Found on just three mountains in Shenandoah National Park, the endangered Shenandoah salamander (Plethedon shenandoah) occupy tough talus habitat with some soil among and under rocks. Their direct behavioral competitor, the eastern red-backed salamander, does better in moister soils. When they lose limbs in fights, salamanders can regenerate them.

The Endangered Species Program works to sustain and recover over a thousand populations of federally listed threatened and endangered (T and E) species in 204 of the 392 National Park Service (NPS) units. The program’s mission is to reduce the risk of extinction of plants and animals in the parks, and to restore species that have occurred in parks historically but have been lost due to human activities. The NPS seeks to be proactive in determining the status of rare species and cooperating with other agencies to conserve declining species to avoid listing under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Every park provides yearly information on the status of their current T and E species, the trend of the population, and the money spent on recovery and monitoring.

The threatened desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) has designated critical habitat in Mojave National Preserve and Joshua Tree National Park. These denizens of the desert occupy land that is ideal for solar power construction. Maintaining a delicate balance between natural resources development and habitat preservation is essential.

Parks in the Pacific West and the Southeast Regions have the greatest number of threatened and endangered species. A link provides parks with the most listed species. Not only do these areas of the country have great biologic diversity, but many of these areas have been significantly affected by invasive, non-native species and human development.

The Park Service is concerned about species beyond our boundaries. In August 2009, the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council agreed to limit the use of long-line fishing. This technique involves miles of floating cable strung with thousands of hooks that occasionally capture threatened loggerhead sea turtles. The compromise was reached through discussions with the Gulf Fisherman's Association, the environmental group Oceana, and the National Ocean and Atmospheric Association. This resolution will protect the turtles at sea, so that they can return to national parks like Dry Tortugas National Park in the Florida Keys and Padre Island National Seashore in Texas where their natal nesting grounds are protected.

Contacts:

Biological Resource Managment Divsion, Ft. Collins, CO.
Dr.Peter Dratch: Endangered Species Program Manager and zoologist
Nancy Brian: Endangered Species Specialist and botanist
Mark Wotawa:: Species of Management Concern and quantitative ecologist
Joel Smoot: ESA Program Intern

---

---

---

---

---

---