National Shooting Sports Foundation

NEWTOWN, Conn --(Ammoland.com)- Through its Collegiate Shooting Sports Initiative (CSSI), the National Shooting Sports Foundation has awarded $299,200 in grants to 41 colleges and universities to assist in the development and expansion of shooting sports programs.

Of those schools receiving assistance, 11 are in the process of developing new shooting clubs.

NSSF, the trade association for the firearms, ammunition, hunting and shooting sports industry, has been supporting collegiate shooting programs with grants and expertise for three years with the CSSI program. In that time, NSSF has provided a total of nearly $600,000 to foster collegiate shooting programs.

“Throughout the country, we are seeing a surge in college students interested in the shooting sports,” said Zach Snow, NSSF’s manager of shooting promotions. “These clubs are filling a need on campus by providing opportunities to target shoot, and their members are building positive reputations for the shooting sports both on campus and in surrounding communities.”

Grants ranged from $10,000, an amount given mainly to schools whose programs are in the development stage, to smaller amounts to schools with established programs. Many schools have had success attracting members using introductory seminars such as NSSF’s First Shots and social media sites such as Facebook.

Schools receiving awards included well-known Harvard U., Harvard Law, Yale and MIT; state universities such as Vermont, Kentucky and Iowa; and smaller schools such as Ecclesia College of Springdale, Ark., Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College of Tifton, Ga., and Hillsdale College of Hillsdale, Mich. One school, Montgomery Community College of Troy, N.C., in addition to developing a shooting program, offers gunsmithing and hunting and shooting sports management programs.

“Student organizers have been creative in their outreach. They know how to reach and motivate their fellow students to attend seminars and practices,” said Snow.

By volunteering their time at local shooting ranges and at community events such as food and clothing drives, students build support and a better understanding for their clubs and the shooting sports. “They want people who are uncertain about shooting to understand that the students involved are safe and responsible,” said Snow.

Schools with established programs are now serving as models for others interested in developing shooting clubs and varsity teams. Widespread interest prompted NSSF to develop its “How to Start a Club” resource guide. The document is filled with helpful advice on starting both competitive teams and recreational shooting clubs, and includes samples of membership forms and club bylaws.

There are many success stories related to CSSI grants, as these statements reveal:

Blaine Morgan of Radford University: “The NSSF grant has redefined the shooting experience and the entire community here at Radford. We have tripled the size of our team. Our members are outgoing and proudly represent the shooting sports. We are extremely grateful to the NSSF. We could not have done it without their generosity.”

Colin Smith of Yale Pistol Club: “We are absolutely seeing an increased interest on campus for the shooting sports. When recruiting for the pistol and rifle teams, we had more interest than we could accommodate.”

Martin Bye of Northeastern University: “I get emails almost every day from people interested in joining our team. They see our members around campus or on the website we created. We are truly becoming a well-established and well-known club sport.”

David Dobson of Jacksonville University: “Without the NSSF-CSSI program, the JU, University of North Florida, Stetson and University of Florida programs would not be where they are today. These grants are making THE difference for us in Florida.”

Even schools with small memberships field competitive teams because participation in national championships helps build awareness of their program. CSSI grant-supported programs have helped double participation at the ACUI Intercollegiate Clay Target Championship over the last three years. The 2011 championships featured 439 students representing 50 schools.

A total of 65 college submitted proposals for NSSF’s Collegiate Shooting Sports Initiative grants, and approximately two-thirds received awards.

Grants were made to the following schools:

• Harvard Law, Cambridge, Mass., $4,200: About 7.5 percent of the student body (128 students) attended at least one of the shooting club’s events. The new grant will increase the number of events and club members.
• Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Okla., $5,000: Club enrollment has doubled and planning has begun to host a regional collegiate shooting competition in the spring of 2012.
• Yale Pistol Club, New Haven, Conn. $5,000: Club membership is up by more than 100, and the new grant will help increase the club’s web and social networking presence, and establish an NRA pistol certification course.
• Washington College, Chestertown, Md., $5,000: Member increased from 7 to 41. New grant funds will enable further growth and attending more competitions.
• Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass., $5,000: The club has a following of nearly 600 and receives much positive media coverage. New grants funds will attract more new shooters and help develop a competitive team.
• Clemson Clays, Clemson, S.C., $5,000: The competitive team took a first and second place at the ACUI Intercollegiate Clay Target Championships. The club has 150 members. Funds will provide more opportunities for non-competitive shooters.
• Eastern Central University, Ada, Okla., $5,000: Funds will help the club raise awareness of the shooting sports on campus and host an NSSF First Shots event.
• Yale Skeet and Trap, New Haven, Conn., $5,000: The club plans to host a regional intercollegiate shooting tournament.
• Northeastern University, Boston, Mass., $5,000: The club consists of 99 percent new shooters. New funds will allow the development of both the recreational and competitive segments of membership.
• Clemson University, Clemson, S.C., $5,000: New funds will help attract more students and faculty to the club, purchase equipment and schedule more events on and off campus.
• Stetson University, DeLand, Fl., $5,000: The club was resurrected this year after 30 years. Funds will be used to educate more students, faculty and the community about the shooting sports and firearms safety.
• MIT, Cambridge, Mass., $5,000: A new club hosted 20 practice sessions. More growth is planned for the second year, and plans call for promoting an understanding of shotgun design, engineering and physics.
• Fort Hays State University, Hays, Kan., $5,000: Developed shooting club ambassador program that has helped recruit students to the school.
• SIC, Harrisonburg, Ill., $5,000: The team has conducted clinics for local high school shooters and raised awareness of competitive shooting among the public.
• University of North Florida, Jackson, Fla., $5,000: Funds will help the club grow, attend ACUI Nationals and host intercollegiate shooting events.
• Hillsdale College, Hillsdale, Mich., $5,000: The new varsity shotgun team will compete regionally and nationally.
• University of Vermont, Burlington, Vt., $5,000: A freshman club fair produced 84 new members, and the pistol and shotgun team memberships have doubled. The club plans to host Scholastic Clay Target Program and Scholastic Steel Challenge clinics and a hunter education program and provide NRA certification classes.
• University of Kentucky, Lexington, Ky., $5,000: Four years ago, the shotgun team had 3 members; now the roster is 66 (41 men, 15 women) and is the largest club sports program on campus.
• Mississippi College, Clinton, Miss., $5,000: Because of publicity efforts, more than 30 students signed up to participate in the second year of this program. The sporting clays club is the fastest growing student club on campus. A new website will help spur more growth and awareness.
• Jacksonville University, Jacksonville, Fla., $5,000: The school instituted a Wingshooting Theory curriculum with 18 students enrolled. The competition team was Division III National ACUI Champion. Funds will help create four regional collegiate shooting events.
• Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa, $7,500: The club’s campus awareness events are changing student and faculty views toward firearms and the shooting sports. Funds will help grow the program.
• Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa., $7,500: The club hosted an NSSF First Shots event that was an effective recruiting tool. New funds will help the club grow membership by 20 percent.
• Radford University, Radford, Va., $7,500: An “interest” meeting generated 35 new shooters. The club works to create a positive image through its support of community blood drives, canned food drives and homeless shelters.
• University of Nebraska at Omaha, $7,500: Funds will help team members attend ACUI Nationals and raise its profile on campus.
• Missouri State University, Springfield, Mo., $7,500: Team members help the local gun club with maintenance and upkeep and by volunteering. New funds will help recruit new club and competitive shooters.
• Michigan State University, East Lansing, Mich., $7,500.
  Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Fla., $7,500: The club has taught some 70 new shooters the basics of safe gun handling in the last two years. Funds will help expand programs from rifle and pistols to skeet and trap.
• Pratt Community College, Pratt, Kan., $7,500: Club hosted a Friends of NRA Banquet and youth shoots to help educate the community about its program and firearms safety. Plans call for attending more collegiate shooting events.
• Texas A&M, College Station, Tex., $7,500: Funds will be used to increase the number of active club members and support a more competitive team.
• Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind., $7,500: Over the past three years, the club has sponsored 20 introduction-to-shooting clinics, attracting more than 200 persons. Funds will help acquire needed equipment.
• George Mason, Fairfax, Va., $7,500: Funds will help grow the trap and skeet team, add campus events and develop website and social media pages.
• CalState Channel Islands Firearms Safety Club, Camarillo, Calif., $7,500: At this new club, funds will help send qualified shooters to an instructor’s course so that new shooters receive proper supervision.
• University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla., $10,000: The club will build on its first-year success by growing the team from 10 to 20 members and utilizing campus and local media to build awareness of the team.
• University of Wisconsin Platteville, $10,000: This new group is established as recognized student club with 200 members and a core group of 30 that has taken on leadership roles.
• Presbyterian College, Clinton, S.C., $10,000: In the formation stage, the club has 18 members who are planning introductory events for students and faculty.
• Mississippi State University, $10,000: In the development stage, the club attracted 40 students and faculty to an introductory meeting. The club plans to grow membership and host events that are competitive, recreational and philanthropic.
• Skeet and Trap Club-Florida State University, Tallahassee, Fla., $10,000: Funds will help further develop the skeet and trap club and opportunities for new shooters while offsetting costs for practice and competition.
• Montgomery Community College, Troy, N.C., $10,000: Its club is in the development stage; the school offers Gunsmithing and Hunting and Shooting Sports Management programs.
• Virginia Military Institute, Lexington, Va., $10,000: In the development stages with 45 members, the VMI Marksmanship Club plans to put VMI on the map for shooting sports excellence.
• Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, Tifton, Ga., $10,000: Fifty-five students signed the petition to become a chartered club. Funds will help build membership and awareness.
• Simpson College, Indianola, Iowa., $10,000: New club will hold clinics to build membership and explain firearm safety and the various shooting sports. The club plans to sponsor a First Shots seminar.
• University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, $10,000: New club started this fall with 10 active members. Goals are to grow membership and compete both in-state and in Big Ten and Big 12 shooting competitions.
• Ecclesia College, Springdale, Ark., $10,000: New club with 14 members plans to compete in area/regional collegiate shotgun events and the ACUI Nationals. Plans are also to work with the state game and fish agency in volunteer efforts.

Anyone interested in starting or strengthening a college shotgun, rifle or pistol team or club can find resources and grant opportunities at www.nssf.org/college.

About NSSF
The National Shooting Sports Foundation is the trade association for the firearms industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of more than 6,800 manufacturers, distributors, firearms retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen’s organizations and publishers. For more information, log on to www.nssf.org.

National Shooting Sports Foundation

NEWTOWN, Conn --(Ammoland.com)- The National Shooting Sports Foundation, the trade association for the firearms, ammunition, hunting and shooting sports industry, is now accepting proposals from state and regional wildlife agencies for Hunting Heritage Partnership (HHP) grants.

