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Welcome to the Summit Voice biodiversity page, with links to stories and other resources about plant and animal species, hunting, fishing and other related issues and topics.
A northern goshawk in the forest near Breckenridge, Colorado. PHOTO BY JENNEY COBERLY.
Biodiversity: Amphibian decline projected to speed up
Overlapping threats seen as ‘multiple drivers of extinction’
Global amphibian declines have been well-documented and attributed to a combination of climate change, habitat impacts from development, agriculture and other land-use factory, and the deadly chytrid fungus. Worldwide, about 30 percent of all amphibian species are listed as threatened under [...]
Biodiversity: Rare jaguar sighted in southern Arizona
Hunter takes picture; wildlife officials confirm sighting
For the first time since 2009, an endangered jaguar has been found roaming the wilds of southern Arizona. The jaguar was photographed by a hunter last weekend. Subsequently, Arizona Game and Fish biologists confirmed the sighting and identified the cat as healthy male, weighing about [...]
Biodiversity: Some reefs are better than others
Scientists identify keys to coral reef protection and recovery after study dramatic recoveries in Moorea reefs
Scientists conducting a long-term study on the Pacific island of Moorea, in French Polynesia, say they’ve figured why coral reefs surrounding the island are able to discover from disturbances like cyclones and predators. [...]
Canada sidesteps polar bear protections with listing decision
Species of special concern status doesn’t block hunting or require any critical habitat designations
Canada, home to about 60 percent of the world’s polar bears, has decided to list the Arctic predator as a species of special concern and will develop a management plan for the bears within three [...]
Biodiversity: Researchers to sequence 1,000 fungal genomes
International effort will help catalog an unsung group of organisms
With grant funding from the Department of Energy, researchers with the U.S. Forest Service and other institutions say they’re ready to start sequencing 1,000 fungal genomes. The five-year project is part of an effort to learn more about unsung [...]
New surveys up estimates of coral reef biodiversity
Scientists use DNA barcodes to track ‘staggering diversity’ of world’s oceans
Cataloging species with DNA barcodes helped scientists with the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History determine that the biodiversity in the world’s coral reefs has been seriously underestimated. Coral reefs are some of the most endangered habitats [...]
Watchdog and public health groups challenge the use of genetically engineered crops in National Wildlife Refuges
Lawsuit claims USFWS violated environmental laws by approving use of GE crops
Environmental and watchdog groups have joined forces in a legal battle to end the cultivation of genetically engineered crops on fifty-four national wildlife refuges across the Midwest. The lawsuit — filed in the U.S. District Court for [...]
Feds eye new plan to aid endangered Colorado River fish
Front Range, West Slope agree to provide equal amounts of water, but some West Slope stakeholders are concerned about impacts to trout fisheries
A proposal to revamp water allotments for endangered Colorado River fish could benefit some fisheries in some streams while threatening economically valuable fisheries in other West [...]
Florida panther kitten to be released
Rare cats imperiled by habitat fragmentation
A Florida panther kitten that was raised in a wildlife facility after its mother died will be released to the wild this week in Big Cypress National Preserve. The wild cat, identified as K304, will be set free Nov. 1 at the Burns Lake [...]
Biodiversity: Marten numbers dwindling in Sierra Nevada
Logging may be fragmenting old-growth habitat
Martens, small but fierce mammal predators at home in old-growth Sierra Nevada forests, may be in serious decline, according to research published last week in the Journal of Wildlife Management. Biologists from Oregon State University and the U.S. Forest Service estimated that detection [...]
Orcas swim 5,000 miles for warm-water ‘spa treatment’
NOAA researchers document unusual long-distance killer whale migration
Killer whales from Antarctic waters may be making long-distance treks to warmer water as a type of marine mammal spa treatment, shedding skin that’s covered with diatoms and algae. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration researchers tagged a dozen killer whales in [...]
Report details needed I-70 wildlife improvements
Guidelines to be used for site-specific highway improvement planning
New underpasses, redesigned culverts, step-pools and other design features could help make I-70 through Summit County friendlier to wildlife and help reduce the number of costly and dangerous animal-vehicle collisions on the busy highway. In a new study released this [...]
Biodiversity: Federal Court rebukes Forest Service for failure to monitor endangered animals in Arizona and New Mexico
Court ruling halts some grazing on national forests in Southwest
When the White River National Forest approved a new travel management plan last summer, the agency completely ignored a biological finding by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on impacts to endangered lynx in the Vail Pass area. That [...]
