Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program

Nongame Program Overview
The Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program, established in 1988, is the steward for the state's nongame wildlife -- species not hunted, fished or trapped. Through wildlife monitoring, wildlife management, and outreach and education, the Nongame Program works to protect over 400 species of mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians, as well as thousands of insects and other invertebrates. The Nongame Program works in cooperation with other New Hampshire wildlife agencies and organizations to develop and implement effective conservation strategies to protect and enhance this diverse group of wildlife.

Each year, the Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program must raise $50,000 through private contributions to meet a matching grant from the state. That means your contribution toward this annual goal is matched dollar for dollar!

Nongame wildlife -- species that are not hunted, fished or trapped -- rely on diverse areas throughout New Hampshire for raising young, finding food and following migratory routes. Downtown Manchester, the 18 miles of the New Hampshire coast, the White Mountain National Forest and your backyard are all important habitats for nongame wildlife.

As development pressures continue to mount on urban, rural and wild areas, and as land management practices often fail the land, nongame wildlife needs our support. Crisis can create opportunity - and the Nongame and Endangered Wildlife program has developed effective strategies to protect, connect and restore nongame wildlife.

PROTECT - Special Nongame Wildlife

New Hampshire has 24 endangered species and 12 threatened species, as well as many common species that help to make the state special. The Nongame Program and our many partners are working to protect them all.

Biologist John Kanter, nongame program supervisor, and plover monitor Suzanne Conrad construct a piping plover exclosure at Seabrook beach. Below: a piping plover nest.

Terns. Over the last six years, the Nongame Program, together with Audubon Society of New Hampshire, the Office of State Planning Coastal Program, the Department of Resources and Economic Development and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have worked to protect, manage and enhance the breeding populations of common terns on the Isles of Shoals. In 1997, six pairs of common terns bred on the Isles. In 2002, 1,700 pairs fledged close to 2,500 chicks.

The tern restoration effort began in 1997 and continues to monitor and manage the birds. A major part of the project is a continuous human presence on Seavey Island to keep seagulls away from tern eggs and chicks. Besides providing habitat for common terns, Seavey Island also gave safe haven to 25 pairs of nationally endangered roseate terns and one pair of state-endangered arctic terns.

Blanding's turtle. Researchers have collected a great deal of new information about Blanding's turtles through a cooperative project of the Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program, the University of New Hampshire and the Audubon Society of New Hampshire. The initiative has provided valuable information about mating, hibernation and migration. Researchers are analyzing the data to determine which wetlands areas are of most importance to Blanding's turtles.

Certain wildlife needs special habitat to thrive and survive. Some need large landscapes and corridors in which to travel. The Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program is working to connect wildlife with the special habitat it needs.

Pine marten. This threatened mammal lives in spruce and fir forests in the northern part of the state. The Nongame Program is monitoring the pine marten to determine exactly what habitats it is using and what can be done to connect the highest quality habitats. Identifying critical habitat connections among large protected areas like the White Mountain National Forest and the newly protected Connecticut headwaters will ensure full recovery of this species.

Bats. Natural predators of insects, bats are critical nongame wildlife in New Hampshire. The Nongame Program is working with the town of Cornish to relocate bats living in the town hall to a specially designated bat shed. This project provides bats with critical habitat while reducing their impact on the town hall. This successful model may be replicated in other areas.

RESTORE - Unique Species Need Unique Habitat

New Hampshire is fortunate to have special habitats, such the pine barrens in Concord, that are critical to nongame wildlife. As part of our efforts, the Nongame Program is working to identify and restore special landscapes.

Concord's Pine Barrens. In a productive partnership with the NH Army National Guard, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the city of Concord, the Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program has restored 50 acres of pitch pine forest and planted thousands of wild lupine to provide habitat for the federally endangered Karner Blue butterfly. This restoration also directly benefits the state-endangered frosted elfin butterfly and Persius duskywing skipper and helps maintain the balance of trees, shrubs and grasses that support more than 100 species of moths and butterflies dependent on these habitats.

The 2005 Karner blue butterfly breeding season has been extremely promising, with hundreds of adults emerging at the captive rearing facility, and thousands of new larvae chomping on wild lupine as they grow and grow. The Karner population appears to be taking hold, with dozens of wild-born butterflies spotted at the easement in late spring and large numbers of captive-born Karners released there. The nongame program is building on this progress to bring back the once-strong population of Karner blues in Concord.

New England Cottontail. Over the past 40 years, the geographic range and the abundance of the New England cottontail have declined dramatically. A University of New Hampshire study, funded in part by the Nongame Program, is determining factors that may be affecting the long-term viability of this rabbit, unique to New York and New England. Once the study is complete, the Nongame Program will work with Fish and Game's habitat program to identify areas that can be managed as thickets of shrub lands critical to the survival of cottontails.

Your contribution helps to buy equipment for field work and allows us to conduct vital research and sustain ongoing wildlife monitoring programs. Challenges remain huge. But with your support, we will be able to continue our efforts to protect New Hampshire's nongame wildlife. On behalf of our staff, thank you for helping to safeguard New Hampshire's nongame wildlife. Click here for a print-and-mail donation form.