U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service daphne.fws.gov

Daphne

Ecological Services Field Office

A Daphne Field Office biologist assists

volunteers from the Partners for Fish &

Wildlife Program during the annual wood

duck nest box day event. USFWS Photo.

A Daphne Field Office biologist conducts

Alabama sturgeon collection efforts and

water quality sampling on the Alabama

River. USFWS Photo.

The Daphne Field Office works to educate

the public about endangered species and

wildlife conservation programs. USFWS

Photo.

Larry Goldman, Field Supervisor

Daphne Field Office

P.O. Drawer 1190

Daphne, AL 36526

Phone: (251) 441-5181

FAX: (251) 441-6222

E-mail: kevin_mciver@fws.gov

 Established: 1982

 Budget: $1.8 million

 Staff: 21

Station Facts

! Implement recovery, permit and Section 7 consultations for over

100 federally listed endangered and threatened species in Alabama.

! Conserve, protect and enhance Service trust resources and their

habitats. Investigate, prevent and remediate effects of environmental

pollution to maximize quality habitat for Service trust species.

! Protect and restore wetlands on public and privately owned lands.

! Support State of Alabama conservation efforts for endangered,

threatened, and other species of concern under Section 6 of the

Endangered Species Act.

! Inform the public about fish and wildlife resource issues.

! Lead recovery for Alabama beach mice, Perdido Key beach mice,

and the Alabama sturgeon; coordinate field level work for Section 10

(ESA) permit actions in Alabama.

! Lead State Working Group for the Partners In Flight Program,

Alabama.

! Review approximately 1,500 federally funded, licensed permitted

projects annually for impacts on fish and wildlife resources.

! Work with private landowners on a voluntary basis to implement

positive on the ground conservation measures.

! Evaluate impacts of contamination and develops offsetting

measures or seek compensation under Natural Resource Damage

Assessment provisions and the Superfund Program.

Our Customers

! Private Citizens.

! Federal and state agency clientele seeking

 Federal or state approvals.

! State organizations, local governments, schools,

 other educational and community groups.

! Other Service entities.
Daphne Ecological Services Field Office daphne.fws.gov

Student Conservation Association

Interns set a trap for Gopher Tortoises

in order to secure radio tracking device

transmitters. USFWS Photo.

The Daphne Field Office leads recovery

efforts in Alabama for the endangered

Gopher Tortoise. USFWS Photo.

A Student Conservation Association

Intern prepares to release a rehabilitated

Gopher Tortoise back into the wild.

USFWS Photo.

The Daphne Field Office has the lead for

implementing recovery of the Alabama

Beach Mouse that inhabits the state’s

coastal areas along the Gulf of Mexico.

USFWS Photo.

How many threatened and endangered species do we have in

Alabama, and which ones are they?

The number and species vary when some are added to Alabama’s list

and others removed. An updated list is available via the Internet at

http://daphne.fws.gov.

What is your office’s authority under the Endangered Species Act?

Our office works under Section 4 Determination of an Endangered and

Threatened Species; Section 6 Grant Management; Section 7 Interagency

Cooperation; Section 9 Prohibited Acts; and Section 10 Exceptions.

Why protect endangered species? What good are they?

Congress answered these two questions in the preamble to the

Endangered Species Act of 1973, recognizing that endangered species

of fish, wildlife and plants “are of esthetic, ecological, educational,

historical, recreational, and scientific value to the Nation and its people.”

In this statement, Congress summarized concerns regarding endangered

species. Some examples of those concerns include:

•Environmental barometers. Each species plays an important role

in an ecosystem. When one becomes endangered it indicates that

something is wrong with the ecosystem. The increasing number of

endangered species warn us that the health of our environment has

declined.

•Medicine. Every species contains a unique storehouse of genetic

material that has evolved over time. Once lost, it cannot be duplicated.

Scientists have only investigated about two percent of the more than

250,000 known plant species for possible medicinal values. One

example is the pink lady’s slipper plant used to treat heart ailments

and circulatory system problems.

•Agriculture. Many life forms are important to agriculture such as

certain plants that contain compounds that repel crop pests and

various animals and insects that prey on crop pests. These are

biological controls that are often safe, effective and a less expensive

alternative to synthetic chemicals. 

•Natural diversity. No creature exists in isolation, so removing a

single species can set off a chain reaction affecting many others.

What are Fish and Wildlife Service trust resources?

Trust resources are those species that are primarily managed by the Federal

Government, such as threatened and endangered species, anadromous fish

and migratory birds.

Why save wetlands?

Marshes, swamps, potholes and other wetlands provide homes for countless

species of fish, wildlife and plants. Wetlands help control floods, recharge

groundwater, and cleanse pollutants from our groundwater supply. Fish and

Wildlife surveys show that more than half of the 221 million acres of wetlands

that once existed in the United States have disappeared, replaced by farms,

factories, roads and cities. About 59,000 acres of wetlands continue to be lost

each year.