles of Leave No Trace. They spend 250 nights a year camping out in various locations, and we were lucky to have them here. The refuge had been trying to schedule a visit for over two years and finally managed to get into their schedule. Amanda and Greg did several programs to expand awareness of Leave No Trace. While most of their time was spent at the refuge, they also teamed up with one of our community partners, Ouachita Green and filmed a Public Service Announcement, as well as helping out briefly with the set-up and publicity for America Recycles Day which was that weekend. While they were here, they did media interviews with two different TV stations and a Lagniappe on our local National Public Radio Station. They spent a day at Barkdull Faulk Elementary and gave presentations for grades 4 through 6. The refuge ranger does monthly visits with these students as part of the refuge environmental education program. Amanda and Greg also led a public workshop and took part in a public canoe trip out to our bald

Amanda Nieman and Greg Smith, photo: USFWS

eagle nest on the lake. On their last day here, they set up a table in front of the refuge Visitor Center and distributed information to the public. Our resident volunteers hosted a potluck dinner for Amanda and Greg one of the nights they were camping out as a thank you for their time. It was an excellent opportunity to have them here to promote Leave No Trace principles and how those can be applied at the refuge, and they left us with some excellent resources to hand out and share with future visitors. v

Wolf Creek hosts environmental education workshops By Moria Painter, Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery

Moria Painter hosted two environmental education workshops at Wolf Creek National Wildlife Refuge. For two days in July, 20 teachers learned all about Project Wild and Aquatic Wild curriculums and how they can utilize these exceptional environmental education tools in their classrooms. Participants were able to experience several of the hands-on learning activities that these programs have to offer. In August, Moria co-facilitated two offsite Environmental Education workshops with Jennifer Beach from the Kenton County Library. These workshops focused on Project Flying Wild and Project Learning Tree lessons for early childhood.

Each of these workshops focused on correlating the activities with Next Generation Science Standards. The workshops provided educators with additional tools to use as they help students learn.

Participants of Project Learning Tree sway in the air like a falling leaf, photo: Moria Painter, USFWS

11 10

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Wolf Creek recognizes Alan Kimbler

Pathways Intern Training Workshop

By Sheila Kirk, Wolf Creek NFH

This summer, the Southeast Regional Office hosted the 2016 Pathways Intern Training Workshop for 14 interns in the region. The interns learned about the Fish and Wildlife Service’s programs and career paths, shared their experiences as interns, and networked with Regional Office staff and leadership. The Regional Directorate attended the student presentations, and provided lots of insight and advice about the Service and career development within the agency.

By Tamara Johnson, Georgia Ecological Services Office

Because many of the students were at the beginning of their careers, multiple sessions were dedicated to exploring various workforce topics, such as intergenerational awareness hosted by Marilyn Lawal, Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration; workplace harassment presented by Kary Allen, Diversity and Civil Rights; and use USA Jobs instructed by Courtney Williams, Diversity and Civil Rights. The students also experienced a “day in the life” in the field during a mid-week field trip to Warm Springs Fisheries Complex. They took several tours around the hatchery, fish health lab, and tech center. Finally, the students were led by Glenn Page of Sustainametrix in an afternoon session on ecosystem governance, a big picture view on the processes that guide wildlife management decisions. The workshop was an enjoyable experience for both the students and its planning committee, a group as diverse in its experience as the students that attended. From the feedback and general goodwill that was expressed during and after the meeting, the Service looks forward to hosting this workshop and connecting with the future of our agency in the near future. v

R to L: Project Leader, James Gray presents Alan Kimbler with award, photo: Ashley Buffington, USFWS

In recognition of 10 years of dedicated service with the federal government, Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery Biological Science Technician Alan Kimbler received a commemorative plaque on October 17, 2016. Alan began his career at Wolf Creek through the STEP program as a laborer while still a student at Western Kentucky University, where he later earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in history. He then joined the staff at Wolf Creek as a permanent employee and has become a vital member of the fish production team. Even though Alan enjoys all the work, one of his favorite aspects of the job is being able to work outdoors. Alan lives in Russell County, Kentucky, where he enjoys attending church, hunting, and other shooting sports, and spending time with his wife Ashley and twin sons, Benton and Brayden. v