In its tenth year of helping agencies fund projects that create new and expanded opportunities for hunting, NSSF has awarded 109 grants to 38 state agencies and one regional association. For this new 2012-2013 grant period, the Hunting Heritage Partnership program will make up to $500,000 available to agencies for qualifying projects, bringing the grand total of awards to approximately $4.8 million since HHP was started in 2003.

All proposals for consideration are due to NSSF by February 1, 2012. Projects must begin by March 1, 2012. See complete application guidelines for HHP grants. In response to applicants’ suggestions, an additional month has been provided for completing awarded grant proposals.

New to the HHP grant program are features designed to help applicants develop their best ideas into on-the-ground, results-oriented initiatives. The HHP website now displays a new map featuring descriptions of all funded projects since the inception of the program. The projects map complements case studies that have been available on the website and that explain the successes, shortfalls and status of various projects. Together the interactive map and case studies serve as an idea-factory for applicants looking to develop new and creative programs.

“Hunting Heritage Partnership grants have helped states develop projects vital to increasing hunter participation,” said Melissa Schilling, NSSF’s manager of recruitment and retention. “This funding has helped many creative projects get off the ground that may not have because of state budget cutbacks.”

Schilling pointed out that some state agencies have never applied for grants and are missing a valuable funding source for efforts that could potentially bring recognition to the department. “This grant period we’d like to particularly challenge those states that haven’t applied for grants to do so,” she said.

Three recent HHP-funded projects demonstrate the type of programs that are working to benefit the future of hunting:

• Oregon launched an integrated online database and map resource to help both new and experienced hunters plan their trips, allowing for searches by species, unit and distances; displaying property boundaries and harvest statistics; and interfacing with Google search to assist hunters in finding lodging, camp sites and restaurants. The website is generating high traffic and many map downloads. The state estimated this project’s benefit to its economy as $1,473,000, with 662 new hunters and fish and wildlife agency revenue of $52,488.
• Wyoming’s project is designed to enhance its Private Lands Public Access Program for hunting by enrolling private landowners into either a walk-in hunting or hunter management area. The project has enrolled 2.9 million acres since its inception.
• Alabama’s project focuses on mentored youth dove hunting. With 43 percent of youth in the program being first-time shooters, the program has been recognized by experts as one of the most successful new hunter recruitment programs in the nation.

As these projects illustrate, Hunting Heritage Partnership-funded programs work to ensure the future of hunting by increasing hunter access to public and private lands, keeping current hunters hunting, recruiting next generation hunters, creating more opportunities to hunt and funding communications programs geared toward recruiting and retaining hunters.

NSSF encourages state agencies to apply for a Hunting Heritage Partnership grant today at www.nssf.org/hhp.

About NSSF
The National Shooting Sports Foundation is the trade association for the firearms industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of more than 6,000 manufacturers, distributors, firearms retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen’s organizations and publishers. For more information, log on to www.nssf.org.

Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Michigan --(Ammoland.com)- Do you own at least 12 acres of connected forest land?

Have you always wanted to better understand how to manage that land for timber, wildlife values, recreational activities or maybe a combination of all three?

Here is your opportunity to receive cost share assistance to develop a certified management plan for your private forest land.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ Forest Stewardship Program provides financial and technical assistance on Michigan’s nonindustrial private forestlands. The program helps private landowners offset the initial costs of developing a management plan for their forested property. The landowner selects and hires a private consultant forester to aid in developing management goals and objectives, evaluate the property, and prepare a Forest Stewardship Plan. Landowners in the program pay approximately 50 percent of the cost of the plan development. The remaining 50 percent of the costs will be paid by the State directly to the contractor.

“Forest stewardship is the act of managing a forest so that it sustains health, vigor and ecosystem function for the future,” says Shawna Meyer, DNR Forest Stewardship coordinator. “With over 8.4 million acres of privately owned forestland in Michigan, there is a lot we can do to ensure that our private forestlands are both profitable for the owners and managed for long-term sustainability. Once a landowner has a Stewardship Plan that opens the doors to other funding available to help implement the plan by cost-sharing management practices including planting trees or altering the land to benefit wildlife.”

The process for having a Forest Stewardship Plan written is as follows:

• Landowner selects a certified plan writer. A list can be found for your county at www.michigan.gov/foreststewardship.
• Together the landowner and certified plan writer complete the appropriate forms and application.
• Certified plan writer submits the application to DNR service forester for project eligibility approval.
• Certified plan writer writes plan. The plan must include all information required by DNR.
• Landowner reviews, signs and accepts plan.
• Landowner pays certified plan writer (minimum of 50 percent of plan costs).
• Certified plan writer submits plan to DNR service forester for review and approval.
• DNR service forester reviews, approves or disapproves (note: plans will not be approved for payment if there are outstanding omissions of required components).
• If approved, DNR service forester forwards to the DNR stewardship coordinator for reimbursement to consultant forester.
• If the plan is not approved, the consultant and the landowner are advised so that corrections can be made to qualify the plan.
• Certified plan writer is reimbursed in accordance with guidelines.

“This program is a win-win-win for everyone – our forestlands, the landowners and future generations,” added Meyer.

For more information on connecting with a consultant forester and learning more about the program please contact Shawna Meyer, DNR Forest Stewardship coordinator, at 517-335-3355 or by email at meyers6@michigan.gov.

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.

Tennessee Wildlife Federation's Great Outdoors University Supports National Effort to Increase Youth Outdoor Participation.

Tennessee Wildlife Federation

NASHVILLE, Tenn. --(Ammoland.com)- The North Face has awarded a $2,500 grant to the Tennessee Wildlife Federation’s Great Outdoors University (GOU) program, which will help low-wealth children and families explore the outdoors. Since 2006, GOU has provided meaningful outdoor experiences to more than 8,000 inner-city children in Memphis and Nashville through day and weekend camping, fishing and nature trips.

The Tennessee Wildlife Federation (TWF) was selected from hundreds of applications because of the GOU program’s success in reaching kids who otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity to experience Tennessee’s great outdoors. In the final grant cycle of 2011, The North Face awarded $125,000 in Explore Fund grants to 51 projects, helping more than 30,000 kids connect to nature.

“The children participating in trips through Great Outdoors University are being introduced to a whole new realm, and it’s impacting their lives and building an appreciation for the natural world that will carry into adulthood,” says Sonya Wood Mahler, TWF’s Great Outdoors University program manager.

“We hear over and over from our program partners that these are life-changing experiences for the kids, and only through the support of organizations like The North Face are we able to do it. Many of the kids tell me it is the best day of their lives!”

Great Outdoors University was launched as a pilot program in 2006 in Memphis by TWF Board Member Peter Schutt. GOU was designed as an outdoor experience and education program that provides ongoing, hands-on outdoor and nature programming for free to low-wealth, at-risk children and youth. GOU participants come from partnering organizations that include outdoor education in their efforts. In Memphis, for example, GOU has partnered with the Boy Scouts of America’s ScoutReach program (ensuring that all young people have an opportunity to join Scouting, regardless of their circumstances) and Girls, Inc. (dedicated to inspiring all girls to be strong, smart and bold).

GOU has filled a niche that helps these organizations fulfill their mandates to provide outdoor education in their service to children and youth. The program was expanded to Nashville in the spring of 2009. In 2011, Schutt became the first Tennessean ever to be named the National Wildlife Federation’s Volunteer of the Year. Since its inception, this program has touched the lives of more than 8,000 youth participants.

Key program support comes from the Memphis Daily News, the Maddox Charitable Trust, the Memorial Foundation and the Cracker Barrel Foundation, among others.

“We believe in the importance of bringing youth together from diverse backgrounds and providing them with opportunities to get outdoors,” said Ann Krcik, director of Outdoor Exploration at The North Face. “We support organizations that work to create these opportunities for youth because we’ve seen firsthand how these programs can ignite a passion for the outdoors and teach them the importance of protecting the places we play for generations to come.”

To learn more about the Tennessee Wildlife Federation and the Great Outdoors University program, visit www.tnwf.org. To learn more about all of the Explore Fund grantees and to keep up on their progress visit, www.planetexplore.com/explorefund and www.twitter.com/TWFoutofdoors.

About The Tennessee Wildlife Federation
Founded in 1946, The Tennessee Wildlife Federation is dedicated to the conservation, sound management and enjoyment of Tennessee’s wildlife and natural resources for current and future generations through stewardship, advocacy and education.

About The North Face Explore Fund
The North Face® Explore FundTM is a grant program committed to supporting non-profit, community organizations that break down the barriers preventing children and families from experiencing the outdoors. The Explore Fund, administered by The Outdoor Foundation, finds, engages and provides funding for new partners that help further the mission of inspiring the next generation of explorers and conservationists by helping them discover nature’s playground.

About PlanetExplore
PlanetExplore is an online community founded by The North Face, powered by partner organizations that share a passion for the outdoors, and designed to help individuals and families learn about and participate in outdoor activities and events in their area. PlanetExplore is a portal to the outdoors designed to inspire and enable people of all ages to become regularly active outside, and to enjoy the benefits gained through a connection to nature.

For more information, please visit: The Explore Fund at www.explorefund.com or PlanetExplore at  www.planetexplore.com

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

OLYMPIA, Washington --(Ammoland.com)- The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will accept public comments through Dec. 15 on a $1 million federal grant designed to provide incentives for more private landowners to open their lands to hunting and other forms of outdoor recreation in eastern Washington.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) was one of 11 agencies nationwide to qualify for funding in the second round of the USDA’s Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program, established under the 2008 federal Farm Bill.

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act, USDA’s Farm Service Agency recently determined that the department’s plans for the grant money would not have a significant effect on the environment.

The federal findings are posted at http://bit.ly/mpufNQ . Public comments on those findings may also be submitted on that site.

Nate Pamplin, assistant director of the WDFW wildlife program, said the state agency has also raised $400,000 to expand hunter access to private lands through additional fees paid by hunters who apply for new permit-only hunts.

“Hunters consistently rank access to suitable hunting areas as one of their top concerns,” Pamplin said. “With the additional federal funding, we’ll be able to build on current state efforts to expand hunting opportunities for years to come.”

WDFW also received a three-year $1.5 million grant to expand access to hunting and fishing on private lands throughout the state during the first round of the program. The department is currently using that funding to establish contracts with landowners to open their lands to outdoor recreation.

Pamplin said the new $993,231 grant will be used to expand hunting and fishing opportunities in eastern Washington in several ways:

• Provide incentives to private landowners to allow hunting on forested properties in Kittitas, Klickitat, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens and Yakima counties.
• Work with landowners in Columbia, Garfield, Lincoln, Walla Walla and Whitman counties to improve habitat enrolled in both the federal Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and WDFW access programs.
• Initiate a “Feel Free to Fish” program in southeast Washington, paying private landowners for shoreline access to river fisheries.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Washington, DC --(Ammoland.com)- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is seeking proposals from states and U.S. territories interested in obtaining federal financial assistance to acquire land or conduct planning efforts for endangered species conservation.

