Since its inception in 1997, the Turner Endangered Species Fund has developed a proven conservation track record including among other things: 1) working as the only private permittee of the US Fish and Wildlife Service on wolf recovery, 2) managing one of the most productive black-footed ferret breeding facilities in North America, 3) managing the most successful population of reintroduced desert bighorn sheep in New Mexico, 4) managing 1 of only 3 pre-release facilities for the Mexican Wolf Recovery Program, 5) conducting the only successful attempt by any organization to restore a population of red-cockaded woodpeckers where no founder population existed, 6) engaging in the largest ongoing effort of any organization to translocate and expand prairie dog populations, 7) serving as a primary catalyst for a bi-national campaign to conserve migratory pollinators along a 2,500-mile migration corridor from the southwestern U.S. to southern Mexico, 8) conducting the largest private effort to restore the native longleaf pine/wiregrass ecosystem in the southeast, 9) producing the most extensive study ever to assess feasibility of reintroducing swift fox, and 10) assembling and leading the most serious effort to evaluate the restoration potential for wolves in the Southern Rockies. We summarize these and other efforts for 2000 and 2001 below.

Red-cockaded Woodpeckers (Picoides borealis) - Avalon Plantation, Florida

During the 2000 breeding season, 4 breeding groups from previous translocations established residency on the Avalon Plantation and successfully fledged 8 young (7 females and 1 male). We translocated 10 sub-adult birds from private lands located in South Georgia. In addition to enhancing recovery of this endangered species, these translocations are part of an integrated research program in cooperation with Tall Timbers Research Station studying the effects of removal of juvenile birds on the donor population and the genetic structure of the de novo Avalon population.

During 2001, we established 6 breeding groups and an additional 3 single male groups. Thirteen juvenile birds were successfully fledged (5 females and 8 males). Moreover, we experienced our first successful nest in a natural cavity. We translocated 10 sub-adult birds, while continuing the work on our research project. The population size at then end of the year was 43 birds.

Prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus)

During 2000 we established 20 new colonies: 10 at Vermejo Park Ranch, NM; 5 at Bad River Ranches, SD; 3 at Armendaris Ranch, NM; and 2 at Ladder Ranch, NM. We were able to produce acreage expansion of over 25% since 1999 on colonies at Vermejo and Bad River. Two research projects commenced on the colonies at the Armendaris (1 on burrowing owls [Athene cunicularia] by New Mexico State University and 1 on prairie dog-range interactions by the USDA Jornada Experimental Range). We initiated 1 research project on anti-predator responses of juvenile prairie dogs on the colonies at Vermejo Park (conducted by the University of California, Davis).

During 2001 we established 29 new colonies: 6 at Vermejo Park Ranch, NM; 10 at Bad River Ranches, SD; 3 at Armendaris Ranch, NM; 3 at Z-bar Ranch, KS; and 3 at Blue Creek Ranch, NE and by year’s end we had over 2,200 acres of prairie dogs on Turner ranches. Research projects continued on burrowing owls, prairie dog-range interactions, and on anti-predator responses of juvenile prairie dogs. New research commenced examining prairie dog energetics (New Mexico State University) and on the influence of social groupings on transplant success at Vermejo (University of California, Davis).

Black-footed Ferrets (Mustela nigripes)– Vermejo Park Ranch, New Mexico

During 2000, the Vermejo Park Ranch ferret breeding and preconditioning facility produced 21 ferret kits for release. This high level of production occurred despite parasitism of some animals by the flesh fly Wohlfahrtia vigil. These kits were released at the ferret release area in northeastern Utah. An additional 9 kits from Phoenix Zoo were preconditioned in our facility and released in Montana. During 2001, the Vermejo Park Ranch ferret facility produced 17 kits, again despite parasitism of some animals by Wohlfahrtia vigil. These kits were released near Janos, Chihuahua, Mexico; the first transfer of black-footed ferret kits for release in another county. In addition, 13 kits produced at the Phoenix Zoo were preconditioned at Vermejo Park and subsequently released in Mexico. Because we have been able to expand prairie dogs to more than 1,200 acres on the Vermejo, we are preparing a proposal to the US Fish and Wildlife Service to begin an experimental ferret release there in 2003 or 2004.

