Migratory birds have retreated to their wintering grounds. Several species of bugs have crawled into fallen trees or under leaves for their dormant phase. Many mammals have grown thicker coats to see them through the winter months, just as people are donning their winter wraps. As we settle into the shorter days of winter and the end of 2024 approaches, it is prime time to look back on the year and reflect on our successes. So, join us as we celebrate 24 wins of 2024. Today we explore six wins that mark a new era for Defenders and wildlife alike.
1. Defenders of Wildlife welcomes Andrew Bowman as president and CEO
On August 19, Andrew Bowman re-joined Defenders, this time as our president and CEO. That’s right - Bowman is no stranger to Defenders. He worked as an attorney in Oregon for us early in his conservation career. In the more than 20 years since then, Bowman has built up his conservation and nonprofit management experience and has become an expert in the political, legal and advocacy areas of conservation.
2. Defenders launches the Biodiversity Law Center
The Biodiversity Law Center, or BLC, launched over the summer as Defenders’ newest biodiversity protection initiative. Consisting of a dedicated legal team, the BLC works at the intersection of conservation law and scientific analysis to advance durable, long-lasting wildlife protections. This team helps Defenders hold others accountable for complying with the Endangered Species Act and other legal mandates for conserving wildlife and public lands. The BLC also looks to expand protections for imperiled wildlife and their habitats on federal lands and in our oceans.
3. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Designates the Everglades to Gulf Conservation Area
Four million acres. Wetlands, woodlands and prairies. Important habitat to more than 100 protected species. This land in Southwest Florida was officially designated as the Everglades to Gulf Conservation Area on March 11. This win is especially critical as Florida is currently the fastest-growing state in the country. Habitats and species alike are threatened by the rapid human development which is increasingly causing habitat fragmentation and mortality from vehicular collisions.
Defenders is a long-standing leader in protecting this ecoregion and is a committed advocate for the National Wildlife Refuge System. The Everglades to Gulf Conservation Area, which is part of the NWRS, is home to Florida manatees, eastern indigo snakes and the world’s only breeding population of endangered Florida panthers, to name a few.
4. Bureau of Land Management finalizes a new conservation and landscape health rule
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is the nation’s largest land manager. They are responsible for 245 million acres, which provide habitat to more than 300 plants and animals listed under the ESA and over 2,400 additional at-risk species. On April 18, the BLM published the Conservation and Landscape Health Rule, which clarifies that conservation is an integral part of BLM’s management and offers forward-looking management tools for enhancing the conservation and sustainability of public lands.
5. Defenders and partners launch a two-year cerulean warbler and avian diversity survey project
Cerulean warblers are beautiful, bright blue birds who breed in in Appalachian old growth forests. Defenders, along with several partners, launched a two-year cerulean warbler and avian diversity survey project in the spring to help fill knowledge gaps and provide valuable data for future decision making in forest management and conservation efforts.
The surveys consist of mounting acoustic recording units (ARUs) to trees within suitable habitat and recording bird songs at dawn and dusk every day for weeks at a time. ARUs allow scientists to provide more conclusive data on the presence of ceruleans, better guide management activities to avoid impacts and to understand the presence of the full suite of species associated with similar habitats and in decline.
6. The Administration Establishes a National Interagency Seed and Restoration Center
Native plants have naturally grown and evolved in a particular place for a very long time. So, it should come as no surprise that native animals, including many imperiled species, have evolved to rely on those native plants for food and shelter. There is currently a chronic shortage of native seeds, however, and federal land managers persist in planting large acreages with non-native species. Many non-native plants require chemical pesticides and artificial fertilizers to survive in their new environment, which can ultimately harm native flora and fauna. Worse yet, some non-native species have become invasive, further deteriorating the land.
This is why Defenders was one of over 100 organizations and businesses who wrote in their support for the establishment of the National Interagency Seed and Restoration Center. With its establishment in June, the center serves as the scientific, technical and logistical support center for the nation’s restoration and native seed needs. It is also a coordination hub for ecoregional native plant programs and native seed warehouses.
Come back next week to learn about our next set of 2024 wins, including a few record breakers!
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