For fiscal year (FY) 2012, the President’s budget request for the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund includes $100 million in grant funding for conservation activities benefitting federally protected species.

The Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund (CESCF) is authorized under Section 6 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and provides grants to states and territories to support participation in a wide array of voluntary conservation projects for species on the federal list of threatened and endangered species, as well as for species that are either candidates or have been proposed for listing. These projects range from species status surveys, captive propagation, and public education to habitat acquisition, restoration, and the development of conservation plans.

“These grants provide critical funding for state and territory conservation efforts for threatened and endangered species,” said Director Dan Ashe. “By supporting states and territories, the federal funds continue the Endangered Species Act’s long legacy of protecting healthy, thriving ecosystems for generations to come.”

The Service is seeking proposals under the following three CESCF categories:

• Recovery Land Acquisition Grants: These grants provide funds for the acquisition of threatened and endangered species habitat in support of approved and draft species recovery plans. Acquiring habitat in order to secure long-term protection is often the critical element in a comprehensive recovery effort for a listed species. Last year, $449,540 was awarded to the State of Colorado for the 15,000-acre Turtle Ranch Conservation Easement Project. Securing this easement will initiate black-footed ferret reintroduction on the parcel and will serve as a model of incentive-based conservation, highlighting how both endangered species management and an active and profitable agricultural operation can coexist.
• Habitat Conservation Planning Assistance Grants: These grants provide funds to support the development of Habitat Conservation Plans (HCPs). The purpose of an HCP is to ensure adequate protection of suitable habitat for threatened and endangered species, while at the same time providing for economic growth and development. The State of Hawaii was awarded $259,281 last year to fund the coordination and planning of the Kaua’i Seabird HCP to benefit the federally listed Hawaiian hoary bat, Hawaiian petrel, and Newell’s shearwater, as well as approximately 18 listed plant species.
• HCP Land Acquisition Grants: These grants provide funds to states and territories to acquire habitat land for threatened and endangered species associated with approved HCPs. Over $1.1 million was awarded last year to the State of Texas for acquisition of the 67-acre Cobb Cavern tract in Williamson County. The parcel will be added to a preserve to benefit the listed Coffin Cave mold beetle and Bone Cave harvestman.

By law, the state or territory must have a current cooperative agreement with the Secretary of the Interior and contribute at least 25 percent of the total project costs, or ten percent when two or more states or territories undertake a joint project. Proposals must be submitted to the appropriate Service regional offices by January 27, 2012.

For more information about these grants and the application requirements contact: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Consultation, HCPs, Recovery, and State Grants, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Room 420, Arlington, VA 22203, 703-358-2171. The Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund is identified in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance as number 15.615.

The ESA provides a critical safety net for America’s native fish, wildlife, and plants. The Service is working to actively engage conservation partners and the public in the search for improved and innovative ways to conserve and recover imperiled species. To learn more about the grants, visit the Endangered Species Program online at: http://www.fws.gov/endangered/grants/index.html

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.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont. --(Ammoland.com)- By tracking radio-collared elk, researchers in Michigan hope to better understand the animals’ habitat preferences, movement patterns and responses to human recreation such as hiking, biking and hunting.

The study tops a list of Michigan projects slated to receive 2011 grants from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

RMEF grants also will help sponsor a variety of events designed to introduce youths to outdoor recreation and conservation.

All together, the grants total $27,601 and affect 11 counties: Allegan, Cheboygan, Delta, Genesee, Iosco, Kent, Montmorency, Ogemaw, Otsego, Ottawa and Presque Isle.

“The research project is being led by Michigan State University and is focused on the Pigeon River Country State Forest in northern lower Michigan,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “This project will help us understand more about the existing and potential elk habitat in Michigan, as well as how public recreation might influence elk behavior throughout the year.”

Allen thanked RMEF volunteers and fundraiser attendees for building the organization’s conservation impact in Michigan and across elk country.

“Because of their amazing passion and generous support, we’re doing some great things locally and a national conservation milestone is within reach–our organization this year expects to reach 6 million acres of habitat protection and improvement,” he said.

RMEF grants will help fund the following 2011 projects in Michigan, listed by county:

• Cheboygan County–Quantify elk range and habitat potential in the core regions of the Pigeon River Country State Forest, the number, relative frequence and geographic scope of recreational users, temporal elk movement and habitat selection patterns (also affects Montmorency, Otsego and Presque Isle counties).
• Delta County–Provide sponsorship for Great Lakes Sports Club 2011 Youth Shooting Program to introduce students to outdoor recreation and conservation.
• Genesee County–Provide sponsorship for Passing Along the Heritage Foundation 2011 initiatives to offer hunting opportunities to physically challenged individuals, at-risk youth and disabled veterans.
• Iosco County–Provide sponsorship for Iosco County 4-H Youth Sharp Shooters Club to introduce students to outdoor recreation and conservation (also affects Ogemaw County).
• Ottawa County–Provide sponsorship for Macatawa River Greenway Outdoor Naturalist Program to introduce youth to outdoor recreation and conservation (also affects Allegan County); sponsor Michigan Mobile Marksmanship Training Unit, an archery program of the Outdoor Discovery Center Macatawa Greenway (also affects Allegan and Kent counties).

Projects are selected for grants using science-based criteria and a committee of RMEF volunteers and staff along with representatives from partnering agencies and universities.

Partners for 2011 projects in Michigan include Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Michigan State University and many conservation and sporting organizations.

Since 1984, RMEF and its partners have completed 90 different conservation and hunting heritage outreach projects in Michigan with a combined value of more than $4.9 million.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.9 million acres–a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont. --(Ammoland.com)- Restoring and protecting habitat for foraging elk and other wildlife headline a list of 2011 grants for Nevada from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

The RMEF grants total $42,700 and affect Carson City, Churchill, Douglas, Elko, Lyon, Nye, Washoe and White Pine counties.

One project has statewide interest, affecting teachers and students across Nevada.

“Like much of the West, Nevada is seeing elk-grazing areas slowly disappear beneath encroaching pinyon and juniper. Our grants this year will help restore some of that habitat to a more natural condition,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “Our grants also are supporting a conservation easement that will permanently protect a piece of habitat crucial to the elk herd northeast of Wells.”

He added, “All together, the habitat improvement projects that RMEF is funding this year could add at least 2,649 acres to the 275,870 acres that we’ve previously helped to conserve or enhance for wildlife in Nevada.”

Nationally, RMEF hopes to impact about 100,000 acres in 2011 to reach the 6 million acre lifetime mark in lands conserved or enhanced for elk and other wildlife.

Allen thanked RMEF volunteers and fundraiser attendees for building the organization’s grant coffers in Nevada, saying, “Because of their amazing passion and generous support, a major conservation milestone is within reach.”

RMEF grants will help fund the following 2011 projects, listed by county:

• Carson City–Provide sponsorship for Western Nevada Youth Calf Camp event to introduce families to outdoor recreation and conservation (also affects Washoe, Lyon, Douglas and Churchill counties).
• Elko County–Secure conservation easement on 645 acres of habitat northeast of Wells. Property contains forage and water crucial to the region’s elk herd. Property also is home to mule deer, antelope, sage grouse and other wildlife.
• Nye County–Remove entanglement threat to elk and other wildlife by taking down dilapidated interior fencing and repairing perimeter fencing on 651-acre Warner Ranch area of Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.
• Statewide–Provide sponsorship for the 2011 Great Basin Teachers Workshop to help elementary, middle and high school educators reach more than 5,000 students with more effective lessons on renewable resources, wildlife and conservation.
• White Pine County–Remove encroaching pinyon/juniper from 1,400 acres of elk foraging areas in Duck Creek Basin within the Schell Creek Mountain Range of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.

Conservation projects are selected for grants using science-based criteria and a committee of RMEF volunteers and staff along with representatives from partnering agencies. RMEF staff and volunteers select education projects to receive grants.

Partners for 2011 projects in Nevada include Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service and other organizations.

Since 1984, RMEF and its partners have completed 190 different conservation and hunting heritage outreach projects in Nevada with a combined value of more than $15.1 million.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.9 million acres–a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

Ducks Unlimited

RIDGELAND, Miss --(Ammoland.com)- The Migratory Bird Conservation Commission recently awarded seven grants for projects that will restore and protect vital waterfowl habitat across the Southeast.

The grants are being awarded through the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA), which is a cost-effective, bipartisan, match-based program that has raised an average of 3.2 non-federal dollars for every federal dollar invested.

“Though the MBCC has approved these grants, Congress must still authorize funding for NAWCA in order for the projects to move forward,” Director of Operations for DU’s Southern Region Curtis Hopkins explained.

“In the Southeast, the approved grants would enhance more than 27,500 acres, including projects in North and South Carolina, Virginia, Missouri and Texas.”

Every dollar of federal money allotted to NAWCA must be matched by one or more dollars from non-federal sources such as Ducks Unlimited, state fish and wildlife agencies, businesses, or private landowners. Because this program is so effective, funds are often tripled or quadrupled at the local level. The seven grants in the Southeast represent a NAWCA investment of $6.8 million and a partner investment of $24.5 million, a leveraging rate of more than 3.5 times private to federal funds.

“Clearly, the investment of NAWCA funds is an extremely effective and fiscally efficient tool for conservation,” Hopkins said.

Since NAWCA’s inception in 1989, more than 2,067 projects have contributed to the conservation of more than 26 million acres of habitat across North America. While NAWCA is a strongly supported and highly effective program, it is currently facing deep budget cuts in Congress for fiscal year 2012. The House has proposed cutting NAWCA funding by up to $14 million from its fiscal year 2011 level. A funding cut of this proportion could seriously jeopardize the program’s ability to conserve prime waterfowl habitat.

“Reducing the deficit and ensuring that our nation is financially secure are actions that Ducks Unlimited supports,” DU Director of Governmental Affairs Scott Sutherland said. “However, especially in a time of tight budgets, Congress should support programs that provide good value and bring significant income to local communities, businesses and state and federal treasuries. NAWCA is one of those programs.”

Ducks Unlimited is the world’s largest non-profit 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.

National Shooting Sports Foundation

NEWTOWN, Conn --(Ammoland.com)- NSSF’s Collegiate Shooting Sports Initiative has allotted $300,000 to support new collegiate shooting teams and clubs and to strengthen existing programs.

NSSF member clubs have played an important role in the success of this program, in some cases by becoming a home range, in other cases by even staging intercollegiate competitions, and, in yet other cases, by simply spreading the word about the available funding and about helpful information on the website to students and nearby schools of higher learning.

Learn more about the initiative and decide how you can become involved.

