Conservation Hawks

BIGFORK, Mont. --(Ammoland.com)- Sportsmen have a new resource to protect fish and wildlife populations and hunting and fishing opportunities: Conservation Hawks is a new conservation group dedicated to educating hunters and anglers on the most important threats to our natural resources and outdoors traditions.

A non-partisan group run by passionate, dedicated sportsmen, Conservation Hawks’ mission is to “defend our sporting heritage and pass on a healthy natural world to future generations of Americans.”

Conservation Hawks believes climate change is this century’s most important threat to sportsmen. The group’s initial efforts will focus on informing and mobilizing the sporting community on the issue.

“It’s time to stand up and show we give a damn about our kids and our grandkids – and about our hunting and fishing,” said CH Founder and Chair Todd Tanner. “If we don’t get a handle on climate change, we’re putting everything we care about at risk.”

Conservation Hawks supports a science-based approach to climate change and climate change mitigation. The organization is convinced that America’s conservation legacy will evaporate and benefits from past habitat projects will disappear if future greenhouse gas emissions can’t be controlled.

Wildlife biologist William Geer, the climate change initiative manager for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership and a former director of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, sits on the Conservation Hawks board of directors.

“As a biologist,” Geer stated, “I can tell you that climate change is real and that it’s already impacting our fish and wildlife. As a father and grandfather, I can tell you that global warming scares the hell out of me.”

Conservation Hawks is registered as a Montana nonprofit public benefit corporation and has received tax exempt status from the Montana Department of Revenue.

Learn more about Conservation Hawks and its vision for the future of hunting and angling.

AmmoLand Gun News

Washington, DC --(Ammoland.com)- President Obama “is focused like a laser on putting people back to work,” Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) assured us last fall – echoing repeated statements by President Obama and Administration officials who “can’t wait” for Congress or others to take action and create jobs.

The jobs thing didn’t last long, however. The President soon vetoed TransCanada’s application for permits to build the Keystone XL pipeline. Approving them “would not be in the national interest,” he declared.

It is hard for most Americans to understand how it is contrary to the national interest to create 20,000 construction and manufacturing jobs, increase US gross domestic product by an estimated $350 billion, and bring 830,000 barrels of oil per day via pipeline from friend and neighbor Canada to Texas refineries.

It’s hard for us to grasp how pipelining Canadian oil is worse than importing oil in much riskier tankers from unstable, unfriendly places like Venezuela and the Middle East – or how it’s better for the global environment to transport Canadian oil by tanker to China, where it will be burned under far less rigorous pollution laws and controls.

It’s equally hard for average citizens to comprehend how more than three years of careful environmental studies are insufficient, especially after the State Department had issued several reports concluding that the pipeline would have only “limited adverse environmental impacts” in areas that are already dotted with oil wells and crisscrossed with oil and gas pipelines.

To suppose, as the President insisted, that Keystone would generate “a lot fewer jobs than would be created by extending the payroll tax cut and extending unemployment insurance” is simply baffling.

In view of White House intransigence, what should Congress and TransCanada do now?
The 1,660-mile-long Keystone XL pipeline would begin in southeastern Alberta, Canada and end in Port Arthur, Texas. Although it would incorporate the existing Keystone Cushing pipeline through Kansas and part of Oklahoma, most of the US portion (from Canada through Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska, and from Cushing, Oklahoma to Port Arthur) would be new.

Keystone XL would create 20,000 jobs manufacturing and installing 36-inch pipe, valves and other components to build that addition.

Environmentalists predictably went ballistic. Surface mining Alberta’s oil sands damages lands and habitats, they railed. Never mind that this technique is being replaced by in situ “steam-assisted gravity drain” processes, that mined lands are being restored to forest and grass habitats, or that blocking Keystone XL will neither end oil extraction nor prevent crude or refined product shipments to China.

Mining, processing and using this oil will increase greenhouse gas levels and global warming, activists vented. Never mind that total “greenhouse gas” emissions would amount to an almost undetectable portion of annual global GHG emissions. That “dangerous manmade global warming” is an exaggerated scare that has little basis in truly peer-reviewed science. Or that there has been no warming for a decade, UN IPCC “science” is crumbling at its foundation, and increasing numbers of climate experts are publicly dissenting from IPCC orthodoxy.

Mr. Obama needs environmentalists in his camp, if he expects to be reelected. Radical greens have made Keystone XL the latest symbol of their intense hatred of anything hydrocarbon – and a centerpiece for fundraising. Like the President, they are intent on ending our “addiction to oil” and “fundamentally transforming” the energy, economic and social fabric of America.

Jobs, GDP, tax revenues and national security will therefore have to take a backseat.
As he suggested in his State of the Union speech, President Obama seems willing to generate expensive electricity for three million homes by blanketing a million acres of public lands with taxpayer-subsidized, bird-killing wind turbines, habitat-smothering solar panels, high-voltage transmission lines, and gas-fired backup units. Anti-Keystone “environmentalists” seem to have few objections to such “eco-friendly” energy. But for them a pipeline is intolerable.

Faced with these facts, TransCanada could do as Mr. Obama suggested – and reapply for permits, after the fall elections and after changing its intended pipeline route to avoid allegedly sensitive areas. In the meantime, it could continue trying to win friends and influence people.

Yes, it could. But doing so has significant pitfalls.
It would drag the process out, leave the company in the “kill zone” of media and environmentalist attacks, in a political no man’s land, amid deadly crossfire from savvy and well-funded activists, journalists and bureaucrats. It would also set the stage for anti-pipeline lawsuits in courts of their choosing – perhaps in “friendly” lawsuits between “green” plaintiffs and EPA or State – when and if permits finally are granted.

A further drawback is that focusing on the State Department and White House ignores the Interior Department, Fish & Wildlife Service, Environmental Protection Agency and many other federal and state regulatory and judicial agencies and processes that will still stand in the way of final project approval, and will likely take years to navigate.

There is a better way.
TransCanada could and should work closely and cooperatively with farmers and farm bureaus, state governors, agencies and legislators, mayors and other affected parties, to address concerns and compensate landowners for the use of their property, unavoidable impacts and damages in the unlikely event of an accident. The company should emphasize that Keystone XL will create thousands of jobs; generate billions of dollars in private, local, state and national revenue; use the best and safest pipeline technology; and bring oil from a friendly country to American refineries, motorists, farmers and manufacturers.

TransCanada should also take legal action, in state and/or federal courts of its choosing, over causes of action of its choosing. The company’s permit application has been rejected – for specious environmental and overtly political reasons. The Administration’s decision is clearly “ripe” for litigation.

The company may be reluctant to sue. Litigation over such matters is not as common in Canada as in the lawsuit-happy USA; the judicial territory may be unfamiliar; and the outcome is not certain.

However, in the United States environmentalists often win in the courts of media and public opinion, especially in an election year, especially with hundred-million-dollar anti-oil campaigns, laden with emotional rhetoric.

On the other hand, companies frequently win in US courts of law, where they are able to compile complete judicial records with solid scientific facts supporting their projects – something that is virtually impossible to do in a sound-bite-driven (and often biased) news media. The factually bankrupt rhetoric of environmentalist campaigns is no match for sound science, when claims and arguments are scrutinized at the trial and appellate level. Faced with defeat, the green wolf packs often go off in search of easier prey.

The anti-pipeline, anti-oil sands groups will not disappear. They will most assuredly sue TransCanada and multiple government agencies if permits are ultimately issued. They will also do all they can to shut down any Pacific Gateway pipeline, any exports to Asia, and ultimately all oil sands operations.

This better way forward has strong probabilities for success. It is clearly in the national interest of both Canada and the United States that it be taken, and that it succeed.

About:
AmmoLand contributor, Paul Driessen, is senior policy adviser for the Committee For A Constructive Tomorrow and Congress of Racial Equality and author of Eco-Imperialism: Green power – Black death.

Wildlife For Everyone Endowment Foundation Receives Youth Mentor Award

Eastern Sports & Outdoor Show

HARRISBURG, PA – -(Ammoland.com)- Wildlife For Everyone Endowment Foundation, a non-profit organization that works with state agencies to preserve and enhance wildlife habitat, wildlife scientific research, wildlife education, land preservation, youth programs, and to construct a wildlife education and research center, has received the 2012 Eastern Sports & Outdoor Show Youth Mentor Award.

As part of their education and youth missions, the foundation has worked to develop major funding support for the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Seedlings for Schools program, which supplies seedlings to more than a thousand schools across Pennsylvania each spring.

Most of the seedlings, which are shipped from the commission’s Howard Nursery in Centre County, are part of the Seedlings for Your Class component of the program aimed primarily at third grade students. Each class or grade level receives enough silky dogwood or white pine seedlings for each student to take one home.

In addition, the seedlings come with an education package for the teacher, which provides the opportunity to teach a whole program around trees, environment, and the importance of planting trees in local communities.

Some of the seedlings are also shipped for the Seedlings to Develop Habitats component of the program, aimed at middle and high school students interested in planting them on school or community grounds, along a stream corridor to improve habitat, as a tree nursery or in an environmental area.

More recently, the foundation helped to expand an innovative college internship program that originated in 1999 in the Southwest Region of the Pennsylvania Game Commission to give college students hands-on experience in skills needed for careers in wildlife management.

The new Richard Guadagno Internship Program will provide stipends to students working eight-week internships with the commission’s regional office for the first time.

Previous interns have worked in summer bat roost surveys, breeding bird surveys, Canada goose banding, bear trapping, wildlife habitat assessments, vegetation sampling, legal updates and deputy meetings, data entry and analysis, report writing, wildlife biometrics and tissue samples, library research, and educational programming.

The Eastern Sports & Outdoor Show Outdoor Youth Mentor Award is presented annually to an individual or organization in recognition of their demonstrated commitment to using their knowledge of the outdoors and outdoor sports to educate and help young people.

Boone and Crockett Club

MISSOULA, Mont.--(Ammoland.com)- In recognition of its 124-year commitment to sustainable-use conservation, the Boone and Crockett Club has received the prestigious Sporting Heritage Award of Excellence from Sporting Classics magazine.

Boone and Crockett will be featured in the March/April 2012 edition of Sporting Classics, one of America’s finest hunting and fishing magazines.

Now in its 12th year, the Awards of Excellence program salutes the world’s best sporting products, manufacturers, individual craftsmen and organizations that play major roles in conservation and promoting hunting and fishing. The Sporting Classics staff, along with 20 senior and contributing editors, annually selects recipients. Previous honorees include the National Rifle Association, National Shooting Sports Foundation and Dallas Safari Club.

Founded by Theodore Roosevelt in 1887, Boone and Crockett is one of the first and most influential conservation organizations. Its members founded the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service and National Wildlife Refuge System, fostered the Pittman-Robertson and Lacey Acts, created the Federal Duck Stamp program and built the cornerstones of modern game laws.

“Boone and Crockett Club is known worldwide for helping to establish the North American model of wildlife conservation, as well as its ongoing commitment to habitat stewardship, wildlife management and big-game record keeping,” said Chuck Wechsler, publisher of Sporting Classics. “In addition, the Club’s ongoing work in conservation policy backed by science definitely makes them worthy of recognition through this award.”

Club President Ben Wallace said, “Boone and Crockett has never been about seeking recognition for its accomplishments, preferring to work quietly behind the scenes to get done what is needed. Every once and a while, it is good to be noticed. Our members are certainly proud of this honor.”

About the Boone and Crockett Club
Founded by Theodore Roosevelt in 1887, the Boone and Crockett Club promotes guardianship and visionary management of big game and associated wildlife in North America. The Club maintains the highest standards of fair-chase sportsmanship and habitat stewardship. Member accomplishments include enlarging and protecting Yellowstone and establishing Glacier and Denali national parks, founding the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service and National Wildlife Refuge System, fostering the Pittman-Robertson and Lacey Acts, creating the Federal Duck Stamp program, and developing the cornerstones of modern game laws. The Boone and Crockett Club is headquartered in Missoula, Mont. For details, visit www.boone-crockett.org.

Man’s got to know his limitations… Clint Eastwood, Magnum Force, 1973

National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative

Knoxville, TN --(Ammoland.com)- The eastern states’ wild bobwhites have been declining for years, while the western states were riding high. No longer; we’re now all suffering together.

The current ebb in western wild quail populations serves a purpose by raising the public profile of the plight of bobwhites, not just in Texas and Oklahoma, but across the country.

Widespread attention to the overall bobwhite problem is long overdue, but the acute concerns about western quail are shining a brighter light on questions about what, if anything, to do differently.

At a recent wildlife convention, a flyer for a seminar entitled “Extreme White-tail Management” caught my attention. Even as I pondered the state of contemporary deer management, I began to wonder if the same concept might – or already does – apply to bobwhites. Such thinking has helped me better frame and clarify the NBCI’s national leadership role in bobwhite conservation, including the current western quail situation.

Please allow me to provide brief context for bobwhite conservation and the NBCI. The state fish and wildlife agencies have the legal authority and stewardship responsibility for wild quail in their respective states. This authority is grounded in the Public Trust Doctrine of wildlife management in North America, which holds that wildlife resources are owned by no one, but are held in trust by government for the benefit of present and future generations of the people. The details of implementation differ among states, but the core theme is the same.

From that doctrine arises the “North American Model of Wildlife Conservation” and its seven primary tenets:

• · Wildlife as Public Trust Resources
• · Elimination of Markets for Game
• · Allocation of Wildlife by Law
• · Wildlife Should Only be Killed for a Legitimate Purpose
• · Wildlife Are Considered an International Resource
• · Science is the Proper Tool for Discharge of Wildlife Policy
• · Democracy of Hunting (i.e. hunting opportunity for all)

The NBCI is the 25-state, unified strategic initiative for wild quail restoration, the first-ever collective effort by states to tackle such a large regional challenge for a resident game bird. As an initiative originating from the states, the NBCI is solidly grounded in state authorities – and limitations – as well as the North American Model that generally guides states’ wildlife conservation philosophy and actions. For example, the NBCI vision is to restore wild quail at a landscape scale across its range, so it is once again an abundant public resource (tenet 1) that is widely available (tenet 7) for regulated public hunting (tenet 4).

Further, the NBCI is built on a foundation of science (tenet 6) which fortunately is exceptionally broad and deep for bobwhites. The scientific consensus is that – summarized across the species’ range – landscape-scale habitat degradation over decades is the root of the long-term population decline. Thus, the NBCI is designed and geared to address the range-wide bobwhite problem at its source – by instigating large-scale, strategic habitat restoration on croplands, grazing lands, forest lands, mining lands, etc. Habitat restoration is long-term, tedious and frustrating work, constrained by scale, economics, land ownership patterns, and perpetually inadequate budgets and personnel. If and when the scientific consensus changes regarding the big picture of bobwhite ecology and limiting factors, the NBCI will adapt and evolve appropriately.

The NBCI’s state-based authority and structure are sources of the Initiative’s strengths, as well as its limitations. The core strength of the NBCI’s 25-state alliance and partnerships is the potential power of so many conservation allies to eventually catalyze range-wide positive impacts. No other approach has such large potential. The basic limitation of the NBCI’s state foundation is that state wildlife agencies, like every bureaucracy in the history of the world, can be cumbersome and conservative entities, that understandably may try the patience of those seeking immediate and bold action. State agencies must answer to diverse publics with diverse interests, and generally must operate within political, professional and scientific conservation standards that consider societal tolerances and multiple resource needs.

Some private entrepreneurs who love bobwhite hunting are eager to do more, faster. Who among us cannot appreciate that desire? With fewer financial, legal, political, societal or geographic scale constraints than the states and the NBCI, substantial private money is being invested in bobwhite research, management practices and propagation that stretch the limits of traditional public trust-based conservation norms. In the process, new scientific knowledge about bobwhite biology certainly will be acquired.

The NBCI supports scientific inquiry, and values new scientific knowledge about bobwhites. Some of the privately funded research underway may illuminate non-habitat factors that could limit certain populations in certain places, and perhaps could even offer innovative means to increase bobwhite populations on a limited scale.

But just because we may find out we can, does not necessarily mean the states and the NBCI should or even could. Some of the measures (e.g. predator control, supplemental feeding, etc.) that are being or may be employed by private conservationists to increase local bobwhite populations may not be appropriate or feasible for states or the NBCI at statewide or regional scales. Various important factors such as tenets of the North American Model, states’ financial constraints, logistical barriers such as landscape scales, competing resource demands, societal and political tolerance, conservation partnership implications, risks of unintended consequences, etc. affect the conservation policy decisions of public agencies.

The NBCI is following the science and keeping our eye on the ball at the horizon – staying focused on habitat degradation as the fundamental, root cause of the range-wide bobwhite problem. As slow and frustrating as it is to address that reality, the NBCI’s role for the foreseeable future is to provide national leadership, coordination and capacity to catalyze large-scale, strategic restoration of native habitats as the long-term means to restore widespread populations.

