Check out our latest stories: 'Opening day!' and 'Where cattle graze and salamanders roam'

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page. Where cattle graze and salamanders roam A California red-legged frog sits motionless at the edge of McClure pond at the Sparling Ranch Conservation Bank. According to biologists the pond is one of the most productive for California red-legged frogs at the site. Credit: Ashley Spratt/USFWS Sparling Ranch Conservation Bank a win-win for ranchers, developers, wildlife By Ashley Spratt November 13, 2017 Amidst the rolling grasslands and oak woodlands of Santa Clara and San Benito counties lies Sparling Ranch, just outside the small town of Hollister, California. On warm summer days, herds of cattle graze and rest on the sloping hillsides. During nighttime winter rains, small, brightly-colored amphibians called California tiger salamanders leave the protection of ground squirrel burrows to make the trek to stock-ponds that dot the landscape. There, they breed with their mates and keep company with another rare amphibian, the California red-legged frog. As their names suggest, both species are endemic to California, and both are protected under the Endangered Species Act. At Sparling Ranch, cattle, salamanders, and frogs peacefully coexist, and will continue to for years to come. Cattle ranching and healthy habitat for these native, rare amphibians prove to go hand in hand, explains U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Jeff Phillips. Continue to full story...   Opening day! Snow geese land among a flock of white-fronted geese on the sanctuary side of the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge on opening day of waterfowl season 2017.  Credit: Jon Myatt/USFWS Opening day of waterfowl season is a tradition for northern California hunting families at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge By Byrhonda Lyons November 15, 2017 It felt like Christmas morning. About a hundred adults and children rose early to stand outside a government building and wait to hear their number. For many, it is yearly routine.  For some, it is a new experience. It was cold, dark, and people were anxiously checking their clocks. As the clock hands arrived at 3:45 a.m., the announcer began calling numbers over the faint speaker. One-by-one, folks donning camouflage walked to the font of the building, selected a blind (a cover device for hunters reduces the chance of detection) and headed out for the season's first hunt on the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge near Willows, California. Continue to full story...   Stay Connected with U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Pacific Southwest Region     This email was sent using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Pacific Southwest Region · 2800 Cottage Way · Suite W-2606 · Sacramento, CA 95825