40th Anniversary of the Endangered Species Act

2013 marks 40 years since the Endangered Species Act was enacted!

Let’s celebrate the role that the State & Tribal Wildlife Grants Program (SWG) plays in the endangered species program. SWG is the only federal program totally dedicated to preventing the listing of endangered species. It is a proactive way to conserve species before they become too rare, too costly, or too controversial to restore.

To celebrate, state fish & wildlife agencies will be holding events throughout the year to promote the work they’ve done to implement their State Wildlife Action Plans (SWAP) using funds from SWG. Visit the Endangered Species Coalition website to register your event or search events for ideas!

Come see us at the US Botanic Gardens on Endangered Species Day, May 17th, 2013! The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies will have a table as part of event.

Successes from our state fish & wildlife agencies:

Ohio

In September 2012, the federally-threatened Lake Erie Water Snake was delisted! The snake’s recovery was due entirely to the investment of State Wildlife Grants from the Ohio Division of Wildlife into conservation easements and species relocation.

Tennessee

In December 2012, Scientific American published an article that mentioned the role of State Wildlife Grants from the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency in groundbreaking researching and restoring populations of Eastern Hellbender, a candidate species for federal listing.

Florida

The Wildlife Professional is publishing an article about the perspective of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission on the Endangered Species Act, including a mention of the proactive nature of State Wildlife Grants and State Wildlife Action Plans.

Other Resources

Check out the State Wildlife Grants Success Stories report for more examples from every state fish and wildlife agency of State Wildlife Grant-funded work to prevent endangered species listings.

The US Fish & Wildlife Service is also featuring stories about partnering with state fish and wildlife agencies to restore endangered species. Check the interactive map on this site to view success stories in your state!