About:
The National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative (NBCI) is the unified strategic effort of 25 state fish and wildlife agencies and various conservation organizations – all under the umbrella of the National Bobwhite Technical Committee – to restore wild populations of bobwhite quail in this country to levels comparable to 1980. Visit: www.bringbackbobwhites.org

Dave Kaleta Receives Eastern Sports & Outdoor Show Humanitarian Award

Eastern Sports & Outdoor Show

HARRISBURG, PA – -(Ammoland.com)- Dave Kaleta (Shamokin, PA), founder and president of Habitat for Wildlife, Inc., has received the 2012 Eastern Sports & Outdoor Show Humanitarian Award for his continued efforts to improve the ecology of Northeastern Pennsylvania’s coal region.

Habitat for Wildlife, Inc. is an organization of conservation-oriented people dedicated to restoring, protecting and enhancing the wild areas of Northeastern Pennsylvania’s Anthracite region. One of their most significant contributions was the establishment and development of the Alaska Site in Northumberland County. Their efforts have turned what was once an area of coal banks, strip mines and illegal dumping sites into a thriving habitat for grouse, woodcock, deer, turkey, bear and other non-game species.

Over the last 12 years, Habitat for Wildlife has planted more than 43,000 seedlings and 68 acres of food and cover plots on both reclaimed and non-reclaimed mine lands. They have removed thousands of illegally dumped tires and hundreds of tons of trash from illegal dumpsites. These efforts have reduced the negative visual impact to this economically depressed area, reduced the number of disease-carrying mosquitoes and rodents, and greatly reduced the risk of ground water pollution.

Last year, Habitat for Wildlife conducted an experimental brook trout stocking in Carbon Run, a tributary of Shamokin Creek. If successful, it is hoped that these trout stockings will help boost the attitude of local (as well as other) people toward the coal region’s environment.

Habitat for Wildlife also works on environmental improvement projects in tandem with other area conservation groups, including: Shamokin Creek Restoration Alliance, Woodcock Limited of Pennsylvania, and Pheasants Forever.

The Eastern Sports & Outdoor Show Humanitarian Award is presented annually to an individual or organization in recognition of their demonstrated commitment to using their knowledge of the outdoors and outdoor sports to improve and support their community.

Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership

Denver, Colorado,--(Ammoland.com)- Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) and the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP) are raising concerns about a new proposal for Colorado’s 4.2 million acres of national forest roadless areas, and are calling on President Obama on Tuesday to ensure they are at least as safeguarded as roadless areas in other states.

At issue is a state-based rule that would guide management of more than four million acres of valuable backcountry lands located in Colorado.

The appeal, published as a 3/4-page ad in Tuesday’s Denver Post, comes as a final version of a proposal that would replace the national roadless rule in Colorado is being formulated. It also follows a ruling by the federal Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals upholding the national Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which conserves roughly one-third of America’s national forests, along with the prime fish and wildlife habitat and outdoor recreation opportunities found on those lands.

The ad reads: “[Y]our proposed plan for Colorado’s roadless forests would open pristine habitat to commercial development, such as road-building, drilling and power line construction. As drafted, it threatens the state’s best backcountry and multi-billion dollar outdoor recreation industry.”

OIA and TRCP maintain that standards for Colorado’s roadless national forests must be at least as strong as the Roadless Area Conservation Rule in order to gain support from the sportsmen’s and outdoor recreation communities and to ensure the responsible management of these important public lands.

Economics are an important consideration in managing Colorado’s public lands. According to a report published by Outdoor Industry Association, outdoor recreation contributes $7.6 billion in annual retail sales and services, generates nearly $500 million in annual state tax revenue and supports 107,000 Colorado-based jobs.

Under the draft Colorado roadless rule, however, massive power line corridors and increased energy development would be allowed. Sportsmen and outdoor recreationists have been heavily invested in the years-long development of the Colorado rule and remain committed to resolving its shortfalls.

“Sportsmen across Colorado want to see our 4.2 million acres of backcountry national forests kept intact,” said TRCP Colorado Field Representative Nick Payne, “but as drafted, the Colorado roadless rule allows development, such as drilling and power-line corridors, that would fragment some of the finest fish and wildlife habitat in the country. Hunters and anglers are depending on the Obama administration to fix the rule’s shortfalls for the benefit of fish, wildlife and our outdoor traditions. The rule must be as strong as or stronger than the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule — nothing less.”

Colorado’s roadless areas are the source of about one-third of the state’s surface water, which provides irreplaceable access to hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation. Elk and deer require Colorado’s backcountry to survive and thrive, and the headwaters of all the state’s major rivers are located in roadless lands.

“Colorado’s roadless areas provide world-class recreation experiences,” said Frank Hugelmeyer, president and CEO of OIA. “Protecting roadless values will drive Colorado’s recreation economy for generations to come.”

The national roadless rule conserves nearly 60 million acres of national forest lands in 38 states. It was the result of the largest public lands review process in U.S. history, with more than 1.2 million comments and 600 public hearings. The Oct. 2011 Tenth Circuit decision to uphold this policy followed a similar ruling by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in 2009.

Outdoor Industry Association
Based in Boulder, Colorado, Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) is the leading trade association for the outdoor industry and the title sponsor of Outdoor Retailer. OIA supports the growth and success of more than 4,000 manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, sales representatives, and retailers of outdoor recreation apparel, footwear, equipment, and services. For more information, go to outdoorindustry.org or call 303.444.3353.

Sportsmen Ask Obama to Conserve CO Roadless Back Country

Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership
Inspired by the legacy of Theodore Roosevelt, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership is a coalition of organizations and grassroots partners working together to preserve the traditions of hunting and fishing. Learn more at trcp.org.

By: Anthony P. Mauro, Sr

It’s been nearly a year since I last wrote about the precipitous decline in New Jersey’s fisheries management capabilities, and the trend continues unabated.

Last year it was a free registry that prompted many people to examine the ruinous underfunding of the Bureau of Marine Fisheries (BMF) and this year it is the closure of the river herring fishery.

According to “The Economic Contribution of Marine Angler Expenditures in the United States”, a report prepared by NOAA Fisheries for the US Department of Commerce, marine recreational fishing in New Jersey is an industry that generates sales of $1.6 billion, provides  total tax revenue of $242 million and New Jersey tax revenue in excess of $100 million. In fact, fishing supports 10,000 jobs and provides the highest sales, income and employment of the Northeast region, as well as the highest tax revenues. Fishing also supports a tourism industry worth $16 billion.

Saltwater fishing is not only a recreational and economic engine for New Jersey; anglers and their disposable income are the source of essential conservation initiatives. It is the BMF that is responsible for the administration of marine fisheries management programs that include 127 miles of Atlantic coast and 83 miles of bayshore. The purpose of the bureau is to protect, conserve and enhance marine fisheries resources and their habitat.

With such an important and high profile contribution to New Jersey’s socioeconomic well-being and environmental health one would be forgiven for thinking that the BMF is a formidable competitor for state budget appropriations and is given priority for its potential to expand state revenues.

In fact, nothing could be further from the truth.

Incredibly, BMF operates on an appropriated budget that is less than $2 million while multiple coastal states have budgets that exceed $20 million. New Jersey currently ranks last in total State Marine funding per angler among every Atlantic Coast State. Since 1988, the Bureau’s appropriated budget has increased only by the inflation factor and not in real terms and at the same time federally mandated Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs) have increased from one (1) in 1988 to 22 in 2009.

In a recent New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection announcement of the shutdown of the river herring fishery blame was assigned to inadequate resources to prove that the fishery was sustainable to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. This deficit should concern us since it may be cause for future fishery closures given that New Jersey competes with Atlantic Coast States that are in a better position to justify coast-wide fisheries quotas.

Let the house burn

Metaphorically speaking, the tacit message sent by policy makers and legislators has been clear; let the house burn. The metaphorical house is the Bureau of Marine Fisheries. The arsonist in this figure of speech is the angling community that has lit the flame with apathy and fear.

My definition of the angling community includes the individual angler that has refused to hold our state government accountable for adequately funding BMF, and saltwater fishing organizations that have allowed the situation to dilapidate in order to avoid the conflict that will be created by addressing the problem – conflict that might cause a potential loss in membership rolls and associated fees. However, to let the house burn makes both government representatives and the angling community accomplices in negligence.

During the past decade attrition and the forfeiture of institutional knowledge has crippled BMF and it might take an equal number of years to reverse. While finding a solution to funding BMF may be difficult the first course of action is clear – it will take an honest assessment of the problem and the development of a viable solution. To accomplish the task requires angler involvement, leadership from saltwater organizations like the New Jersey Outdoor Alliance and all 23 NJOA (CF) council members including NJSFSC and JCAA, and the courage to do the right thing.

I think it is appropriate to end this commentary with a quote from Izaac Walton, renown for celebrating the art and spirit of fishing, “Rivers and the inhabitants of the watery elements are made for wise men to contemplate and for fools to pass by without consideration.”

Color The Green Movement Blue

Ant

About: Anthony P. Mauro, Sr, (also known as “Ant” to friends and associates) is Chairman and co-founder of the New Jersey Outdoor Alliance, New Jersey Outdoor Alliance Conservation Foundation, and New Jersey Outdoor Alliance Environmental Projects. Ant’s commitment to the principles of sustainable use of natural resources and environmental stewardship helped to create the New Jersey Angling & Hunting Conservation Caucus (NJA&HC). The NJA&HC is the first outdoor caucus of its kind in New Jersey and is designed to educate opinion leaders and policy makers about the principles of conservation; the foundation for healthy ecosystems, fish and wildlife.

Ducks Unlimited Names Wyoming’s Volunteer of the Year

Ducks Unlimited

CASPER, Wyo. --(Ammoland.com)- Ducks Unlimited recognized Brian Balfour of Casper for his outstanding contributions to the organization in Wyoming.

Balfour has been volunteering his time to the Casper and Powder River DU chapters for 20 years and recently joined the Wyoming DU Special Waterfowl Action Team (SWAT) that helps chapters around the state when they are shorthanded.

“Brian is a model volunteer,” said Robert Hathaway, DU regional director for Wyoming. “He is very good at troubleshooting problems and overcoming tough obstacles, which are qualities we value in our volunteers.”

Balfour manages the firearm transactions for both chapters and is a top ticket seller for their events. He is often accompanied by his wife, Susan, who also volunteers her time with DU.

“Brian is extremely dependable and we can always count on him to get the job done,” said Lucy Pate, member of the Casper DU committee. “We are all fortunate to have a huge asset like Brian on our team.”

Ducks Unlimited is the world’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving North America’s continually disappearing waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has conserved more than 12 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science and dedicated to program efficiency, DU works toward the vision of wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever.

HeadWaters Land Conservancy

Gaylord, Michigan –-(Ammoland.com)- HeadWaters Land Conservancy will receive the honor, along with a check for $600.00 at the Trout Unlimited yearly membership gathering in Grayling on February 4th.

Laura Justin, Executive Director of HeadWaters Land Conservancy, is thrilled to receive the recognition. “It came as a complete surprise. I was so happy after the phone call that I had a smile on my face for the rest of the day” said Justin.

“Being recognized by an organization like T.U. is a big deal to us. They are a highly regarded group and their work on the AuSable River matches our conservation mission.” Justin continued, “Our top priority for 2012 is the AuSable and reaching out to landowners who want to preserve this critically important river. Working with organizations like Trout Unlimited will help us to achieve our protection goals.”

Winning the honor from Trout Unlimited caps a very successful year for HeadWaters Land Conservancy. 520 acres of land and 10,480 feet of waterfront were protected in 2011. HeadWaters was also fortunate enough to receive the gift of a preserve on the Sturgeon River from the J.A. Woollam Foundation. The Sturgeon River Preserve is dedicated to the late Rusty Gates for his great accomplishments in river stewardship and protection. The preserve is 40 acres of thick forests, wetlands, upland areas of bracken fern and a meandering stretch of the Sturgeon River.

The preserve is located on Whitmarsh Road about 10 minutes from Gaylord, and is open to the public for their enjoyment.

Since its inception in 1994, HeadWaters Land Conservancy has protected the natural diversity and beauty of northeast Michigan by preserving significant lands and scenic areas in perpetuity with conservation agreements. A conservation agreement is a voluntary act by a land owner to impose permanent restrictions on their land for its preservation. HeadWaters works within an eleven county service area, one of the largest in the state, preserving lands in Alcona, Alpena, Arenac, Crawford, Roscommon, Iosco, Montmorency, Ogemaw, Oscoda and Presque Isle counties.

Hunting is Conservation

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont. --(Ammoland.com)- Record-high membership. Strong fiscal performance.

A landmark 6 millionth acre of habitat stewardship and protection.

On the momentum of these and other accomplishments in 2011, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is eyeing 2012 with ambitious goals for conserving elk country, improving predator management and control, and building public understanding of hunters, leadership in conservation.

“Our members and partners were part of something pretty special last year,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO.

Highlights from 2011 include:

• RMEF helped enhance habitat on 111,894 acres, mostly on public lands, for elk and other wildlife. The total exceeded the organization’s annual goal by 11,894 acres.
• Protected 40,952 acres of habitat, exceeding RMEF’s annual goal by 7,952 acres.
• Passed the 6 million-acre lifetime mark for habitat enhanced or protected, finishing 2011 with a combined total of 6,123,622 acres.
• Reached 636,424 acres secured for public access including hunting.
• Restored a wild elk herd in Missouri.
• Fueled elk restoration projects in Virginia and Maryland.
• Continued legal and legislative efforts to manage and control gray wolves.
• Reached more than 700,000 students and others with positive messages on hunting, shooting and conservation.
• Recorded a fourth straight year with a new record for membership, now at 184,135.
• Received the highest rating, 4 Stars, from America’s top charity ratings service.
• Finished the RMEF fiscal year with budget-positive black ink.

Allen said these successes and others have RMEF entering 2012 on a crest of enthusiasm. With the organization’s annual convention and membership rally just around the corner (Feb. 2-5 in Las Vegas), plus hundreds of local RMEF banquets and fundraisers slated for coming months, expectations are building for another memorable year.

Dozens of on-the-ground conservation projects are already in the works. Habitat stewardship and protection efforts are expected to reach milestone figures in several states. Nationally, RMEF could reach the 8,000 mark in total projects completed as it marches toward its 7 millionth acre impacted for elk and other wildlife.

Youth and public education initiatives, all with a hunting heritage slant, will continue to receive funding and volunteer manpower from RMEF in 2012.

RMEF also will power two special campaigns.

The first will focus on the growing need to manage and control predators. Wolf, bear, lion and coyote populations are well above science-based objectives in many areas. In extreme cases, predation and negative effects on game species are causing declines in hunting participation. Lost hunting license sales now are translating to budget cuts for conservation agencies. Balancing predator populations could help.

Second, RMEF is vowing to help Americans better understand how all wildlife, both game and non-game species, depend on hunters. “Hunting Is Conservation” will apply a variety of tactics to communicate an important message, that is, without hunters and the money they provide for today’s habitat, research, management and law enforcement programs, the outdoors overall would surely suffer.

Allen said, “We’re proud of the year we had in 2011, but we can’t afford to celebrate too long, because the causes of conservation are constantly evolving and changing. We can’t wait to respond. We have to get out in front of the issues.”

He added, “If success builds on success, then I believe RMEF is well positioned to help make a meaningful difference again in 2012.”

To join and support RMEF, visit www.rmef.org.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
RMEF is leading a conservation initiative that has protected or enhanced habitat on over 6 million acres—an area larger than Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Glacier, Yosemite, Rocky Mountain and Great Smoky Mountains national parks combined. RMEF also is a strong voice for hunters in access, wildlife management and conservation policy issues. RMEF members, partners and volunteers, working together as Team Elk, are making a difference all across elk country. Join us at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership

WASHINGTON --(Ammoland.com)- Following a State of the Union address during which the president focused heavily on jobs, economics and natural resources, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership today released its TRCP 2012 Conservation Policy Agenda, highlighting federal funding challenges and key policy issues central to the nation’s hunting and angling traditions.

Ensuring strong funding for conservation programs – many of which face cuts or elimination in budget proposals being considered by Congress – led the list of the sportsmen’s policy priorities.

Developed in concert with the TRCP’s individual and organizational partners, which include national hunting, fishing and conservation organizations, labor unions and grassroots sportsmen, the report outlines the sportsmen’s consensus priorities over the coming year.

“Federal funding for crucial conservation programs, responsible management of both public and privately owned lands, judicious administration of our aquatic and marine resources … all while sustaining the fish and wildlife populations that sportsmen prize. These form the core of the TRCP’s policy objectives over the year to come,” said TRCP President and CEO Whit Fosburgh.

“Hunting and angling contribute significantly to the more than 9.4 million jobs and $1 trillion annually generated by the outdoors and historic preservation,” continued Fosburgh. “We remain ready to seize opportunities and explore new ideas that can benefit fish, wildlife and their habitats, all while ensuring a brighter future for the American outdoor way of life.”

