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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;text-transform:uppercase'>National Forest Service Wings Across the Americas 2012 Butterfly Conservation Award</span></i><span style='font-size:12.0pt;text-transform:uppercase'> goes to the Mardon Skipper Work Group<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;text-transform:uppercase'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Personnel from the Forest Service, </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation share the honor. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The Interagency Mardon Skipper Work Group, facilitated by Interagency Special Status and Sensitive Species Program (ISSSSP) personnel, was awarded the National Forest Service Wings Across the Americas 2012 Butterfly Conservation Award at an award ceremony in Atlanta Georgia on March 14. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> The work group was formed in 2005 because of concern about the survival of the mardon skipper (<i>Polites mardon</i>), a small brown butterfly that is only found on a number of meadows scattered from the mountains of northern California to the lowlands of Washington’s Puget Sound. The goal of the work group was to learn about conservation gaps regarding this federal candidate species and to determine what it would take—both in terms of personnel and funding—to address them across the entire range of the species. The Group has evolved over the years to include representation from many other entities including the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and most recently, National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service from California. In addition to creating strong interagency cohesion aimed at species conservation, the work group worked extensively with many partners including the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>As a first step the work group produced a range-wide conservation assessment that detailed survey and research priorities. Extensive surveys undertaken by the group have discovered previously overlooked mardon skipper populations and research completed has helped to understand how management may impact the species. This new knowledge has been used to develop site management plans for most southern Oregon sites, as a result of which extensive restoration actions are being implemented. The work group is moving ahead to develop and implement management plans for most sites across the skipper’s range.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The efforts of the work group have led to increased protection for populations of the mardon skipper. A significant outcome has been the lowering of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listing priority for this species from a 3 to an 8. The mardon skipper now faces a more secure future. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:6.0pt'><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The National Forest Service Wings Across the Americas 2012 Butterfly Conservation Award recognizes the accomplishments of the Interagency Work Group in the conservation of this rare species. Award recipients include:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:6.0pt'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Kelli Van Norman</span></b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>, US Forest Service Region 6 Regional Office/BLM Oregon State Office; <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:6.0pt'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Rob Huff</span></b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>,</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> US Forest Service Region 6 Regional Office/BLM Oregon State Office; <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:6.0pt'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Holly Witt</span></b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>, Coos Bay BLM, (now with the Rogue-River/Siskiyou National Forest); <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:6.0pt'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Carole Jorgensen</span></b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>, Medford BLM (now with the U.S. Forest Service, Alaska); <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:6.0pt'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Tony Kerwin</span></b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>, Medford BLM; <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:6.0pt'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Steve Godwin</span></b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>, Medford BLM<span style='color:#1F497D'>; <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:6.0pt'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Mitch Wainwright</span></b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>, Gifford Pinchot National Forest; <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:6.0pt'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Carol Chandler</span></b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>, Gifford Pinchot National Forest; <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:6.0pt'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Ruby Seitz</span></b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>, Willamette National Forest; <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:6.0pt'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Joan St. Hilare</span></b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest; <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:6.0pt'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Vince Harke</span></b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Lacey WA;<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:6.0pt'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Ann Potter</span></b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife; and<span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:6.0pt'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Scott Hoffman Black</span></b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>, The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>For more information about the ISSSSP, go to: <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><a href="http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/sfpnw/issssp/species-index/fauna-invertebrates.shtml">http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/sfpnw/issssp/species-index/fauna-invertebrates.shtml</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>For details about the mardon skipper, go to:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><a href="http://www.xerces.org/mardon-skipper/">http://www.xerces.org/mardon-skipper/</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>For more about the Xerces Society and its endangered species program, visit <a href="http://www.xerces.org/">http://www.xerces.org/</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>________<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>Matthew Shepherd<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal>Senior Conservation Associate<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal>628 NE Broadway, Ste 200, Portland, OR 97232-1324, USA<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#0070C0'><a href="mailto:mdshepherd@xerces.org"><span style='color:#0070C0'>mdshepherd@xerces.org</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal>Tel: (503) 232-6639 ext. 110<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Toll free: 1-855-232 6639 ext. 110<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Cell: (503) 807-1577<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Fax: (503) 233-6794<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation is an international nonprofit organization that protects wildlife through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitat.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>To join the Society, make a donation, or read about our work, please visit <span style='color:#0070C0'><a href="http://www.xerces.org/"><span style='color:#0070C0'>www.xerces.org</span></a></span>.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Do you have a copy of our best selling book?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='color:#0070C0'><a href="http://www.xerces.org/announcing-the-publication-of-attracting-native-pollinators/"><span style='color:#0070C0'>Attracting Native Pollinators. Protecting North America's Bees and Butterflies</span></a></span></i><span style='color:#0070C0'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>