Establishing a Collegiate Shooting Sports Program

About NSSF
The National Shooting Sports Foundation is the trade association for the firearms industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of more than 6,000 manufacturers, distributors, firearms retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen’s organizations and publishers. For more information, log on to www.nssf.org.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Washington, DC --(Ammoland.com)- The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) has made a $5,000 grant to the Flight 93 National Memorial in honor of career Fish and Wildlife Service employee Richard Guadagno, who was a passenger on the hijacked flight that crashed in western Pennsylvania on September 11, 2001.

The Foundation has also announced a $10,000 challenge grant through which it will match private contributions made to a scholarship fund in Guadagno’s name.

NFWF’s donation comes on the eve of the dedication of the Flight 93 National Memorial near Shanksville, Pa., and the 10th anniversary of the September 11 Terrorist attacks.

“Through these gifts, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation is honored to commemorate Rich Guadagno’s tenure with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service” as manager at Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex, said Carl R. Kuehner, III, chairman of the foundation’s Board of Directors. “Both the Flight 93 National Memorial and the Richard J. Guadagno Scholarship Fund ensure that his life and outstanding work on behalf of conservation will be remembered for generations to come.”

“By all accounts, Rich was a caring and dedicated conservationist, a respected peer and mentor to many, and a man who deeply valued his family and friends. His loss is still felt by people across the country,” said Service Director Dan Ashe. “We would like to thank the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation for its generous donation in Rich’s honor, and will continue to honor the conservation legacy he worked so hard to build.”

Guadagno, manager at Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge in California, was on board United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. A trained Federal Refuge Law Enforcement officer, Guadagno is thought to be among those who fought back, an action that saved countless lives by denying the terrorists the opportunity to crash the plane into the Capitol building in Washington, DC. He was posthumously awarded the Department of the Interior’s Valor Award.

Ashe noted that many other Service personnel played important roles helping the nation respond and recover from the September 11 attacks. Law Enforcement special agents helped guard the perimeter of the World Trade Center site and later relieved firefighters on the “bucket brigade” that removed debris. Service Law Enforcement and Refuge Law Enforcement officers provided security for the Department of the Interior building, airports, prominent national parks, refuges and other facilities. Agents joined an evidence recovery team for the World Trade Center site, and many volunteered to serve as air marshals in the weeks after the attacks.

“As a Service employee, I was awed by our response to this tragedy, and I’ve been inspired on a daily basis since by the drive and determination of the men and women of this agency,” Ashe said.

The donation and matching grant are just the latest examples of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s support for Guadagno’s legacy. Ten years ago, it established the Richard J. Guadagno Scholarship Fund, which provides assistance to undergraduate and graduate students in wildlife biology and natural resources. It has awarded scholarships to 23 students since its inception.

NFWF will match all new private contributions to the scholarship fund up to a total matching contribution of $10,000. Contributions to the Richard J. Guadagno Scholarship Fund may be made online through the Foundation’s website, www.nfwf.org. Under Donate, select “Honor/Memorial Information” and enter “in memory of Richard Guadagno.”

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. Connect with our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/usfws, follow our tweets at www.twitter.com/usfwshq, watch our YouTube Channel at http://www.youtube.com/usfws and download photos from our Flickr page at http://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwshq.

A Great Opportunity For College Shooters

National Shooting Sports Foundation

NEWTOWN, Conn --(Ammoland.com)- With students entering or returning to their colleges and universities for the fall semester, NSSF stands ready, through its Collegiate Shooting Sports Initiative, to help fund new shooting programs and strengthen existing ones.

In just two years NSSF, through its collegiate initiative, has awarded more than $300,000 to 40 colleges. A “How to Start a Club” resource guide, along with other relevant information on this grant program, is available online.

At the website you can find, among other features, successful grant proposals from last year, along with final reports from the recipients, and an application for the next round of grants.

This year’s grant proposals are due by Sept. 23. Learn more at nssf.org/college.

About NSSF
The National Shooting Sports Foundation is the trade association for the firearms industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of more than 6,000 manufacturers, distributors, firearms retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen’s organizations and publishers. For more information, log on to www.nssf.org.

National Archery in the Schools Program

USA --(Ammoland.com)- The Easton Foundations (EF) have again partnered with the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) to provide $300,000 in grant assistance for schools to enroll in this exciting program.

Over the next few months, each of the 47 NASP states, 5 Provinces, and Washington DC will be allocated $6,000.

Last school year was the first time NASP and EF partnered to provide these equipment grants.

While the grants were intended to assist 300 schools, 517 new NASP schools actually received grants.

Once educators at a prospect school learn about NASP, the next biggest obstacle to bringing archery instruction to their students is the purchase of the archery equipment kit. Thanks to very cooperative pricing by NASP suppliers, the equipment kit costs a school far less than its retail value. Even so, it costs about $3,000 to outfit a typical Physical Education archery class of 24-36 students. NASP’s equipment specifications are highly standardized in every school world-wide. Each school uses the same bow and arrow. The Genesis by Mathews Archery is a high quality universal-fit compound bow designed for sharing among several student archers. The Genesis arrow was specifically designed by Easton Technical Products to be safe, durable, and effective for the archery student.

This principle of every student using the same equipment in archery class makes certain the focus of student learning is on mastering the process of safe and proper shooting. If different types of equipment were used the teacher’s role would be more complicated, NASP®’s perfect safety record could be impacted, and the student’s mastery of how to shoot could be short-circuited.

Most of the more than 8,800 schools that have joined the program to date have been able to purchase their equipment with little help from outside sources. However, many schools are unable to raise this money without assistance. Some schools raise money locally among civic organizations, conservation clubs or chapters of the National Wild Turkey Foundation, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, or Safari Club International. Innovative teachers enlist the aid of parents to hold fund raising events to raise money for equipment. In many NASP jurisdictions the fish and wildlife conservation agency provides grants for the purchase of school archery equipment kit.

To help alleviate financial barriers we at NASP are excited about the generosity of the Easton Foundations (EF). EF is a non-profit foundation established by James L. Easton for the purpose of training and developing a pool of world class archers able to compete at the highest levels. The strategy used to accomplish the Foundation’s purpose is the creation or support of programs to develop archers at many levels in order to strengthen and deepen the available talent pool. “The Easton Foundations have supported NASP Schools for a number of years with equipment grants directly to the schools, support of the NASP School Equipment Grant Program allows us to assist more schools and leverage the great work of the NASP organization and State Coordinators”, commented Greg Easton from the Easton Foundations. For more about the Easton Foundations visit www.eastonfoundations.org

This grant offer is popular with coordinators who run NASP in their respective states.

Tim Beck, the Indiana DNR NASP Coordinator reports, “These equipment grants have allowed many Indiana schools to join and participate in this unique and engaging program. There is no doubt, without this type of boost some of our students would not be able to join the fun.” Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission’s Steve Robbins tells us, “Our agency provides a limited number of grants to start new NASP schools. These EF and NASP grants help even more private and public schools join Florida’s NASP effort. We have teachers waiting and hoping the grant will be renewed this year.”

The National Archery in the Schools Program is in its 10th year. If you would like to learn more about NASP and how to help our nonprofit foundation bring the program to more students please check us out at: at: www.archeryintheschools.org or www.nasparchery.com

Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Michigan --(Ammoland.com)- The Department of Natural Resources wants to remind landowners in the Saginaw Bay and River Raisin basins that federal funds are available through the U.S. Department of Agriculture to establish, improve and maintain quality grasslands for wildlife.

The $100,000 fund is available through matching grants.

“The timing of this announcement couldn’t be better as we embark on our pheasant restoration initiative,” said DNR Private Lands Coordinator Mark Sargent. “This money is available in all three of our priority areas and should help landowners turn idle or degraded land into quality upland wildlife habitat.”

Landowners who are interested in improving their grassland habitat should contact their local USDA Service Center.

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.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont. --(Ammoland.com)- Fighting invasive, encroaching vegetation and restoring native forage for elk and other wildlife are the main themes in a list of 2011 grants for Utah from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

Combined, the new RMEF funding totals $174,700 and affects 16 counties: Beaver, Cache, Carbon, Duchesne, Emery, Garfield, Grand, Iron, Millard, Piute, San Juan, Sanpete, Sevier, Tooele, Uintah and Utah.

An additional RMEF-funded conservation project–researching best designs for wildlife road crossings–has statewide interest.

“Fire suppression has slowly allowed pinyon and juniper to overtake many areas where elk once grazed, and non-native plants like cheatgrass are further reducing both the size and nutritional value of grasslands across Utah,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “Our grants this year are focused on restoring Utah elk country to a more natural and pristine condition.”

He added, “All together, the habitat improvement projects that RMEF is funding this year could add at least 18,000 acres to the 891,256 acres that we’ve previously helped to conserve or enhance for wildlife in Utah.”

Nationally, RMEF hopes to impact about 100,000 acres in 2011 to reach the 6 million acre lifetime mark in lands conserved or enhanced for elk and other wildlife.

Allen thanked RMEF volunteers and fundraiser attendees for building the organization’s grant coffers in Utah, saying, “Because of their amazing passion and generous support, a major conservation milestone is within reach.”

RMEF grants will help fund the following 2011 projects, listed by county:

• Beaver County–Improve water availability for elk and other wildlife by increasing storage capacity of an existing guzzler in the Woods Reservoir area of the Wah Wah Mountain Range.
• Cache County–Prescribe burn 1,392 acres to restore aspen and improve forage for elk in the Right Hand Fork area of Logan Canyon in the Wasatch-Cache National Forest.
• Carbon County–Prescribe burn 603 acres to improve forage for elk and reduce hazardous fuels in the Price Canyon Recreation Area of BLM lands northwest of Helper Utah; clear pinyon-juniper encroachment from 745 acres in Fish Creek and Dugout Creek areas of BLM lands.
• Duchesne County–Thin 657 acres of ponderosa pine to improve understory shrubs, grasses and forbs for elk, moose, mule deer, turkey and other wildlife in the Petty Mountain area of Ashley National Forest.
• Emery County–Aerially seed native grass and forbs and remove pinyon-juniper encroachment to improve 541 acres of elk habitat on BLM lands in the Grimes Wash area of Manti Mountains.
• Garfield County–Install a 10,000-gallon guzzler to provide water for elk, turkey and other species in the Dry Hollow area of Dixie National Forest.
• Grand County–Thin encroaching pinyon-juniper from 900 acres of sagebrush flats used by elk and other wildlife in the Book Cliffs area between Cedar Camp Ridge and Willow Flats; aerially seed native grass, forbs and shrubs on 324 acres in Moon Ridge area of Book Cliffs; prescribe burn and seed 1,100 acres on the San Arroyo Burn Pasture in the Cisco Desert of BLM lands near the Colorado/Utah border.
• Iron County–Mulch and hand-thin encroaching pinyon-juniper on 1,700 acres of sagebrush-steppe habitat used as winter range by elk on BLM land southeast of Beaver, Utah. This is the sixth year of an ongoing project to improve habitat on over 9,000 acres in the area (also affects Beaver County).
• Millard County–Aerially apply herbicide to reduce and control cheatgrass invasion on 645 acres of elk habitat northeast of Holden, Utah.
• Piute County–Thin pinyon-juniper to improve 1,000 acres of sagebrush-steppe habitat used by elk and mule deer in the City Creek area of Fishlake National Forest; install exclosure fencing to prevent overbrowsing in five aspen stands in the Box Creek area of Monroe Mountain in Fishlake National Forest (also affects Sevier County).
• San Juan County–Thin encroaching pinyon-juniper from 800 acres of elk winter range in the Dry Wash, Johnson Creek and Recapture drainages of Manti La-Sal National Forest; re-seed native vegetation on 1,311 acres as the first phase of a larger project to improve habitat in the Peters Canyon area of BLM lands north of Monticello, Utah.
• Sanpete County–Remove encroaching pinyon-juniper from 607 acres of ponderosa pine, sagebrush and cottonwood habitat used by elk and other wildlife in the southern portion of the Ferron Ranger District of Manti La-Sal National Forest (also affects Emery County).
• Sevier County–Improve elk and deer transitional habitat on 268 acres by mechanically treating pinyon-juniper and aerially seeding native grass and forbs in the Old Woman Plateau area east of Salina, Utah; remove pinyon-juniper, treat cheatgrass and re-seed native vegetation on 966 acres south of Glenwood, Utah.
• Statewide–Continue research on the effectiveness of different sizes, types and locations of wildlife road crossings across Utah. Results will help determine most effective designs to allow elk and other wildlife to move safely under and over roads.
• Tooele County–Remove pinyon-juniper encroachment on 150 acres of sagebrush-steppe habitat used by elk on the west side of Deep Creek Mountains on BLM lands; remove pinyon-juniper and reclaim areas damaged by illegal OHV use to improve forage on 1,561 acres in the foothills of the Oquirrh Mountains of BLM lands.
• Uintah County–Construct temporary exclosure fencing to prevent over-browsing by elk on 14 young aspen stands covering 60 acres in Book Cliffs area; mechanically thin 392 acres of pinyon-juniper encroachment to restore sagebrush habitat in the Boulevard Ridge area of Book Cliffs.
• Utah County–Improve forage for elk and mule deer by removing pinyon-juniper on 242 acres in Spanish Fork Canyon of Manti La-Sal National Forest.

Projects are selected for grants using science-based criteria and a committee of RMEF volunteers and staff along with representatives from partnering agencies and universities.

Partners for 2011 projects in Utah include Bureau of Land Management (BLM), National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, U.S. Forest Service, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, other agencies, organizations and landowners.

Since 1985, RMEF and its partners have completed 315 different conservation and hunting heritage outreach projects in Utah with a combined value of more than $30.4 million.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.9 million acres–a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

Pennsylvania Game Commission

Pennsylvania --(Ammoland.com)- Pennsylvania Game Commission Executive Director Carl G. Roe today said that the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF) continues to be an important partner on many projects to improve elk and wildlife habitat in northcentral Pennsylvania, and 2011 stands to be no different than previous years.

“This year’s project on State Game Land 311 will improve 42 acres where previous coal mining from decades ago destroyed the top soils,” Roe said.

“Past mining left this area a barren and damaged landscape that did not support much wildlife or wildlife habitat. Additional funding comes from the Domtar Paper Mill, and the Game Commission funds.”

According to Dennis Dusza, Game Commission Northcentral Region director, it costs about $3,000 per acre to improve these damaged landscapes by bringing in the paper mill soil additive, which consists of wood fibers and lime that are a waste product in the paper manufacturing process. The soil additive is chisel-plowed into the sites, seeded and fertilized.

“Domtar is willing to do these projects with the Game Commission in cooperation with RMEF for partial reimbursement of its costs,” Dusza said. “This year’s project will result in 42 additional acres being improved with the high-alkaline soil additives. RMEF will pay $45,000 this summer.

“Domtar Paper Mill matches the RMEF funds with $76,000 worth of labor and materials being spent to upgrade the pH of the soils, and the Game Commission will add $5,000 of its own land management funds to the project.”

The Domtar Paper Mill has been involved in a cooperative effort to improve poor soils and create wildlife habitat on State Game Lands since 1997.

“It gives us much satisfaction that we have made a beneficial, positive and lasting impact toward improving the wildlife habitat of our region,” said Andy Redmond of Domtar-Johnsonburg Mill.

By September, these 42 acres - which are spread out in four different locations on SGL 311 - will be treated to produce high-quality clovers, legumes, grasses and some grain crops for elk and other wildlife to feed on for years to come.

“Elk, wild turkeys, whitetail deer and black bear heavily use these sites,” Dusza said. “Some cottontail rabbits and numerous species of furbearers and non-game wildlife, such as songbirds, other mammals and even aquatic life and reptiles and amphibians, benefit from these improved soils.”

Roe noted that, over the past decade, RMEF funding has improved more than 110 acres on SGL 311, including some sites that were improved with the RMEF/Paper Mill cooperative project.

“Some of these areas improved with RMEF funding continue to have great herbaceous cover on them and the soil pH is more balanced, making it more conducive to planting vegetation beneficial for all wildlife,” Roe said. “Prior to these projects, the soil had pH levels that were not sufficient for growing plants for wildlife habitat. Today, when hunters and others visit SGL 311, there are nearly 200 elk grazing on these improved acres.”

This June, in just the first week of mowing these openings, Game Commission employees reported seeing more than 20 fawns, three elk calves, a number of rattlesnakes in some locations, and numerous broods of young turkeys. Agency biologists captured six additional elk calves and fitted them with radio collars as part of the elk population research project.

“The Game Commission mows these herbaceous openings at least once per summer to keep the grasses and clovers young and tender,” Dusza said. “This makes it better for insects, such as grasshoppers, which in turn feed turkeys and grouse that live in the adjacent forested areas. The tender grasses and legumes also are a favorite of deer and rabbits.

“Over the past 15 years, RMEF also assisted with funding land purchases of some of the tracts of SGL 311. Today, nearly 3,100 acres are spread out in the Winslow Hill area of Benezette Township, Elk County, making up SGL 311. Those acres border the Elk State Forest, which is more than 200,000 acres and provides food, cover, water and space for elk and other wildlife.”

The Moshannon, Sproul and Susquehannock state forests, along with SGLs 14, 34 and SGL 321, all are adjacent lands that add up to nearly one million acres of public lands for elk and other wildlife to use. RMEF-funded projects have helped to create and improve herbaceous openings through these areas where elk and many big woods species of Pennsylvania wildlife thrive.

“RMEF is proud to play a significant role as a conservation partner in Pennsylvania elk range, along with the Game Commission and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Bureau of Forestry,” said Dave Ragantesi, RMEF senior regional director. “Our long-standing partnerships have helped conserve and enhance more than 14,000 acres of habitat, and we look forward to a continued working relationship in which the elk, other wildlife and the citizens of the Commonwealth will benefit.”

“Hunters and others can be thankful for such a good conservation minded organizations such as RMEF,” said John Dzemyan, Game Commission Land Management Group Supervisor, who oversees this habitat work on State Game Lands. “They have been and they remain an important and active partner in Pennsylvania’s Elk Management Program with emphasis on wildlife habitat for elk and all species of wildlife that live in Pennsylvania Elk management areas.”

For more information on RMEF, visit www.rmef.org, or the Pennsylvania RMEF chapter’s website at www.pennsylvaniarmef.org.

California Department Of Fish And Game

The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) secured a $500,000 federal grant to support the creation of additional public hunting and fishing opportunities.

The grant, through California’s Shared Habitat Alliance for Recreational Enhancement (SHARE) Program, will allow public access for wildlife-dependent recreation on private lands.

“This significant grant funding is the shot in the arm that the SHARE Program needs to finally expand beyond a mere pilot or regional program,” stated Mark Hennelly, Vice President of the California Outdoor Heritage Alliance (COHA). “Many new and exciting hunting opportunities will be made available to the public as a direct result of the department’s successful efforts to secure federal funds.

DFG will use the federal funds, which were originally authorized through the “Open Fields” provision of the 2008 Farm Bill, to compensate participating landowners and nonprofit organizations helping to administer the SHARE hunts. Hunters participating in SHARE will still remain a key funding source for the SHARE Program, along with hunting licenses, stamp and tag funds.

“DFG should be praised and congratulated for their efforts in securing these funds, which will increase public hunting opportunities on private lands in California,” stated John Carlson Jr., President of California Waterfowl. “In most instances, the properties enrolled in the SHARE Program have never been available for public use. Now, private land in Californiawill be made available for current and future generations.”

The SHARE Program was created by California Waterfowl-sponsored state legislation in 2003 to encourage private landowners to voluntarily open their properties to hunting, fishing and other wildlife-dependent recreation. The bill was authored by then Assembly Member Tom Harman. Due to limited funding, for the last several years, the SHARE Program has relied heavily on the assistance of nonprofit conservation groups like California Waterfowl and COHA, and has focused mostly on waterfowl and upland game bird hunts in select areas of the state. However, DFG has recently been able to secure several wild pig and elk hunts.

Programs similar to SHARE have opened up millions of acres of land to public access across at least 18 other states. These programs have been well received by both hunters and landowners alike, and have fostered improved relations between sportsmen and the agricultural and ranching communities.

“We are excited for this opportunity to expand the SHARE program,” said John McCamman, Director of DFG. “This funding will allow us to create public access to additional lands for wildlife-dependent recreational activities.”

With the new funding, the SHARE Program is expected to expand over time into a statewide program with a wide variety of game bird and big game hunting opportunities. In particular, the program should provide improved hunter access to wild pig and wild turkey populations, two species for which there are currently only limited public hunting opportunities available.

California Waterfowl is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to conserve California’s waterfowl, wetland, and our hunting heritage. For more information, visit www.calwaterfowl.org.

The California Outdoor Heritage Alliance(COHA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting hunting and promoting wildlife conservation. For more information, visit www.outdoorheritage.org.

The Mission of the Department of Fish and Game is to manage California‘s diverse fish, wildlife, and plant resources, and the habitats upon which they depend, for their ecological values and for their use and enjoyment by the public.

ACUI Intercollegiate Clay Target Championship

National Shooting Sports Foundation

NEWTOWN, Conn --(Ammoland.com)- In just two years, the Collegiate Shooting Sports Initiative (CSSI) developed by the National Shooting Sports Foundation has awarded more than $300,000 to 40 colleges to help establish, expand and sustain shooting clubs and teams.

NSSF wants to add to that support. This school year NSSF will make a total of $300,000 in funding available to colleges. Grant applications are available at www.nssf.org/CSSI/grants.

“We’re seeing that college students are eager to participate in the shooting sports if given the opportunity,” said Zach Snow, NSSF manager of shooting promotions. “NSSF grants are stimulating interest in collegiate target shooting and firearms safety programs across the country.”