Issues highlighted in the TRCP 2012 Conservation Policy Agenda include the following:

• Leveraging the combined weight of the outdoor community – especially hunters and anglers – to ensure continued federal funding for conservation, in 2012 and beyond;
• Implementing federal policies to better conserve fish and wildlife during all phases of energy project planning and development, both traditional and renewable;
• Sustaining a robust and economically competitive Conservation Reserve Program, along with other components of the Farm Bill Conservation Title;
• Securing reauthorization and full funding of the Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program (“Open Fields”) in the 2012 Farm Bill and funding in upcoming appropriations bills;
• Upholding and defending the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, including preventing the advancement of any federal legislation that would weaken it;
• Sustaining fisheries populations and recreational use opportunities with a strong and effective Magnuson-Stevens Act, comprehensive and timely data collection and restoration activities in the Gulf of Mexico;
• Preventing development of the Pebble Mine Complex in Bristol Bay, Alaska;
• Restoring Clean Water Act protections to the nation’s wetlands, rivers, lakes and streams;
• Ensuring strong funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund and State Wildlife Action Plans to address the challenge of climate change and its effects on fish and wildlife.

“The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership looks forward to continuing to engage with the administration and Congress to expeditiously address problems of great concern to our community,” said Dr. Steve Williams, president of the Wildlife Management Institute, former director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and chairman of the TRCP policy council.

“The TRCP remains committed to advancing the values of the nation’s conservation-minded hunters and anglers, as well as all Americans who care about our shared natural resources and the outdoor activities that depend on them.

• Read the complete TRCP 2012 Conservation Policy Agenda.
• Review a one-page summary of the TRCP 2012 Conservation Policy Agenda.”

Inspired by the legacy of Theodore Roosevelt, the TRCP is a coalition of organizations
and grassroots partners working together to preserve the traditions
of hunting and fishing.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Washington, DC --(Ammoland.com)- In partnership with state, tribal, and federal agency partners, the Obama Administration today released the first draft national strategy to help decision makers and resource managers prepare for and help reduce the impacts of climate change on species, ecosystems, and the people and economies that depend on them.

The draft National Fish, Wildlife and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy, available for public review and comment through March 5, 2012, can be found on the web at www.wildlifeadaptationstrategy.gov

The strategy represents a draft framework for unified action to safeguard fish, wildlife and plants, as well as the important benefits and services the natural world provides the nation every day, including jobs, food, clean water, clean air, building materials, storm protection, and recreation.

“The impacts of climate change are already here and those who manage our landscapes are already dealing with them,” said Deputy Secretary of the Interior David J. Hayes. “The reality is that rising sea levels, warmer temperatures, loss of sea ice and changing precipitation patterns – trends scientists have definitively connected to climate change – are already affecting the species we care about, the services we value, and the places we call home. A national strategy will help us prepare and adapt.”

Congress called for a national, government-wide strategy in 2010, directing the President’s Council on Environmental Quality and the Department of the Interior to develop it. CEQ and Interior responded by assembling an unprecedented partnership of federal, state and tribal fish and wildlife conservation agencies to draft the strategy. More than 100 diverse researchers and managers from across the country participated in the drafting for the partnership.

The partnership is co-led by Interior’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, representing state fish and wildlife agencies.

The strategy will guide the nation’s efforts during the next five years to respond to current and future climate change impacts such as changing species distributions and migration patterns, the spread of wildlife diseases and invasive species, the inundation of coastal habitats with rising sea levels, and changes in freshwater availability with shifting precipitation and habitat types. The strategy does not prescribe mandatory activities that agencies must take nor suggest regulatory actions; rather, it provides a roadmap for decision makers and resource managers to use in considering climate change implications to their ongoing wildlife and habitat management activities.

Elements of the draft strategy include: Descriptions of current and projected impacts of climate change on the eight major ecosystems of the United States, the fish, wildlife and plant species those ecosystems support and the vital ecosystem services they provide; Goals, strategies, and actions to reduce the vulnerability and increase the resilience of fish, wildlife, plants and the communities that depend on them in the face of climate change; Collaborative strategies and actions that agriculture, energy, transportation and other sectors can take to promote adaptation of fish, wildlife and plants, and utilize the adaptive benefits of natural resources in their climate adaptation efforts; and A framework for coordinated implementation of the strategy among government and non-governmental entities from national to local scales.

“For more than a century, state fish and wildlife agencies have been entrusted by the public to be good stewards of their natural resources. To do that, we constantly are called upon to address threats to our natural resources,” said Patricia Riexinger, Director of the Division of Fish, Wildlife and Marine Resources for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. “Today’s pressures on fish and wildlife and their habitats are exacerbated by climate change and together they emphasize the need for increased conservation and science-based management. The strategy is our nation’s insurance for managing healthy and robust ecosystems in uncertain future conditions.”

“This strategy provides a framework for safeguarding America’s fish, wildlife and plant resources and the valuable services they provide over the long-term,” said Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D., undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “NOAA is committed to working with federal, state, tribal and local government agencies, non-government organizations and the public in this process because we all have important roles to play in preparing all regions of our nation in a changing climate.”

Leading the development of the strategy is a Steering Committee that includes government representatives from 16 federal agencies, five state fish and wildlife agencies and two inter-tribal commissions. The Steering Committee includes representatives from the California, Washington, Wisconsin, New York and North Carolina fish and wildlife agencies to ensure that all 50 states’ fish and wildlife concerns are considered. The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies is providing staff support for developing the strategy.

Public comments can be submitted online through the strategy website via a special link. Written comments may be submitted via the U.S. mail to the Office of the Science Advisor, Attn: National Fish, Wildlife, and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive Suite 222, Arlington, VA 22203. In addition, there will be five public information sessions in various locations around the country and two webinars to provide details and encourage dialogue on the strategy and its development. To register for these meetings and for more information on the public comment process, visit http://www.wildlifeadaptationstrategy.gov/public-comments.php

About:
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.

National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative

Knoxville, TN --(Ammoland.com)- In November, I lamented a fundamental bobwhite conservation problem – most quail hunters just go away quietly, rather than stand up and work to restore their resource, their sport and their tradition.

I was not writing about Kim Price. Kim did not, would not go away. He tenaciously applied his skills and every means available to him to aid quail conservation, until the very end. He succumbed to cancer yesterday, at the age of 57.

Kim was a professional communicator and newspaper man, and a passionate quail hunter. His current primary day job was as president and publisher of The Wetumpka Herald newspaper, in Alabama.

When the “Northern Bobwhite Conservation Initiative” (NBCI) was published by the former Southeast Quail Study Group (SEQSG) in March 2002, Kim and his brother, Tim, perceived an opportunity and an urgent need to reach new audiences with information about quail traditions, conservation and the NBCI. On their own initiative, and at their own risk, the Price brothers promptly created a new monthly magazine devoted to bobwhite hunting and conservation, “Covey Rise,” which is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a circulation of more than 10,000.

Kim N. Price, editor and publisher of Covey Rise, passed away in the early afternoon Jan. 16.

Kim wanted to do more than just entertain quail hunters; he wanted to apply his communications skills to help the NBCI cause. From the start, he took a professional newsman’s approach to the new magazine by seriously engaging and offering his services to the SEQSG (now the National Bobwhite Technical Committee, NBTC). He actively participated in annual meetings of the NBTC and its Outreach Subcommittee, and solicited and readily published perspectives, management information and research findings from wildlife professionals all across the bobwhite range. The Prices added real value to the NBCI by connecting more professional quail conservationists with more quail hunters, helping grow the conservation movement.

The NBCI conservatively estimates more than 357,000 people still hunt bobwhites (“State of the Bobwhite” report, www.bringbackbobwhites.org). The potential power of so many passionate people with a presumably wide array of skills and assets could change the game for quail conservation. But that potential power will not become actual power unless many of those people follow Kim Price’s leadership and personal example. The NBCI provides a vision and a united strategy; but it needs the actual power of quail hunters like Kim and Tim Price to succeed.

Ironically, Kim’s last editorial – published October 2011 – highlighted concerns about quail mortality, while confronting his own. The bobwhite quail community has lost a leader, an ally and a friend. The world needs more Kim Prices.

My condolences to Tim and the rest of Kim’s family.

“NBCI… the unified strategy to restore wild quail”

About:
The National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative (NBCI) is the unified strategic effort of 25 state fish and wildlife agencies and various conservation organizations – all under the umbrella of the National Bobwhite Technical Committee – to restore wild populations of bobwhite quail in this country to levels comparable to 1980. Visit: www.bringbackbobwhites.org

Steven Rinella new original series - MeatEater

Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership

WASHINGTON --(Ammoland.com)- The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership has teamed up with Bass Pro Shops and cutting-edge outdoorsman Steven Rinella to highlight conservation issues key to the future of America’s fish and wildlife and hunting and angling traditions.

Presented by Bass Pro Shops, “TRCP’s Conservation Field Notes” is a video series featuring Rinella, host of the smash hit TV show “MeatEater,” which premiered Jan. 1 on the Sportsman Channel. “MeatEater” follows Rinella to far-flung destinations across the country in search of adventure, thrilling hunts and killer food. Viewers can visit the TRCP website to see Rinella on location talking about critical conservation issues related to the hunts and regions featured on the show.

“A hunter who doesn’t protect his environmental resources is like a hunter who stores his firearms in saltwater,” says Rinella.

“Great habitat is a prerequisite to great hunting. All outdoorsmen need to take a bold stance against the degradation of our hunting and fishing lands, and that’s what the TRCP does, day in, day out. I’m thrilled to be a part of their team.”

Rinella is the author of “The Scavenger’s Guide to Haute Cuisine” and “American Buffalo: In Search of a Lost Icon,” and his articles have appeared in publications ranging from Petersen’s Hunting to The New Yorker. In 2011 he hosted the critically acclaimed show “The Wild Within” on the Travel Channel.

Natural resources conservation has been a cornerstone of Bass Pro Shops since it was founded by Johnny Morris in 1972. Morris, a lifelong conservationist, and his company have received more awards and recognition for their work on conservation and with outdoor education groups than any other outdoor retailer in the nation. By partnering with the TRCP in the sponsorship of this special conservation series, Bass Pro Shops continues to engage the public on the issues that matter most to America’s outdoor traditions.

“The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership remains committed to informing and engaging sportsmen on the natural resource issues with the greatest potential to impact our outdoor opportunities,” said TRCP President and CEO Whit Fosburgh.

“‘TRCP’s Conservation Field Notes’ has a simple premise: The future of hunting and fishing relies on sportsmen’s dedication to responsible conservation activities. Thanks to Bass Pro Shops’ investment in conservation and the voices of influential sportsmen such as Steven Rinella, the TRCP can continue to drive this message home to American hunters and anglers.”

Watch the latest video.

Inspired by the legacy of Theodore Roosevelt, the TRCP is a coalition of organizations and grassroots partners working together to preserve the traditions of hunting and fishing.

About:
Inspired by the legacy of Theodore Roosevelt, the TRCP is a coalition of organizations and grassroots partners working together to preserve the tradition of hunting and fishing. Visit: www.trcp.org

Budweiser

ST. LOUIS --(Ammoland.com)- Bill D’Alonzo of Greenville, Del., was named the 2012 Budweiser Conservationist of the Year today at the annual Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show in Las Vegas.

This is the 17th consecutive year Budweiser and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation have recognized an individual who has made exceptional contributions to the outdoors and conservation.

The annual award is part of the Budweiser Outdoors program. This program, which is also supported by matching donations from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, has raised more than $10 million for on-the-ground conservation initiatives.

Throughout the years, the Budweiser Outdoors program has supported organizations – including, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, National Shooting Sports Foundation, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, Delta Waterfowl Foundation and the Quality Deer Management Association – to promote outdoor sports and wildlife conservation.

“Since 1995, the Budweiser Outdoors program has celebrated and supported the passion, dedication and leadership of conservationists across the country,” said Bob Fishbeck, senior manager for the Budweiser brands. “We all have a responsibility to help protect our natural resources and the work being done by Bill and other wildlife advocates is an inspiration for all of us to follow.”

Each year, the Budweiser Conservationists of the Year is selects four finalists from dozens of outstanding nominees, and adults across the country vote for their favorite in an open-ballot process on Budweiser.com.

D’Alonzo has a long history of wildlife and wetland protection efforts. At the age of 14, his passion for hunting drove him to become a member of Ducks Unlimited. Over the years, D’Alonzo’s passion has grown in his roles as a volunteer, national committee member, state treasurer and senior vice president for business planning. Today, his credo of practicing what he preaches continues to drive his commitment to conservation. Whether it is the 20 managed habitats that he established or the hundreds of acres of native grasses, shrubs and small grain crops he’s planted, D’Alonzo’s belief in the power of conservation continues to make an impact across Delaware and beyond. A $50,000 grant from Budweiser and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation will be made to an organization of choosing to support conservation efforts.

Three other dedicated conservationists were selected alongside D’Alonzo as finalists for the award: Fred Bryant of Kingsville, Texas; Don R. Johnson of Festus, Mo. and David Ramsey of Unicoi, Tenn. Each will receive a $5,000 grant from Budweiser and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to be distributed to wildlife or conservation projects of their choosing.

A nonprofit organization established by Congress in 1984, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation sustains, restores and enhances the nation’s fish and wildlife. By teaming leadership conservation investments with those of public and private partners, the Foundation maximizes measurable conservation benefits. Since its establishment, the Foundation has awarded 10,800 grants to more than 3,700 organizations in the United States and abroad, while leveraging more than $635 million in federal funds into $1.5 billion for conservation. For more information, visit www.nfwf.org.

Based in St. Louis, Anheuser-Busch is the leading American brewer, holding a 48.3 percent share of U.S. beer sales to retailers. The company brews the world’s largest-selling beers, Budweiser and Bud Light. Anheuser-Busch also owns a 50 percent share in Grupo Modelo, Mexico’s leading brewer. Anheuser-Busch is a major manufacturer of aluminum cans and has been a leading aluminum recycler for more than 30 years. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev, the leading global brewer, and continues to operate under the Anheuser-Busch name and logo. For more information, visit www.anheuser-busch.com.

U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance

Columbus, OH --(Ammoland.com)- House Bill 855, introduced by Delegate Joseph R. Yost (R-Blacksburg), would classify all Virginia game animals and furbearers as nuisance animals.

Doing so would allow these animals to be killed year round without limits and with no regard to population levels.

The bill strips the oversight and control of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries to set essential season dates and bag limits to ensure game populations remain sustainable and healthy. By classifying all game and furbearing animals as “nuisance” animals, the bill allows species of animals that cause any damage to agricultural crops, ornamental or shade trees, wildlife, livestock, or any other property to be killed any time during the year.

“When talking about bad legislation for wildlife conservation and sportsmen, it doesn’t get much worse than this bill. This move would effectively end wildlife conservation in Virginia as we know it. ” said Evan Heusinkveld, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance director of state services.

“Virginia sportsmen and women are the backbone of conservation, not to mention they generate nearly one billion dollars for the state’s economy each year. This bill could decimate game and furbearer populations while the wildlife management professionals are powerless to do anything about it.”

House Bill 855 would apply to the long list of game and furbearers that are hunted in the state, including deer, turkey, and bear.

The bill was referred to the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources.

Take Action! Virginia sportsmen should contact their state delegates TODAY and urge them to oppose House Bill 855. Tell them the bill would destroy the state’s wildlife conservation efforts and ruin hunting and trapping in the state. To find your state delegate’s contact information, visit www.ussportsmen.org/LAC.

About:
The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance is a national association of sportsmen and sportsmen’s organizations that protects the rights of hunters, anglers and trappers in the courts, legislatures, at the ballot, in Congress and through public education programs. Visit www.ussportsmen.org.

Delta Waterfowl

Bismarck, ND --(Ammoland.com)- Delta Waterfowl is pleased to announce Nick Pinizzotto has joined the organization as chief operating officer.

Pinizzotto, 37, of Indiana, Pennsylvania, is an avid outdoorsman and committed conservationist who spent the last 15 years developing and managing several highly successful watershed conservation programs.

As Associate Vice President of the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, Pinizzotto oversaw the organization’s award-winning watershed and conservation services initiatives.

While leading a large team of environmental specialists, he built the program’s annual budget from $100,000 to nearly $2 million.

Nick Pinizzotto with one of his trophy whitetails.

Pinizzotto’s credentials include an impressive track record in government, private and non-profit sectors. He’s successfully built three for-profit businesses and is a proven fundraiser.

While Pinizzotto enjoys waterfowling, he spends most of his time outdoors chasing whitetail deer. He’s received two levels of habitat management certification from the Quality Deer Management Association, and is an avid outdoor writer, photographer, and videographer.

“I’m very excited about this wonderful opportunity with Delta Waterfowl,” said Pinizzotto.

“To help lead a 100-year-old organization that has done amazing things for waterfowl and waterfowl hunting across North America is a perfect fit for my professional background and passion for hunting and the outdoors. I’m honored that they have asked me to join the team.”

Pinizzotto can be reached by e-mail at npinizzotto@deltawaterfowl.org.

About:Delta Waterfowl provides knowledge, leaders and science-based solutions that efficiently conserve waterfowl and secure the future for waterfowl hunting. Visit: www.deltawaterfowl.org

Russell Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge

Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife

Delaware --(Ammoland.com)- In 1911, when the first members of Delaware’s new Game and Fish Commission were appointed by the Governor and the state’s first game warden was hired, the state did not own wild lands for conservation purposes, the idea of educating the public on wildlife conservation was yet to take root, and few regulations were in place to properly manage the hunting and trapping of game animals.

