ARTICLES

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Forgotten Floodplain No More-a Plan for the Lower Mississippi River Valley

by Bruce Reid

The lower Mississippi River valley’s network of wetlands and natural areas is crucial habitat for black bears, waterbirds, sport fish, and other wildlife. The recent aquatic plan for these vast floodplains focuses on basin_wide conservation to benefit habitat, wildlife, and the communities that depend on these natural resources.

Bruce Reid is the environment writer for the Clarion Ledger, Mississippi’s statewide newspaper. He won the 1999 Media Award from the Association of State Floodplain Managers.

Partnering for Herpetofauna Conservation-the PARC Approach

by Whit Gibbons and James Sweeney

Individuals from disparate professions have formed a unique alliance that is working to conserve amphibians, reptiles, and their habitats through pro_active and coordinated public/private partnerships. Members of the alliance describe how the group works to stem habitat declines and recover wetlands.

Whit Gibbons is a professor of ecology with the University of Georgia and head of the Environmental Outreach and Education Program with the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory in Aiken, South Carolina. Jim Sweeney is a senior wildlife biologist with International Paper Company, based in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.

Nature’s Maligned Wetland Allies

by Bob Benson and Barbara French

Bats complement wetland conservation both directly and indirectly. Yet these nocturnal inhabitants are perhaps the most misunderstood components of aquatic ecology. Here bat conservationists describe efforts underway to enhance natural and artificial habitats to benefit bats and wetlands.

Bob Benson is the public information manager for Bat Conservation International and has been the spokesperson for the organization for more than 7 years. Barbara French is the organization’s conservation information specialist and has studied bats for more than 10 years.

Cultivating Wild Rice to Enhance Wildlife

by Jay T. Huseby

In an increasingly developing landscape, wildlife management activities often need to promote coexistence between development and wildlife. The Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians are incorporating these two components into wetland restoration and enhancement projects in Minnesota.

Jay T. Huseby is director of the wildlife program with the Red Lake Department of Natural Resources of the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, based in Red Lake, Minnesota. He is an expert on wildlife use of cultivated rice paddies.

Busy as a Beaver Creating Wetlands in Wyoming

by Mark McKinstry

For wetland managers seeking a more natural way to create wetlands in arid landscapes, Wyoming has an answer: reintroduce beavers to local streams. The state’s Game and Fish Department has been assisting beavers to create wetlands successfully for the past six years.

Mark McKinstry is a research scientist with the Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, where he focuses on wetlands, waterfowl, and furbearer management. He has been involved in the beaver reintroduction project for the past six years.