Schools that have received CSSI grants include Harvard, Yale, Clemson, Colorado State, University of Arkansas-Fort Smith, Fort Hayes State, Stetson College, Jacksonville University and the University of Vermont.

CSSI grant-supported programs have helped double participation at the ACUI Intercollegiate Clay Target Championship over the last three years. The 2011 championships featured 439 students representing 50 schools.

These are avid competitive target shooters. The majority of participants shoot three or more events, with 88 percent taking aim in trapshooting, the tournament’s top event. Participation in sporting clays, another shotgun clay target sport, rose by 42 percent over last year. Snow reports that the ACUI office receives an average of ten inquiries per month from parents, students and coaches asking how to start a college team and get involved with the ACUI tournament.

While competition attracts one type of student, recreational target shooting draws students who want an introduction to the shooting sports and firearms safety. NSSF grants are helping to establish these campus-organized clubs. Such widespread interest prompted NSSF to develop its “How to Start a Club” resource guide. The document is filled with helpful advice on starting both competitive teams and recreational shooting clubs, and includes samples of membership forms and club bylaws.

NSSF’s Collegiate Shooting Sports Initiative is closely allied with the Scholastic Clay Target Program that was founded by NSSF and is now administered by the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation. SCTP is a nationwide program for youth target shooters that provides competition, championships and scholarship opportunities. SCTP, a feeder program for many college shooting teams, recently added a collegiate division.

“Students coming out of SCTP and other youth programs want to continue participating when they get to college and also share these lifelong sports with their new friends,” said Snow.

Anyone interested in starting or strengthening a college shotgun, rifle or pistol team or club can find resources and grant opportunities at www.nssf.org/college.

About NSSF
The National Shooting Sports Foundation is the trade association for the firearms industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of more than 6,000 manufacturers, distributors, firearms retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen’s organizations and publishers. For more information, log on to www.nssf.org.

NSSF is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2011. Learn about the Foundation’s history at www.nssf.org/50.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont. --(Ammoland.com)- Improving elk habitat and introducing thousands of students to traditional outdoor recreation and conservation are the main themes in a list of 2011 grants for Pennsylvania from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

All together, the new RMEF grants total $68,694 and affect Armstrong, Bedford, Blair, Cameron, Centre, Clarion, Clearfield, Clinton, Dauphin, Elk, Erie, Fayette, Lehigh, Lycoming, McKean, Mercer, Montgomery, Potter, Sullivan, Washington and Westmoreland counties, plus Philadelphia.

Three additional projects have statewide interest.

“This year, our grants will cover the costs of seed, fertilizer, herbicide–as well as lime and a paper-mill byproduct used to improve soil conditions–to enhance forage for elk and other wildlife,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO.

“We’re pleased to support the Pennsylvania Game Commission and Pennsylvania Department of Natural Resources in this important work.”

Allen said about 2,100 acres of habitat will be enhanced via 2011 grants in Pennsylvania.

Nationally, RMEF hopes to impact about 100,000 acres in 2011 to reach the 6 million-acre lifetime mark in lands conserved or enhanced for elk and other wildlife.

Allen thanked RMEF volunteers and fundraiser attendees for building the organization’s conservation impact in Pennsylvania and across elk country, saying, “Because of their amazing passion and generous support, we’re doing some great things locally and a national conservation milestone is within reach.”

RMEF grants will help fund the following 2011 projects:

• Armstrong County–Provide sponsorship for Armstrong County Sportsmen and Conservation League 2011 Youth Field Day to introduce students to traditional outdoor recreation and conservation.
• Bedford County–Provide sponsorship for Everett Sportsmen Junior Rifle Club 2011 to introduce students to traditional outdoor recreation and conservation.
• Blair County–Provide sponsorship for Keystone Sportsmen for Youth 2011 Field Day to introduce students to traditional outdoor recreation and conservation.
• Cameron County–Maintain and refurbish state game lands to improve 2,050 acres of habitat for elk, deer, turkey, grouse and other wildlife. Projects include lime, fertilizer and herbicide applications, seeding and mowing (also affects Centre, Clearfield, Clinton and Elk counties).
• Clarion County–Provide sponsorship for Clarion County 2011 Youth Field Day to introduce students to traditional outdoor recreation and conservation.
• Dauphin County–Provide sponsorship for Capital Area Sportsmen for Youth 2011 Field Day to introduce students to traditional outdoor recreation and conservation.
• Elk County–Refurbish 50 acres of forage openings to improve grazing conditions for elk and other wildlife on State Game Lands #311. Project involves application of a byproduct (biosolids) from Domtar-Johnsonburg Paper Mill to improve soil pH (also affects McKean County); provide sponsorship for Elk County 2011 Youth Field Day to introduce students to traditional outdoor recreation and conservation.
• Erie County–Provide sponsorship for Edinboro University Highlander Archery 2011 to engage students in traditional outdoor recreation and conservation.
• Fayette County–Provide sponsorship for Fayette Gun Club 2011 Youth Shooting Day to introduce students to traditional outdoor recreation and conservation.
• Lehigh County–Sponsor Camp Compass Academy 2011 to introduce students to traditional outdoor recreation and conservation.
• Mercer County–Provide sponsorship for Mercer County 2011 Youth Conservation Camp to introduce students to traditional outdoor recreation and conservation.
• Montgomery County–Provide sponsorship for Lower Pottsgrove Sportsmen’s Association 2011 Youth Program to introduce students to traditional outdoor recreation and conservation.
• Philadelphia–Provide sponsorship for Pennsylvania Master Naturalist 2011 Program, a pilot program to train participants for leadership in community conservation, restoration and education projects.
• Potter County–Provide sponsorship for Coudersport Reservoir 2011 Youth Fishing Derby to engage students in traditional outdoor recreation and conservation.
• Statewide–Provide sponsorship for Wildlife Leadership Academy 2011 to train students for community service in conservation; sponsor Pennsylvania Institute for Conservation Education 2011 Teacher Workshop; sponsor Pennsylvania 2011 National Archery in the Schools Program.
• Sullivan County–Provide sponsorship for East Lycoming and Sullivan County School Districts 2011 Sixth Grade Outdoor Education to introduce students to traditional outdoor recreation and conservation (also affects Lycoming County); sponsor Sullivan County High School 2011 Shooting Sports.
• Washington County–Provide sponsorship for Allenport Rod and Gun Club Children’s 2011 Fishing Contest to introduce students to traditional outdoor recreation and conservation; sponsor California Hill Gun Club 2011 Scholastic Clay Target Program (also affects Fayette County); sponsor Pennsylvania Scholastic Clay Target Program 2011 Zone Shoots (also affects Fayette County); sponsor Roscoe Sportsmen’s Association 2011 Junior Trap League; sponsor Roscoe Sportsmen’s Association 2011 Youth Day.
• Westmoreland County–Provide sponsorship for Kingston Veterans Sportsman Club 2011 Youth Field Day and Pheasant Hunt to introduce students to traditional outdoor recreation and conservation.

Conservation projects are selected for grants using science-based criteria and a committee of RMEF volunteers and staff along with representatives from partnering agencies and universities. RMEF staff and volunteers select education projects to receive grants.

Partners for 2011 projects in Pennsylvania include Pennsylvania Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources, Pennsylvania Game Commission, numerous sportsmen and gun clubs, schools, businesses and many organizations.

Since 1985, RMEF and its partners have completed 242 different conservation and education projects in Pennsylvania with a combined value of more than $20.5 million.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.9 million acres–a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

National Shooting Sports Foundation

NEWTOWN, Conn --(Ammoland.com)- With interest growing nationwide in target shooting and owning firearms for home and personal defense, the need for top-notch shooting ranges has never been greater.

Recognizing this, the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the trade associations for the firearms, ammunition, hunting and shooting sports industry, has awarded $435,000 in grants to 22 ranges to develop programs that put more people on the firing line.

The NSSF Range Grant Program assists qualifying shooting ranges in their efforts to introduce newcomers, re-activate lapsed shooters, encourage active shooters to try another shooting discipline, and that promote the enjoyment of the shooting sports to people of all ages. Projects such as physical improvements to facilities not essential to the operation of the range are not eligible for grants.

“We saw a lot of growth in the applications for range grants this year,” said Melissa Schilling, NSSF manager of recruitment and retention. “We believe range operators nationwide are beginning to understand what a great opportunity this is to help get an idea that will be good for their business and the shooting sports off the ground.”

NSSF received 64 proposals requesting $2.8 million in grants–an all-time high for the program. Lauched in 2008, the NSSF Range Grant Program has awarded funding to 46 ranges totaling $1.17 million to date.

Schilling explained that a priority of program is to highlight “models of success,” so that grant-assisted initiatives that have been successful at the piloting range can be adopted by other facilities to build more participation, customers and profits. Case studies of programs that have received funding in prior years are available for review at www.nssf.org/shooting/grants.

Shooting facilities that received 2011 grants:

• Center Target Sports, Inc., Post Falls, Idaho
• Central Oregon Sporting Clays & Hunting Preserve, Redmond, Oregon
• Clark County Shooting Park, Las Vegas, Nev.
• Colorado Rifle Club, Littleton, Colo.
• Desoto Rifle & Pistol Club, Germantown, Tenn.
• Greene County Fish & Game Assoc., Xenia, Ohio
• Handgunners, Inc., Burlington, N.C.
• Herminie #2 Game Association, West Newton, Penn.
• Jentoe Corp.-A&S Indoor Pistol Range, Youngwood, Penn.
• Lead Valley Range, Inc., Deer Trail, Colo.
• Mississippi Wildlife, Fisheries & Parks Foundation, Jackson, Miss.
• Norco Running Gun IPSC Club, Norco, Calif.
• Pocono Pistol Club, Stroudsburg, Penn.
• ProShots Indoor Range & Training, Rural Hall, N.C.
• Red Bluff Lodge, Allendale, S.C.
• Red River Regional Marksmanship Center, West Fargo, N.D.
• Riverside Range, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
• San Luis Obispo Sportsmen’s Association, Morro Bay, Calif.
• Targething Pro Shop, Garrettsville, Ohio
• The Shooter’s Depot, Chattanooga, Tenn.
• Tri-State Shooters Club, Inc., Rosholt, S.D.
• Walla Walla Gun Club, Walla Walla, Wash.

About NSSF
The National Shooting Sports Foundation is the trade association for the firearms industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of more than 6,000 manufacturers, distributors, firearms retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen’s organizations and publishers. For more information, log on to www.nssf.org.

NSSF is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2011. Learn about the Foundation’s history at www.nssf.org/50.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont. --(Ammoland.com)- Elk and other wildlife in New Mexico need water and foraging areas, and newly announced 2011 grants from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation will help provide both in areas across the state.