However, within three years, the first Commissioners would list conservation, education and appropriate regulation among their recommendations – and these remain priorities today.

As the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife celebrates Delaware’s first 100 years of fish and wildlife conservation by reflecting on the past and moving into the future, here’s a closer look at how part of the old Board of Game and Fish Commissioners developed into today’s Wildlife Section.

In the history of Delaware wildlife conservation, several figures loom large, including Ted Harvey, Norman G. Wilder, and former Governor Russell Peterson – all familiar today from the wildlife areas that bear their names. Two of Gov. Peterson’s accomplishments in particular would shape the future of fish and wildlife conservation in Delaware. The first, in 1970, was the creation of the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC), which brought the state’s fish and wildlife-related functions together under the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife. The second, in 1971, was passage of the landmark Coastal Zone Act, which set the standard for other states and established the regulations that continue today to protect Delaware’s precious and fragile coastline from uncontrolled industrial and commercial development.

“Today we continue to build upon the strong foundation laid by generations of conservation pioneers to preserve and restore Delaware’s rich ecological diversity for the benefit of wildlife and all Delawareans,” said DNREC Secretary Collin O’Mara. “Through our numerous habitat restoration efforts, including the Delaware Bayshore Initiative and the Nanticoke River watershed, we will honor past successes and leave our own legacy of stewardship and conservation for the enrichment of current and future generations.”

After working for the Commission since 1948, Wilder became the first director of Delaware’s fish and wildlife agency in 1957 and began actively pursuing the acquisition of wild lands. A few early acquisitions before Wilder’s directorship included the first state-owned wildlife area, Petersburg Game Management Refuge (now Norman G. Wilder Wildlife Area), established in 1941; Assawoman Wildlife Area lands, which were transferred from the federal government in 1945; and the C&D Canal Wildlife Area established by agreement with the U.S. Army in 1950. Wilder saw the need to acquire more lands for conservation and recreation purposes.

“[Norman Wilder] knew that if lands were going to be set aside for future generations of Delawareans to hunt, fish and play on, it had to be done as expeditiously as possible… He had a far-sighted vision, and spot-on, especially with regard to wetlands, the heart and soul of the magnificent Delaware estuary,” recalled Tony Florio, who was hired as a wildlife technician by Wilder and later became Wildlife Section administrator, working 40 years for the state agency that became the Division of Fish and Wildlife.

In 1961, Ted Harvey made his mark on land conservation efforts by founding a private, non-profit conservation group, Delaware Wild Lands, for the purpose of protecting coastal areas via land purchase, legislation and education. Over the years, Delaware Wild Lands has acquired, or partnered with the state and other organizations to acquire thousands of acres statewide, including the 10,000-acre Great Cypress Swamp conservation area in Sussex County.

A key acquisition and one of the largest was a 4,000-acre, seven-tract Kent County purchase including the Ted Harvey Wildlife Area, negotiated by the Division and Delaware Wild Lands in 1979, and turned over to state-administered public ownership to help tie together a missing piece in protected coastal habitat. Today, with more than 60,000 acres of wild lands owned and managed by the state through the Division of Fish and Wildlife, the emphasis on linking lands and habitats by acquiring missing pieces continues.

Early efforts at educating and informing the public included a 1931 program designed to stir interest in game bird hunting in which school children hatched and raised ring-necked pheasants; a 1933 film entitled “Hunting and Fishing: An Asset to Delaware,” which was shown to community groups and at various events; a natural science camp for teachers in summer 1942; and the first issue of the Delaware Conservationist (now Outdoor Delaware) in 1957. The statewide Delaware Hunter Education program began in 1970, and a facility dedicated to the program, the Ommelanden Hunter Education Center and Range in New Castle, opened in 1981. Ommelanden’s offerings currently include free firearms safety instruction and public-use ranges for rifle, pistol, shotgun and archery target practice.

Scientific research was a key function early in the history of Delaware’s fish and wildlife agency, from a test project planting pond vegetation to supply ducks with food in 1930 to early efforts at wildlife management and habitat restoration in the 1950s to the highly successful wild turkey restoration project in the 1980s. Today, the Division continues to manage game animals as well as non-game wildlife and native plants through the Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program, established in 1986.

Wildlife Section biologists perform a wide range of duties and research, from monitoring shorebird populations to banding owls to counting bald eagles to working with endangered and rare animals and plants, to tracking avian influenza in waterfowl, white nose syndrome in bats and chronic wasting disease in deer. White-tailed deer and wild turkey, both popular game species in Delaware today, are among the section’s significant species restoration success stories.

Today, applied science continues to be the basis by which the Division manages wildlife populations.

From estimating deer densities in order to maintain their populations within ecological and social carrying capacities to determining where suitable roosting sites exist or need to exist for migrating red knot populations, wildlife management decisions are based on data collected from carefully designed studies and through analysis. This basis on science is directly linked to the Division’s ability to manage sustainable populations of wildlife, allowing some species to be recreationally harvested through regulated hunting and trapping. As Delaware’s expanding human population and its needs put increasingly more pressure on wildlife and the habitat it depends on, the need to continue making wildlife management decisions based on science will become increasingly more important.

Since the Delaware Legislature granted regulatory powers over freshwater fish and resident game to the Game and Fish Commissioners in 1953, the state’s fish and wildlife agency has been responsible for planning, drafting, enforcing and modifying state wildlife regulations. Funding for many programs has come from a variety of sources in addition to the state, including federal aid from the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration fund through the Pittman-Robertson Act, authorized by the state legislature in 1938; the Delaware Duck Stamp program, started in 1980; hunting licenses – which in 1915 cost a resident hunter $1; nongame wildlife and endangered species tax check-off fund – which has dwindled from contributions of more than $80,000 per year in the 1980s in Delaware to less than $15,000 annually today as tax payers have more and more check-off programs to choose from; federal endangered species funding which also helps support management of federally listed plants; and most recently the state’s diversity of wildlife and habitats have benefited from funding via the federal State Wildlife Grant Program administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

“We are looking ahead to our next century, in which we hope to make further progress managing our game wildlife, nurturing our endangered and rare species, restoring and connecting our wildlife habitat areas, learning more about the animals and plants with which we share our habitat, adapting to sea level rise and climate change and providing recreational opportunities that bring residents and visitors closer to our natural world,” said Division of Fish and Wildlife Director David Saveikis.

This history of the Delaware Fisheries Section is part of a series of press releases issued in honor of the 100th anniversary of fish and wildlife conservation in Delaware in 2011.

Eastern Cougar

The Quest of the Eastern Cougar - by Robert Tougias

Connecticut --(Ammoland.com)- What is it about cougars?

Why is there this controversy in the East about resident cougars or pumas living unobtrusively?

For decades wildlife officials have been telling us that they do not exist east of the Mississippi and yet each year there are hundreds of people claiming to see one.

There have been confirmed tracks, scat and DNA. The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Society finally and officially declared the species extinct in the East this past spring– but just weeks later there was the case of the Milford, Connecticut cougar road kill.

While it may appear state and federal wildlife agencies have answered all the questions regarding the recent cougar kill in Milford on June 11, 2011 a growing number of biologists and private conservationists find fault in the DNA trail explaining the 1,800 mile trek from South Dakota.

Since the match of the cougars DNA with a pioneer population in the Black Hills of South Dakota, more and more state Fish and Game agencies are disclosing DNA extracted via micro-satellite testing from scats. DNA from places such as New York’s Lake George region and Michigan map out the route of the cougar on his way to Connecticut. These tested scats match with the cougar killed in Milford or so they claim — but some skeptics have shown otherwise – both in inconsistencies in testing and in the improbability of the cougar’s route.

Already, Greenwich, Connecticut residents and locals doubt the explanation as a transient male in search of a female for what they believe is a resident population of undetected cougars in the Northeast. Wildlife author and active member of the Cougar Rewilding Foundation, Robert Tougias, does believe the healthy male cat, that showed no signs of having been in captivity, is one of many male cougars that have escaped the stressed Black Hills population in search of a female.

“This is something we thought would happen but it just surprised us because we didn’t think it would so soon. Cougars travel widely in search of females, which are philopatric or faithful to home birthing ranges, they don’t disperse and the males will keep going in search for them and new territory”. Tougias, who has just released a new book titled The Quest For The Eastern Cougar, says this cougar is not the first to make a long distance journey from the Black Hills.

Tougias explains the reasoning behind the Milford cougar roadkill and the continued claims of it being a native relic cat from pre European settlement times in his book which discusses the entire eastern cougar topic in detail. Tougias journeys deep into the world of the cougar and into the reasoning of those who believe cougars do exist in the East and those who do not.

He also predicts more cases of cougars turning up here in the East and offers hope of potential recovery for the species. His book The Quest For The Eastern Cougar is available at Barnes and Noble.com & Amazon or at rtougias@snet.net

Anthony P. Mauro, Sr

Not too long ago the prevailing wisdom of American surgeons was to prescribe bed confinement for most surgery patients.

It was ultimately discovered that the prescription of bed confinement not only caused life threatening complications it also delayed the physical recovery of patients.

The medical community soon replaced a “passive management” approach with treatments of early ambulation. As a result patient outcomes improved markedly.

Similar to the experience of American surgeons, there are some who have prescribed “passive management” for our forests over many decades and the effect has been equally injurious to forest health. The prevailing thought has kept woodlands from being managed by both humans and Mother Nature. We have learned that “passive management” is conspiring against forest health through degradation by aiding invasive plants and insects, and other wildlife to overtake forests.

Mother Nature manages forest health by making use of fire, wind, disease, insects, and other forces. Judicious doses of forest destruction are her way of regenerating forests and guaranteeing sustainability. Destruction and regeneration are performed in varying areas and at differing levels and intervals, which provides forest age classes that are well distributed. This in turn creates biodiversity – a foundation for forest vigor and the health of dependent flora and fauna.

Efficient disturbance created by fire, wind, disease, and insects not only provides for the long-term well-being of the forest and its dependent plant and wildlife communities but also reduces the susceptibility of the landscape, as a whole, to catastrophic damage. Disturbance is as crucial to forest health as early ambulation is to surgery patient health.

Although it appears counterintuitive, when humans prevent Mother Nature from managing forests by suppressing her natural forces we act to compromise her immune system. Passive management creates severe imbalances in the ecosystem, which allows insects, disease and deer, to intensify beyond the ability of nature to manage these forces efficiently. It causes overstocking of bio-fuels. The result is forest susceptibility to massive insect and disease outbreaks, devastating crown fires, and increased vulnerability to wind.

The evidence of a compromised immune system in New Jersey forests is found in overpopulations of deer preventing forest development by browsing seedlings and saplings, and ruinous infestation to the Pinelands by the southern pine beetle.

In the Highlands the hemlock woolly adelgid has infested eastern hemlock forest trees. Also, gypsy moths have caused defoliation, with oak forest types being the most affected. Over the years continued defoliation has made trees susceptible to insects and diseases that can eventually cause their death from other agents. As a consequence there might be a reduction of the larger mature oak species in certain areas.

The remedy for woodland restoration is in pending legislation. Bills A1954/A4358 provide for a forest harvest program on State-owned land. For nearly three years the New Jersey Outdoor Alliance, New Jersey Forestry Association, New Jersey Audubon Society, New Jersey Farm Bureau, and Department of Environmental Protection have worked with legislative leadership provided by Senator Robert Smith and Assemblyman John McKeon to create a template for a forest harvest program. The result of this effort is also supported by the New Jersey Division Society of American Foresters and the New Jersey Tree Farm Program. Additionally, scores of forestry professionals and Ph.Ds. in the fields of wildlife ecology, forest biology, natural resource management, and agriculture have endorsed the legislation.

The bills provide a means to facilitate natural processes through forestry practices. These intentional, human-induced activities can initiate the recovery of ecosystem health, integrity, and sustainability. If we are going to continue to prevent Mother Nature from freely using her methods to manage forests it is our obligation to safely and responsibly replicate her formulas.

Bills S1954/A4358 legislate a Forest Stewardship Plan using environmental health standards as the basis for forest regeneration – it does not rely on economic standards. The Department of Environmental Protection and forestry professionals determine the types of methods needed to replicate those used by Mother Nature for purposes of environmental health.

Approval for forestry projects requires that water quality, soil erosion, and threatened and endangered species be considered before authorization is granted, and a Forest Stewardship Plan must be in place before any cutting is initiated. By-products can be sold and the revenue put into an account created by legislation that is used to finance continued forest stewardship practices. This approach treats each forest individually but takes into consideration its place as part of the overall environment.

The lack of forest management and fragmentation in New Jersey are partially to blame for the extirpation of several animals. At the same time we prioritized the recovery of the bald eagle we ignored the needs of animals such as bobwhite quail, red-headed woodpecker, ruffed grouse, pheasant, and more. We have prevented forest disturbance and as a result the integrity of the habitat needed for these species to survive has been severely compromised.

Some special interest groups have misrepresented bills S1954/A4358 as logging and distribution legislation. Their portrayal is not only untrue but unwittingly takes advantage of people’s lack of knowledge of forest biology and the specifics of the legislation, and plays on prejudices that enlist them as advocates of the status quo – a campaign that facilitates environmental damage.

S1954/A4358 provides a means to restore forest health and provides a source to fund the undertaking. The citizens of New Jersey are stakeholders in this matter and they deserve intellectual honesty and rational arguments as the basis for making informed decisions. Forests are critical to sustaining life on earth and we are therefore obligated to woodland stewardship.

Ant

Color the Green Movement Blue

About: Anthony P. Mauro, Sr, (also known as “Ant” to friends and associates) is Chairman and co-founder of the New Jersey Outdoor Alliance, New Jersey Outdoor Alliance Conservation Foundation, and New Jersey Outdoor Alliance Environmental Projects. Ant’s commitment to the principles of sustainable use of natural resources and environmental stewardship helped to create the New Jersey Angling & Hunting Conservation Caucus (NJA&HC). The NJA&HC is the first outdoor caucus of its kind in New Jersey and is designed to educate opinion leaders and policy makers about the principles of conservation; the foundation for healthy ecosystems, fish and wildlife.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont. --(Ammoland.com)- Longtime volunteers of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Keith and Linda Ward of Huson, Mont., have finalized a deal to permanently protect 1,050 acres of area ranchland that serve as important habitat for elk and other wildlife.

On Dec. 16, the Wards placed their Checkpoint Ranch, some 20 miles west of Missoula, Mont., between Ninemile and Sixmile creeks, under conservation easement with RMEF.

The legal agreement restricts development in perpetuity even if land ownership changes.
Affected acres will always be, “much as they are today–farmland, ranchland and native wetlands, meadows and forests,” said Mike Mueller, lands program manager for RMEF.

RMEF brokered the deal, assisted with the legal processes and will monitor easement provisions annually.

“Checkpoint Ranch is one of the largest remaining private parcels in the area, and since it’s connected to adjoining federal and state lands, the conservation impacts of this easement are truly on a landscape scale,” said Mueller. “Habitat fragmentation is a real concern with the increasing subdivision in the Ninemile area. By protecting this ranch, we’ve helped secure the viability of habitat across a much larger area.”

Habitat on the ranch supports an area elk herd of 150-200 animals. Elk are most abundant on the ranch during fall rut, winter and calving season–in fact, biologists say the ranch is one of the preferred calving areas in the surrounding region.

Many other game and nongame species also are commonly observed.

The easement does not provide public access. However, in partnership with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Dept. (FWP) and RMEF, the Wards have developed an elk management plan and enrolled part of their property in a special FWP program that provides the public with limited, high-quality, herd-management hunting opportunities.

The 1,050-acre tract, part of the historic Scheffer Ranch now owned for 20 years by the Ward family, is actually protected via two different easements. One 890-acre easement was partially donated by the Wards and partially funded by the Missoula County Open Space Bond Program. An adjoining 160-acre easement, which covers the original Scheffer Ranch homestead, was fully donated by the Wards.

Combined, the value of the Wards’ donations is approximately $2.7 million.

David Allen, RMEF president and CEO, thanked the Wards for their generosity and credited three RMEF partners–Missoula County Commission, Missoula County Rural Initiatives and Missoula County Open Lands Citizen Advisory Committee–for “using open space bond funds to save an incredible piece of wild country in the kind of place that’s prone to future development.”

Supporters of the project included Lolo National Forest, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Montana Department of Transportation, Ninemile Wildlife Movement Area Working Group and Salish and Kootenai Tribes.

Keith Ward, president of Bob Ward and Sons Sporting Goods, has served multiple volunteer terms on the RMEF board of directors. He is a past chairman of the board and has served a variety of leadership roles on committees. The Wards also are active in many other conservation and sporting organizations.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
RMEF is leading a conservation initiative that has protected or enhanced habitat on over 6 million acres–an area larger than Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Glacier, Yosemite, Rocky Mountain and Great Smoky Mountains national parks combined. RMEF also is a strong voice for hunters in access, wildlife management and conservation policy issues. RMEF members, partners and volunteers, working together as Team Elk, are making a difference all across elk country. Join us at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

Lop and Scatter Project, L-R: Jeremy Anderson, AJ Smith, Brooks Greenwood, Justin Whittier and Darren West.

