Endangered Species Day, May 21, also shines attention on Indiana DNR efforts

Indiana DNR Release:

Endangered Species Day, May 21, recognizes the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and several other national conservation organizations for their nationwide work at protecting America’s threatened and endangered species.

The day can also be a time to honor state agencies such as the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, which provide the first line of defense to keep species on the decline from needing federal protection .

In the recent past, the DNR has successfully recovered river otters, bald eagles, ospreys and peregrine falcons in Indiana. Currently, the DNR is working to keep the state’s crawfish frog, hellbender and timber rattlesnake populations from declining to the point of needing federal endangered species designation.

Such work is done by the DNR’s Division of Fish and Wildlife’s Wildlife Diversity Section, which is primarily funded by private donations to the DNR’s Nongame Fund, in conjunction with many Indiana conservation partners

To learn more about the Wildlife Diversity Section’s work, see http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/3347.htm.