The DNR’s Wildlife Action Plan, also known as the Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Plan, is the result of a statewide effort to identify which of our native Wisconsin species are of greatest conservation need.  The plan, which has been approved by the Natural Resources Board, Governor Doyle, and the Fish & Wildlife Service, outlines actions that Wisconsinites can take to conserve wildlife and natural places before they become more rare and more costly to protect.  The plan presents a list of rare and endangered species (“Species of Greatest Conservation Need”) and priority conservation actions to protect them and their habitats. 

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will give priority attention to species that are:

already listed as threatened or endangered; at risk because of threats to their life history needs or their habitats; stable in number in Wisconsin, but declining in adjacent states or nationally; or of unknown status in Wisconsin and suspected to be vulnerable. 

In 2007 & 2008, NRF is raising funds for the following projects, aimed at helping species that have low and/or declining populations.

Wisconsin Bat Conservation Plan

NRF will support the collection of an acoustic reference library of echolocation calls for use by volunteer monitors and acoustic surveys, and creation of a statewide mapping system, database, and website for bat conservation and management planning.

Ornate Box Turtle Habitat Monitoring

NRF supports a team of citizen monitors who can help assess the success of headstarting efforts on the six recovery sites that exist in Wisconsin.  Local stewards will identify and address threats to these sites.

Wood Turtle Nest Site Management

NRF supports the identification and management  of threats to communal wood turtle nest sites.

See Bird Conservation for more information about the following:

Bird Conservation Campaign

Osprey Survey and Management

Conservation of important wintering areas for Wisconsin’s neo-tropical migrant birds

Implement conservation plans for important stopover sites for migrant birds

Great Wisconsin Birding & Nature Trail viewing guide for Southern Savanna Region

Reprint Checklist of Wisconsin Birds

Important Bird Area (IBA) program

Monitor secretive wetland birds and trumpeter swans