NEWS RELEASE
The Center for North American Herpetology
Lawrence, Kansas
http://www.cnah.org
27 December 2006
TIGER SALAMANDERS TERMINATED
An account of the demise of the Eastern Tiger Salamander in Maryland, outlining
the neglect of that state's DNR, entitled "Those rare and endangered state
listed
species: who is minding the store," was published by David Lee in the December
2006 issue of the Bulletin of the Chicago Herpetological Society [41(12):
217-224].
The last Maryland population of Eastern Tiger Salamanders, Ambystoma
tigrinum, appears to have disappeared from a site that is owned and managed by
Maryland DNR. This site was purchased by The Nature Conservancy specifically
to protect this species and was later sold to the state with the stipulation
that
this salamander be managed in perpetuity. The one surviving breeding pond was
not monitored and over time silted in, the pH and water depth changed,
surrounding vegetation shaded the pond, and blue gills were introduced. Despite
years of warnings of alarm from people familiar with the needs of these
salamanders and a decline documented by a private individual, the state refused
to take action or listen to advice from local herpetologists.
An agency boasting "every thing we do is based on the best available science"
failed to maintain a robust viable population under their stewardship since the
early 1970s. An agency with a forestry division, wetland specialists, wetland
restoration teams, a legal mandate to protect state endangered species, and a
state herpetologist, were unable to oversee the well being of a forest dwelling
creature on lands they own and manage. One can only imagine how well other
locally rare and endangered reptiles, turtles, and amphibians are doing under
their care. The article raises the obvious question as to how our other states
oversee non-game species of conservation concern.
A gratis PDF of this article is available from the CNAH PDF Library at
http://www.cnah.org/cnah_pdf.asp
The Center for North American Herpetology
Lawrence, Kansas
http://www.cnah.org
27 December 2006
TIGER SALAMANDERS TERMINATED
An account of the demise of the Eastern Tiger Salamander in Maryland, outlining
the neglect of that state's DNR, entitled "Those rare and endangered state
listed
species: who is minding the store," was published by David Lee in the December
2006 issue of the Bulletin of the Chicago Herpetological Society [41(12):
217-224].
The last Maryland population of Eastern Tiger Salamanders, Ambystoma
tigrinum, appears to have disappeared from a site that is owned and managed by
Maryland DNR. This site was purchased by The Nature Conservancy specifically
to protect this species and was later sold to the state with the stipulation
that
this salamander be managed in perpetuity. The one surviving breeding pond was
not monitored and over time silted in, the pH and water depth changed,
surrounding vegetation shaded the pond, and blue gills were introduced. Despite
years of warnings of alarm from people familiar with the needs of these
salamanders and a decline documented by a private individual, the state refused
to take action or listen to advice from local herpetologists.
An agency boasting "every thing we do is based on the best available science"
failed to maintain a robust viable population under their stewardship since the
early 1970s. An agency with a forestry division, wetland specialists, wetland
restoration teams, a legal mandate to protect state endangered species, and a
state herpetologist, were unable to oversee the well being of a forest dwelling
creature on lands they own and manage. One can only imagine how well other
locally rare and endangered reptiles, turtles, and amphibians are doing under
their care. The article raises the obvious question as to how our other states
oversee non-game species of conservation concern.
A gratis PDF of this article is available from the CNAH PDF Library at
http://www.cnah.org/cnah_pdf.asp