$250k to protect endangered snails

The Commonwealth’s Division of Fish and Wildlife has been awarded $249,086 in Competitive State Wildlife Grant funds, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced. Funding will be used to help protect three species of native tree snails in the Marianas listed as “Species of Greatest Conservation Need” in the CNMI Wildlife Action Plan. Two species are federally listed as endangered, while a third – the Rota Tree Snail – is a novel species that has yet to be formally described. These three species are found in only 13 sites in Rota and Saipan. DFW will implement a combination of monitoring, direct management, evaluation of predator control measures, and planning to develop a course for long-term recovery of these endangered snails. Congratulations to DFW for being one of only 17 state agencies to receive a 2020 Competitive State Wildlife Grant.