Mule Deer Foundation

Salt Lake City, UTAH --(Ammoland.com)- Darren West, Project Coordinator for the Mule Deer Foundation’s (MDF) Utah County Chapter, was recently honored by the Utah Division of Wildlife (UDOW).

West was recognized for his relentless work for the benefit of wildlife and habitat.

Covy Jones, the UDOW Biologist who nominated West, said he is impressed with the difficult projects Darren and the other MDF volunteers are willing to tackle. He also commended West and MDF for being enthusiastic and proactive working partners.

Over the last several years, West has worked on behalf of MDF to coordinate relevant habitat projects in partnership with UDOW. He and other MDF volunteers completed “Lop and Scatter” projects on Wildlife Management Areas near Mount Pleasant and Spanish Fork, Utah. Lop and Scatter is a labor-intensive method of removing branches from felled trees to increase the rate of decomposition and lower fire hazard. It also includes clearing areas of over-grown pinion and juniper to promote the re-growth of vegetation, and is a vital part of restoring mule deer winter range.

Jones said this habitat work has produced immediate results and is proving very beneficial for Utah’s deer herds. To date, the Utah County MDF Chapter has cleared 78 acres, with a combined total of 176 hours on the saws. At least 40 additional hours have been spent in planning and training sessions.

West, who was out of state when nominated, said he is driven by his passion and love for hunting.

He declared, “The deer in Utah are in rapid decline, and it feels good to actually do something.”

Justin Whittier, who has worked alongside West on a number of MDF projects, attended the UDOW Awards Luncheon on Dec. 7, 2011, and accepted the award on West’s behalf.

He said, “There were some 50 state employees in attendance, from conservation officers, dedicated hunter people, conservation directors … as a group, they had nominated ten honorees, and Darren West, as a volunteer for the Mule Deer Foundation, was one of them.”

Whittier continued, “Other recipients included Rod Hess with the Utah Dept. of Transportation, recognized for his work on the I-15 core project restoring wetlands and building deer fences, and Boyd McAffee, a Director with Clear Creek Outdoor Education Camp, was recognized for his 30+ years of service introducing youth to the outdoors. Darren was in good company!”

MDF’s Utah County Chapter Chair Jeremy Anderson concluded, “Our chapter is still growing, but we are gaining momentum with hard work and determination. We already have three new projects slated for 2012. When Darren West came on board we took a large step in the right direction.”

About MDF:
The Mule Deer Foundation is one of the key conservation groups in North America working to restore, improve and protect mule deer, black-tailed deer and their habitat. With a focus on science and program efficiency, MDF has raised millions of dollars and put countless hours on the ground for mission-critical projects. MDF acknowledges regulated hunting as a viable management component and is committed to recruitment and retention of youth into the shooting sports and conservation. Get involved at www.muledeer.org or call 1-888-375-DEER.

New Jersey Outdoor Alliance

TRENTON, NJ --(Ammoland.com)- For those of us who enjoy fishing, hunting, and the pursuit of other outdoors interests the health of forests is key to our enjoyment.

Forests help to stabilize the climate, regulate the water cycle by absorbing and redistributing rainwater to every species living within its range, aid in proving clean water, provide habitats for life to flourish, and carbon sequestration in forests and wood products helps to offset sources of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.

The New Jersey Outdoor Alliance supports bills S1954/A4358 because they assist in providing active stewardship of our forest resources.

The following press release from the New Jersey Farm Bureau demonstrates that conservationists are in good company.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: NJ FARM BUREAU

FORESTRY BILLS BY SEN. SMITH AND ASSEM. MCKEON HAVE STRONG SUPPORT AND MOVE THE STATE TOWARD ACTIVE STEWARDSHIP OF STATE FOREST RESOURCES

TRENTON, NJ (December 21, 2011) — By requiring the development of stewardship plans for state lands and then implementing them, the state will be taking major steps that will result in the long term sustainability of our forest resources. This is why groups like New Jersey Farm Bureau, The New Jersey Forestry Association, The New Jersey Society of American Foresters, New Jersey Tree Farm program, The New Jersey Outdoor Alliance and New Jersey Audubon along with noted professors and researchers on forestry, forest health and ecology (*see below) are working together in supporting this legislation (S-1954, A-4358).

Since the early 1980′s, the state of New Jersey has not actively managed its publicly-owned forest resources. With outbreaks in northern counties of Asian Longhorned Beetle and the emerging infestations of Southern Pine Beetle in Pinelands counties, it has become clear there needs to be more active management of the state’s forests. The proposed legislation accomplishes that through mandating the development of forest stewardship plans on public lands and by authorizing the Division of Parks and Forestry to work with the private sector to implement the plans. This public/private partnership of land management already exists in neighboring states to the betterment of their forest resources.

In developing stewardship plans in accordance with the legislation, the state must consider imperiled species and other wildlife including deer damage and reforestation goals, freshwater wetlands and streams, soils (including highly erodible soils and steep slopes), recreation and aesthetic considerations, exotic invasive plant species, forest fire fuel loads, historic resources, and carbon sequestration. The bill also requires that the state hold a public hearing on each of the plans before they are put out to bid for a contract to implement the plan. This will ensure that all interested parties would understand the goals, purposes and the work to be done on a given plan.

With these requirements and safeguards in place, the time is now to prevent further degradation of our state forest lands and start using the private sector as a partner in accomplishing the goals of sound, science-based stewardship of our public resources.

*
Steven W. Kallesser, CF
Douglas Tavella, SAF
Kris Hasbrouck, SAF
Heather J. Gracie-Petty, CF

Michael LaMana, CF, RCA, CTE
Charles J. Newlon, CF
Brian Widener, SAF
Robert R. Williams, SAF, RPF

New Jersey Farm Bureau
New Jersey Forestry Association
New Jersey Outdoor Alliance
New Jersey Tree Farm Program

James E. Applegate, Ph.D. (Professor Emeritus of Natural Resources, Rutgers University)
Christian Bethmann (retired superintendent, NJ State Park Service)
Richard M. Conley, President, NJ Forestry Association
James C. Finley, Ph.D. (Professor of Forest Resources, Pennsylvania State University)
James R. Grace, Ph.D. (M.K. Goddard Professor of Forestry, Pennsylvania State University;
retired Director, PA Bureau of Forestry)
Frank Hennion, SAF (retired NJ Forest Service)
Jane E. Huffman, Ph.D. (Professor of Biology, East Stroudsburg University)
Michael Jacobsen, Ph.D. (Assoc. Professor of Forest Resources, Pennsylvania State University)
John Keator (retired superintendent, NJ State Park Service)
Roger R. Locandro, Ph.D. (Emeritus Professor/Dean of Agriculture and Natural Resources,
Rutgers University)
Anthony P. Mauro, Sr., Chairman, NJ Outdoor Alliance
Douglas E. Roscoe, Ph.D. (wildlife pathologist)
Ronald Sheay, SAF (retired NJ Forest Service)
Dennis Slate, Ph.D. (wildlife ecology & management)
David L. Smart, Ph.D. (retired USDA NRCS State Resource Conservationist)
Kim C. Steiner, Ph.D. (Professor of Forest Biology, Pennsylvania State University)
Leonard Wolgast, Ph.D. (Professor Emeritus of Wildlife Ecology & Mgt., Rutgers University)

Paul J. Barrett, CF, CTE
George J. Boesze, CF
William Brash, SAF, CTE
E. Joseph Bruschetta, SAF
Anthony Cangemi
Lynda Cangemi
Mary Grace Cangemi
Tracy R. Cate
Margaret Conroy
Don Donnelly, SAF
G. Michael Fee, SAF
Dennis Galway, CF, CTE
Duke Grimes, CF, CTE
Christina Harrigan, CF
Thomas J. Hirshblond
Lori Jenssen
West J. Kandle, III
Brian R. Kieffer
Gary Lovallo, CF, CTE
Mark Moore
Seth Partridge, SAF
John E. Perry, CF
Thomas Respet, Jr., SAF
Matthew J. Simons, CTE
Timothy J. Slavin, SAF
Richard Spielman
F. Lloyd Staats
Ken Taafe, CF
Eugene Ventimiglia
John P. Zylstra, CF

##########

JOIN NJOA: http://www.njoutdooralliance.org/support/njoa.html

About:
NJOA – The mission of New Jersey Outdoor Alliance is to serve as a grassroots coalition of outdoorsmen and outdoorswomen dedicated to environmental stewardship. We will champion the intrinsic value of natural resource conservation – including fishing, hunting and trapping, among opinion leaders and policy makers. We will support legislation, and those sponsoring legislation, that provides lasting ecological and social enrichment through sustainable use of the earths resources. Visit: www.njoutdooralliance.org

Richard Childress, president and chief executive officer of Richard Childress Racing

Bass Pro Shops

Springfield, MO --(Ammoland.com)- Bass Pro Shops has named Richard Childress, president and chief executive officer of Richard Childress Racing and Bob Ziehmer, Director of the Missouri Department of Conservation as their “2011 Conservation Partners of the Year”.

Both men were presented their awards by Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris at the company’s annual Christmas luncheon for associates held at their national headquarters in Springfield, Missouri.

Childress, a former NASCAR driver, heads up Richard Childress Racing, a 12-time NASCAR championship-winning organization. Together with racing legend Dale Earnhardt they established RCR as one of the premier teams in all of motorsports.

Another great passion Childress has is big-game hunting and the conservation and preservation of wildlife habitat in the United States and throughout the world. He currently serves on the board of directors of the National Rifle Association and the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation.

“Richard is a long-time friend and hunting buddy who loves racing and has used his platform in racing to promote many conservation causes. I have had some great times sitting around a campfire with him on hunting trips and during that time discovered the true heart this man has for conservation,” stated Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris.

Bob Ziehmer, Director of the Missouri Department of Conservation

Morris also felt that Missouri Department of Conservation Director Bob Ziehmer was most deserving of a Bass Pro Shops Conservation Partner of the Year Award during this 75th anniversary of the agency.

Ziehmer assumed the role as Director on January 15, 2010 and is the eighth director in those 75 years. He believes that input and involvement are critical to conservation.

“All of us at Bass Pro Shops are proud to honor Bob and the Missouri Department of Conservation for everything they have done for all of us as Missourians to protect our right to hunt and fish as well as for their conservation efforts that help protect the wildlife and their habitat,” continued Morris. “Their work has gained them recognition as the national conservation leader that other states try to model”.

Past winners of the Bass Pro Shops Conservation Partner of the Year Award include Wayne LaPierre of the National Rifle Association, Rob Keck of the National Wild Turkey Federation, Jeff Trandahl of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and John Hoskins of the Missouri Department of Conservation.

About Bass Pro Shops:
Bass Pro Shops® operates 58 retail stores in 26 states and Canada visited by over 112 million people annually. Bass Pro Shops® also conducts an international catalog and internet retailing operation, American Rod & Gun® wholesale division sells to over 7,000 independently owned retail stores worldwide. Outdoor World® Incentives also sells Bass Pro Shops® gift cards through over 132,000 retail outlets across America. The Bass Pro Shops® restaurant division with 28 locations. The company’s Tracker Marine Group® (www.trackerboats.com) manufactures and sells Tracker®, Nitro®, SunTracker®, Tahoe®, Grizzly® and Mako® boats through Bass Pro Shops® retail stores and over 400 dealers worldwide. The Resort Group (www.bigcedar.com) includes Big Cedar Lodge® and other resort properties including restaurants and golf courses. For more information regarding Bass Pro Shops® store locations, products or special events, please visit www.basspro.com. To request a free catalog, call 1-800-BASS PRO. Follow us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/bassproshops.

A pup from northeast Oregon’s Wenaha pack that was born in spring 2011. Image taken by remote camera on Dec. 11, 2011. Courtesy of ODFW. Photo courtesy of ODFW-

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

LA GRANDE, Ore --(Ammoland.com)- Photos captured on an ODFW remote camera in northeast Oregon show the Wenaha wolf pack had at least one pup this year.

The photos were taken on forested land in western Wallowa County as part of ODFW monitoring efforts for the Wenaha pack. They are the first indication that the pack’s alpha pair reproduced in 2011.

The finding means that all four wolf packs in Oregon reproduced this year. The Imnaha, Wenaha and Snake River packs all had at least one pup. The new Walla Walla pack produced at least three pups.

While any reproduction is good news for wolf conservation, only one pack, the Walla Walla, will likely be determined to be a “breeding pair” for 2011, or a wolf pack that has produced at least two pups that survive through the end of the year. Breeding pairs are an important measure of wolf conservation for wildlife managers.

The Wenaha pack was determined to be a breeding pair in 2010. It is also believed to be the first pack to reproduce in Oregon since wolves were extirpated back in the 1940s, when a July 2008 howling survey found evidence of pups.

ODFW’s efforts to find additional pups for the Wenaha and other packs will continue so the department can get a complete year-end count of all pups born in 2011.

More information on wolves in Oregon.

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

Corvallis, Ore. --(Ammoland.com)- Greenbelt Land Trust announced today the acquisition of conservation easements on more than 300 acres of Willamette River frontage property in Benton County that will benefit a number of species including chinook salmon, cutthroat trout, Oregon chub, Pacific lampreys, western pond turtles and red-legged frogs.

This project will permanently protect important habitat for fish and wildlife identified in the Oregon Conservation Strategy.

These purchases were made possible through a strong partnership with the existing landowners, the land trust, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and funding from the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, the Bonneville Power Administration and the Meyer Memorial Trust.

Conservation easements allow for some traditional uses of the land, such as farming, by the landowner but permanently protect important wildlife habitat. They also allow conversion of farmland to restoration and conservation purposes as this project does.

They are particularly effective in the Willamette Valley where 96 percent of the land is privately owned. The 319-acre parcel includes Harkens Lake, a significant historic side-channel of the Willamette River that is critical habitat for native fish populations.

“This project is an integral part of creating opportunities for broad-scale floodplain habitat restoration on the Willamette River,” states Ken Bierly, Deputy Director of Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board.

The conservation of Harkens Lake is made possible through a partnership with landowners Gary, Jenny and Steve Horning and Mark and Sherie Adams, a collaboration that will continue as the partners prepare to restore the property’s floodplain forests and riparian areas to their historic conditions. Restoration of these forests decreases erosion and flood damage from seasonal inundation throughout the 100-year floodplain.

“Our family has worked and lived on the Willamette River for five generations, which is why we take such pride in showing we can work around the river sustainably. We know the health of our crops depends on the health of the river system. Our goal for restoration is to utilize important floodplain areas to improve water quality and protect the valuable farm land that our family farm depends on,” said landowner Gary Horning.

“This important work can only be accomplished through partnerships with private landowners, non-profits, foundations and state and federal agencies,” said Michael Pope, GLT Executive Director. “We’re facing a monumental task in fish recovery and riparian restoration in the Willamette Valley, and we must all work together. We are extremely pleased to be able to complete this transaction, and grateful to all our partners who work with us to protect and restore environmentally sensitive lands.”

Funding from this project was dedicated through:

• Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board through its Willamette Special Investment Partnership (SIP). The goal of the Willamette SIP is to identify and implement high-priority land conservation, fish passage, and habitat flow restoration projects that contribute to the enhancement of resident and migratory fish populations in the mainstem and tributaries of the Willamette River.
• The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Willamette Wildlife Mitigation Program which was created to manage the funds dedicated to the State of Oregon by the Bonneville Power Administration for wildlife habitat mitigation in the Willamette Valley. The agreement requires a substantial investment in wildlife and fish habitat restoration over the next 15 years.
• Bonneville Power Administration funding helps fulfill an agreement that the State of Oregon made in 2010 to protect nearly 20,000 acres of Willamette Basin wildlife habitat. The agreement dedicates stable funding from electric ratepayers for 15 years to safeguard Willamette habitat for native species, supporting state efforts to protect the Willamette Basin and fulfilling BPA’s responsibility under the Northwest Power Act to offset the impacts of federal flood control and hydropower dams.

Conservation Reserve Program - Cost Versus Value

Delta Waterfowl

Bismarck, ND --(Ammoland.com)- The U.S. fiscal crisis has put all government expenditures under the microscope or on the chopping block.

Politicians of every persuasion are talking about ways to remedy our burgeoning federal deficit.

Super committees have been created and have died. And despite the rhetoric from pundits and economic experts, there is no clear pathway forward to address our chronic problem of too much expense and too little revenue in our federal government.

For the record, I am a fiscal conservative who is wary of burgeoning spending. I, too, am concerned about the litany of reports of governmental inefficiency or out-right waste.

But a recent indictment of the Conservation Reserve Program from policymakers, duck hunters and other sportsmen and women indicate an information vacuum of epic proportions. Boiled down, the perception is one of program costs versus program benefits.

CRP is continually the focus of policymaker’s budget thrashing. It is, after all, the 900-pound gorilla of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s conservation programming. It impacts more acreage, is costly and thusly gets more scrutiny than any other conservation action. CRP is also in the crosshairs of some interests groups because they believe eliminating CRP would increase crop acreage, increase commodity inventory and drive commodity prices down.

