We are facing down an extinction
crisis and losing native wildlife species at an alarming
rate. Consensus exists among top wildlife scientists
that this crisis is not a natural phenomenon but being
caused by human actions. The loss of our wild creatures
signals big trouble not only for the “outdoor”
environment or what we think of as nature, but also for
human society. Healthy native ecosystems help clean the
air we breathe and water we drink and also fertilize the
soils we need to grow nutritious food. When biological
communities lose the species they need to function
properly, these systems break-down. Forest Guardians
promotes the protection of the desert and grassland
species at risk in our own backyard with the goal of
restoring and maintaining the important ecosystems upon
which all life depends.
Aplomado Falcon
The
Aplomado falcon should be a year-round resident of the
Chihuahuan Desert in southern New Mexico, southwest
Texas and northern Mexico. However, the falcon no longer
be located in the United States by 1986, when the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service listed the species as
endangered. However, in 2002, for the first time in
fifty years, unassisted by humans, a falcon pair
successfully fledged three young in southwestern New
Mexico.
Read the
story..
Black-footed Ferret
Peeping
its head out of a prairie dog burrow, the black footed
ferret was believed to be extinct until a remnant
population was found 1981. Listed as an endangered
species since 1964, the black footed ferret’s survival
is carefully interrelated with the health of prairie
dogs, and so activities that harm prairie dog
persistence including: poisoning, shooting, habitat
destruction, and sylvatic plague, are threats to black
footed ferret’s survival.
Read the
story..
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
Once
ranging across 100 million acres of grassland in the
Great Plains from southern Canada to northern Mexico,
black-tailed prairie dogs currently occupy only about 1%
of their historic range. Prairie dogs are considered
keystone species and as the prairie dog declines, so too
does the suite of highly dependent wildlife. Given their
imperiled status and keystone role, Forest Guardians and
a coalition of other organizations continue to push for
listing under the Endangered Species Act. Read the story..
Lesser Prairie-chicken
In
1998, the FWS found the lesser prairie-chicken warranted
for Endangered Species Act listing, but was precluded to
higher priority actions. The species awaits needed
federal protection. The birds’ occupied range has
declined by over 90%, which once comprised Colorado,
Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. The threats
posed by grazing, predation, drought, hunting, and oil
and gas exploration have increased since 1998, and thus
Forest Guardians is working toward ESA listing of the
lesser prairie-chicken.
Read the story..
Mountain Plover
Strongly
associated with prairie dog towns, this majestic bird is
1 of 9 endemic birds of North American grasslands. Found
primarily in short grass and shrub-steppe landscapes,
the mountain plover has declined fastest of all
grassland bird endemics. Withdrawn from ESA listing in
2003, the mountain plover faces continued imperilment as
prairie dog populations dwindle. Forest Guardians fights
to protect this species and the habitat on which it
depends. Read the story..
Sonoran Desert Tortoise
Rugged
and dry conditions of the Sonoran and Mojave Desert
scrub communities provide home to this large reptile.
Population declines and crashes have brought significant
attention to the degree of habitat loss and
modification, disease and OHV recreation that continues
influence. In 1991, the FWS ruled that the Sonoran
Desert Tortoise did not warrant ESA protections. Forest
Guardians works to ensure ESA protections are provided
for the imperiled Sonoran desert tortoise.
Read the story..
Swift Fox
The
swift fox is North American’s smallest wild canid—member
of the dog family. The diminutive fox is a native of the
short- and mid-grass prairies of the Great Plains.
Populations plummeted during the 20th Century due to
predator control programs conducted by the Government
and private landowners that were meant to kill coyotes
and wolves. Swift foxes are still struggling to recover.
Read the story..
Utah Prairie Dog
Of
the four prairie dogs species in the U.S., Utah prairie
dogs occupy the smallest range, a tidbit of Utah’s
grasslands, and thus were heavily impacted by
eradication efforts in the 20th century. As a result,
UPD’s dwindled to 3,300 individuals. Prairie dog
restoration and protection is a critical piece to the
overall preservation of the rich mosaic prairie life.
Forest Guardians seeks to protect the Utah prairie dog
given that recovery has faltered, due to continued
habitat destruction, shooting, and an unsuccessful
translocation programs.
Read the story..
For specific questions about our efforts to protect deserts and
grassland,
contact Lauren McCain,
desert and grasslands coordinator.
The
Aplomado falcon should be a year-round resident of the
Chihuahuan Desert in southern New Mexico, southwest
Texas and northern Mexico. However, the falcon no longer
be located in the United States by 1986, when the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service listed the species as
endangered. However, in 2002, for the first time in
fifty years, unassisted by humans, a falcon pair
successfully fledged three young in southwestern New
Mexico.
Peeping
its head out of a prairie dog burrow, the black footed
ferret was believed to be extinct until a remnant
population was found 1981. Listed as an endangered
species since 1964, the black footed ferret’s survival
is carefully interrelated with the health of prairie
dogs, and so activities that harm prairie dog
persistence including: poisoning, shooting, habitat
destruction, and sylvatic plague, are threats to black
footed ferret’s survival.
Once
ranging across 100 million acres of grassland in the
Great Plains from southern Canada to northern Mexico,
black-tailed prairie dogs currently occupy only about 1%
of their historic range. Prairie dogs are considered
keystone species and as the prairie dog declines, so too
does the suite of highly dependent wildlife. Given their
imperiled status and keystone role, Forest Guardians and
a coalition of other organizations continue to push for
listing under the Endangered Species Act. 
In
1998, the FWS found the lesser prairie-chicken warranted
for Endangered Species Act listing, but was precluded to
higher priority actions. The species awaits needed
federal protection. The birds’ occupied range has
declined by over 90%, which once comprised Colorado,
Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. The threats
posed by grazing, predation, drought, hunting, and oil
and gas exploration have increased since 1998, and thus
Forest Guardians is working toward ESA listing of the
lesser prairie-chicken.
Strongly
associated with prairie dog towns, this majestic bird is
1 of 9 endemic birds of North American grasslands. Found
primarily in short grass and shrub-steppe landscapes,
the mountain plover has declined fastest of all
grassland bird endemics. Withdrawn from ESA listing in
2003, the mountain plover faces continued imperilment as
prairie dog populations dwindle. Forest Guardians fights
to protect this species and the habitat on which it
depends. 
Rugged
and dry conditions of the Sonoran and Mojave Desert
scrub communities provide home to this large reptile.
Population declines and crashes have brought significant
attention to the degree of habitat loss and
modification, disease and OHV recreation that continues
influence. In 1991, the FWS ruled that the Sonoran
Desert Tortoise did not warrant ESA protections. Forest
Guardians works to ensure ESA protections are provided
for the imperiled Sonoran desert tortoise.
The
swift fox is North American’s smallest wild canid—member
of the dog family. The diminutive fox is a native of the
short- and mid-grass prairies of the Great Plains.
Populations plummeted during the 20th Century due to
predator control programs conducted by the Government
and private landowners that were meant to kill coyotes
and wolves. Swift foxes are still struggling to recover.
Of
the four prairie dogs species in the U.S., Utah prairie
dogs occupy the smallest range, a tidbit of Utah’s
grasslands, and thus were heavily impacted by
eradication efforts in the 20th century. As a result,
UPD’s dwindled to 3,300 individuals. Prairie dog
restoration and protection is a critical piece to the
overall preservation of the rich mosaic prairie life.
Forest Guardians seeks to protect the Utah prairie dog
given that recovery has faltered, due to continued
habitat destruction, shooting, and an unsuccessful
translocation programs.