Northern Rocky Mountain Wolf (Canis lupus) restoration

During 2000, we built a 3/4 acre chain link pen on the Flying D Ranch to hold wolves for the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and to conduct aversive conditioning studies testing electronic training collars. In cooperation with USFWS and Wildlife Services, we placed in the pen a pack of wolves that has been involved in livestock depredations near Yellowstone (these wolves had been otherwise slated for removal). We tested the aversive conditioning logistics and equipment on this pack and released them back into their natal territory. Two of the 3 males released contributed to wolf recovery by siring about10 pups in 2 packs. We also assisted the USFWS with trapping, monitoring and managing 6 packs of wolves in southwest Montana and worked with numerous ranchers in the area to resolve wolf conflicts with livestock. We are cooperating on a graduate research project at the University of Montana to examine factors influencing wolf predation on livestock in the northern Rockies.

During 2001, we removed 2 different groups of wolves from their original territory and held them in the pen on the Flying D Ranch in an effort to prevent livestock depredations. We continued to test equipment and logistics of aversive conditioning on these wolves. Both packs were released to northwest Montana where they continue to be monitored. We assisted the USFWS with trapping, monitoring and managing 7 packs of wolves in southwest Montana. We gave less-than-lethal munitions training to about 20 ranchers in southwest Montana so they could haze wolves away from livestock if necessary.  We are developing a study of the impacts of wolves on deer/elk/bison (Bison bison) on the Flying D Ranch.

Southern Rockies Wolf (Canis lupus) Restoration

Our central accomplishment for 2000 was catalyzing formation of the Southern Rockies Wolf Restoration Project, a coalition of 17 organizations dedicated to the cause. In 2000, TESF and Defenders of Wildlife sponsored a Southern Rockies wolf restoration workshop. A variety of special interest groups such as the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association attended the workshop, which was facilitated by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Conservation Breeding Specialist Group. The resulting population and habitat viability analysis report greatly advanced the scientific underpinnings of the issue. During the workshop we modeled several landscape variables that influence wolf survival (e.g. road density, distribution and abundance of native ungulates, habitat connectivity) and concluded that the ecoregion could support up to 2,000 wolves.

During 2000 we also finalized a plan for developing a wolf experience center at Vermejo. The Center would improve the survival potential of captive-born Mexican wolves before they are released to the wild. A select number of captive-born, naïve Mexican wolves would be allowed to inhabit the prey-rich Vermejo Park Ranch, accompanied by an extremely intensive research and monitoring program implemented by our field team.

During 2001 we began developing the seminal reference on wolves in the Southern Rockies entitled Suitability of the Southern Rockies for Wolf Restoration: An Ecological and Social Assessment. Additionally, TESF was instrumental in working with Decision Research on a public opinion survey that revealed widespread and bipartisan support for wolf recovery in the region. The Project recently catalyzed the formation of the Southern Rockies Wolf Restoration Information Network. The Network is comprised of the Denver Zoo, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Pueblo Zoo, Albuquerque Biological Park, and the International Wolf Center and has a singular mission focusing on education. The Network’s mission is to provide the communities of the Southern Rockies with scientific information about and a diverse public forum for issues related to restoring wolves to the region.

• View results of research to assess the suitability of the Southern Rockies ecoregion for gray wolves. View PDF (3.3 MB)
• View research to assess suitability of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico for Mexican wolves. View PDF (307 KB)

Mexican wolves (Canis lupus baileyi) – Ladder Ranch, New Mexico

We continued efforts at the Ladder Ranch to breed and prepare Mexican wolves for release to the wild in cooperation with the USFWS. During spring 2000 a litter of pups was born at the ranch. In early 2000, the 6-member Gavilan pack was returned from the wild to the Ladder Ranch facility for management purposes. Throughout most of 2001, a TESF biologist provided routine assistance with the monitoring and management of free-ranging wolves. During 2001 we also served in an advisory and review capacity for the Mexican wolf recovery program. Specifically, we were intimately involved in the technical 3-year review of the reintroduction project being conducted in the Gila and Apache National Forest.

During 2001, the Ladder Ranch Mexican Wolf Pre-release Captive Facility held between 7 and 18 wolves as support for the USFWS Mexican Wolf Recovery Program. One pair was allowed to breed this season, and they produced 3 surviving pups in April. That pack of 9 animals (alpha pair + 4 yearlings + 3 pups) was released in June into the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area in the Apache National Forest of Arizona.

