U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
News
Release
Public Affairs Office
PO Box 1306
Albuquerque, NM 87103
505/248-6911
505/248-6915 (Fax)
Southwest Region (Arizona ● New Mexico ● Oklahoma ●Texas) www.fws.gov/southwest/
For Release: August 8, 2012
Contacts: Tom Buckley, (505) 248-6455, Tom_Buckley@fws.gov
Turner Endangered Species Fund Receives U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s
2011 Recovery Champion Award
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe presented Ted Turner and the Turner Endangered
Species Fund (TESF) with the Service’s 2011 Recovery Champion Award at an event at the Ladder
Ranch in Caballo, New Mexico. The award was given in recognition of TESF’s conservation
initiatives, which continue to play a significant role in the recovery of numerous endangered
species.
For more than a decade, Turner and the TESF have partnered with the Service and been active
participants in recovery programs benefitting imperiled species such as the black-footed ferret, redcockaded woodpecker, Chiricahua leopard frog, Rio Grande cutthroat trout, Northern Aplomado
falcon, Bolson tortoise (found in Mexico), Northern gray wolf, and the Mexican gray wolf.
“The close working relationship we’ve developed with Ted Turner and the Turner Endangered
Species Fund is arguably the world’s most significant public/private conservation effort,” said
Director Ashe. “The innovation, dedication and resources that the Fund has brought to bear on
endangered species conservation are second to none, and I can’t think of a more worthy recipient.”
A Recovery Champion is a person or organization who helps recover endangered or threatened
species. Recovery actions may help to prevent extinctions, conserve or restore habitat, conduct
scientific research, or promote public awareness.
TESF has been key in the incredibly successful reintroduction of the black-footed ferret, a species
thought extinct twice. The Fund has fostered ferret recovery for more than a decade on Turner's
Vermejo Ranch in New Mexico and on his Bad River Ranch in South Dakota. These efforts have
included black-tailed and Gunnison's prairie dog conservation measures, field captive breeding
contributions and field preconditioning support. TESF ferret sites, which include prairie dog habitat,
represent some of the most stable recovery areas among ferret sites.
The Ladder Ranch Wolf Management Facility is one of only three primary captive pre-release
facilities in the U.S. Since 1997 the facility has been instrumental in housing and selectively
breeding Mexican wolves, one of the rarest land mammals in the Northern Hemisphere, for release
to the wild.
In addition, the Seco Creek drainage on the Ladder Ranch is home to the last large population of
endangered Chiricahua leopard frogs in New Mexico. The facility’s efforts to protect and restore
habitat for Chiricahua leopard frogs are crucial to the Frog’s recovery.
In the Southeast, TESF is working to preserve the red-cockaded woodpecker, one of only two
woodpecker species protected by the Endangered Species Act. Habitat restoration work began at
TESF’s Avalon Plantation in Florida in 1998, involving other private landowners and providing a
model for public-private conservation partnerships.
“The Turner Endangered Species Fund continues to build on its successes and make a difference for
dozens of species facing extinction,” said Benjamin Tuggle, the Service’s Southwest Regional
Director. “The Fund continues to think outside the box and demonstrate what’s possible, setting a
high bar of accomplishment for other collaborative conservation efforts throughout the country.”
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect, and
enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.
We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific
excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals, and commitment to
public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit
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http://www.fws.gov/southwest