Colorado biologists to hold elk symposium in Steamboat
Information session will address winter impacts to big game herds
After watching elk grow weak and die during last year’s record-breaking snowfall, some residents of the Steamboat Springs region decided to take matters into their own hands. They started feeding the elk, which may have saved a few individual [...]
Urban wildlife refuge planned near Albuquerque, New Mexico
Feds say new site will boost economy, help urban residents connect with nature
Working closely with local partners, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has the go-ahead to establish a new 570-acre wildlife refuge on the site of a former dairy farm just a few miles south of New [...]
Biodiversity: New research confirms global shark declines
Study: ‘Widespread, substantial, and ongoing declines in the abundance of shark populations worldwide …’
Australian researchers say they’ve developed a new way of accurately measuring shark populations, and the results show the ocean predators are in big trouble on the Great Barrier Reef and around the world. “There is [...]
Sea bass fisheries collapsing in Southern California
Over-fishing, changing ocean temps blamed for plummeting numbers as Scripps researchers unveil ‘illusion of plenty
Over-fishing and climate-driven changes in water temperature have combined to cause the collapse of two important recreational fisheries off the southern California coast in the past few decades. Barred sand bass and kelp bass [...]
Biodiversity: Is the endangered species logjam broken?
Two Rocky Mountain conservation groups drop lawsuits
Two Rocky Mountain-based conservation groups are dismissing their endangered species lawsuit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service after a related landmark case was recently settled. Rocky Mountain Wild and the Biodiversity Conservation Alliance said they will drop their claims in a [...]
Report: Biodiversity can slow the spread of pathogens
Healthy ecosystems with all species present can slow the spread of deadly disease like the chytrid fungus that’s killing boreal toads
Species diversity may play a key role in slowing the spread of pathogens like the chytrid fungus that’s killing amphibians all over the world. “With greater diversity of [..
Biodiversity: Endangered species deal finalized
Hundreds of species to get due process
A federal judge this week approved a deal between conservation groups and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that will help clear up a logjam of endangered species listings by setting deadlines for formal listing decisions on numerous plants and animals. Under [...]
Report says most deep-sea fishing is unsustainable
Researchers say more resources should be devoted to managing and improving near-shore fisheries
Deep-sea fishing depletes marine biodiversity, causes profound damage on the ocean floor and should be curtailed to preserve marine resources, according to a group of scientists who published a comprehensive online study this week in the [...]
Colorado: Too many turkeys?
State parks and wildlife commission to consider changes to hunting regulations to reduce conflicts
Colorado’s turkey restoration program has been so successful that large flocks of the wild birds are becoming a nuisance to farmers and homeowners in parts of the state. As a result, the Colorado Parks and [...]
U.S. and France partner to protect humpback whales
Sister sanctuary agreement will promote joint conservation and research efforts
Whales are among the world’s great migrating species, so efforts to protect the cetaceans requires international cooperation like the new sister sanctuary agreement signed recently by the U.S. and France that will hep protect endangered humpback whales in the [...]
Restoring trout habitat, one stream at a time
Scott Yates, of Trout Unlimited’s Western Water Project, honored for restoration work
With low stream flows and increasing temperatures taking an increasing toll on aquatic habitat in the West, restoration efforts are more important than ever. Nobody knows this better that Scott Yates, director of Trout Unlimited’s Western Water [...]
Biodiversity: Restoring giant sequoias in Yosemite
National Park Service eyes improved hydrology and better visitor access in plan for Mariposa Grove
A grove of giant sequoias that’s been growing for 3,000 years in Yosemite National Park may soon be even more peaceful. The National Park Service wants to restore natural streams in the area, remove [...]
Environment: Pikas still thriving in Southern Rockies
Extensive high altitude habitat may serve as a climate refuge for tiny alpine mammals
Despite concerns about climate-change impacts, it appears that the high-alpine reaches of the southern Rockies still holds plenty of good habitat for American pikas, according to a University of Colorado Boulder study released this week. [...]
Colorado: Hungry bears spur warnings for campers, hiker
Posted on September 3, 2011 by Bob Berwyn
Recent Aspen-area maulings underscore seriousness of warnings
State and federal resource managers are making a late-summer push to minimize potentially dangerous encounters between people and bears by focusing on education and outreach. “National Forests are bear country,” White River National Forest officials said in a press relase. “It’s their [...]
