Endangered Species Act protection not needed for sicklefin redhorse

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service concluded the sicklefin redhorse doesn’t need to be placed on the Endangered Species list. Though long recognized by the Cherokee, this fish was discovered by science in the early 1990s.  It is found in Swain, Jackson, Macon, Clay, and Cherokee counties, North Carolina, and Towns County, Georgia.  For several years, it has been the subject of a focused conservation effort by
Photo: Biologists unload sicklefin redhorses for tagging. Credit - G. Peeplesthe Service, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and Conservation Fisheries, Inc.  An agreement signed earlier this year formalized the partnership and brought in the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Duke Energy, and the Tennessee Valley Authority. Read more. Read more.

Citico Creek Buffalo Run on the Horizon

Each April Buffalo fish make a massive spawning run up East Tennessee’s Citico Creek, creating one of the most impressive animal spectacles in the Southern Appalachians. Check out this video of the event from Conservation Fisheries, Inc., and contact Jim Herrig at the Cherokee National Forest (423/476-9751) for information on how you can go watch the run.