This week we shift our inquiry from the U.S. Department of Agriculture into the Department of the Interior where we find a litany of wildlife biologists working to conserve wildlife habitat on private lands through various programs of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In this episode, Adam interviews biologist Gwen Kolb from the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program in New Mexico and Kraig McPeek from the Ecological Services Office in Illinois. Kraig and Gwen provide a detailed overview of how the USFWS works with private landowners throughout the country to help conserve a diversity of wildlife species and help landowners and managers achieve their own goals!  Help us improve the podcast by taking this Habitat University Listener Feedback Survey: https://purdue.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5oteinFuEzFCDmm

Resources and references mentioned in the episode:

Learn more about the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, including state contacts, at this website: https://www.fws.gov/program/partners-fish-and-wildlife 

Find a U.S. FWS office near you with this link: https://www.fws.gov/visit-us?type=%5B%22Conservation%20Office%22%5D

Learn more about federally endangered species here: https://www.fws.gov/program/endangered-species 

Learn what species are listed in your state here: https://ecos.fws.gov/ecp/report/species-listings-by-state-totals?statusCategory=Listed 

Learn more about Candidate Conservation Agreements (CCA’s) here: https://www.fws.gov/service/candidate-conservation-agreements 

Learn more about the Topeka Shiner conservation success story in this article from NRCS featuring interviewee Kraig McPeek!: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/ia/newsroom/stories/nrcs142p2_008651/

Learn more about the Rio Grande Cutthroat (https://westernnativetrout.org/rio-grande-cutthroat-trout/) from the Western Native Trout Initiative.