Conservation Briefs is a compilation of short news stories of interest to Outdoor News Bulletin readers. The stories will cover a number of issues that have developed in the past month or provide updates on issues that were featured in previous ONB editions. Each story will include links to online resources for more details on each topic.

This month:

• Coastal Wetland Loss Rate Increases 25 Percent From a Decade Ago
• FWS Puts Into Motion Rule Supporting Lesser Prairie-Chicken Plan
• FWS Authorizes 30-year Eagle Take Permits
• NWF Releases Report on Impacts of Climate Change on Big Game

Coastal Wetland Loss Rate Increases 25 Percent From a Decade Ago

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) released a report in late November documenting a dramatic increase in the loss of the nation's coastal wetlands. The report, Status and Trends of Wetlands in the Coastal Watersheds of the Conterminous United States 2004 to 2009, states that coastal wetlands make up more than 37 percent of the country's wetlands and that more than 80,000 acres of coastal wetlands are being lost on average each year, a 25 percent increase from the previous study conducted between 1998 and 2004. The Gulf Coast made up 71 percent of the total estimated wetlands lost during the time period, losing over 257,150 acres. The Atlantic Coast lost 111,960 acres and the Pacific Coast lost 5,220 acres.

According to the agencies: "The increase in the overall rate of wetland loss was attributed to losses of saltwater wetlands in the Gulf of Mexico due to coastal storms, in combination with freshwater wetland losses in both the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. Large losses of freshwater, forested wetland areas were attributed to urban and rural development and some forestry practices. In some coastal watersheds, rising ocean levels are encroaching into wetlands from the seaward side, while development from the landward side takes a further chunk out of the existing wetland area and prevents wetlands from being able to migrate inland. This dual threat squeezes wetlands into an ever smaller and more fragile coastal fringe." More information can be found on the NOAA and FWS websites.

FWS Puts Into Motion Rule Supporting Lesser Prairie-Chicken Plan

On December 10, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) proposed a special rule exempting agricultural practices and other development that is consistent with a five-state conservation plan if the lesser prairie-chicken is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The proposed rule formalizes the agency's support of the Western Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies' agreement to conserve the bird across its range. Specifically, the proposed special rule would: "?exempt from regulation under the Act any activities that harm or result in take of the prairie-chicken if incidental to carrying out the state-developed range-wide lesser prairie-chicken conservation plan. The proposed special rule would also exempt take incidental to routine agricultural practices on existing cultivated lands and to landowner participation in the Natural Resource Conservation Service's Lesser Prairie-Chicken Initiative." In addition, the FWS reopened the public comment period for the proposed listing of the bird for an additional 30 days. This notice and the comment period for the special rule were posted in the Federal Register and will be open until January 10, 2014.

FWS Authorizes 30-year Eagle Take Permits

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has extended the length of incidental take permits for eagles from five years to 30 years at wind farms, transmission lines and other long-term energy projects. The new rule, published on December 9 in the Federal Register will take effect in January 2014. To receive the permit, companies will be required to commit to adaptive management measures and long-term monitoring and will not be prosecuted for incidental take of bald or golden eagles at their facility if they comply. In 2009, the FWS issued a rule to provide 5-year eagle take permits, however they did not issue any 5-year permits at wind farms after that rule was implemented. Industry has argued that the 5-year timeframe was not long enough to secure and maintain investment in the development of wind farms and has lobbied for the extended permit lengths. However conservation groups have expressed concern that the 30-year permits will not provide adequate protection for the birds. The new incidental take rule was finalized as a new study was released suggesting that avian mortality at wind farms has not improved with redesigned "monopole" turbines and other research focused specifically on eagles has shown potentially high mortality rates. In late November, the government settled a case with Duke Energy Renewables for $1 million for the deaths of 14 eagles and 149 other species at two wind farms in Wyoming.

NWF Releases Report on Impacts of Climate Change on Big Game

In mid-November, the National Wildlife Federation released a report documenting impacts to big game wildlife due to changing climate and outlining key steps needed to reduce those impacts. The report Nowhere to Run: Big Game Wildlife in a Warming World discusses how wildfire, floods and extreme weather events like heat waves, drought and heavy rain are becoming more frequent and more severe. These changes are impacting traditional summer and winter ranges, changing movement patterns, increasing parasites and causing habitat damage through natural disasters and invasive plants. "The recovery of big game species is one of America's wildlife conservation success stories, made possible in large part by sustained investment by generations of sportsmen," said Dr. Doug Inkley, senior scientist at the National Wildlife Federation. "But today, a changing climate threatens to rewrite that success story."