Global warming: California salmon under the gun
Warmer stream temps could force resource managers to choose between fish and hydropower By Summit Voice SUMMIT COUNTY — Global warming may soon force resource managers in California to choose between maintaining salmon populations or producing hydropower. That’s because warming streams could spell the end of spring-run Chinook salmon in California by the end of [...]
Biodiversity: Do lynx need wolves?
Absence of top predators puts ecosystems awry at the expense of other species
The absence of wolves has thrown some western ecosystems out of balance at the expense of other species — including threatened Canada lynx, according to new research published this week in the Wildlife Society Bulletin. The [...]
Feds unveil new desert tortoise recovery plan
Conservation group says the new version still falls short of giving adequate protection to the endangered species
A new plan to protect and recover the endangered Mojave desert tortoise focuses less on mitigation and more on keeping pace with environmental changes that affect tortoise movement corridors and habitat connectivity. [...]
Colorado: Will the lynx survive?
State wildlife agency testing new method for monitoring wild carnivore populations on a landscape scale
If you’ve been waiting for the 2011 spring lynx kitten count from the Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife, don’t hold your breath. Instead if visiting individual dens to collar and count lynx, state [...]
Northern Rockies wolves facing aerial slaughter
Congress evades Endangered Species Act; Federal judge calls Wyoming wolf deal an act of political appeasement and says it undermines the rule of law
Predator conservation in the West took a step backward this week, as the Obama administration and Wyoming Governor Matt Mead finalized an agreement that could [...]
Colorado: Can predator control stem mule deer decline?
Public invited to Aug. 15 information session in Meeker
Colorado wildlife researchers say the deer herd in the northwestern part of the state is shriveling due to a perfect storm of severe winters, drought, predation, and increased traffic from oil and gas exploration. The decline has spurred some talk [...]
Colorado: Discarded fishing line deadly to wildlife
Tangled remnants of monofilament can be recycled with Berkley
It’s been great fun the last couple of years watching my son’s growing enthusiasm for fishing. In the warm part of the year, it’s become an important part of our father and son time. [...]
Biodiversity: Top predators critical to ecoystem health
Ecosystem restoration requires re-introduction of large predators
The loss of top predators has far-reaching ecosystem impacts, including changes in vegetation, wildfire frequency, infectious diseases, invasive species, water quality and nutrient cycles, according to a team of international scientists who studied and compared those impacts across a wide range of [...]
Biodiversity: ‘Gators a key link between ecosystems
Colorado: Big game habitat improvement grants awarded
Pelicans rescued from gulf oil spill nesting in Georgia
New Mexico ends wolf recovery partnership with feds
Colorado: State land added to Rocky Flats wildlife refuge
Colorado: Groups seek endangered status for boreal toads
Environment: Biologists fight new battle on Midway Atoll
Biodiversity: Whale sharks gather in Gulf of Mexico
Colorado: State research shows robust plover populations
Colorado: Coyotes kill pet dog in Aspen
Biodiversity: Feds launch national plan to save bats
Colorado: Wildlife agency sets 2011 big game licenses
Oil Spill: New study outlines global species impacts
Wildlife: Feds propose de-listing Great Lakes wolves
Wildlife: Republicans try to undermine Mexican wolf recovery
Biodiversity: Congress challenged on wolf delisting
Colorado finalizes ban on hunting bears in dens
Toxic pollution building up in dolphins and whales
Colorado big game poacher fined $4,000
Biodiversity: One in four U.S. birds imperiled
Biodiversity: Amphibians ‘not evolving fast enough’
Environment: Last stand for the Florida panther?
Endocrine disrupting pollutants found in sea turtles
Peregrine falcons face new pollution threat
Battle over polar bear habitat heats up
Colorado hunter fined $5,177 for killing moose
Beluga whales get critical habitat protection in Alaska
Humpback whale songs spread across oceans
Colorado: Give young wildlife the space it needs
Sea Shepherd activists to safeguard shark sanctuary
Court upholds federal wildlife refuge hunting plan
Georgia rattlesnake roundup draws criticism
More oversight needed for wildlife refuge drilling
Biodiversity: Protection sought for dwarf seahorse
Bats have huge value for agriculture, wild ecosystems
Colorado: Input wanted on wildlife refuge plans
Colorado: Wildlife officials release 2010 hunting stats
Wildlife: Trouble for the endangered species program?
