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USFWS names Laurel Dace Team a 2024 Recovery Champion

From left to right, top to bottom: Sarah Kate Bailey, Geoff Call, Stephanie Chance, Makenzie Foster, Anna George, Helaina Gomez, Abbey Holsopple, Bernie Kuhajda, Tigris Nevans and Warren Stiles.  Image Details

Congratulations to the honorees of the US Fish & Wildlife Service award for the Southeast

“During the summer and fall of 2024, a prolonged drought emerged as a preeminent threat to the Laurel dace, a freshwater minnow native to Tennessee. During this pivotal time, the Laurel Dace Rescue Team provided for the ongoing conservation and survival of the endangered fish by developing a water level monitoring protocol and planning for individuals to be collected and brought into captivity to maintain representation from the last two wild populations. In a short period, the team collaborated to rescue, transport, and house more than 200 fish while maintaining separation of individuals from each population. The Aquarium led the ‘Race for the Laurel Dace’ fundraising campaign, which helped significantly raise public awareness of the species’ plight and secure funding to help ensure the availability of the specialized emergency care needed for the rescued individuals. The Service’s diligent work to sample, collect, transport, and care for individual laurel dace were invaluable to this effort.”

Sarah Kate Bailey - Tennessee Aquarium

Geoff Call - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Stephanie Chance - Tennessee Aquarium

Makenzie Foster - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Anna George - Tennessee Aquarium

Helaina Gomez - Tennessee Aquarium

Abbey Holsopple - Tennessee Aquarium

Bernie Kuhajda - Tennessee Aquarium

Tigris Nevans - Tennessee Aquarium

Warren Stiles - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Recovery Champions are U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff and their partners whose work is advancing the recovery of endangered and threatened species of plants and animals.

Hellbender Press previously reported on emergency efforts to rescue the fish from drought conditions on Walden Ridge.

Moviegoers are seen outside a postwar screening of a film at Grove Theater chronicling Oak Ridge’s role in the development of nuclear weapons and energy.  Department of Energy Photograph Collection/Oak Ridge Public Library

Public/private grants will fund natural resource preservation and enhancement in East Tennessee

OAK RIDGE — The U.S. Department of Energy signed a $42 million agreement as part of the Natural Resources Damage Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR) process for impacts from its historic operations on the Oak Ridge Reservation. 

Contamination released from the Oak Ridge Reservation negatively impacted natural resources and services depending on those resources in the region. The goal of the NRDAR process is to restore natural resources and replace natural resource services equivalent to what was lost. 

A trustee council comprised of representatives from the state of Tennessee through the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) as the lead state agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Tennessee Valley Authority and DOE evaluated how natural resources were injured and developed a Restoration and Compensation Determination Plan. That document was finalized in December 2022 after accepting public comments.

All funds from the $42 million agreement will be deposited into an account held by the state to fund grants to organizations and public entities for a wide range of local projects that either enhance the area’s natural resources or provide nature and recreational opportunities.