Endangered species in national parks
By Peter A. Dratch

MORE POPULATIONS OF THREATENED AND ENDANGERED species in the national parks made progress toward recovery in 2004 than ever before (see table 1). The varied management activities that led to this success have become more complex and now include not only species and habitat restoration, but also sociological studies of visitor attitudes and new agreements with a variety of state and federal agencies.



Improving the management of federally listed species depends foremost on identifying where these species occur. Over the last five years the number of populations of listed species that parks have recognized as presently or historically occurring within their boundaries has more than doubled, from 442 to 1,042 (see table 2). The next challenge for parks and the Endangered Species Program is to work closely with the NPS Inventory and Monitoring program to assess the status of those species’ populations where it is still unknown.

* When different populations of a species have a different status category, they are counted twice under number of species and number of populations (e.g., green sea turtle is both threatened and endangered; gray wolf is both endangered and experimental).

Wolves from the Yellowstone population are now established in Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming) and surrounding lands. A sociological study of attitudes toward wolves was recently completed in the park. Conducted under an agreement with Colorado State University, this human-dimensions research identified a difference in attitudes toward lethal control of wolves among visitors to the park and residents of the area. As the population requirements for delisting the wolf in the northern Rocky Mountains have been met, and as some management responsibilities for wolves are likely to be transferred from the federal government to the states, a memorandum of understanding between the NPS Intermountain Region and the State of Wyoming has been signed to facilitate sharing information on wolves.

While parks provide habitat for a diverse range of protected species, plants make up the largest group (table 3) and are increasing as the focus of restoration efforts. Along these lines, the endangered Mauna Loa silversword at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park has made momentous progress in 2004. Research on the plant’s habitat needs has helped increase the survival rate of transplanted individuals to more than 83% for the 9,400 seedlings that had been transplanted by the end of 2004. According to park Chief of Resource Management Tim Tunison, resource managers at the park “find the best microsites, those with the deep soil,” for transplanting the greenhouse-raised seedlings. The park also has acquired the Kahuku Ranch, site of one of the three remaining wild silversword populations. This native silversword remnant was saved when one of the ranch workers fenced the area to keep out introduced mouflon sheep. Tunison is excited about the Kahuku acquisition, remarking that the naturally occurring silversword population there is “a fantastic genetic resource.” Its presence will enable park staff to genetically diversify greenhouse stock and attempt species restoration over a wider range of habitats.

Several federally listed bat populations are more secure as a result of habitat protection efforts during the year. At Buffalo National River (Arkansas), park staff posted sensors to monitor cave airflow to benefit three endangered bat species. In California, matching funds from the Cooperative Conservation Initiative paid for the installation of bat “gates” in abandoned-mine openings at Death Valley and Joshua Tree National Parks and Whiskeytown National Recreation Area. The new structures allow bats to continue to use the openings as habitat but keep people out (see related article).

Every action in a park that could affect a federally listed species requires consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or the National Marine Fisheries Service, the regulatory agencies responsible for species recovery under the Endangered Species Act. Streamlining the consultation process without sacrificing its effectiveness in protecting species has been a government priority. Regulations passed in December 2003 proposed alternative consultation procedures, particularly for National Fire Plan projects. Data collected by the NPS Endangered Species Program from the fire management officers recorded 204 prescribed burns in national parks over the past two years that required consultation. However, an alternative consultation agreement was proposed to expedite this process for parks in which personnel have been trained to determine whether park actions to reduce fire fuels are unlikely to adversely affect federally listed species. A half-day course in proactive consultation is now available for parks that want to use the new streamlined process.



Endangered species are not evenly distributed across the National Park System (table 4), and the Pacific West Region, with so many listed species, has also been the region with some high-profile recovery efforts. One is this year’s limited release of the captive-bred island fox back into its native habitat at Channel Islands National Park (California). In 2004 the island fox on three of the park islands was listed as endangered. Its sharp decline was caused by predation from golden eagles that had probably been drawn to the islands by feral pigs. In 1999 the park initiated a fox captive-breeding program, and the following year began to live-capture and relocate golden eagles and later to reintroduce the historical bird of prey on the islands, the bald eagle. Working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, The Nature Conservancy, the California Department of Fish and Game, and other species experts, the park has begun releasing foxes from the captive-breeding facilities on the islands, and is moving forward on feral pig removal from Santa Cruz Island.