Looking at any expenditure independent of its value proposition is a dangerous game. Taking shots at CRP’s price tag (roughly $2 billion annually) while not considering the program’s broad conservation, environmental and societal benefits is weak policy analysis. It is superficial hacking with no understanding of the implications.

So while the 2.5 million ducks produced annually on CRP lands (and I think this estimate is grossly low for about 2.5 million reasons), bumper crops of ring-neck pheasants and abundant bobolinks and meadowlarks certainly doesn’t justify the price tag, consider the following stats cited by a recent article in the Minneapolis Star and Tribune:

• CRP lands retained 1.86 billion pounds of nitrogen
• CRP lands retained 420 million pounds of phosphorous
• CRP lands secured 1.8 billion tons of top soil
• CRP reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 200 million tons in the last four years

Furthermore, those figures don’t quantify the value CRP has in terms of cleaning up our water supply, mitigating flooding (which costs untold billions annually), and providing access to quality hunting lands.

I know I can’t associate the value of reductions of nitrogen or phosphorous pollution or what the public value of 1.8 billion tons of top soil are, but I do know the federal government was pondering a cap and trade program that would have had untold costs to reduce carbon emissions when CRP is at least partially carrying the load right now with so many other benefits and at likely a much lower cost. Here we have the societal, or taxpayer benefits, of CRP.

A study by the University of Tennessee’s Agriculture Policy Analysis Center in 2006 deduced that eliminating CRP would cost the American taxpayer $33 billion over a ten-year period. Why? Because agriculture support on those acres would cost taxpayers far more on a per acre basis than CRP rental rates. It’s true that commodity prices are changing and agricultural support programs are different, but have they changed to the degree that it would erase a $33 billion deficit I find it hard to believe it has changed that much. So the long-term consequences of eliminating or even cutting CRP may well represent an increase in government spending—not exactly the outcome budget hawks in D.C. (or the American public) is after.

And let’s not forget America’s farmers and ranchers—they own the land upon which our ducks and other critters are raised. CRP has been, by any measure, the most significant partnership between agriculture and conservation. Its sheer scale of impact dwarfs any other conservation action that has ever graced North America.

Why? Because it worked within a farmer’s operation, provided a new product on marginal land, provided a hedge against the highly volatile commodity markets and provided insulation against the vagaries of weather. Many farmers are not re-enrolling their CRP lands. That is their prerogative. But with recent reductions in national CRP acreage caps, farmers willing to enroll in the program are being turned away. Yes, despite high commodity prices, surging cash rent, etc., farmers still want CRP because they want to contribute to conservation and environmental outcomes on their land.

I know our country needs to get its fiscal house in order. There is no denying the criticalness of the task. No aspect of the federal budget should be off limits for debate, dialog and evaluation for spending reductions. CRP may need to be amongst the good programming that needs trimming. If so, so be it.

But it is our role as hunters and anglers to ensure policymakers and the public at large know the facts. Let’s make decisions with the best information at hand. Let’s look at value. Let’s look at benefits. Let’s look at outcomes. I have a hunch CRP will come out better than a goodly chunk of government spending.

Rant over.

About:
Delta Waterfowl provides knowledge, leaders and science-based solutions that efficiently conserve waterfowl and secure the future for waterfowl hunting. Visit: www.deltawaterfowl.org

Wildlife Management Institute

Gardners, PA --(Ammoland.com)- With Congress looking to reduce the federal budget deficit and the “Super Committee’s” failure to reach a compromise on future funding levels triggering more than $1 trillion in cuts to domestic spending, several keystone conservation programs are facing significant funding reductions, according to the Wildlife Management Institute.

As a result, conservation organizations are seeking ways to build support and justify these programs focusing on how conservation and recreation impact local economies.

A recent report quantifies the importance of providing outdoor recreational opportunities, focusing on job creation and revenues in what are typically small, rural towns near public lands. Conducted by Southwick Associates for the America’s Voice for Conservation, Recreation and Preservation (AVCRP) coalition and commissioned by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, it is the first report to capture numerous existing studies on the economic impacts of conservation and outdoor recreation in one overview.

“Natural resource conservation and historic preservation programs provide hundreds of thousands of jobs and strong returns on public investments that primarily help rural communities and cannot be exported abroad,” said John L. Nau III, chairman emeritus of the Civil War Trust and co-chair of the AVCRP. “This country needs jobs that leverage private investment and conserve our precious natural resources and historic spaces.”

The argument is gaining traction as the Western Governors Association has launched its “Get Out West” marketing campaign in an effort to capitalize on the great outdoor recreation resources in the region. In addition, more than 100 economists recently wrote the White House urging continued investment in public lands infrastructure to create jobs and support businesses.

Outdoor Recreation Impacts on the Economy
While the economy has yet to recover fully, the outdoor industry has been largely recession proof. The Outdoor Industry Association (OIA)—the trade organization for “human-powered” outdoor recreation (hiking, biking, paddling, etc.)—provides monthly reports on the state of the industry, and the one for October shows a 7-percent increase. In general, the outdoor industry has been outperforming the broader retail market with year-to-date outdoor product sales up 6.3 percent to $7.7 billion for the nine-month fiscal retail period running February through October. Overall, outdoor recreation sales (gear and trips combined) of $289 billion per year are greater than annual returns from pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing ($162 billion), legal services ($253 billion), and power generation and supply ($283 billion).

But the impacts go much farther than the retail sales numbers provided by OIA. The industry estimates that the total economic activity from outdoor recreation is $730 billion a year. The Southwick report’s compilation of economic data shows that outdoors and historic preservation generate a conservative estimate of more than $1 trillion in total economic activity, support 9.4 million jobs each year and provide $107 billion in federal, state and local tax revenues. As an example, 2010 activities associated with U.S. Department of the Interior lands provided more than 2.2 million jobs for Americans, which generated $377 billion in economic activity. This includes such activities as construction and maintenance; natural resource management; water, timber and forage use of public lands; and land acquisition.

“As a former Secretary of the Interior, governor, senator and mayor, I have witnessed firsthand how historic preservation, conservation and outdoor recreation result in tremendous benefits to our nation’s economy,” said Dirk Kempthorne. “This study is a valuable tool for reaffirming and quantifying those benefits.”

Beyond the topline numbers, the report evaluates the impact of public lands on nearby communities. Visitation of public lands provides specific returns to communities. In 2009, visitors to national parks spent $12.56 billion in “gateway” areas adjacent to the parks and more than 56 percent of the total spending was by visitors who stayed outside the parks. Nationally, this visitor activity accounted for 247,000 jobs, $9.66 billion in labor income and $16.46 billion in value added. The local impact across all parks amounted to direct and secondary effects of 149,500 jobs, $4.56 billion in labor income and $7.74 billion in value added. In addition, the combined spending effect of hunting, fishing and wildlife watching associated with National Forest System lands totaled $9.5 billion in annual retail sales. They supported 189,400 jobs and provided $1.01 billion in annual federal tax revenues. For national wildlife refuges, there were 36.7 million visitors in 2004, generating $1.64 billion of economic activity in regional economies.

Economic Benefit of Natural Areas
While spending on physical goods and services and trip-related costs associated with public lands are impressive, many of those expenses do not consider the economic returns from the protection of open spaces and natural habitat. The value of ecosystem services provided by natural habitat in the 48 contiguous United States amount to about $1.6 trillion annually, which is equivalent to more than 10 percent of the United States’ gross domestic product (GDP). As a specific case in point, the total value of ecosystem services provided by the acreage of natural habitats in national wildlife refuges totaled $32.3 billion per year, or $2,900 per acre per year. However the opposite impact occurs with loss of habitat. The loss of about 9.9 million acres of wetlands in the U.S. since the 1950s has resulted in an economic loss of more than $81 billion in all wetlands-related ecosystem services, including flood control and water quality.

Another way to assess the importance of open spaces and protected land is to evaluate the property values near these conserved areas. There has been no nationwide assessment, but individual analyses of specific public land units provide a snapshot of how these areas have impacted private land values. One study included in the Southwick report looked at 20 years of research into property values near different categories of parks, from urban to specialized recreational parks, and included natural parks. Overall, the study found a 20-percent value increase of properties next to a passive park; it suggested that these numbers can be used more widely to estimate the economic contributions of parks.

Increased Calls for Action
The strong economic return on investment for public lands is a message that conservation organizations are hoping is resonating in Congress and with the White House. The coalition, America’s Voice for Conservation, Recreation and Preservation has grown to more than a thousand organizations, ranging from traditionally conservative sportsmen’s organizations to some of the more “green” environmental organizations.

In addition, a recent letter by economists and academics was sent to the White House urging continued investment in conservation of public lands. “The rivers, lakes, canyons and mountains found on public lands serve as a unique and compelling backdrop that has helped to transform the western economy from a dependence on resource extractive industries to growth from in-migration, tourism, and modern economy sectors such as finance, engineering, software development, insurance and health care,” the letter authors wrote. “Today, one of the competitive strengths of the West is the unique combination of wide-open spaces, scenic vistas and recreational opportunities alongside vibrant, growing communities that are connected to larger markets via the Internet, highways and commercial air service.”

Even governors in the West are recognizing the link. At their winter meeting early this month, the Western Governor’s Association (WGA) officially launched its marketing campaign to urge tourists to “Get Out West.” The first step of the effort will be the development of a comprehensive report documenting the recreation industry’s contribution to jobs and the economy of western states and the nation. The OIA will be partnering with motorized recreation groups representing an industry with more limited research on the economic impacts from public lands.

“In the past, the motorized and non-motorized groups have published their own reports and analyses using different methodologies,” said Washington Governor Chris Gregoire, chair of the WGA. “With this joint effort, policy makers and the public will get a more complete picture of the positive impacts these industries have on the western economy.”

“The American West is an iconic place for outdoor recreation and draws enthusiasts locally and from around the world,” said Frank Hugelmeyer, President and CEO of the Outdoor Industry Association. “Our choice of activities may differ, but our interest in an accessible, well-managed, well-funded public lands infrastructure brings us together. It is critical that the outdoor recreation community works together to provide a comprehensive snapshot that reveals the true economic impact of our collective industries.”

While there is greater cohesiveness in the conservation community on the issues of funding and the value natural resource conservation efforts to the national economy, how the argument will resonate in Congress remains unclear. There is support building for permanent funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund, the federal funding source for state and local parks and recreation as well as federal land acquisition. In addition, agriculture conservation programs and wetland management programs also have strong supporters in Congress.

But, as the overall budget “pie” shrinks, many conservation programs appear to be at risk in every appropriations cycle. (jas)

About:
Wildlife Management Institute: Founded in 1911, WMI is a private, nonprofit, scientific and educational organization, dedicated to the conservation, enhancement and professional management of North America’s wildlife and other natural resources. Visit: www.wildlifemanagementinstitute.org

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont. --(Ammoland.com)- Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation volunteer board member Fred Bryant of Kingsville, Texas, is among four finalists for the 2012 Budweiser Conservationist of the Year award.

The winner, to be selected by consumer voting, will receive $50,000 from Budweiser and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to support their priority conservation projects.

To vote, go to www.budweiser.com, enter your birth date to confirm you are over 21, look for “We’re Donating $65,000. Vote for Conservationist of the Year” on the main page, and click to cast your vote. Only one vote accepted per person and all voters must be at least 21 years of age. All votes must be received by Jan. 6, 2012.

Votes also are accepted by mail. On a 3×5 card or piece of paper, write your name, address and age as well as the name of the candidate you’ve selected. Mail to 2012 Conservationist of the Year, P.O. Box 1069, Young America, MN 55594-1069.

Bryant serves as chairman of the RMEF Lands and Conservation Committee. Under his leadership, RMEF has permanently protected more than 224,000 acres–an area nearly the size of Rocky Mountain National Park–of vital habitat for elk and other wildlife. Many of those acres are now also open for the public to hunt and fish.

RMEF President and CEO David Allen said, “Congratulations to Fred. He’s an extraordinary leader and dedicated conservationist who deserves recognition, and RMEF is very fortunate to have him on our team.”

Allen added, “Every time a new lands project comes up, Fred begins his analysis by asking the same three key questions: 1) Is it good for elk and other wildlife, 2) is it important habitat in danger of being lost to development, and 3) will it open or maintain public access to sportsmen.”

“I hope every elk hunter who’s of age will go online and return the favor,” he added.

Budweiser’s website includes the following bio:

“Fred Bryant’s 34-year history of advancing conservation stretches from Canada to the Andes of Peru. But nowhere is it more apparent than the many places wild elk roam across North America. Fred’s work with RMEF has protected over 85,000 acres of habitat in the last year alone. But RMEF is just one aspect of Fred’s tireless commitment to conservation. Fred has also worked with Taking Care of Texas, Boone and Crockett Club and many other conservation organizations. And as an author, speaker and professor of range and wildlife management at Texas Tech University and the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute at Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Fred has taught thousands of students to share his passion for the outdoors.”

Other nominees include Don R. Johnson of Festus, Mo., Bill D’Alonzo of Greenville, Del., and David Ramsey of Unicoi, Tenn.

The 2012 Budweiser Conservationist of the Year will be formally recognized on Jan. 18, 2012, during the Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show in Las Vegas.

Budweiser has been the official beer of RMEF for over 23 years. Since 1999, the “Help Budweiser Conserve the Outdoors” program, along with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and RMEF members, has raised more than $1.1 million for conservation and education.

Allen said, “Budweiser is one of RMEF’s longest standing and most valuable partners. The company’s dedication to our mission began in 1988 with a major gift for our first-ever permanent land protection project, and it continues today with sponsorship and support on many levels throughout our organization.”

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
RMEF is leading a conservation initiative that has protected or enhanced habitat on over 6 million acres–an area larger than Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Glacier, Yosemite, Rocky Mountain and Great Smoky Mountains national parks combined. RMEF also is a strong voice for hunters in access, wildlife management and conservation policy issues. RMEF members, partners and volunteers, working together as Team Elk, are making a difference all across elk country. Join us at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

Editors Note: Notice how the reactions by UN representatives and implementation of policy are identical to those demonstrated at the secretive UN Small Arms Treaty meetings.

AmmoLand Gun News

Manasquan, NJ --(Ammoland.com)- British Viscount Christopher Monckton of Brenchley parachuted with me into Durban, South Africa, to challenge UN climate crisis claims, attracting numerous journalists and onlookers.

A 20-foot banner across our press conference table gave the Committee For A Constructive Tomorrow further opportunities to present realistic perspectives on the science and economics of climate change.

CFACT played by the rules, obtained the necessary permits beforehand, and ensured that its message was heard throughout the seventeenth annual climate conference (COP-17).

Greenpeace, on the other hand, got no permits before staging an Occupy Durban protest in the hallway outside the plenary session – and got kicked out of the conference.

Shortly thereafter, however, Lord Monckton and another CFACT representative were summarily (though temporarily) ejected from the Durban conference, for preposterous reasons that dramatize how thin-skinned and arrogant the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has become.

As a South African and delegate at the COP-17 conference, I witnessed more amazing and absurd exhibitions than one would find at a Believe It Or Not circus sideshow. Along with thousands of government delegates, scientists and journalists, we witnessed music and dance groups, Women for Climate Justice, the Alliance for Climate Protection, APEs (Artists Protect the Earth) and others pleading for “planetary salvation.”

It took a truly nimble mind, and abiding sense of humor, to appreciate their often competing messages.

One large official poster proclaimed “More climate change means less water,” while the one next to it said “More climate change means more floods.”

A socialist group sloganeered “One planet living is the new aspiration.” I could only conclude that they were neo-Malthusians worried sick about speculative climate chaos and resource depletion – and promoting a roll-back of energy use and living standards, so that people can share “more equitably” in sustained poverty and misery, enforced by UN edicts.

Yet another group insisted that the world should “Stop talking and start planting.” However, this group and countless others oppose profits and private enterprises. They apparently haven’t yet realized that large paper and timber companies plant the most trees and create the largest new-growth forests, which breathe in the most carbon dioxide and breathe out the most oxygen.

These and similar organizations also demanded that profit-making companies give more money to environmentalist NGOs – which might temporarily make the companies less reprehensible and more eco-friendly.

Of course, if the activists succeed in further obstructing the companies, they will plant fewer trees, remove less CO2, create fewer jobs and have less money to give to NGOs.

This parallel universe aspect of the Durban extravaganza was troublesome enough. Another aspect of the conference was much more sinister and worrisome. Which brings us back to Lord Monckton, a renowned debater and expert in IPCC and climate science, economics and politics.

One day he and I were meandering through the halls, as advisors to CFACT and its official delegation to the conference. We were accompanied by CFACT project organizer Josh Nadal, who was using his video camera to film anything he liked, to make a video of “what we did at COP-17.”

As we rounded a corner, we saw someone we didn’t know being interviewed for the in-house television information system that transmitted programs throughout the official venue. We were astounded by how biased and inaccurate his comments were. When atmospheric carbon dioxide levels rose, temperature also rose, he insisted – very simple. Of course, that is simply not true.