BLM’s wild horse meeting to be webcast March 10-11
Colorado: Snowmobilers harassing moose, posting videos
60-something albatross breeds on Midway Atoll
Bighorn sheep make comeback in the Hayman burn area
Feds say eastern cougar is extinct
4 Colorado State Parks may be repurposed as wildlife areas
Wildlife: Bringing back bison in Europe
Feds outline a new vision for wildlife refuge system
Search for missing amphibians highlights extinction crisis
CDOW to explore co-op water-wildlife projects
Colorado: Snow goose festival set for Feb. 24-27
Colorado steps up bat monitoring during hibernation season
Colorado will try luring more elk hunters to the state
BLM releases report on controversial wild horse video
Environment: Bumblebees in decline
Wolverines face dire global warming threat
CDOW taking applications for habitat protection grants
Colorado: Dogs can be deadly to wildlife this time of year
Posted on February 9, 2011 by Bob Berwyn
Genetic research shows steelhead, trout links
Biodiversity: Researchers focus on turtle conservation
Water bill would raid Colorado wildlife funds
CDOW to give update on Middle Park mule deer study
Colorado: Wildlife advocates focus on wolverines
Wildlife agencies still mum on Peak 6 lynx impacts
Colorado: I-70 wildlife crossing design finalized
Colorado: Baiting stations to divert elk from livestock
New oil rig threatens western gray whales
Penguin power!
Alpine grouse decline linked to winter recreation
Colorado boosts desert bighorn sheep population
Colorado predator control programs approved
Colorado considers ban on hunting bears in dens
Colorado Christmas bird count under way
Breckenridge developing wildlife management plan
Endangered mouse gets more room to roam
Controlled burns could improve Aspen-area wildlife habitat
Key federal wildlife agency gets new director
CDOW offering grants for hunting, fishing and boating
Response to Vail Resorts’ review of gondola-bird study
Vail biologist reviews Breck gondola bird study
Feds designate critical habitat for polar bears
Happy Thanksgiving: Wild turkeys thriving in Colorado
Colorado: Illegal hunting leads to $40,000 in fines
3 new frog species discovered in Columbia
Colorado prairie dog pow-wow in Poncha Springs
Colorado Division of Wildlife eyes wolverine restoration
Colorado: I-70 wildlife website a success so far
CDOW buys 940-acre Grand County ranch
Moose shootings prompt CDOW warning
Bighorn sheep transplanted to northern Sangre de Cristos
CDOW to restore popular Grand Mesa trout fishery
CDOW seeks input on bear management plan
Conservation a legacy of Great Depression
Global warming may be factor in ibex decline
CDOW plans major Middle Park mule deer study
Record-low Arkansas River flows threaten fishery
Forest Service to continue Vail Pass lynx studies
Is Obama failing at endangered species protection?
Controversial sage-grouse hunt starts in Nevada
Wildlife managers study Quandary mountain goats
Biologists say lynx are back to stay in Colorado
Ethics stressed at the start of Colorado’s big game hunt
Wolves not helping with Yellowstone aspen regeneration
Hunters: Don’t shoot a moose by mistake
Report: Fatal Montana grizzly attack still a mystery
Brook trout make comeback in Snake River
Wildlife a priority in new Colorado gas drilling deals
Wolves again get endangered species protection
Global warming heat waves expected to impact birds
CDOW wants input on Front Range bear plan
Summit County: Citizen naturalists needed!
Pollution causes gender-bending in Canadian fish
Lynx may yet get critical habitat protection in Colorado
Forest Service closes caves & mines access to protect bats
Grand Mesa to celebrate ‘Moose Day”
High season for Colorado’s biggest bat cave
Colorado lodgepole die-off increases elk habitat
Bear shot after biting transient camper in Durango
VIDEO: A moose among us
Sage-grouse: The paradox of hunting endangered species
New elk plan needs to address habitat impacts
Foraging bear forces camping area closure near Aspen
Wildlife: Hunting classes on tap, and the hatch is on!
