Despite downsizing by 66% in January 2003, TESF continued to build partnerships that resulted in substantial leveraging of intellectual and fiscal resources, and followed through on several notable projects.

For example, during 2003 we:

were instrumental in forming the Red Hills Ecological Conservation Consortium which promotes conservation of long-leaf pine forests and red-cockaded woodpeckers on private land throughout northern Florida and southern Georgia.
initiated the reintroduction phase of our swift fox restoration project in South Dakota.
restored 20 prairie dog colonies at Bad River and Vermejo and promoted the growth of existing colonies. (Prairie dogs now occupy over 3,000 acres of grasslands on Turner ranches.)
maintained captive breeding facilities for black-footed ferrets and Mexican wolves.
continued the desert bighorn sheep restoration project at the Armendaris. (This project is recognized as the most successful efforts of its kind in New Mexico.)
played a key role in prompting the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to begin the administrative process for restoring aplomado falcons to the Armendaris and environs.
assisted with monitoring and managing free-ranging gray wolves in southwestern Montana and southwestern New Mexico.
participated in a scientific team which modified the national wolf recovery plan so that the southern Rocky Mountains are properly considered as a restoration region.
raised over $500,000 of non-Turner funds available for use between 2003 and 2006.

restoring black-tailed prairie dogs at Bad River and Vermejo,
developing a reintroduction project for ferrets at Vermejo,
restoring bighorn sheep (with a continued emphasis on eliminating cougar predation),
reintroducing swift fox,
maintaining the captive breeding facilities for ferrets and Mexican wolves,
assisting with monitoring and managing free-ranging wolves in southwestern Montana and southwestern New Mexico,
advancing wolf restoration to Vermejo and environs,
advancing aplomado falcon restoration to the Armendaris and environs,
contributing to the Red Hills Ecological Conservation Consortium, and
developing a comprehensive report on the Fund and its contributions to the science of restoration ecology.