His interview over, he stepped off the dais and headed our way. I asked him whether he would agree that global temperatures had actually gone down during the early 1970s, even as CO2 levels continued to rise. He refused to acknowledge this universally accepted fact. I then mentioned the Medieval Warm Period of a thousand years ago. In response, he asserted that the MWP was merely a localized event of no consequence. Also simply not true.

At that point Monckton asked him to acknowledge that the science was nowhere nearly as clear cut as he had proclaimed. The official refused to do so, asserted “I have work to do,” and walked off.

"He is the Secretary General of the World Meteorological Organisation. He does not have to answer your questions"

Josh had been filming the entire exchange, but now an aide put a hand over the camera lens. When I remarked that just walking off was bad manners, the aide said “You are not worth debating.” I replied, “All he had to do was answer two simple questions.” I was amazed when the aide responded, “He is the Secretary General of the World Meteorological Organisation. He does not have to answer your questions.” The aide then walked off just as rudely as his boss had.

These unelected technocrats and bureaucrats want to decide the science and ordain the energy and economic policies that will determine our future livelihoods and living standards. And yet they are of the opinion that they can talk scientific nonsense and ignore anyone’s inconvenient questions. We had not known that he was Michel Jarraud, Secretary General of the WMO. But that is irrelevant. We were polite, and he should have been, as well. But it gets worse.

Two hours later, Lord Monckton and Josh were informed that they had violated ad hoc rules and were banned from further participation in the conference: Josh for filming without permission, Monckton for “unprofessional” conduct. Somehow I was spared. The next day, following negotiations between CFACT and UN officials, the two were reinstated.

A couple of days later, a TV interviewer asked IPCC Vice Chair Jean-Pascal van Ypersele whether there was now enough information to decide the next steps COP-17 should take. van Ypersele answered, “The body of knowledge was there already in the first [IPCC] report twenty years ago and was actually good enough to start the action which inspired the convention on climate change.”

The interviewer then asked if the science was well enough understood. “Not only is there enough science” the Vice Chair replied, “but that science has been there, available and explained by the IPCC, already from the first report.”

In other words, in the view of the IPCC, climate change science was settled even before the term “climate change” was coined – and all “research” and “findings,” reports and conferences since then have been window dressing – inconsequential. Even new evidence about cosmic ray effects on cloud cover, and thus on the amount of the sun’s heat reaching the earth, is irrelevant in the view of the IPCC and other UN agencies, and thus may be intentionally ignored.

The imperious attitudes and intolerance of dissenting opinions displayed by these officials further underscores the wholly unscientific and politicized nature of the IPCC process. Even in the face of Climategate 2009 and 2010, The Delinquent Teenager, Marc Morano’s A-Z Climate Reality Check and other revelations, the UN and IPCC fully intend to impose their views and agendas.

At this point, in the view of the IPCC, the only thing left is for first world countries to pay up and shut up – and poor countries to develop in the way and to the extent allowed by the United Nations.

About:
Dr. Kelvin Kemm holds a PhD in nuclear physics, is currently CEO of Stratek and lives in Pretoria, South Africa. He also serves as a scientific advisor to the Committee For A Constructive Tomorrow (www.CFACT.org)

Hog-hunting Television Shows & Silver Bullets Won't Fix the Nation's Wild Pig Problem

Wildlife Management Institute

Gardners, PA --(Ammoland.com)- Talk to any wildlife biologist in the southern United States about wild pigs, and you’re likely to hear something akin to at least one of the following, “They’re the four-legged equivalent of fire ants;” “If the average litter is six, typically eight survive;” “Only a fence that will hold water will hold feral hogs.”

Even the most rigorous scientists are reduced to using these tongue-in-cheek aphorisms to describe the harsh reality and seemingly apocalyptic future of North America’s second-most harvested mammalian game species, reports the Wildlife Management Institute.

No other domesticated animal becomes feral so easily and survives more adaptively than the swine. Often labeled the “ultimate generalist,” the pig’s spread throughout North America via a biological trifecta of high reproductive potential, climate tolerance and ability to re-organize entire ecosystems has resulted in something not unlike a pandemic. According to those who have witnessed the wild pig’s march across the continent, the invasion is best characterized as an “ecological train wreck.”

Forty-five states and four Canadian provinces are currently grappling with the environmental and financial calamity brought about by the feral, wild or hybrid pigs within their borders. Though population estimates are difficult to determine, most experts believe that North America is home to between three and six million wild pigs.

“They can live in just about any habitat; anywhere from the Canadian Prairie Provinces down to the deserts of Mexico and all parts in between,” said Dr. Jack Mayer, research scientist and manager at the Savannah River National Laboratory.

According to Mayer, three distinct types of wild pigs reside in North America. First is the feral pig, originating from domesticated stock brought to Florida by Hernando de Soto in the mid-1500s. Second is the pure Eurasian wild boar, introduced to the continent by hunters in the late 1800s. Last is the hearty, hybridized hog, resulting from crosses of the two parent strains. Wildlife managers collectively refer to all three types of invasive swine simply as wild pigs.

The feral pig/wild boar hybrid is by far the most prolific of the three strains and likely the most adaptive.

“Virtually every habitat in North America is represented in the wild boar’s native range in Eurasia,” notes Dr. Ben West, the western region director for the University of Tennessee Extension. “Thus, there is huge genetic potential in the hybrid pig.”

According to West and other wildlife biologists, the hybrid wild pig’s ability to adapt and thrive in habitats of all major ecosystems in the United States is likely unlimited and largely unknown.

The wild pig’s capacity to increase its numbers and expand its range is unparalleled among North America’s invasive mammals. Females are capable of reproducing at six months of age and can produce up to three litters a year. Though the typical litter averages six, sows can give birth to as many as a dozen under good conditions. Surprisingly, female pigs can breed well into their teens; researchers have documented pregnant sows as old as 14. This reproductive proficiency combined with an absence of natural predators has allowed many wild pig populations to double in as little as four months.

According to data collected by the Southeast Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, wild pig populations in the U.S. have irrupted in the last 30 years. In 1982, 475 counties in 17 states contained wild pigs. By 2004, the number of counties reporting wild pigs had risen to 1,014. Based on current estimates, those numbers are on a fast track to double again in the near future.

As prophesized by one Texas Parks and Wildlife game warden, “There’s only two kinds of folks—those who have hogs and those who will have ‘em.”

Given the level of ecological and agricultural destruction currently being waged by hogs, the future cost of managing their swelling populations will pose a major challenge to already fiscally strapped state fish and wildlife agencies.

Pennsylvania Game Commission Lifts Restriction On Taking Feral Hogs

Recent estimates of the damage done to natural and agricultural resources by wild pigs approach $1.5 billion annually, with heavily infested states such as Texas suffering nearly $52 million of swine-caused wreckage every year. The bulk of the damage stems from the pigs rooting through vegetation and soil in search of roots, tubers, invertebrates and crops. The resulting tilling effect destroys agricultural land, disturbs native plant communities, causes erosion and, as is the case in Hawaii, creates standing water hollows that serve as breeding grounds for non-native mosquito species. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the explosion of disease harboring mosquito populations in Hawaii has had a devastating effect on the island’s already declining native bird populations.

The wild pigs’ destructive feeding behavior poses a particular threat to sensitive wildlife species and their habitats. According to studies by researchers at Texas A&M University, wetlands and riparian areas suffer the most damage from wild pigs. In some areas, nearly 50 percent of the habitat is significantly degraded by the hogs’ rooting and wallowing. Additionally, these wet areas also are experiencing increased bacterial contamination in the form of E. coli and fecal coliform from the ever-present pigs.

“Hogs are deadly to anything that nests on the ground,” stated West. “One of the best examples is the depredation of sea turtle eggs on Ossabaw Island.”

Before the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GDNR) began an intensive wild pig removal program on Ossabaw, a barrier island south of Savannah, sea turtle nests on the islands’ sandy beaches suffered greater than 30 percent mortality. Today, as a result of the GDNR removing nearly 3,000 hogs from the island annually, those nests experience less than 5 percent mortality.

Interestingly, researchers also documented a significant increase in the body weight of Ossabaw’s white-tailed deer following wild pig reduction efforts. This fact, along with other research conducted in southeastern hardwood forests, demonstrates that wild pigs present a formidable source of competition for dozens of native wildlife and plant species. Largely due to the pigs’ habit of bulldozing seedlings and rooting for mast crops, such as acorns, these forested areas are experiencing dramatic change. Hardwood regeneration has nearly halted and many wildlife species are outcompeted for critical resources.

Unfortunately, the wild pig’s impact on native mammals is not restricted to increased competition or habitat destruction. Hogs harbor numerous diseases as well as internal and external parasites that are transmissible to wildlife, livestock and even humans. Many of these diseases, such as brucellosis, tuberculosis and the pseudorabies virus have been the target of national disease-eradication programs for livestock. As wild pig numbers continue to increase and spread to new areas, biologists are concerned that their efforts to eradicate or reduce the prevalence of these diseases in wild and domestic animals will be in vain. In addition, researchers at the USDA National Wildlife Disease Center note the possibly insurmountable challenge of controlling an “accidental or intentional outbreak of a foreign animal disease, such as foot and mouth, rinderpest, African swine fever or classical swine fever” if those diseases were ever to find their way into the wild pig population.

To date, no single technique used to control the spread or overall numbers of wild pigs has proven successful—a fact not lost on disease specialists and wildlife managers. According to West, 50 to 70 percent of a wild pig population must be removed each year to stabilize or begin reducing it. Unfortunately, hunting and other lethal control methods account for only 20 percent a year on average. Even more frustrating to wildlife managers is the fact that hunters are the one’s largely responsible for the viral spread of wild pigs to new geographic regions across the country.

NJ Hunters Permitted to Take Feral Hogs

Given that the wild pig is listed as an invasive animal in most states, hunters are presented with a nearly unlimited and often year-round season during which to harvest hogs. This, unfortunately, has led many individuals to shuttle and re-stock wild pigs illegally into new areas. In an interesting and somewhat contradictory move in 2009, several states, including Kansas and Nebraska, actually outlawed the hunting of wild pigs in an effort to halt their spread. By eliminating the opportunity to hunt, these states hope to remove the incentive to introduce wild pigs. Time will tell if the effort proves successful.

Currently, significant research is being conducted on swine-specific toxins to aid in the control of wild pigs. Ironically, the most promising of these new products, commercially known as Hog-Gone, is a concentrated form of sodium nitrite, the most common pork preservative used worldwide. While initial results look promising, it is likely that no silver bullet exists to rid North America’s diverse habitats of the wild pig. According to West and other wildlife biologists, only constant monitoring and unified efforts between hunters, landowners and wildlife management agencies can protect native ecosystems from the invasion of the wild pig.

In the words of Michael Bodenchuk, State Director of the Texas USDA Wildlife Services, “We’re not going to barbeque our way out of this problem.”

Learn more regarding wild pigs and their management. (mcd)

About:
Wildlife Management Institute: Founded in 1911, WMI is a private, nonprofit, scientific and educational organization, dedicated to the conservation, enhancement and professional management of North America’s wildlife and other natural resources. Visit: www.wildlifemanagementinstitute.org

The newly acquired property within the Pigeon River Country State Forest contains a nearly one mile stretch of the Black River and approximately one-half mile of Saunders Creek. Both waterways are situated in the headwaters area of the Black River system, an area that is a highly regarded “blue ribbon” brook trout fishery.

Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Michigan --(Ammoland.com)- The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has completed a recent purchase of more than 500 acres of private land within the Pigeon River Country (PRC) State Forest in northern Michigan.

The acquisition of the property occurred through a partnership with the Little Traverse Conservancy, assistance from the Headwaters Land Conservancy, and with funds from the Natural Resource Trust Fund.

“This land acquisition simply makes sense,” said Scott Whitcomb, DNR unit manager for the Pigeon River Country State Forest. “Given the size and location of the property and the natural resources that occur there – this is a perfect addition to the PRC.”

The 517-acre tract of land, the second largest piece of private property within the PRC, is a natural fit for the state forest system. The land is bordered on two and a half sides by state-owned land with a level to gently rolling topography. The property also contains a nearly one mile stretch of the Black River and approximately one-half mile of Saunders Creek. Both waterways are situated in the headwaters area of the Black River system, an area that is a highly regarded “blue ribbon” brook trout fishery.

“We are excited about this land acquisition. It nicely ties together the southern portions of the Pigeon River Country State Forest,” said John Walters, chairman of the Pigeon River Advisory Council and president of the Headwaters Chapter of Trout Unlimited.

“The Pigeon River Country is a special place and the addition of the portions of Saunders Creek and the Black River make it all that much more special, especially for folks interested in quiet recreational opportunities.”

The property will be managed as part of the Pigeon River Country State Forest in accordance with the Concept of Management. This includes managing for timber and wildlife, specifically elk and other forest wildlife habitat, as well as for fisheries habitat. The property will also be open to the public at all times for hunting, fishing, trapping, wildlife viewing and other resource-based recreation.

“Thanks to the Natural Resources Trust Fund, the purchasing of this land is an outstanding addition to the PRC and should provide to be a huge benefit to the citizens of Michigan,” added Whitcomb.

With funds provided by the Natural Resources Trust Fund, the Department of Natural Resources was able to purchase over 500 acres of land within the Pigeon River Country State Forest.

For more information on the Pigeon River Country State Forest and the Concept of Management, visit www.michigan.gov/dnrpigeonriver.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state’s natural and cultural resources for current and future generations. For more information, go to www.michigan.gov/dnr.

More Than 100 Bald Eagle Nests Now In New Jersey

New Jersey Fish and Game

Trenton, NJ --(Ammoland.com)- The dramatic recovery of the American bald eagle has reached a milestone in New Jersey, with more than 100 pairs now nesting in the Garden State, according to a newly released analysis of the species’ population.

The survey by the NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife’s Endangered and Nongame Species Program counted 102 pairs of actively nesting eagles, plus 11 more pairs in the process of establishing nesting territories.

The survey documented a record 22 new nests, of which 16 are in southern New Jersey, four in northern New Jersey and two in central New Jersey.

To learn more about this milestone, view the NJDEP news release at http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0141.htm ; for more information on eagles in New Jersey, including the 2011 Eagle Report, visit http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/ensp/raptor_info.htm on the division’s website.

Conservation Corner w/ Anthony P. Mauro, Sr

USA --(Ammoland.com)-  After reading the New Jersey Sierra Club belief that a bear hunt is unwarranted and   unfounded  because it will not help to manage bears in the state of New Jersey, as well as similar comments from Sierra’s  allies in the animal rights community, it occurred to me that one has to overlook some very compelling evidence to the contrary in order to cultivate such faith.

Firstly, to reach the conclusion of the animal activist one must disagree with the findings of both a Superior Court and Appellate Court, each ruling that the State of New Jersey had put together a viable, comprehensive bear management plan. The two courts agreed that the hunt should proceed.

People would also need a deaf ear to avoid hearing the pervading wisdom of biologists, wildlife managers, and State agencies across America that argue persuasively in favor of hunting as one of several necessary bear management tools.

To agree with the conclusion of the animal activist one must close their eyes to the negative psychological effects associated with human-bear conflicts in residential, commercial, and camping situations. It requires an exceptional degree of callousness in order to ignore claims of economic loss caused by bears to agriculture related businesses. This insensitivity would also extend to financial harm that would befall employers and employees of hotels, camps, and other businesses as a result of lost tourism should a bear-human conflict result in injury or worse.

To agree with the animal activist requires one to show complete disregard for human safety. There would need to be ignorance about the ways black bears respond to periods of declining food sources, and a lack of understanding about the perils associated with bear habituation. These are reasons for increased bear-human conflicts. They may in fact be the cause of recent livestock and pet deaths by black bears as well as reports of physical encounters between bears and humans.

It is the goal of animal activists to promote the rights of bears but to do so at the expense of the public health is emotional thinking; a sign of difficulty in distinguishing between emotions and thoughts. It may be the reason for the sensational claims by animal activists that the bear hunt is a grand conspiracy of New Jersey’s Governor to curry favor with hunters, roll back environmental progress and turn over the Garden State to developers and polluters. It is a radical accusation regardless of its origin.

Emotional thinking may also be the spark that ignited a handful of activists to hold a bear hunt protest in Trenton. They lectured using spurious claims based on manipulated data and research. It even earned them the “Pants on Fire” award from PolitiFact, the truth watchdog arm of the Star-Ledger. It is a distinction awarded to those making ridiculous statements.

Color The Green Movement Blue

Finally, for the animal activist to believe that during a time of dwindling habitat and prolific bear population expansion that bear-human conflict can be managed solely by garbage containment and public education is to defy common sense and rely on wishful thinking. While limiting food sources and educating the public about black bears is useful it does nothing to address the primary reasons for increased bear-human conflicts; bear population expansion, loss of habitat, and habituation. Hunting is the tool that addresses these causes.

The New Jersey Outdoor Alliance believes that a black bear hunt is a responsible, pragmatic, environmentally sound, and a science-based method for bringing the black bear population in line with the cultural carrying capacity of available habitat, which is the goal of environmental stewards.

