Kentucky Fish and Wildlife seeks input on revised State Wildlife Action Plan

FRANKFORT, Ky. (August 17, 2023) - The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources is inviting the public to review and comment on Kentucky’s newly revised State Wildlife Action Plan.

Developed collaboratively with biologists, land managers and scientists from universities, public agencies, environmental consultants and conservation groups, Kentucky’s plan is a roadmap to help ensure the health and diversity of all fish and wildlife resources in the Commonwealth.

“Although the department is charged by statute to regulate uses of Kentucky’s fish and wildlife species, these are public resources that we all have a shared responsibility to help conserve,” said Rich Storm, Commissioner of Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. 

“No one individual, group or government agency by itself has the capacity to make sure our wild things continue to exist and thrive both in our generation and into the future, but together I believe we can.  Public support for this plan and involvement through its implementation will help recover the many species that are currently at risk of perishing,” he added.

The public comment period opens Aug. 15 and continues through Sept. 15, 2023. At the conclusion of this comment period, the draft will be finalized and sent to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for final approval.

Each state maintains a State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) to receive federal dollars through the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants Program. This grant program provides funding to support conservation activities focused on at-risk native species including salamanders, freshwater mussels, crayfish, bats and songbirds.

Plans are reviewed and revised every 10 years to remain current. The original plan was submitted in 2005 and the first revision was submitted in 2013.

Most funding for fish and wildlife conservation in Kentucky comes from hunting and fishing license sales and excise taxes on hunting and fishing equipment, ammunition, boat fuel and registrations. These revenues provide critical funding for fish and wildlife conservation and have resulted in major conservation victories for species like deer, turkey and elk. With these funding sources, conservation efforts have traditionally focused on game species.

The State and Tribal Wildlife Grants Program is intended to provide funding for species that have received less attention in the past.

“The SWAP outlines conservation activities focused on Kentucky’s Species of Greatest Conservation Need, which includes rare and endangered species, but also common species in decline,” said Laura Burford, Kentucky Fish and Wildlife biologist and SWAP coordinator. “Because recovery is more costly and difficult to achieve once a species is imperiled, the plan identifies the most effective ways to intervene before species are in crisis.”

Roughly one-third of America’s wildlife species are at an elevated risk of extinction. More than 1,600 U.S. species are already listed as threatened or endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act. More than 150 U.S. species have already gone extinct and nearly 500 additional species have not been observed in recent decades and are likely already gone.

During this revision, teams of subject-matter experts identified 527 Species of Greatest Conservation Need across nine taxa groups within Kentucky, including selected insects and plants.  Among these are species such as the Bird-voiced Treefrog, Blackside Dace, Catspaw Mussel, Eastern Meadowlark, Kentucky Crayfish, Little Brown Bat, Monarch Butterfly, Northern Pinesnake and White Fringeless Orchid.

Through partnerships, the SWAP outlines needs and opportunities to direct limited financial resources where they can be most effective.

“Over the past two years, conservation partners worked together to review and revise Kentucky’s existing plan to reflect the most current survey, research and management needs,” Burford said. “An overarching goal of this revision was to create a more accessible plan that could ultimately be used by all Kentuckians.”

To learn more and to provide comment, visit Kentucky’s SWAP or visit Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Resources at fw.ky.gov.