We conducted 4 transfers of animals between the Ladder Ranch facility and other participating Mexican Wolf Species Survival Program facilities. We created 2 pairs at the Ladder Ranch facility that are scheduled for release into the Gila National Forest of New Mexico in spring 2002. For the first time in many decades, the Ladder Ranch was host to 2 free-ranging Mexican wolves!

Swift Fox (Vulpes velox)– Bad River Ranches, South Dakota

We assessed the potential for restoration of swift fox on and around the Bad River Ranches in western South Dakota following the International Union for the Conservation of Nature guidelines. We assessed landscape conditions and measured swift fox predator and prey abundance, and results indicated that more than 75% of the landscape in the area appears suitable for swift fox. Prey abundance is high enough to support an estimated viable population of >200 swift foxes, but with a relatively low reproductive rate. This predicted low reproductive rate combined with a relatively dense coyote population suggests that coyote control would be necessary to alleviate predation pressure during reintroduction until swift fox were well established.

Encouraged by our modeling and field survey efforts, we reviewed the taxonomic status of foxes in the northern Great Plains; reviewed previous reintroductions; assessed features of reintroduction sites; examined social, economic, and legal considerations; and developed methods for translocation at this site. In cooperation with the US Fish and Wildlife Service; US Forest Service; South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks; Wyoming Department of Game and Fish; Colorado Division of Wildlife; and the Lower Brule Tribe, we made the decision to translocate approximately 30 foxes annually over a 6 year period from Wyoming and Colorado, starting in 2002.

In an effort to include all interested stakeholders in this decision, we conducted 4 public meetings, 1 public hearing, and 1 field trip with local residents and agriculture organization representatives to provide information on fox ecology and the reintroduction proposal. We stressed the program’s responsiveness to the needs, desires, and opinions of the local public and incorporated these into the program.  These efforts culminated in the unanimous approval of the South Dakota Animal Industry Board for a permit to release foxes.

We also completed preparation of release sites and construction of 10 soft-release pens. The pens will also be used for the 14-day quarantine period for all foxes. We continued predator prey surveys on Bad River Ranches, Lower Brule Sioux Reservation, and Ft. Pierre National Grasslands during 2001. We assisted Wyoming Game and Fish with surveys for swift fox in southeastern Wyoming where we plan to obtain foxes for reintroduction into South Dakota.

Desert Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis mexicanus) – Armendaris Ranch, New Mexico

We conducted telemetry monitoring of the Fra Cristobal Mountain (FCM) desert bighorn sheep herd on a near daily basis to monitor sheep survival, population size, composition, activity, and habitat use. We continued the cooperative project with the Hornocker Wildlife Institute on ecology of cougars (Puma concolor) and interactions with sheep on the FCM. The primary objective of the cougar project is to contribute to the recovery of desert bighorn sheep in the FCM by determining science-based methods for short-term reductions in cougar predation on sheep, especially efficient and non-lethal methods. We continued fieldwork in 2000 to determine the size, structure, social characteristics, and habitat use of the cougar population by trapping, radio collaring, and monitoring individuals.

The FCM sheep herd is the best performing herd in the state. In fact, it is the only herd that has grown annually since 1996 and it is the only herd in the state increasing in 2000. Additionally, based on population modeling, it is the herd in the state that has the best likelihood of survival well into the future. At the end of 2000, the FCM sheep herd consisted of 56 individuals, including 23 rams, 27 ewes (14 radiocollared), and 6 lambs. We detected 12 lambs born in 2000, 6 were confirmed surviving at year’s end. Two radio-collared adult ewes were killed by cougars. A collared ram died apparently due to a broken neck suffered during a fighting bout with another ram. We removed the collared sub-adult male cougar responsible for killing a collared adult ewe. The remaining original radiocollared male cougar continued to range predominantly to the north of the FCM. We caught another adult male cougar in May, and it has subsequently ranged to the south of the FCM. We captured a female cougar in June on the north end of the mountain.

Our best estimate showed the sheep herd likely consisted of 66 individuals by the end of 2001, including 23 rams, 29 ewes (13 radiocollared), and 5 male and 9 female lambs (6 radiocollared). We detected 24 lambs born during 2001, with first lamb born in early January and births continuing through May. We detected lambs born to all 14 of the radiocollared ewes, and to 10 out of 13 of the uncollared ewes. Only 3 mature ewes (out of a total of 27) that could have had lambs that were not detected with lambs; thus, minimum production was 89%. Of the 14 surviving lambs, 9 are female and 5 are male.

