Wildlife Action Plan

Note: The Wildlife Action Plan is also known as the Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy.

North Dakota's Strategy for at Risk Species

An Explanation
What is a Wildlife Action Plan? It is a plan that identifies and focuses mainly on rare and/or declining species, but promotes conservation of all species and their key habitats. Every state and territory has developed its own Wildlife Action Plan and collectively they represent a proactive, nationwide effort to prevent wildlife from becoming endangered.

North Dakota's Wildlife Action Plan identifies 100 Species of Conservation Priority, or those in greatest need of conservation in the state. Information relating to the distribution, abundance, habitat requirements, threats, management goals and monitoring techniques for each of these species is included in the Wildlife Action Plan. They are categorized into three levels according to the need to conserve them:

• Level I - Species in greatest need of conservation.
• Level II - Species in need of conservation, but have had support from other wildlife programs.
• Level III - Species in moderate need of conservation, but are believed to be on the edge of their range in North Dakota.

North Dakota's Wildlife Action Plan was reviewed and approved by a team of U.S. Fish and Wildlife personnel and various state game and fish agency leads in early 2006. However, it is a dynamic document and maintaining it will be an ongoing process. As new information is gathered the Wildlife Action Plan will be updated to ensure we are making use of the best and most recent information for each species. We intend to review the species of conservation priority list in 2010 and to conduct a full review of the entire Wildlife Action Plan in 2015. Although the plan will change over time the primary goal will stay the same: protect, conserve and enhance all of North Dakota's fish and wildlife for sustained public use and enjoyment.

Purpose
Why does North Dakota need a Wildlife Action Plan focused mainly on nongame species of conservation priority? Why should that be important to the state? In North Dakota, nongame wildlife represents more than 80% of the states vertebrate fauna. It encompasses over 300 species of birds, roughly 80 species of mammals, about 75 fish, 15 reptiles, and 11 amphibians found in North Dakota. Freshwater mussels and insects are also considered nongame. Often times they are the rarer and/or less studied species.

Nongame species represent an integral component in the balance of nature. Many of these species are on the decline or thought to be at risk. Preventing species from becoming endangered or lost is important. From an ecological perspective, loss of a seemingly insignificant species can cause other animals to decline, or vanish. Such declines are often hard to predict, as many of these relationships are not well understood. Even so, animals that live here are part of North Dakota's legacy, and any loss, many people believe is tragic.

In addition, a federally threatened or endangered species listing has the potential to influence how public and private land is managed and used. The cost of protection or restoration of a listed species is far greater than preventing its decline in the first place.

Note:  the Wildlife Action Plan is saved in Adobe® Acrobat® Reader® (PDF) format. 

To view or print PDF documents requires installing a free copy of Acrobat® Reader® available at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html; or,

If you already have Acrobat® Reader® view Wildlife Action Plan here.

Additional Information about the Wildlife Action Plan:

• 100 Species of Conservation Priority
• Historical background of Wildlife Action Plans

Related Links:

• Teaming With Wildlife - The Teaming with Wildlife Coalition includes state fish & wildlife agencies, wildlife biologists, hunters, anglers, birdwatchers, hikers, nature-based businesses and other conservationists who support the goal of restoring and conserving our nation's wildlife.
• State Wildlife Action Plans – State wildlife action plans outline the steps that are needed to conserve wildlife and habitat before they become more rare and more costly to protect. Taken as a whole, they present a national action agenda for preventing wildlife from becoming endangered.

State Wildlife Grants

North Dakota's Funding Source for at Risk Species

The State Wildlife Grants Program provides federal dollars to every state and territory to support cost-effective conservation aimed at preventing wildlife from becoming endangered. Funds are apportioned annually through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to every state based on each state’s size and population. The North Dakota Game and Fish Department has been receiving an average of roughly $600,000 annually since 2001. State Wildlife Grant funding is crucial for implementing the conservation actions identified in the Wildlife Action Plan. A non-federal match requirement assures local ownership and leverages state and private funds to support conservation. The State Wildlife Grants Program has strong, bipartisan support in Congress and is supported by the Teaming With Wildlife Coalition, which is made up of more than 5,000 groups representing wildlife-biologists, hunters, anglers, birdwatchers, hikers, nature-based businesses and other conservationists.

