Back in the mid-1970s, soon after passage of the federal Endangered Species Act, a small band of young biologists started working in New York on wildlife species that had been overlooked in a state conservation department that concentrated on traditional game species. Now, after more than three decades of groundbreaking efforts on rare species, the program itself is endangered.
New York's bald eagle population has increased from one unproductive nest to more than 275 pairs. Peregrine falcons have returned from zero breeding pairs to more than 60. A 10-year statewide atlas of reptiles and amphibians provided information for conservation, management and project reviews. While the number of Karner blue butterflies has decreased sharply, the acres of protected and managed habitat have increased dramatically, and this species has a chance to turn around.
Most of these biologists have reached retirement age, and unfortunately there appears to be no plan to replace any of them. Within a two-year span, the herpetologist, fish and wildlife technician, endangered species unit leader and mammal specialist all retired without replacement. The unit was then downgraded to a program within another unit.
I spent 35 years as the avian specialist, first helping restore peregrines by releasing captive raised birds and later banding wild-raised young atop bridges and buildings. When I retired in late April, only one full-time permanent staff — the invertebrate specialist — remained.
That is an 83 percent reduction in staff. Some argue all of the endangered species work done out of the Albany office should be delegated to the regional Department of Environmental Conservation offices, but they have not been provided with additional staff resources to accomplish this.
While retiring personnel deserve to celebrate jobs well done, the work on New York's endangered species certainly isn't finished. There are currently 53 endangered species, 35 threatened and 58 species of special concern on the state list. New species will undoubtedly be added to the list, and others removed, when it undergoes a long-overdue revision in the near future.
The risks to even "recovered" species continue and need to be monitored. A devastating fungus is destroying bat populations; another is harming amphibians. Human pressures on these animals and their habitats are increasing daily.
We cannot become complacent about the continuing threats to our environment. These positions must be filled so that the progress made in protecting and managing endangered and threatened species will continue. Let's not slide backward through overzealous cost-cutting. The future of our rarest wildlife is in jeopardy.
If you want to see New York continue to be a leader in protecting rare species, and meet our statutory responsibility, contact Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Barbara Allen Loucks recently retired as the endangered raptor specialist at the state Department of Environmental Conservation.