We captured and radiocollared 14 lambs during the spring field season either by approaching the sheep on foot or by helicopter. Seven of the 14 radiocollared lambs died. Three lambs were killed by cougars, 2 by golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos), 1 by an unknown predator, 1 due to trauma/disease (pneumonia), 1 due to trauma, and 2 due to unknown causes. Of the 24 lambs detected, 14 (58%) remain alive, yielding a lamb:ewe ratio of 48:100.

We detected 3 adult sheep mortalities. Two uncollared adult rams were killed by a radiocollared adult male cougar, and an adult ewe apparently died from an accidental fall. Of the 28 known adult mortalities of the herd since release in 1995, 78% (22) are attributed to cougar kills.

We continued to monitor 2 radiocollared adult male cougars and 1 adult female cougar captured in previous years. The female died of natural causes. One male ranged in and out of bighorn habitat from the northern Caballo Mountains (south of the FCM) to the Rio Grande River and to the north of the FCM. He was responsible for the 2 uncollared adult ram mortalities. The other male cougar ranged to the south of the FCM and around the Caballo Mountains and did not enter bighorn habitat during the field season. He was killed by Wildlife Services in July in response to depredation complaints. We captured and collared 3 additional cougars (adult male, subadult male, and an adult female) in 2001. The adult male cougar ranged predominantly to the north of the FCM in the bosque of the Rio Grande, but entered bighorn habitat on 2 occasions. We tracked the sub-adult male cougar throughout the FCM and Caballo Mountains. The current known (collared and uncollared) cougar population in the study area consists of 2 adult males, a subadult male, and an adult female.

Huemul (Hippocamelus bisulcus) – La Primavera Ranch, Argentina, South America

Huemul are one of the most endangered mammals in the southern cone of South America. There are probably <1,000 of these Andean Mountain deer remaining in the wild in Argentina and Chile. Beginning in 1999 we provided funding for a cooperative project with the Wildlife Conservation Society on huemul conservation. The Society is working with local biologists and managers to assess the conservation needs of huemul and determine how to implement these. We are also working to assess if Turner Properties in Argentina have a role to play in huemul conservation. During 2001 we cosponsored and participated in a huemul conservation workshop in Argentina and helped initiate a national plan for huemul conservation. We visited field sites of our cooperative huemul project.>

Rio Grande River Riparian Restoration – Armendaris Ranch, New Mexico

Our goal is to restore a native cottonwood bosque on up to 1,000 acres of Rio Grande riparian habitat now dominated by a salt cedar (Tamarix parviflora) monoculture. During 2001 we completed clearing and burning slash on 220 acres of the treatment area, and developed a topographic map (in collaboration with Natural Resources Conservation Service) in anticipation of constructing a water management system. Additionally, our offer was accepted to purchase 210 acre-feet of water rights. We are currently in the process of applying to the State Engineers Office in New Mexico to transfer the water right to our restoration area, where it will be used in part to simulate historical riparian flooding in attempt to stimulate regeneration of native plants. A portion of the restoration area will also be used to provide migratory waterfowl, sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis), and shorebirds resting and feeding areas through wetland development. Federal candidate or listed species that will benefit from these efforts include the southwestern willow flycatcher (Empidonax traillii extimus) and yellow-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus). A secondary benefit of the water transfer (from upstream to downstream) is that the water will be left in the middle section of the river for a longer time, benefiting the endangered Rio Grande silvery minnow (Hybognathus amarus).

Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus clarki virginalis) Restoration – Vermejo Park and Ladder Ranches, New Mexico

We built a fish migration barrier on Costilla Creek, Vermejo Park Ranch, in late 2000 in anticipation of restoring - by non-native fish removal and restocking - native trout in approximately 7.5 miles of the upper Costilla watershed (in the Rio Grande drainage). Because the project is a collaborative effort with New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, and the Colorado Division of Wildlife, we completed and signed a Memorandum of Understanding in mid-2001 as a blueprint for the restoration, as well as demonstrating the strong commitment to cutthroat trout restoration by all parties involved. During August 2001, we collected additional baseline population data to evaluate potential post-treatment population size (e.g., minimum population size criteria) and lay the groundwork for future research on demographics of isolated, high-elevation trout populations and their conservation. Due to difficulties in completing the environmental assessment for the project, we postponed the scheduled renovation until July of 2002. However, because of the delay, we decided to expand the project area to include an additional 6.5 miles of perennial stream in the Costilla watershed, as well as 4 small lakes, further increasing the odds of a successful project and the potential to support a large, viable population of Rio Grande cutthroat trout.

