Endangered Resources
The Endangered Resources Program celebrated 25 years of conservation successes in 2008, working to conserve Wisconsin's biodiversity for present and future generations. Our goals are to identify, protect and manage native plants, animals and natural communities from the very common to critically endangered. We work with others to promote knowledge, appreciation and stewardship of Wisconsin's native species and ecosystems.
Features
Cougar Ecology Workshops Offered
Workshops for people interested in learning more about cougars, their ecology, behavior and identification. A session at Crex Meadows is being provided for but is not limited to wildlife and law enforcement personnel. Another at the University of Wisconsin Whitewater workshop will offer much of the same material as the Crex session but will have an emphasis aimed more toward naturalists, ecologists and outdoor enthusiasts with interest or need in learning more about this species. Contact and dates...New Endangered Resources License Plate Designs
Bluebird |
Heron |
Badger |
Woodpecker |
The Endangered Resources Program is excited to introduce a new, second license plate that will be available for purchase in addition to the original wolf plate. The new plate will help showcase our work to protect Species of Greatest Conservation Need and their habitats. Each of the new plate designs represents the diversity of Wisconsin's natural heritage and includes non-game animals and the ecosystems that support them. The money from the $25 contributed to each Endangered Resources license plate is used to support the program's conservation fund account. More....
Carnivore Tracking Programs and Wolf Ecology Workshops for 2009-2010
White-nose Syndrome: A Grave Threat to Wisconsin's Bats
Read more... (exit DNR)
Donate to the Wisconsin Bat Conservation Endowment Fund... (exit DNR)
New Rule Aims to Reduce Spread of Invasive Species
Wisconsin's Top Bat Man
Photo by Wolfgang HoffmannAs the state’s leading authority on bats, Endangered Resources Ecologist Dave Redell hangs out well past nightfall to observe and identify bats when they are most active. Several times each month, he sets up near the mouth of a Wisconsin cave to capture and measure bats as they emerge, often not finishing his work until 3 a.m. Read more... (exit DNR)
Gray Wolf Back on Endangered Species List
On June 29th, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agreed to reinstate federal
protection of wolves in the upper Great Lakes region. A coalition of wolf advocate
groups led by the Humane Society of the United States filed a lawsuit June 15,
challenged the federal government's decision. A court-ordered settlement restores
federal Endangered Species Act protections for more than 4,000 gray wolves around
the Great Lakes. The Service will provide an additional opportunity for public
comment on the rule to ensure compliance with the Administrative Procedures
Act. While the Service gathers additional public comment, gray wolves in the
Western Great Lakes area will again be protected under the Endangered Species.
All restrictions and requirements in place under the Act prior to the delisting
will be reinstated.
Read more about the changes... (exit DNR)
Read about the gray wolf in Wisconsin
Recovery of Gray Wolves in the Great Lakes Region of the United States: An Endangered Species Success Story
A new book edited by Adrian Wydeven (mammal ecologist and wolf program coordinator for the Wisconsin DNR), Tim Van Deelen (assistant professor of wildlife ecology at UW- Madison), and Ed Heske (Illinois Natural History Survey) is available for purchase with a portion of the proceeds from sales going to support the conservation of wolves for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The book on the recovery of gray wolves examines the history of wolf management, habitat, depredation management, population dynamics, ESA listing process, social surveys, and education efforts within the region that has allowed this recovery to occur. The book contains 21 chapters, authored by 47 individuals, including 8 current or retired employees of the Wisconsin DNR. More Information... (exit DNR)
The Vanishing Present: Wisconsin's Changing Lands, Waters, and Wildlife
A new book edited by Donald M. Waller (Professor of botany and environmental studies at UW-Madison) and Thomas P. Rooney (assistant professor of biological sciences and environmental sciences at Wright State University) is available for purchase with a portion of the proceeds from sales going to support the research fund of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources' Bureau of Endangered Resources. "The Vanishing Present brings together a distinguished set of contributors including scientists, naturalists, and policy experts to examine how human pressures on Wisconsin's changing lands, waters, and wildlife have redefined the state's ecology." More Information... (exit DNR)
More Endangered Resources News...
RSS