Also receiving RMEF funding is a research project measuring impacts of wolf restoration on elk populations in the Gila National Forest.

Combined, the new RMEF grants total $75,503 and affect nine counties: Catron, Cibola, Lincoln, Mora, Otero, Sandoval, San Juan, Socorro and Taos counties.

“It’s a never-ending battle to knock back the pinyon and juniper encroaching into areas where elk used to graze, but it’s still one of the most important habitat issues in New Mexico today,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO.

“Providing adequate water is another concern, and we’re sending significant dollars toward replacing and repairing guzzlers for elk and other wildlife.”

He added, “All together, the habitat improvement projects that RMEF is funding this year could add at least 6,600 acres to the 455,023 acres that we’ve previously helped to conserve or enhance for wildlife in New Mexico.”

Nationally, RMEF hopes to impact about 100,000 acres in 2011 to reach the 6 million-acre lifetime mark in lands conserved or enhanced for elk and other wildlife.

Allen thanked RMEF volunteers and fundraiser attendees for building the organization’s grant coffers in New Mexico, saying, “Because of their amazing passion and generous support, a major conservation milestone is within reach.”

RMEF grants will help fund the following 2011 projects, listed by county:

• Catron County–Research elk habitat use and mortality from predation in the Blue Range Wolf Recovery Area of the Gila National Forest. Wildlife managers will use results to develop elk harvest quotas.
• Cibola County–Begin first phase of the new Bluewater Ecosystem Management Project to restore habitat in the Zuni Mountains west of Grants, N.M. First-year projects include thinning 2,123 acres of pinyon, juniper and other encroaching shrubs and trees, and prescribe burning 2,720 acres in the Cibola National Forest.
• Lincoln County–Deepen two existing wetlands and create six additional wetlands to improve water availability for elk in 16-acre Blue Lake meadow in Lincoln National Forest.
• Mora County–Restore riparian zones to improve wetland forage, provide water and improve habitat for elk and other wildlife east of Wagon Mound, N.M.
• Otero County–Replace a nonfunctioning guzzler while increasing capacity to 4,500 gallons to improve habitat for elk and other wildlife on the Sacramento Escarpment on BLM lands east of Tularosa, N.M.; prescribe burn 450 acres to improve forage in the Southern Sacramento Mountains Restoration Project Area of Lincoln National Forest.
• Sandoval County–Install two large water tanks on Santa Fe National Forest, one in the Cuba Ranger District and one in the Jemez Ranger District, to enhance habitat for elk and minimize conflicts with elk on adjacent Bandelier National Monument.
• San Juan County–Thin encroaching pinyon and juniper on 126 acres and install a new “inverted umbrella” wildlife-watering device to improve habitat for elk, deer, turkey, bear and other species in the Rattlesnake Canyon Wildlife Specially Designated Area.
• Socorro County–Improve forage for elk by mechanically treating 267 acres of pinyon-juniper encroachment on BLM lands in the East Magdalena area.
• Taos County – Repair guzzler to improve water availability for elk and other wildlife on BLM lands near Cerro del Aire; construct exclosure fencing around young aspen stands to protect from over-browsing on BLM lands on Taos Plateau.

Projects are selected for grants using science-based criteria and a committee of RMEF volunteers and staff along with representatives from partnering agencies and universities.

Partners for 2011 projects in New Mexico include Bureau of Land Management (BLM), New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, Texas Tech University, U.S. Forest Service, other agencies, organizations and landowners.

Since 1985, RMEF and its partners have completed 256 different conservation and education projects in New Mexico with a combined value of more than $19.3 million.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.9 million acres–a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Washington, DC --(Ammoland.com)- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that $4.9 million in grants will be going to six state fish and wildlife agencies to help conserve and recover Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) through the State Wildlife Grants (SWG) Competitive Program.

Priority is given to multistate, cooperative conservation projects that demonstrate measurable performance results and benefit SGCN. This federal funding will be matched by $2.9 million in non-Federal funds provided by states and their partners for projects helping SGCN and their habitats.

The SWG Competitive Program, part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service?s State Wildlife Grants program, awards grants for projects that implement strategies and actions to conserve SGCN contained in approved State Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Plans (also known as State Wildlife Action Plans). Funding for the grants comes from Fiscal Year 2011 appropriations for the SWG Competitive Program. All 56 states and territorial wildlife agencies have approved State Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Plans, which collectively provide a nationwide blueprint for actions to conserve SGCN. The plans were created through a collaborative effort among state and federal agencies, biologists, conservationists, landowners, sportsmen, and the general public. Each plan was then reviewed and approved by a national team that included members from the Fish and Wildlife Service as well as directors from state wildlife agencies.

Funded projects include:

1) Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Title: Multistate Sandhills/Upland Longleaf Ecological Restoration Project (Phase 2): Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi Goals and Objectives: This project will significantly increase the quality and quantity of habitat for priority wildlife species on over 51,775 acres of sandhill/upland longleaf forest in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi by prescribed fire, invasive species removal or hardwood removal and the planting of native longleaf pine and groundcover. This proposal is a substantial effort to improve the habitat and status of about 80 Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) among the 5 primary State partners. Federal Funds awarded: $981,050; Non-Federal match: $552,819

2) Commonwealth of Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife Title: Rangewide New England Cottontail (NEC) Initiative Continuation and Expansion of NEC Conservation Effort Goals and Objectives: The project will integrate conservation design and conservation delivery in 6 States in order to ensure that NEC conservation efforts will be implemented and that they are effective. The project will deliver 1200 acres of NEC habitat restoration in an adaptive management framework creating 50 new habitat patches across the species range. The Primary State partners are Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut, New York, and Rhode Island. Federal Funds awarded: $1,000,000; Non-Federal match: $452,100

3) Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Title: Driftless Area Restoration and Assessment to Benefit Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) Goals and Objectives: This project will restore at least 1,600 privately-owned acres and 3,150 acres of lands owned or managed by 3 State DNRs to bluff prairie, oak savanna, and/or woodland habitat for up to 79 SGCN. The Driftless Area?s habitat has changed greatly during the past 150 years. Savanna and prairie loss has been substantial across the region, with less than 2 percent savannas and 1percent prairies remaining. Primary State partners include Minnesota and Wisconsin. Federal Funds awarded: $972,000; Non-Federal Match: $783,463

4) New Hampshire Fish and Game Department Title: Conservation of Blanding?s Turtles and Associated Wetland SGCN in the Northeast Goals and Objectives: This project will maintain and enhance functional wetland and upland wildlife habitat in New England, New York, and Pennsylvania by applying conservation principles and practices needed to support a healthy Blanding?s turtle population. The project will seek to prevent further declines by developing and initiating implementation of a regional conservation plan to: identify and protect genetic variation among the Northeast?s turtles to improve habitats critical to their survival; develop monitoring protocols to detect status and trends; and create or enhance at least five nesting areas. Federal Funds awarded: $637,336; Non-Federal Match: $273,912

5) Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources Title: Big Rivers Mussel Restoration Goals and Objectives: This project will support a regional effort to increase populations of mussel SGCNs (in Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia), and to develop captive propagation, restoration and monitoring protocols which will be used to inform regional and national mussel conservation efforts. Thirty-five mussel SGCNs including 8 Federally Threatened or Endangered species will benefit from the project. Federal Funds Awarded: $953,899; Non-Federal Match: $638,585

6) Arizona Game and Fish Department Title: Western Coordinated Multi-State Response to a Deadly, Emerging Threat: White Nose Syndrome (WNS) in Bats Goals and Objectives: This proposal addresses eligible issues identified in State Wildlife Action Plans (WAP) of all six major Western project partners and addressed the emerging issue of WNS as a wildlife health threat. All application partners propose improving the status of bat species including SGCN (15) species and/or their habitats. The application will have four WNS Priority Areas: Oversight, Surveillance, Communication, Education and Outreach and Research. WNS has been included in the upcoming revision of the Arizona Game and Fish Department?s WAP. Because the disease is so new and devastating, it is being included in WAP revisions nationwide. Federal Funds Requested: $445,715; Non-Federal Match: $204,087

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Washington, DC --(Ammoland.com)-

Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks

PRATT, KS --(Ammoland.com)- The State Wildlife Grants (SWG) program has provided funding for wildlife conservation programs for more than 10 years.

In Kansas, this has meant nearly $10 million for many kinds of projects designed to keep species off threatened and endangered lists.

Notable projects funded through this program include the Prairie Window Project by Dyck Arboretum at Hesston, which helped landowners restore and maintain native prairies; the compilation of a substantial amount of new information on the status and distributions of sensitive species; and a project that assessed natural areas of northeast Kansas.

The use of these funds has been guided by the Kansas Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Plan (CWCP), entitled “A Future for Kansas Wildlife.” Found on the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) website, www.kdwp.state.ks.us (Other Services/Kansas CWCP/Kansas CWCP), this plan was approved in 2005 as a requirement before Kansas could obtain and apply additional SWG funds.

Now KDWP is in the process of revising this dynamic plan, with the revision scheduled for completion in 2013.

The first step in this process is a review of the basic native species list. This is the list of all vertebrate species as well as many invertebrate animals to be considered for potential changes on the Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) list. There are currently 316 species on this list, and this plan update will consider all needed changes — those to be added to the list, deleted from it, or name changes according to the latest information.

“A Future for Kansas Wildlife” on the KDWP website also includes Appendix II, which describes the process by which any native species will be evaluated for possible listing as a SGCN. Top ranked species on this list are given priority in projects funded through the SWG program. This an opportunity for the public to look over the native species list and recommend any needed changes. Find the list under “Kansas CWCP Updates and Revisions” under “Other Services,” as well as further instructions for this process.

July 1 is the deadline for recommending changes to the Native Species List. Then work will begin on re-evaluating the Species of Greatest Conservation Need. Use the contact portal on the website to submit any recommendations.

For more information, contact Ken Brunson at 620-672-0792 or email him at ken.brunson@ksoutdoors.com .

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont. --(Ammoland.com)- Restoring grasslands by managing encroaching trees, shrubs and weeds is the main theme in a list of 2011 grants for Colorado from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

Along with improving wildlife foraging areas, RMEF funding also will help Colorado with a new research project to map elk and deer movements and habitat use. Data will help biologists maximize hunting as a management tool in Delores, Montezuma and San Miguel counties.

All together, the new RMEF grants total $144,150 and affect 12 counties: Dolores, Eagle, Fremont, Grand, Gunnison, La Plata, Mesa, Mineral, Montezuma, Park, Saguache and San Miguel.

“Across Colorado, the native grasslands that elk use for forage are shrinking. Forests are slowly overgrowing and noxious weeds are infesting landscapes,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “The habitat projects that we’re funding this year will help manage these lands, and could add at least 6,500 acres to the 388,203 acres that we’ve previously helped to conserve or enhance for wildlife in Colorado.”