Our goal since 1997 has been to restore Rio Grande cutthroat trout, and preserve Rio Grande suckers (Catostomus plebeius) and chubs (Gila pandora) in Las Animas Creek on the Ladder Ranch in southern New Mexico. After viability studies and baseline surveys, efforts to move forward with the restoration were frustrated by private land issues along the stream corridor. However, the visibility and significance of this project has increased with the recent decision by the US Fish and Wildlife Service to perform an additional status review on which a listing decision for the species will be based. In mid-2001, after we made several unsuccessful attempts to convince an intervening landowner as to the conservation merits of the project, and underscoring our own commitment to the project, we purchased the remaining segment of Las Animas Creek not controlled either by the US Forest Service or the Ladder Ranch. Additionally in 2001, we developed a draft environmental assessment regarding the project, as well as a draft Memorandum of Understanding outlining the responsibilities of all parties involved, collected baseline population data, and conducted disease testing on the current salmonid population. We will construct a fish migration barrier on the Ladder Ranch in early 2002, with assistance from Trout Unlimited and the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and chemical renovation of the watershed is anticipated in late 2002.

Chiricahua Leopard Frog (Rana chiricahuensis) Conservation – Ladder Ranch, New Mexico

The Ladder Ranch currently supports one of the last remaining New Mexican populations of the Chiricahua leopard frog – a species proposed as threatened by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. In 2001 the Ladder Ranch commissioned a ranch-wide baseline survey to better understand the current status of this species and its habitat on the property. Additionally, we initiated development of a conservation agreement with the US Fish and Wildlife Service (its final form will depend on the final listing decision – e.g., Safe Harbor, Candidate Conservation Agreement), precipitated by a July, 2001 meeting with biologists from the Fish and Wildlife Service and the State of New Mexico regarding the species. This agreement will outline future management, restoration, and propagation of Chiricahua leopard frogs on the Ladder Ranch.

Westslope Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus clarki lewisi) Restoration – Flying D Ranch, Montana

The legality of renovating a watershed under state and federal water quality guidelines/statues for purposes of conserving of a native species continues to be challenged by a group opposed to our proposed restoration of westslope cutthroat trout to Cherry Creek, located on the Flying D Ranch in southwestern Montana. While Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks, the Forest Service, and we remain fully committed to completing the proposed project that would replace non-native salmonids in approximately 70 miles of the stream with the salmonid native to this area of Montana, renovation of the stream was again delayed in 2001. However, in cooperation with biologists from these organizations and agencies, as well as other research institutions, we continued to collect baseline data in 2001 that will help guide the restoration effort and set the foundation for future research on restored cutthroat trout populations and their conservation.

Aplomado Falcon (Falco femoralis septentrionalis) Restoration – Armendaris Ranch, New Mexico

Since 1998 we have been working to restore native Aplomado Falcons to the Armendaris Ranch and southern New Mexico. The project is a collaborative effort among TESF, The Peregrine Fund, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service. During 2001 an umbrella Safe Harbor Agreement was pursued by The Peregrine Fund in order to introduce captive-reared falcons on privates lands in southern New Mexico. The significance of this restoration initiative was underscored in 2001 when a nesting pair of Aplomado Falcons was located in New Mexico for the first time since 1952. The USFWS is currently completing the Safe Harbor Agreement and section 7 consultations with the Department of Defense and the Bureau of Land Management to determine management guidelines for federal land inhabited by falcons. In anticipation of Aplomado Falcon releases and research in the summer of 2002, we began a long-term monitoring program of grassland bird prey abundance to complement the current Chihuahuan grassland range monitoring study at the Armendaris Ranch.

