FWS Proposes To Expand Hunting at 10 Wildlife Refuges

August 3, 2011–Hunting, under certain conditions, is already allowed at more than 300 of the 553 sites in the National Wildlife Refuge System. Contact local environmental, animal rights, and hunting groups for opinions for or against these proposals that would allow additional species to be killed at 10 refuges in 8 states.

Shark Week To Trigger Media Feeding Frenzy July 31

July 20, 2011–Shark Week may once have been an effort to relive "Jaws" — but in more recent years Discovery has used the event as a chance to educate the public about sharks, build awareness of the threats they face, and explain the need to conserve them.

Feds Award Millions for Environmental Projects

June 22, 2011–There is local news in these USDA and USFWS grants. These on-the-ground projects involve specific groups and individuals, offering prime examples of programs you can investigate to see whether federal tax dollars are being effectively and efficiently spent.

Parties Near Deal on Endangered Species Listing Speed-Up?

May 25, 2011–While it's not a done deal, the US Fish and Wildlife Service and WildEarth Guardians have agreed on a list of 251 species that warrant the most immediate attention. Not all environmental groups support the choices, though.

Report: Assessing Public Lands and Survival of Birds

May 25, 2011–Prepared by a large coalition of government agencies and NGOs, the report generally focuses on the condition of bird species in each of the broad habitat types, as well as the roles of various federal and state agencies and the relationships of species survival on public vs. private lands.

FWS: Climate Change Is Affecting Fish and Wildlife in Every State

May 11, 2011–To illustrate those impacts in each state — and related attempts at mitigation and collaborative projects — the US Fish and Wildlife Service is publishing a new article every weekday for fifty consecutive days. For example, one story is on Wisconsin's innovative native prairie restoration program. 

The Lizard King: The True Crimes and Passions of the World's Greatest Reptile Smugglers

April 15, 2011–

Local Hunting, Fishing, and Recreation Projects Get Funded

March 2, 2011–States and territories have just been allocated about three-quarters of a billion dollars for their use in building facilities, providing services, and conducting planning and research related to fishing, hunting, wildlife conservation, and recreational opportunities. This is a gold mine for local environmental stories.

Governments and NGOs Band Together To Help Turtles

February 16, 2011–2011 is the "Year of the Turtle," orchestrated by Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation. A USA Turtle Mapping Project and other resources offer opportunities to cover turtle declines and related issues.

Court OKs USDA Secrecy on Wolf Killings of Livestock

December 15, 2010–The environmental groups' request for GPS information about where the introduced, protected Mexican grays had killed livestock was denied on grounds that data collected by Wildlife Service personnel visiting private ranch property is exempt from FOIA requests.