Leadership Quote:

Wolf Creek successfully cultivates Cumberlandian Combshells By Sheila Kirk, Wolf Creek NFH On November 2, 2016, staff from the Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery, Welaka National Fish Hatchery and the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources’ Center for Mollusk Conservation harvested 521 Cumberlandian Combshell freshwater mussels from cages suspended in Lake Cumberland in Russell County, Kentucky. Infested host fish; the Common logperch, were added to the four cages in April, six months earlier. In June; after transformed juveniles had dropped from the host fish and settled into the substrate in the cages, the host fish were released back into native habitat. The mussels continued to grow in the cages in the algae-rich waters of Lake Cumberland until the cages were collected in the fall. As anticipated, the mussels had undergone phenomenal growth and were transported back to the Center for Mollusk Conservation where they were kept until their reintroduction into

the Big South Fork. The 521 mussels collected in November represented more Cumberlandian Combshell mussels than could be found naturally occurring in the Big South Fork system. The individuals produced by the suspended cage culture more than doubled the population in Big South Fork.

Staff members inspect the successful harvest of Cumberlandian Combshell mussels, photo: Ashley Buffington, USFWS

“Apathy can only be overcome by enthusiasm, and enthusiasm can only be aroused by two things: first, an ideal which takes the imagination by storm, and second, a definite, intelligible plan for carrying that ideal into practice.” 11 —Arnold Toynbee

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Friends and Volunteers Birds at play By Terri Jacobson, Red River National Wildlife Refuge Captive macaws and parrots received gifts of enrichment toys from Red River National Wildlife Refuge’s Kids Bird Camp. Dot Rambin, a member of the refuge’s Friends group, coordinated the entire project. She asked volunteer Ronnie Maum to cut wooden bases and ordered plastic pieces, wreathes, and shredables at cost from Make Your Own Bird Toys.com. The Avicultural Society of America paid to ship the finished toys.

Schubot Exotic Bird Health Center employees with the enrichment toys for the birds, photo: Dot Rambin

to give the birds foraging opportunities. Before making the toys, Dot brought her Amazon parrot and taught campers about the responsibility for taking care of captive birds. Campers learned that enrichment is essential to the physical and psychological health and well-being of captive birds.

Campers, interns, and volunteers made the enrichment toys at Bird Camp. By stringing together wood and plastics, they stuffed and tied shredables to create hanging toys. Campers also wrapped pieces of nuts in unbleached coffee filters

The Schubot Exotic Bird Health Center at Texas A&M University received the enrichment toys. The mission of the avian center is to conduct research into health issues affecting pet, wild, and exotic birds. The refuge received a note with these words: "A huge thank you to the kids at Red River National Wildlife Refuge for

Volunteering at Southwest Louisiana National Wildlife Refuge Complex

Refuges are places of exceptional natural beauty containing rich ecological and human history. While most people simply visit refuges, she wanted to volunteer.

By Diane Borden-Billiot, Visitor Services Manager

“The Southwest Louisiana National Refuge Complex is a place dear to my heart and is right in my own backyard.” Allison said. “After spending many summers crabbing, fishing, and walking miles of trails, volunteering here was an easy choice. Not only was it an opportunity to give back to the refuges, but a chance to further my scientific career, “Allison said.

Allison Davis, photo: USFWS

Allison Davis, a recent Loyola University environmental science graduate, thinks the Southwest Louisiana National Wildlife

The Southwest Louisiana National Wildlife Refuge Complex was in need of a volunteer at the Cameron Prairie refuge headquarters office to assist with Visitor Center operations, guest services, and

