Latest news with #FishAndWildlifeService
E&E News
2 days ago
- Business
- E&E News
7,500 Interior workers took Trump buyouts or early retirement
The Interior Department has shed nearly 11 percent of its staff during the Trump administration, a reduction of nearly 7,500 employees who took buyout offers or early retirement in the past five months, according to data obtained by POLITICO's E&E News. Responding to a Freedom of Information Act request, Interior revealed that the department has lost more than 1,000 staffers each from the National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey, and Bureau of Reclamation in recent months. The data does not specify which programs individuals opted into, but includes employees who separated from Interior since Jan. 20 through either round of the 'deferred resignation program' that pays staffers to go on administrative leave through September, early retirement or a voluntary separation incentive payment. Advertisement An Interior spokesperson did not respond to questions about whether the department would seek additional cuts among its staff or if the Trump administration has met its goals with the department. Additional cuts at Interior and other agencies are widely anticipated but are on hold due to a federal court injunction. The White House is pressing the Supreme Court to lift that order and resume 40 reductions-in-force at 17 agencies. 'We don't have a comment on personnel numbers,' said Interior spokesperson Elizabeth Peace. 'The Department of the Interior stands firm in our commitment to streamlining operations and directing resources towards prioritizing retaining first responders, parks services and energy production employees.' According to Office of Personnel Management data, Interior reported more than 69,000 employees as of September 2024, the most recent figures available. Under the reduction efforts, the National Park Service shed 1,645 staff, or about 10 percent of the nearly 16,000 permanent employees the agency counted in fall 2024. As of May, NPS had 14,770 permanent/full-time employees, according to images from an internal database viewed by E&E. Similarly, the Fish and Wildlife Service reported losing 1,316 staffers since January, down from the nearly 9,100 it reported in September, while Reclamation lost 1,180 of its 5,700 employees. USGS cut 1,178 employees from the 8,400 workers it reported in September. The Bureau of Land Management, which reported nearly 11,000 employees last fall, saw 838 people depart. Smaller agencies, such as the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, also saw significant reductions. That office lost nearly 18 percent of its previous 634-member staff, down by 113 individuals. The Office of Inspector General shed 49 of its 280 employees. The Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement lost 87 of its previous 408 positions. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in April that he does not have 'a specific goal in mind' for shrinking the department's workforce. 'The goal is to make sure that we're doing a great job at the task that we have, the missions that we have, and so there is no specific headcount number that we're targeting,' he said. Theresa Pierno, president and CEO of the National Parks Conservation Association, said the staff reductions are harming both public lands and the employees who work on them. 'Even national parks like Yosemite are struggling to provide basic visitor services with overwhelmed park staff,' Pierno said. 'Thousands of essential positions remain vacant across the system, including roughly 100 superintendent roles. The agency is being stretched to the limit without the leadership or resources it needs to function. Any further reduction in force, as the administration is reportedly planning, would be devastating to the future of our national parks.' Reporters Heather Richards and Scott Streater contributed.