State Wildlife Grant Projects Supported by ND Game and Fish Department
The following is a list of research, survey, or habitat projects supported with State Wildlife Grant funds in North Dakota. All of the projects involve one or more other partners who may have contributed non-federal match, expertise, initiated the project, etc. Some projects are complete and others are still in progress. Contact the ND Game and Fish Department for more information.

• A Landscape Approach to Grassland Bird Conservation (Dave Naugle, University of Montana)
• A Survey of Golden Eagles in and Around the Little Missouri National Grasslands of North Dakota (Margi Coyle, University of North Dakota)
• Distribution and Abundance of Swainson’s and Ferruginous Hawks in ND: Development of Models to Assist in Conservation Planning (Marco Restani and Clara McCarthy, St. Cloud State University)
• Richardson’s Ground Squirrel Colonies in ND: Distribution, Trend and Burrowing Owl Use (Marsha Sovada, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center)
• Literature Review and Recommended Management Plans for Mammals of Southwestern ND (Marsha Sovada, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center)
• Northern Great Plains Joint Venture (NGPJV) Science Coordinator (The Nature Conservancy)
• Upgrade and Conversion of North Dakota Natural Heritage Database to Biotics/HDMS (Kathy Duttenhefner, ND Parks and Recreation Department)
• Distribution and Abundance of the Long-billed Curlew in Southwest ND (Dan Ackerman, University of North Dakota)
• Exploration of Factors That May Lead to Colony Abandonment or Reduced Productivity of American White Pelicans (Paulette Scherr, US Fish and Wildlife Service and Marsha Sovada, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center)
• Demographic Performance of Prairie-nesting Shorebirds and Raptors in North Dakota (Scott Stephens, Ducks Unlimited)
• Marsh Bird Distribution in Relation to Landscape Composition in ND (Mark Sherfy, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center)
• Comparative Evaluation and Inventory of Small Mammals and Herptiles in Southwest ND (Dr. Rick Sweitzer and John Leonhart, University of North Dakota)
• Aerial Survey and Ground-based Mapping Effort of Black-tailed Prairie Dog Colonies in Southwestern ND (Craig Knowles, FaunaWest Wildlife Consultants)
• Distribution and Abundance of River Otters and other Meso-carnivores in Eastern ND (Dr. Tom Serfass, Frostburg State University)
• Shorebird Nest Success and Nest-Site Selection in the Devils Lake Wetland Management District (Darren Wiens, Louisiana State University, and Delta Waterfowl Foundation)
• Status of Selected Fishes with Immediate Conservation Need in North Dakota (Dr. Charles Berry, South Dakota State University)
• Sage-steppe Prairie Conservation Planning (Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies)
• North Dakota’s Wildlife Action Plan Phase II: Development of the Implementation Plan and Maintenance of the Eight Elements (Conservation Section, ND Game and Fish Department)
• Maintenance of Mixed-Grass Prairie Habitats (Randy Renner, Ducks Unlimited)
• Removal of Russian Olive Trees and Other Woody Vegetation in Grassland, Wetland, and Riparian Habitats (Wildlife Division, ND Game and Fish Department)
• Restoring Tall-grass and Mixed-grass Prairie in Cropland-dominated Landscapes of Northeastern ND (Cami Dixon, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)
• Implementation of North Dakota’s Wildlife Action Plan through the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s Private Lands Initiative (Wildlife Division, ND Game and Fish Department)

North Dakota State Wildlife Grant Update/Newsletter

The ND Game and Fish Department developed an electronic newsletter with more specific information on some State Wildlife Grant projects.

February 2008 (546Kb PDF) – highlights four projects approved for funding in 2007

2008 State Wildlife Grant Request for Pre-proposals
The ND Game and Fish Department will again be seeking pre- proposals for State Wildlife Grant funding.  Projects must help implement the North Dakota Wildlife Action Plan, otherwise known as the CWCS, and benefit species of conservation priority.  We anticipate announcing the request for pre-proposals in May 2008.

North Dakota Wildlife Action Plan and State Wildlife Grant Contacts:

• Steve Dyke, Conservation Supervisor, 701-328-6347
• Patrick Isakson, Nongame Biologist, 701-328-6338
• Sandra Johnson, Nongame Biologist, 701-328-6382

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