California Condor (Gymnogyps californicus) Restoration – Ladder Ranch, New Mexico

Our goal since 1997 has been to reintroduce California Condors on the Ladder Ranch, New Mexico. The 1996 California Condor recovery plan calls for the establishment of 2 separate populations of California Condors, 1 in California and 1 in Arizona, each numbering 150 individuals. We initiated an environmental assessment for the expansion of the current 10j experimental, non-essential condor recovery area in Arizona to include the entire state of Arizona, New Mexico, and parts of Colorado and Utah. In order to increase the odds of establishing a viable population of condors in the southwest, we agreed to build a captive-rearing and release program on the Ladder Ranch that will house 4-8 pairs of breeding adults and their chicks during the life of the project. We propose to release juvenile condors (1 year of age) from the facility and continue to supplementally feed them on the ranch. We will begin facility construction in 2002 and anticipate starting releases in the spring of 2004. Because the project is a collaborative effort among the TESF, The Zoological Society of San Diego, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service, we drafted a Memorandum of Understanding and a 10-year budget in 2001 to outline details for the restoration. We collected baseline population data on pilot species such as golden eagles to evaluate survivorship, distribution, habitat use, and reproductive success in order to anticipate conservation concerns specific to large scavenging birds. In addition, we initiated data collections of tissues from both herbivores and carnivores to establish baselines lead levels to minimize the risk of lead related condor mortalities on and near the ranch.

Northern Rockies Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos) Recovery

We provided support and funding to 2 undergraduate students at Montana State University to conduct hair sampling to determine if grizzlies are present in the Tobacco Root Mountains of southwestern Montana. The Tobacco Roots have good potential to provide connectivity between bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem (see American Wildlands website link). The students collected 152 hair samples and 78 scats from 23 baited cells distributed throughout the range in 2000. They concluded that based on results of genotyping the samples at the University of Idaho that grizzlies are currently not present in the Tobacco Roots.

We met with the USFWS and others in 2001 to assess where we could best provide support for grizzly bear recovery in the northern Rockies. We will begin fieldwork in 2002 in partnership with the USFWS to monitor grizzlies in northwest and southwest Montana to examine population expansion and connectivity (see American Wildlands and Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee websites).

Blowout penstomen (Penstomen haydenii) – Spikebox Ranch, Nebraska

Blowout penstomen is a federally listed endangered plant. It is the rarest native plant in the Great Plains and only grows in the Nebraska Sandhills. We are cooperating with the University of Nebraska, the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, and the Nebraska Environmental Trust to restore this species by propagating plants in greenhouses and replanting them in the wild. Disturbance by bison helps ensure the persistence of blowouts that are important for penstomen, and thus Turner properties play a key role in restoration. The University of Nebraska planted about 2,000 seedlings in spring of 2000. The survival rate of seedlings has averaged 20%. At current rates of success, within 3-4 more years, we will likely be able to remove this species from the endangered species list. By the end of restoration efforts, Turner Properties in Nebraska could contain 1/3 of the world’s population of penstomen.

Migratory Pollinator Campaign

We provide cornerstone financial support and biologists to assist with campaign design and implementation of a bi-national campaign to conserve migratory pollinators and their 1,500-mile migration corridor that stretches from the southwestern U.S. to southern Mexico. The campaign is administered by the Pollinator Conservation Consortium at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. The campaign focuses on 4 imperiled pollinators (including the endangered lesser long-nosed bat [Leptonycteris curasoae], white-winged dove [Zenaida asiatica], rufous hummingbird [Selasphorus rufus] and monarch butterfly [Denaus plexippus]) and the habitats on which they depend at 10 critical staging sites along the corridor. The collective goals of the 5 year project are to: 1) apply the best science, the most innovative community education techniques, and the most effective on the ground conservation management practices to protect and restore the bi-national nectar corridors required by threatened pollinators, 2) ensure and document measurable recovery of populations of the 4 pollinators from their summering grounds in the Intermountain West to their wintering grounds in western Mexico, and 3) demonstrate how a bi-national multi-cultural team of researchers, educators and land managers can be integrated into an effective collaboration involving local communities along corridors to ensure the continued benefits of pollination services to wildlands and to agricultural plants. In characterizing the diversity associated with 48 pollinator habitats in the northern third or our corridor study area, the campaign identified 1 area of such richness that Secretary Babbitt had President Clinton decree a 200,000 acre Ironwood Forest National Monument there. In addition, the campaign obtained valuable data on pollinator movements at 14 stopover sites and sampled pollen from 450 plants to match with pollen collected off migrants. The campaign produced learning materials and trained over 100 teachers to reach over 5,000 students about pollinators and plants in 3 states. The campaign got 2 of the 4 species listed in the top 10 species targeted for conservation by the trilateral commissions migratory wildlife initiative. See our link to the Desert Museum for more details.