The Independent
4 days ago
- General
- The Independent
The world's most trafficked mammal is the pangolin. US officials say it's an endangered species
U.S. officials proposed Monday to protect the pangolin, a small, nocturnal mammal covered in scales, under the Endangered Species Act. The pangolin is 'the most trafficked mammal in the world' in large part for its scales, used in traditional Chinese medicine, and meat, according to the World Wildlife Fund. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is looking to add protections for four species of the pangolin native to Asia — including the Chinese, Indian, Sunda and Philippine pangolin — and three species native to Africa, including the white-bellied, black-bellied and giant pangolin. Seven species are in danger of extinction, according to the Center for Biological Diversity. An eighth species from Africa, the Temminck's ground pangolin, is already protected by the law. Scientists also say two more species of the mammal may exist. The protections were signed into law in 1973 with bipartisan support and are key for preserving global biodiversity and keeping iconic types of plants and animals, such as the bald eagle, from dying out. The Endangered Species Act protects over 2,000 U.S. and foreign species. Conservation and environmental groups say habitat loss from climate change is just one reason the act is especially critical today. The endangerment listing, once finalized, would help strengthen trade and import restrictions of pangolin parts in the U.S., except in the case of scientific or other conservation purposes, according to the Center. It is illegal to trade them; the pangolin received certain commercial trade protections under the 2017 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. But tons of poached scales representing thousands of pangolin have been found by authorities around the world in recent years. 'I'm delighted the United States is doing its part to save these adorably odd creatures,' Sarah Uhlemann, international program director at the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement. ' Pangolins are on the razor's edge of extinction, and we need to completely shut down any U.S. market for their scales. There's no good reason for anybody to ingest any part of a pangolin.' The pangolin eats insects and rolls into a ball when threatened by predators. The Fish and Wildlife Service said pangolin populations have declined due to targeting by poachers and criminal activity, noting 'proceeds from the illicit sale of pangolins and other imperiled species often fund serious crimes, including drug and arms trafficking.' While the act requires endangered species listing regardless of their origin, the designation could also assist in prosecuting smugglers violating the protections. Advocates, including from the International Fund for Animal Welfare and other national and international groups, have for years petitioned to list the pangolin. In 2020, these organizations and the Fish and Wildlife Service signed an agreement to enforce listing deadlines. Polar bears, as well as penguins — similarly not found in the U.S. — have also been in discussions for listing over the years. Monday's move comes despite President Donald Trump's efforts to weaken the act, aligning with ongoing conservative criticism that it stifles economic growth. Trump's executive order declaring an 'energy emergency' in the U.S. says the act can't stand in the way of energy development, signaling that protections could be rolled back. The Trump administration already plans to cut habitat protections for endangered and threatened species, in an effort to redefine the long-standing meaning of what constitutes 'harm." ___ Alexa St. John is an Associated Press climate reporter. Follow her on X: @alexa_stjohn. Reach her at ___ ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
Washington Post
4 days ago
- General
- Washington Post
U.S. says pangolins should be added to endangered species list
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Monday that it plans to declare seven species of pangolin endangered, a move meant to stiffen penalties for those who poach and smuggle what are often considered the most trafficked animals on Earth. Clad like a knight in protective armor and equipped with a long lance of a tongue to eat insects, the pangolin is unlike anything else on Earth. The creature, which looks like a cross between an anteater and an armadillo, holds the distinction of being the only mammal covered head to tail in scales.
E&E News
13-06-2025
- General
- E&E News
Feds seek to protect a key Texas aquifer and its at-risk species
Half-a-billion dollars and a decadeslong commitment could be needed to save seven imperiled species that rely upon a significant central Texas aquifer, according to a final Fish and Wildlife Service recovery plan. The ambitious plan encompasses one plant, two beetles, one fish, one crustacean and two salamanders listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. They include the likes of the Texas blind salamander, Peck's cave amphipod and Comal Springs riffle beetle. The protected species inhabit the state's two largest spring systems in Comal and Hays counties. The springs are fed by groundwater from the Edwards Aquifer, which also provides drinking water for more than 1.7 million Texas residents. Advertisement 'This area is experiencing rapid development, which is expected to increase the extent of threats to water quality and quantity,' the FWS said upon releasing the final plan Wednesday, adding that 'safeguarding the Edwards Aquifer is crucial not only for the survival of these species but also for the human communities that depend on the groundwater.'
E&E News
06-06-2025
- General
- E&E News
Feds schedule open-mic month on ESA habitat conservation plans
The Fish and Wildlife Service is inviting fresh ideas for administering habitat conservation plans and other agreements intended to resolve Endangered Species Act issues. The agency is billing the move as a big opportunity for developers, loggers, the energy industry and environmental advocates to help update how the ESA works. A 30-day public comment period starting Monday will open up for consideration Section 10(a) of the landmark environmental law. The section authorizes the issuance of permits that allow for the unintentional killing or harming — called incidental take — of species listed as threatened or endangered under the ESA. Advertisement 'The Service is dedicated to strengthening the section 10(a) program to more effectively support conservation efforts while addressing the needs of landowners, industry and local communities — ultimately improving the program's overall efficiency and impact,' the agency stated Friday.
