Endangered Species Conservation in Indiana. Scott Johnson Wildlife Science Program Manager Division of Fish and Wildlife, IDNR

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1 Endangered Species Conservation in Indiana Scott Johnson Wildlife Science Program Manager Division of Fish and Wildlife, IDNR

2 Topics authority and history state vs federal program staff recent activities where to find information

3 IC : Nongame and Endangered Species Conservation Act passed in 1973; charges DFW to manage and conserve nongame and endangered species Nongame: any animal species that is not traditionally pursued for recreation, commercial, or consumption purposes over 700 species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, mollusks, crustaceans Nongame Fund: established in 1982 to provide financial support for endangered species conservation in Indiana

4 Nongame Fund Amount of line 32 to be donated to the Indiana Nongame Wildlife Fund (see instructions on page 30)

5 State Definitions Endangered: any animal species whose prospects for survival or recruitment within the state is in immediate jeopardy and is in danger of disappearing from the state Special Concern: any animal species about which some problem of limited abundance or distribution in Indiana is known or suspected and should be closely monitored

6 Federal Definitions Endangered: any species that is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range Threatened: any species that is likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range

7 Endangered 80 species listed as endangered by IDNR 22 are listed by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (mollusks = 2/3) Special Concern 72 species listed as special concern by IDNR 2 are listed by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

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9 DFW Staff (10) Endangered Species Coordinator Nongame Mammalogist Nongame Ornithologist Nongame Herpetologist Nongame Aquatics Biologist Full-time Assistants (5) 15 grants/projects spanning 8 years totaling $3.7M $2.4M federal; $770k partners; $530k state

10 Snuffbox Augmentation male female

11 1984: listed as endangered in Indiana 2012: listed as endangered rangewide by USFWS snuffbox has declined rangewide now found in 79 of 210 streams and lakes of historical occurrence (62% decline in occupied habitats)

12 Snuffbox in Indiana historically found in multiple watersheds of Wabash River drainage recently found live in only three watersheds (Salamonie River, Tippecanoe River, and Sugar Creek) likely only secure in Salamonie River (10 river miles)

13 Snuffbox Augmentation in Tippecanoe River ESA Section 6 project ( ) Long-term Objective secure the Tippecanoe River snuffbox population Project Objectives develop culture techniques for snuffbox in Indiana produce juvenile snuffbox, using Salamonie River broodstock, to augment the existing Tippecanoe River snuffbox population

14 S a l a m o n i e R i v e r source of snuffbox broodstock obtain gravid females each spring from 2013 through 2017 return female snuffbox after host fish are infected T i p p e c a n o e R i v e r source of host fish each year store culture cages containing juvenile snuffbox for 2 seasons transplant juvenile snuffbox to pre-selected augmentation sites

15 Day 1: collect logperch (snuffbox host fish) from Tippecanoe River & place in holding cages

16 Day 2: locate gravid female snuffbox with visible glochidia from Salamonie River

17 Day 3: extract glochidia from female snuffbox and infect logperch

18 return infected logperch to holding cages in Tippecanoe River

19 release logperch from culture cages after ~6 weeks after two growing seasons (~18 months), juvenile snuffbox are marked and transplanted to augmentation sites

20 Human Dimensions of the Eastern Hellbender in Indiana

21 endangered in Indiana under review for federal listing only known from Blue River drastic population declines; little to no recruitment habitat degradation, disease, human persecution

22 Anthropogenic Threats direct persecution chemical runoff from agricultural practices siltation

23 Outreach Goals increase local awareness of hellbender encourage specific behaviors

24 helpthehellbender.org

25 Outreach

26 Outreach posters & brochures cooler stickers

27 Outreach Lesson plans that follow State standards are available to any teachers from Purdue Extension

28 DNR Fishing Guide

29 Info EndangeredWildlife.IN.gov