Mexican Spotted Owls (Strix occidentalis ludcida) – Vermejo Park Ranch, New Mexico

Mexican spotted owls are a federally listed threatened species whose range historically included the Vermejo Park Ranch and the surrounding area. Therefore, we commissioned a white paper in 2001 to assess the suitability of Vermejo for spotted owls. Current forest conditions on the ranch did not resemble typical spotted owl habitat, but we cannot conclude that conditions are unsuitable. More survey work is recommended before reintroductions are considered further.

Pollinator Biodiversity Assessment – Avalon Plantation

Our goal with the assessment of pollinator biodiversity at Avalon is to develop baseline data on pollinator diversity and population sizes for ecological monitoring and natural resource management; and to understand how variation in natural and managed fire regime affects pollinators, plants, and plant-pollinators complexes. We are researching the following questions:

1) what is the number of individuals and their biomass
2) what is the location and range that these pollinators
3) when do these pollinators appear and for how long.
We will consider restoration of pollinators if baseline studies indicate an impoverished guild.

During 2000, we continued sampling for the native pollinator biodiversity assessments through the use of pan traps, sweep sampling, flight intercept traps, and trap nests. Furthermore, we added trap nest sampling stations to a longleaf pine/wiregrass restoration site as part of a long-term effort to assess pollinator recovery of the area. Under the auspices of Dr. Stephen Buchhann (The Bee Works, Tucson, AZ) we initiated a research project to examine the response of twig nesting and ground nesting bees to prescribed fire. During 2001, we continued sampling for the native pollinator biodiversity assessments. We experienced decreased bee activity due to abnormally cold spring temperature. In an effort to increase the sampling period, we flew over the property to determine the location of previously know flowering sites. Our prescribed fire research project was put on hold in 2001 due to extreme fire conditions that existed in our area.

Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) /wiregrass (Aristida stricta) Restoration - Avalon Plantation

The loss, fragmentation, and degradation of natural habitats are increasingly threatening to the southeast’s wondrous biodiversity. In response to this crisis, we initiated numerous projects in 2000 that emphasize native species conservation and habitat restoration. For example, on 2,000 acres of previous pastureland, we planted approximately 750,000 longleaf seedlings. Furthermore, over time we will begin to incorporate wiregrass plugs into the area. Our goal is to restore the area into a mature and viable longleaf/wiregrass ecosystem. We have established numerous wiregrass plots throughout the property, which are being used as our donor seed source. In the process, the native plant communities within the plots are thriving due to our growing season prescribed burns. Without doubt, prescribed fire is the best management tool we can use to maintain, enhance, and restore habitats.

During 2001, we continued with our longleaf/wiregrass restoration. Moreover, we are currently in the process of restoring 4,500 acres of previously industrial timberland to a viable mature pine ecosystem. We have begun to remove the invasive hardwood species and thinning the pine canopy, which will allow sunlight to stimulate the herbaceous understory. Restoration of the understory is critical as fuel source for our prescribed burns. In time, the area will be under-planted with longleaf and wiregrass.

Southern fox squirrel (Sciurus niger niger) restoration – St. Phillips Island, South Carolina

Southern fox squirrels have disappeared from several areas where they were once common in the southeast, including St. Phillips Island. Therefore, we cooperated with the University of Georgia to translocate 24 squirrels to the island during 1999-2000. Survival rates (0.71) for squirrels translocated to the island were similar to survival rates elsewhere along the South Carolina coast. Reproduction was documented, and squirrels are now seen regularly on the island. Based on this, habitat appears to be suitable for squirrels, and the reintroduction appears to be a success. Additionally, the project demonstrated that translocation is a useful tool to assist squirrel restoration throughout the southeast.

Wolverine (Gulo gulo) conservation

We developed a cooperative agreement with Hornocker Wildlife Institute to assist with their wolverine research project in the Madison Mountains, including the Flying D Ranch.