Dot Rambin with her Amazon parrot and its enrichment toy, photo: Terri Jacobson

such a tremendous gift of time in making all these stunning, hanging enrichment toys. Our birds are going to have a blast.” v hunting and fishing programs. Allison’s educational background, along with her kind-hearted, achievement-oriented personality made her a perfect fit to assist the refuges in this role. In addition to the routine tasks that Allison accomplishes during her three days a week, she has designed and conducted an ecological analysis of three freshwater ponds used for special refuge fishing events. Information she collected and analyzed will determine pond depths, terrain, and available fish habitat structure. “The opportunity to conduct this study has allowed me to strengthen my ability to design scientifically sound experiments, increase my knowledge of sampling methods and analysis procedures, and learn how to communicate information and results effectively to both the scientific and local community,” Allison said. She feels this is the perfect opportunity to prepare her for the graduate-level research she is pursuing. Performing research, working in a professional setting, and communicating with the public are just some of the experiences she is gaining by volunteering at Cameron Prairie National Wildlife Refuge.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Families celebrate Halloween at Hobe Sound learning about incredible, edible, bugs By Diana Gu, Hobe Sound NWR Every year Hobe Sound Nature Center hosts a Creepy Creature Feature where visitors are encouraged to learn about wildlife that are often misunderstood, feared, or disliked through lectures, games, and crafts. This year, participants and staff dressed up as animals and learned about insects and entomophagy, the practice of eating insects. Visitors watched a presentation covering everything from the nutritional benefits of different species of insects, the bugs we are already unknowingly consuming. For example, there are 56 insect parts in every peanut butter and jelly sandwich according to the FDA. There are also many cultures that value these high-protein sustainable sources of food. The audience was invited to try entomaphagy themselves! The event catered a buffet of different bug-riddled cuisines including fried silkworm chrysalises, ant lollipops, cricket chips, and chocolate- covered mealworms. Other activities included creepy crafts, face painting, games, and live wildlife displays. In the past, other Creepy Creature Feature events have showcased topics ranging from bats, snakes, sharks, and paleontology which highlighted different animals’ adaptions for survival and illegal wildlife trade. The program’s popularity has attracted up to 120 attendees and also is offered at schools and organizations. Hobe Sound Nature Center is the non-profit that runs Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge’s Visitor Center. Besides this yearly Halloween event, which has been running for more than 15 years, the center hosts numerous educational programs including naturalist-led hikes through the rare sand pine scrub trails, summer camps, and sea turtle night walks. v

Wolf Creek celebrates the holiday By Moria Painter, Wolf Creek NFH

Holidays are a time to celebrate friends, family, health and happiness, and the Friends of Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery take this duty on with pride. In November, each year the Friends group helps the hatchery spread a little holiday spirit by participating in the Russell Springs Christmas Parade. This year’s theme was A Candy Christmas. The hatchery distribution truck was decked out for the occasion. Staff and volunteers; along with the ever-popular Goldie the Fish, adorned the truck and passed out candy fish to the public. In December, Friends group members, staff, volunteers and their families joined in another festive celebration of the season. Everyone enjoyed an evening of good food and festive games, including an ugly Christmas sweater contest and a Dirty Santa gift exchange. Goldie the Fish prepares to greet the public, photo: USFWS

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Nadineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Word Search Challenge By Nadine Siak, External Affairs

Locate the following words in the grid: SCREWWORM, CANDY, ENTOMOPHAGY, COMBSHELL, MIGRATION, POTAWATOMI, PASSPORT, ACHIEVEMENT Note: Words may be spelled forwards, backwards, up, down or diagonally. Words may also overlap (i.e., share letters). The solution will be printed in the next edition of E-Grits. Happy hunting!

Solution to word search in November-December issue:

D + + + + D + + E + + +

(Over, Down, Direction)

+ E + + E + + + V W + +

BISHOPWEED (10, 10, NW)

+ + E B + + + + O A + +

CONCRETE (1, 12, NE)

+ S R W + + + + R L + +

DEBRIS (6, 1, SW) HEALING (5, 9, E)

+ I E + P + + E G L + + S + + K + O T + N E + + + + + + I E H + A Y + +

MANGROVE (9, 8, N)

+ + + + R S + S M E + +

MUSSEL (9, 10, W)

+ + + C H E A L I N G +

SIKES (6, 8, NW)

+ + N L E S S U M B + +

WALLEYE (10, 2, S)

+ O + + + + + + + + + + C + + + + + + + + + + +