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Wildlife Diversity Unit, the Endangered Species Program and Natural Heritage Program The mission of the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources is to provide and administer a long-range comprehensive program for the exploration, conservation, development, protection, enjoyment and use of the natural resources of the State of West Virginia.
The West Virginia Wildlife Diversity Unit and Natural Heritage Program are responsible for those species listed by the federal government as threatened or endangered, as well as nongame wildlife and their habitats. Through the SWAP, Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) and their habitats are identified, threats to SGCN are determined, and conservation plans are developed. The 2015 West Virginia SWAP lists over 600 animal SGCN including amphibians, birds, butterflies & moths, cave invertebrates, crayfish, dragonflies & damselflies, fish, mammals, mussels, reptiles, snails, and tiger beetles. The SWAP also identifies over 400 plant SGCN and addresses conservation issues affecting pollinators. For more information about the 2015 State Wildlife Action Plan and Species of Greatest Conservation Need go tohttp://www.wvdnr.gov/Wildlife/Action_Plan.shtm. The SWAP identifies 21 Conservation Focus Areas (CFA’s) across the state where SGCN occur and where the greatest opportunities for conservation, restoration, and protection exist. The WDU is developing more specific plans for Conservation Focus Area that target species, stresses and and actions at a local scale. The SWAP and the CFA plans are public documents that can be used by people and groups to guide conservation actions and to leverage funding for large projects in their part of the state. As CFA plans are developed they will be made available on the WVDNR website.  Nongame wildlife resources are experienced and enjoyed through activities such as birdwatching, nature photography and educational experiences. To showcase these opportunities, the Wildlife Diversity Unit sponsors the West Virginia Master Naturalist Program. The mission of the West Virginia Master Naturalists is to train interested people in the fundamentals of natural history, nature interpretation and teaching, and to instill in them an appreciation of the importance of responsible environmental stewardship. The program develops a cadre of highly qualified volunteers to assist government agencies, schools, and non-government organizations with research, outdoor recreation development, and environmental education and protection. For more information on the West Virginia Master Naturalists go to http://mnofwv.org/home.
Endangered Species
The Wildlife Diversity Unit is entrusted with the protection and management of these rare animals and plants. The WDU works closely with federal land management agencies, such as the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, and with private landowners, to ensure these species continue to be a part of our state’s fauna. The Wildlife Diversity Unit’s efforts contributed to the recovery of and eventual de-listing of the Peregrine falcon (in 1999), the Bald eagle (in 2007), and the West Virginia northern flying squirrel (in 2013). For more information, go to Rare, Threatened and Endangered Species.  The Natural Heritage Program strives to maintain a complete and accurate statewide assessment of rare species and ecological communities. This information is available to agencies, corporations and individuals for:
Click Here For Data Requests Wildlife Diversity Unit Funding These funds are used to match available federal funding through the State Wildlife Grants Program, the Wildlife and Sportfish Restoration Program, and the Cooperative Endangered Species Fund (Section 6) Grants. Additional funding is received through compensation for the loss (“take”) of aquatic life in the state’s waterways. Finally, the WDU also partners with other state agencies and non-governmental organizations on grants for conservation projects of regional interest. |
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