White River National Forest must re-map lynx habitat
Durango man fined for baiting bighorn sheep
Crocodiles ride currents to cross oceans
Vail Pass lynx study to be expanded next winter
Gov. Ritter to sign wildlife crossing bill
Breckenridge: Talks over gondola impacts continue
Travel: A new bird-watching trail in Colorado
Bear blog: Alberta grizzlies get more protection
Colorado cuts lynx recovery budget
Changing of snowmelt, runoff timing threatens fish
VIDEO: An osprey lands a trout on the Blue River
Bear blog: U.S. a global stronghold for bear populations
Lodgepole regeneration will benefit lynx
CDOW has $15 million for habitat protection
Global warming: Lizards are feeling the heat
The bear blog: Grizzly-Polar bear cross confirmed
Boreal toad trackers needed
Wildlife commission to finalize big game licenses
Bear Blog: The tragi-comedy of Yogi Bear
Keystone and Breckenridge are hotspots for bear trouble
Congress to consider wildlife corridor preservation bill
Colorado wildlife: Online elk hunting info; fish-kill update
Separate killer whale species identified
Bear blog: Hungry bears sighted in Breckenridge, Keystone
Latest coral reef threat: Lionfish invasion
Bear Blog: Polar bear research focuses on noise impacts
Transplanted lynx treks 1,300 miles back to Canada
Bear blog: Up close and personal with a Teton bear
Video: Low snow could limit food for bears
Bear Blog: Can polar bears survive climate change?
CDOW responds to federal sage-grouse decision
CDOW looking for wildlife volunteers
VIDEO: Colorado’s moose population expanding
Could climate change mean more bear trouble?
Lawmakers to vote on highway wildlife crossing bill
Feds offer cash for private-land sage grouse conservation
Feds challenged on greater sage-grouse ruling
Mountain lion enters home, kills dog
Feds: Greater sage-grouse won’t get endangered listing
Pronghorn population boosted near Gunnison
PCBs suppressing immune systems of coastal dolphins
CDOW: Old-school tradition, high-tech information
Greater sage-grouse listing decision due by Feb. 26
Feds: No endangered listing for American Pika
Reward for Summit lynx poaching information increased
Summit lynx killed near Heeney, poaching suspected
Blue River part of rainbow trout recovery effort
New Mexico lynx remain in ‘legal limbo’
Environment: Penguins in peril
Skiers, snowmobilers will help track lynx at Vail Pass
Long-term survival of Colo. lynx still uncertain
Environment: Web eco-warriors rally for habitat
Lynx issues cross tracks with new forest trail plan
Lynx on ‘top-10′ list of species hit hardest by climate change
Feds move to protect critical habitat for polar bears
Group wants to end aerial gunning of coyotes
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- Click on the logo to visit the CDOW home page.
One of the best one-stop shops for wildlife information is the Colorado Division of Wildlife, with a wealth of online information about conservation, wildlife watching, hunting and fishing.
Click here for the latest CDOW news releases.
Click here for CDOW’s video library.
Click here for CDOW’s Outdoor Journal.
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- Click on the image to visit the Colorado Wildlife Federation home page.
The Colorado Wildlife Federation advocates for sustainable wildlife populations in healthy, natural habitats because they are important for their intrinsic values and for the health, enjoyment, and well-being of Colorado’s human society.
Click here to see the Colorado Wildlife Federation’s latest report: Northwest Colorado’s Wildlife Habitat Today: Are We Losing Our Wildlife Heritage?
Click here to see what the CWF is saying about Colorado’s off-highway vehicle registration program.
And here is a link to the CWF “hot topic” page.
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- Click on the image to learn more about the WWF.
The World Wildlife Fund works in 100 countries and is supported by 1.2 million members in the United States and close to 5 million globally.
WWF’s mission is the conservation of nature. Using the best available scientific knowledge and advancing that knowledge where we can, we work to preserve the diversity and abundance of life on Earth and the health of ecological systems.
Click here to see the WWF’s global Red List of endangered species.
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- Click on the image for more information on greater sage-grouse.
The U.S. Department of Interior recently announced it won’t immediately list greater sage-grouse as threatened or endangered. The birds qualify for listing but will have to wait in line behind higher-priority species.
Federal and state agencies will partner with private landowners and conservation groups to develop conservation strategies in Colorado and around the inter-mountain West.
Read more here.
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- Visit the CDOW pronghorn page by clicking on the image.
The Colorado Division of Wildlife recently boosted the pronghorn antelope population in the Gunnison Basin by transplanting 62 of the swift mammals from the Pueblo area.
Read more here.
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- Visit the CDOW pika page by clicking on the picture.
The American Pika may be down, but not out, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which recently decided not to put the small mammals on the endangered species list just yet.
Global warming is seen as a significant threat to the Alpine zone dwellers, but scientists said there is enough habitat left across the U.S. to sustain populations.
The agency will continue to watch the pika closely. Read more.
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