It also provides food for the hunter and his or her family while aversively conditioning bears, which provides a measure of lasting public safety.

About: Anthony P. Mauro, Sr, (also known as “Ant” to friends and associates) is Chairman and co-founder of the New Jersey Outdoor Alliance, New Jersey Outdoor Alliance Conservation Foundation, and New Jersey Outdoor Alliance Environmental Projects. Ant’s commitment to the principles of sustainable use of natural resources and environmental stewardship helped to create the New Jersey Angling & Hunting Conservation Caucus (NJA&HC). The NJA&HC is the first outdoor caucus of its kind in New Jersey and is designed to educate opinion leaders and policy makers about the principles of conservation; the foundation for healthy ecosystems, fish and wildlife.

University of Virginia

Virginia --(Ammoland.com)- The University of Virginia and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation have established a unique partnership for collaborative, graduate-level training and research aimed at developing conservation professionals to tackle some of the biggest conservation problems facing the nation.

A non-profit organization created by Congress in 1984, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation directs public conservation funding to pressing conservation needs and matches these with private funds to protect and restore America’s native wildlife species and habitats. It is among the nation’s largest conservation organizations; since 1984 it has made 11,000 awards to more than 3,800 organizations, investing more than $2 billion for conservation. In its new “Keystone” program, the foundation has pioneered a “business plan” approach that clarifies outcomes, obstacles, performance measures and costs; initial data from Keystone projects indicates the great potential of this approach.

U.Va. and the foundation are collaborating on an applied conservation science program to assess a wide range of strategies for preserving biodiversity in threatened habitats, identify knowledge gaps and institutional barriers for more effective solutions, and design programs that take into consideration accelerating climate and environmental change and population growth. The program will feature courses jointly taught by U.Va. faculty members and foundation staff, summer internships for U.Va. students at foundation project sites, and a new master’s degree program.

“This partnership will be transformative for both institutions,” said National Fish and Wildlife Foundation board member Paul Tudor Jones, a 1976 U.Va. alumnus and major benefactor of the University. “NFWF will now have a world-class research capability to better help preserve America’s natural resources, and the University of Virginia will be aiding real-time conservation measures to save our fish, wildlife and fauna for future generations.

“It is a synergistic marriage that has Mother Nature smiling.”

U.Va. President Teresa A. Sullivan said, “Collaboration is essential to solving today’s most important social and environmental challenges. At the heart of this new effort is an authentic collaboration between partners who share a passion for excellence – and the outcomes will greatly enhance the preservation of our natural world.”

In a series of intensive planning sessions undertaken over the summer and fall, U.Va. faculty members and foundation scientists and project managers identified complementary strengths and interests. For the two institutions, collaboration provides distinctive resources and accelerates innovation, said Thomas C. Skalak, U.Va. vice president for research. He noted that this outward-looking strategy will distinguish U.Va.’s University-wide sustainability initiative.

“This NFWF-U.Va. partnership exemplifies the benefits of cross-sector collaboration,” Skalak said. “In responding to real-world problems, we apply and combine our discipline-based skills in new ways, and in that process we find new opportunities for breakthroughs in basic research. These exchanges are fundamental to the vitality of our institution, and collaborations with high-quality external partners, such as this one with NFWF, will be a hallmark of the pan-University sustainability initiative that U.Va. is now developing.”

Claude Gascon, chief science officer and executive vice president at NFWF, said, “This collaboration will ensure that NFWF has access to the best scientists to focus on the most pressing and important conservation challenges facing the U.S. today. The matching of U.Va. scientists and NFWF conservationists will link conservation science to action in the field and help save the nation’s fish and wildlife treasures for generations to come.”

The first jointly taught course on biodiversity conservation science and policy are being offered during U.Va.’s spring 2012 semester. Forty students are enrolled – eight from the School of Law and 16 each from the departments of Environmental Sciences and Biology the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. Students will work in multi-disciplinary teams, using six foundation projects as case studies. These projects represent a wide range of conservation challenges, including marine and coastal to grasslands and forest habitats and species whose continued survival is an indicator of ecosystem sustainability.

Next summer, 10 U.Va. students will be selected for paid internships at National Fish and Wildlife Foundation project sites, where they will have the opportunity to learn firsthand about the environmental, institutional, economic and social factors associated with conservation practice. For the fall semester, five students will receive fellowships to address science and policy questions whose answers can strengthen conservation practice and improve conservation outcomes.

Details for the summer internship and fellowship selection process will be announced in early January. The program has been funded for three years, with the possibility of renewal.

U.Va. faculty members involved in the collaboration include environmental sciences professors Howie Epstein, Karen McGlathery, Hank Shugart and Dave Smith, and environmental law professors Jon Cannon and Leon Szeptycki. They and their students will work with foundation staff members who specialize in marine, bird and fish conservation, as well as biodiversity monitoring, assessment and conservation.

As the program develops, other U.Va. faculty members and foundation staff will be added, particularly in economics, the humanities and social sciences, and social psychology.

“The challenge is to allow students to appreciate the depth of information needed to maintain healthy wild populations of important species of animals and their habitats, and, at the same time, gain a real-world impression of the complicated interface between law, policy, ecology and the environmental understanding needed for the sustainable management of biotic diversity,” Shugart said. “The program could potentially develop a new type of scholar – different from the specialists educated in a discipline who were the norm for an earlier generation of students.”

“The opportunity for law students to work with scientists is a new and critically important piece of their training,” Szeptycki noted. “This partnership will be for our students a whole different way of thinking about environmental protection. Lawyers, especially environmental lawyers, work with scientists and scientific materials on an almost everyday basis, and it is something that is usually left completely out of legal training. Now our faculty and students will be working with NFWF staff to help identify approaches that actually work on the ground.”

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont. --(Ammoland.com)- Elk season is over, leaving you with another autumn’s worth of memories.

While you’re reminiscing, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation asks you to think about the country where you hunted, how it’s changed through the years and how it’s likely to change in the future.

Here are RMEF’s Top 5 signs that your elk hunting area may need more intensive habitat stewardship:

1. Habitat Fragmentation–Poorly planned subdivisions and ranchettes are eliminating or cutting off key habitat, particularly winter range and migration corridors.
2. Weeds Amok–Knapweed, yellow starthistle, leafy spurge, cheatgrass and other invasive weeds are consuming the West. These noxious exotics kill or displace native forage that elk and other grazing species depend on for forage.
3. Sick Forests–Years of fire suppression and lack of forest management have resulted in dense, choked timber stands piled high with deadfall. These conditions lead to massive beetle infestations, threaten catastrophic wildfire and offer little benefit, other than escape cover, for elk. Yet overgrown, undermanaged forests are becoming more rule than exception.
4. Vanishing Meadows and Aspen Stands–Fire suppression has also allowed pinyon, juniper, fir and other evergreens to overtake meadows and aspen stands. The resulting shade shrivels understory plants, cutting available forage for elk by up to 90 percent.
5. Lack of Water–Because of persistent drought in much of the West, many traditional watering holes are drying up earlier in the year. Elk are forced to abandon historic ranges and follow the water to survive.

Excessive predation by wolves and other predators is exacerbating these problems in many areas.

Since launching in 1984, RMEF has helped address these and other habitat issues on more than 6 million acres. Stewardship projects include weed treatments, prescribe burns, forest thinning, constructing guzzlers and restoring riparian areas, land acquisitions, conservation easements and more.

RMEF also is involved in legal efforts to manage and control wolf populations.

“RMEF members, volunteers and partners are making a difference but there is still much work to do,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “We invite everyone who cares about elk, elk country and elk hunting to join us.”

For membership information, visit www.rmef.org or call 800-CALL-ELK.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
RMEF is leading a conservation initiative that has protected or enhanced habitat on over 6 million acres–an area larger than Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Glacier, Yosemite, Rocky Mountain and Great Smoky Mountains national parks combined. RMEF also is a strong voice for hunters in access, wildlife management and conservation policy issues. RMEF members, partners and volunteers, working together as Team Elk, are making a difference all across elk country. Join us at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont. --(Ammoland.com)- A custom casket featuring hardwood inlay artwork of an elk and mountain scene, hand-forged elk antler handles and camouflage bedding is among many special items to be auctioned in Las Vegas, Feb. 2-4, 2012, to support the conservation work of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

The auction will be held as part of RMEF’s 27th annual Elk Camp convention and expo at the Las Vegas Convention Center and Riviera Hotel.

Elk Camp is RMEF’s largest annual fundraiser. Proceeds help support a variety of initiatives to ensure the future of elk, other wildlife and their habitat.

BNG Finish Products Custom Coffins

Over the past year, RMEF passed the 6 million acre mark for habitat conserved and enhanced nationwide, supported elk restoration efforts in Maryland and Missouri, helped mitigate the effects of historic wildfires in Arizona, introduced thousands of youths to hunting and conservation, assisted with legal efforts to manage and control wolves, and much more.

The handmade casket, built from maple with walnut trim, is being donated for the RMEF auction by BNG Finish Products of Etna, Calif.

Company rep Nik Branson says coffin making began as an experimental offshoot of his custom cabinet business, “but now we do commissioned pieces for families around the country, and the biggest response has been from people who enjoy the outdoors, hunting and fishing.” Caskets with outdoor scenes and themes are the most requested, he said.

The coffins typically retail for $1,500 to $4,500.

Other RMEF auction highlights will include:

• A pack mule named Possum
• A New Holland tractor
• Art, firearms, furniture, jewelry and collectibles
• Many types of outfitted hunts
• Other kinds of travel packages including a motorcycle rally in Sturgis, S.D.
• An electric ATV from Timberline

In addition to the auctions, 2012 Elk Camp attendees with full registration can enjoy:

• Gala banquets and outstanding entertainment. Headliners include hit country music artists Clint Black and Craig Morgan. Always an audience favorite, a surprise entertainer is again scheduled for Volunteer Fun Night, sponsored by Hunters Specialties. Previous surprise acts have included Neal McCoy, Sawyer Brown and Easton Corbin.
• Don’t-miss events such as the Friends of the Foundation breakfast sponsored by Browning, featuring a fun Rat Pack tribute act; ladies luncheon with a “Hillbilly Bash” theme; prayer breakfast sponsored by FCA Outdoors, and much more.
• The biggest Elk Camp exhibit hall and expo in years. Attractions, displays and activities for the whole family, plus 450 booths filled with outfitted hunting and fishing opportunities, art, gear, firearms and everything elk. Also included are Cabela’s-sponsored seminars led by authorities on hunting, game calling strategies and more. International Sportsmen’s Expositions, which produces America’s premier hunting, fishing and travel shows, is managing the exhibit hall and expo. For booth information, contact service@SportsExpos.com or 800-545-6100, and visit www.SportsExpos.com.
• As always, Elk Camp 2012 will feature the RMEF/Leupold World Elk Calling Championships. Preliminary rounds are Feb. 3; championship rounds are Feb. 4.

Full registration through Dec. 10 is $325 per person. Partial registration is available. For more attendee registration info, visit www.rmef.org.

For public day-traffic to the expo, daily admission is $12 per person, free for kids 15 and under, and free for active military with military ID. Show hours: Thurs., Feb. 2, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; Fri., Feb. 3, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; Sat., Feb. 4, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Elk Camp sponsors include Midway USA, Gerber, Browning, Cabela’s, North American Hunter, Hunter’s Specialties, Leupold, Budweiser and Danner.

For more details, agendas and more information, visit www.rmef.org. Exhibit hall seminar schedules, floor plans and exhibitor listings are at www.SportsExpos.com.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF):
RMEF is leading a conservation initiative that has protected or enhanced habitat on over 6 million acres–an area larger than Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Glacier, Yosemite, Rocky Mountain and Great Smoky Mountains national parks combined. RMEF also is a strong voice for hunters in access, wildlife management and conservation policy issues. RMEF members, partners and volunteers, working together as Team Elk, are making a difference all across elk country. Join us at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

About International Sportsmen’s Expositions (ISE):
Founded in 1975, ISE produces five consumer sportsman shows across the western United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada (Las Vegas) and Utah.

Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership

WASHINGTON --(Ammoland.com)- Interior Department Secretary Ken Salazar and Agriculture Department Secretary Tom Vilsack met with the board of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership this week to discuss the challenges facing fish and wildlife conservation, public access to lands and waters, and funding cuts to programs key to hunting and angling.

“The investments in conservation historically made by American sportsmen and –women are substantial,” said TRCP Board Chair Katie Distler Eckman, “and we greatly appreciate the fact that the administration is acknowledging these contributions and demonstrating its commitment to working with hunters and anglers as we navigate this rocky terrain toward economic sustainability.”

During his remarks to the TRCP board yesterday, Secretary Salazar underscored the need to frame conservation by the funding challenges currently capturing the attention of Congress and the administration. He spoke positively about America’s Voice for Conservation, Recreation and Preservation, a coalition led in part by the TRCP that is committed to securing continued funding for conservation, outdoor recreation and historic preservation programs. A recently issued report cited by the AVCRP demonstrates that the outdoors and historic preservation generate more than $1 trillion in total economic activity and support 9.4 million jobs every year.

“From President Theodore Roosevelt’s bold steps to establish national parks, wildlife refuges and forests to President Obama signing the 2009 Public Lands Bill into law in his first days in office, America has a proud tradition of protecting the places that matters most to hunters, fishermen and our families,” said Secretary Salazar. “One in 20 U.S. jobs is in the recreation economy – more than there are doctors, lawyers or teachers. With the help of the TRCP and the support of sportsmen and businessmen across the country, the Obama administration is promoting investments in conservation that contribute to the economic growth of America.”

Secretary Vilsack, who met with the TRCP board this morning, reiterated the necessity for innovation in addressing budget constraints and economic challenges. The secretary emphasized the USDA’s commitment to demonstrating to businesses that investments in conservation will achieve profitable results.

“Outdoor recreation has an extraordinary capacity to create jobs, boost tourism and stimulate the economy,” said Vilsack. “Sportsmen’s voices will be critical to reinforce the fact that USDA is doing its part to uphold and expand outdoor opportunities and that these good programs do important things to protect the environment and improve the quality of life for people throughout the country.”

“Funding that upholds our natural resources and outdoor traditions equals a sound fiscal investment from which all Americans stand to gain,” stated TRCP President and CEO Whit Fosburgh. “The administration’s support of key measures such as Open Fields and the Conservation Reserve Program achieve twin goals of conservation and economic sustainability. The TRCP and our partners value this clear dedication to sportsmen’s interests and look forward to continued opportunities to work together toward these goals.”

Learn more about the TRCP’s work in support of conservation funding.

About:
Inspired by the legacy of Theodore Roosevelt, the TRCP is a coalition of organizations and grassroots partners working together to preserve the tradition of hunting and fishing. Visit: www.trcp.org

California Department Of Fish And Game

California --(Ammoland.com)- In cooperation with several hunting-oriented conservation organizations, DFG will offer 13 big game fund-raising license tags for eight mule or black-tailed deer, two desert bighorn sheep, one Grizzly Island tule elk, one multiple zone elk and one pronghorn antelope.

Following a competitive bidding process, DFG proposes to award agreements for the auction or sale of the 13 tags to the following organizations: Wild Sheep Foundation (National and California Chapter), Safari Club International (Orange County and San Francisco Bay Area chapters), The Mule Deer Foundation (National, Central Coast, Chico, Shasta-Lassen and Redding chapters), and the California Deer Association (North Valley, Salinas Valley, Gridley and Mount Saint Helena chapters).

These conservation organizations submitted a bid package describing their intent to auction off a particular tag at their annual fund-raising dinners/conventions during late winter/early spring. Auction of these tags typically generates more than $300,000 per year for DFG to put back into conservation and management actions that include surveys, habitat improvement, applied research and translocation of animals to historical ranges where they may currently be absent. Such translocation efforts in California have been a great success for tule elk, desert bighorn sheep and pronghorn antelope.

“California’s hunting organizations continue to demonstrate they are at the forefront in support of wildlife conservation through their support for these auction tags and for the purchase of licenses and tags by their members, as well as all hunters,” said DFG Director Charlton H. Bonham.

In addition to the auction tags, DFG is expanding the random drawing program initiated earlier this year through the Automated License Data System (ALDS), when chances for a deer tag and an elk tag opportunity were offered to the public for $5.40 each. The drawings for those two opportunities alone generated more than $130,000 for conservation in 2011.

“In our continued support of hunting and quest to increase hunting and fishing opportunity in California, I’m pleased that our hunters can purchase multiple chances through our ALDS application process for a special hunt tag next year,” said Bonham. ”And I am particularly excited that this year we will include a once-in-a-lifetime desert bighorn sheep tag as well as a coveted northeastern California pronghorn antelope tag.”

As an added bonus for the hunter who draws the sheep tag from that random drawing, a private entity, San Gorgonio Wilderness Outfitters, has offered free guide services for the hunt in the Kelso Peak/Old Dad Mountains zone to the recipient.

“This is a wonderful offer and commitment by the San Gorgonio folks and demonstrates the great support of one another within the hunting community,” said Bonham.

Availability of all fund-raising tags remains contingent upon the approval of annual hunting regulations by the Fish and Game Commission.