Nationally, RMEF hopes to impact about 100,000 acres in 2011 to reach the 6 million-acre lifetime mark in lands conserved or enhanced for elk and other wildlife.

Allen thanked RMEF volunteers and fundraiser attendees for building the organization’s grant coffers in Colorado, saying, “Because of their amazing passion and generous support, a major conservation milestone is within reach.”

RMEF grants will help fund the following 2011 projects, listed by county:

• Dolores County–Begin research project to capture and radio-collar 20 cow elk and 20 doe deer in the Dove Creek area. Locations will be recorded three times a day for two years. Collected info will help biologists address seasonal habitat use and migration patterns, and how best to provide hunting opportunities to help control crop depredation in the area (also affects Montezuma and San Miguel counties).
• Eagle County–Remove encroaching pinyon-juniper from 567 acres, prescribe burn 450 acres, mow 250 acres and re-seed native grasses on 150 acres to improve elk winter range in the Berry Creek, Cottonwood Mesa, High Trail Gulch, Red Dirt, Ute Trail, Muddy Creek and Derby Mesa areas of White River National Forest.
• Fremont County–Improve winter range for elk by mechanically treating 500 acres of pinyon-juniper encroaching into native grasslands in the McCoy and Racepath Gulch areas of BLM lands.
• Grand County–Enhance forage for elk by treating 185 acres of Canadian thistle, yellow toadflax, oxeye daisy, musk thistle and other noxious weeds in the Sulphur Ranger District of Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest.
• Gunnison County–Prescribe burn 450 acres in Taylor Creek area below Taylor Park Reservoir to improve habitat for elk, bighorn sheep and other species.
• La Plata County–Treat 100 acres of noxious weeds such as yellow toadflax, spotted knapweed, houndstongue, oxeye daisy, musk thistle and Canada thistle to improve forage for elk and other wildlife in Cherry Creek area of San Juan National Forest.
• Mesa County–Improve forage for elk, mule deer and other species by prescribe burning 1,912 acres in Nick Mountain area; provide sponsorship for annual Outdoor Heritage Day in Grand Junction to educate youths about outdoor resources, wildlife, conservation and recreation.
• Mineral County–Thin 40 acres with hydro axe and prescribe burn 300 acres to remove encroaching conifer and reinvigorate native grasses, forbs and shrubs for elk in Blue Creek and Pool Table Mountain areas of Rio Grande National Forest.
• Park County–Improve meadows and aspen stands used by elk and deer in winter months by removing conifer with a hydro axe and prescribe burning 2,167 acres in the Reinecker Ridge area of James Mark Jones State Wildlife Area.
• Saguache County–Aerially apply herbicide to remove cheatgrass from 1,000 acres of steep elk habitat in Cochetopa Canyon area of BLM lands.

Projects are selected for grants using science-based criteria and a committee of RMEF volunteers and staff along with representatives from partnering agencies and universities.

Partners for 2011 projects in Colorado include Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Colorado Division of Wildlife, U.S. Forest Service, other agencies, organizations and landowners.

Since 1985, RMEF and its partners have completed 530 different conservation and education projects in Colorado with a combined value of more than $119.1 million.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.9 million acres–a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Washington, DC --(Ammoland.com)- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) awarded over $13.6 million in Multinational Species Conservation grant funding for 216 projects in 2010 through its Wildlife Without Borders program to provide support for conservation efforts for Asian and African elephants, rhinoceros, tigers, great apes, and marine turtles around the globe.

In recognition of an unprecedented international decline of certain flagship species, the U.S. Congress established the Multinational Species Conservation Funds, which are dedicated to saving some of the world’s fastest disappearing and most treasured animals in their natural habitats.

The Service administers these funds through the Wildlife Without Borders Species Programs, awarding grants to efforts aimed at conserving globally-valued endangered species found outside U.S. borders.

“These grants provide vital support for the conservation of some of the world’s most endangered and charismatic animals.” said Service’s acting Director Rowan Gould.

The funds help support community conservation efforts, anti-poaching and law enforcement initiatives, mitigation of human-wildlife conflicts and capacity building, monitoring and evaluation, outreach and education, promoting wildlife health, partnership building and protected area management, along with a wide variety of other essential conservation activities.

In 2010, the multinational species conservation funds were used to leverage over $18 million in matching funds resulting in over $33 million being provided to help to conserve African and Asian elephants, rhinos, tigers, great apes and marine turtles throughout the world.

Examples of these projects include: providing emergency protection to African elephants in Gabon by implementing training programs and supplies for anti-poaching missions; translocating rhinos from an area of high human-wildlife conflict to Manas National Park in India; mitigating the impacts of roads on tigers and their prey to reduce casualties in Malaysia; improving law enforcement and monitoring of Asian elephants to reduce poaching in Thailand; protecting and safeguarding the largest known population of eastern chimpanzees in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and protecting hawksbill marine turtle nesting populations in Nicaragua through beach patrols and nest monitoring.

To learn more about the grants provided through the Wildlife Without Borders Species Programs, go to: http://www.fws.gov/international/DIC/species/species.html

Follow us on Twitter @USFWSInternatl and on Facebook, USFWS_International Affairs.

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.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont. --(Ammoland.com)- Conserving and enhancing wildlife habitat, plus research on the combined impacts of wolves and drought on elk populations, headline a list of Wyoming projects slated to receive 2011 grants from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

The new RMEF funding totals $344,078 and affects 16 counties: Albany, Big Horn, Carbon, Converse, Fremont, Johnson, Lincoln, Natrona, Park, Platte, Sheridan, Sublette, Sweetwater, Teton, Washakie and Weston counties.

Several projects have statewide interest and one extends beyond Wyoming borders and across the northwestern U.S.

“We’re especially pleased to support several large conservation easements in Wyoming this year, including several that secure hunting access on both private and public lands,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “The habitat projects that we’re funding this year could add well over 60,000 acres to the 954,612 acres that we’ve previously helped to conserve or enhance for wildlife in Wyoming.”

Nationally, RMEF hopes to impact about 100,000 acres in 2011 to reach the 6 million-acre lifetime mark in lands conserved or enhanced for elk and other wildlife.

Allen thanked RMEF volunteers and fundraiser attendees for building the organization’s grant coffers in Wyoming, saying, “Because of their amazing passion and generous support, a major conservation milestone is within reach.”

RMEF grants will help fund the following 2011 projects, listed by county:

• Albany County–Improve habitat for elk, mule deer, pronghorn antelope and bighorn sheep by prescribe burning and/or masticating 2,907 acres in the Iron Mountain area (also affects Platte and Laramie counties).
• Big Horn County--Prescribe burn 500 acres of juniper and sagebrush, and chemically treat 200 acres of cheatgrass, as part of an ongoing project to improve elk habitat in the Devil’s Canyon area of BLM lands; remove encroaching conifer to enhance a 25-acre aspen stand in the Brokenback drainage of the Bighorn Mountains.
• Carbon County–Improve forage quality for elk and other wildlife by prescribe burning up to 5,000 acres in the Ferris Mountains area of BLM lands; prescribe burn up to 9,000 acres of public and private rangelands needed to support a regional elk herd in the Seminoe Mountains area; install wildlife friendly fencing and livestock watering troughs to enhance riparian areas important to elk in the Dry Cow Reservoir area of BLM lands; mow 400 acres of sagebrush, remove juniper from 100 acres, treat 100 acres of noxious weeds and install fencing to improve livestock grazing rotation and enhance habitat to support a regional elk herd in the Platte Valley; thin conifer encroachment to enhance 400 acres of habitat in the Sierra Madre/Little Snake River area of BLM lands.
• Fremont County–Replace 17.8 miles of woven wire with wildlife friendly fencing, develop water sources and other enhancements to control livestock in elk habitat in the Red Canyon Ranch area of the Shoshone National Forest; install pipeline to improve irrigation efficiency for habitat management at Red Canyon Wildlife Management Area.
• Lincoln County–Continue ongoing project to treat noxious weeds, using herbicides and bio-controls (insects) to improve 405 acres of habitat for elk in the Greys River area of Bridger-Teton National Forest; treat noxious weeds along 28 miles of backcountry trails in Bridger-Teton National Forest, assist Wyoming Game and Fish Department in acquiring a conservation easement to protect wildlife habitat on 2,200 acres and secure access to large tracts of public lands near Fontenelle Creek.
• Natrona County--Assist partners in purchasing a conservation easement to permanently protect 19,000 acres of private land and secure hunting access on 20,000 acres of public land (also affects Fremont County).
• Park County–Mechanically treat or prescribe burn 70 acres of juniper, Douglas fir and sagebrush to improve forage for elk, mule deer, bighorn sheep, sage grouse and other species in the Breteche Creek area of BLM lands; continue ongoing research project to study effects of wolf predation on elk nutrition, fat gain and pregnancy rates in the Absaroka area; conduct aerial surveys of elk calf recruitment between migratory and non-migratory elk herds in the Cody area.
• Sheridan County–As part of an ongoing project to improve habitat for elk, deer and pronghorn antelope on state lands on the east slope of the Bighorn Mountains, prescribe burn 200 acres in the Amsden Creek, Bud Love, Ed O. Taylor or Kerns wildlife habitat management areas (also affects Johnson County).
• Statewide–Provide support for a research project to evaluate influence of drought and predation on elk survival across the northwestern U.S.; provide support for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department annual expo, Sept. 8-10, 2011, to build public understanding of conservation; provide support for the Wyoming 4-H Shooting Sports Program, with emphasis on volunteer training in Converse County, to introduce youths and families to outdoor recreation; sponsor Wyoming Game and Fish Department “Access Yes” program to secure access for hunters and anglers on private lands; provide support for purchasing training tools for Wyoming Game and Fish Department hunter education activities.
• Sublette County–Continue Wyoming Front Aspen Restoration project to improve wildlife habitat on public and timber company lands; assist Wyoming Game and Fish Department in purchasing a conservation easement to ensure the future of wildlife habitat on 10,000 acres near Big Piney; evaluate the influence of supplemental feeding on elk migration timing, foraging and habitat selection.
• Sweetwater County–Build 8.25 miles of wildlife friendly fencing to manage livestock grazing in riparian and other areas of concern for elk, deer and Colorado River cutthroat in the Currant Creek area of BLM lands.
• Teton County–Cut and skid conifers to improve forest health, reduce fuels and increase aspen cover in elk range near Dry Quad area of Bridger-Teton National Forest; prescribe burn 2,201 acres to enhance forest health in the Hill Creek area of Caribou-Targhee National Forest; prescribe burn 100 acres of lodgepole pine and Douglas fir to improve aspen, grass and shrub habitat in the Buffalo Valley area of Bridger-Teton National Forest; provide support for an RMEF-award winning public education campaign regarding elk winter ranges and public closures (also affects Lincoln County).
• Washakie County–Prescribe burn 300 acres to improve winter range that supports a regional elk herd on the west slope of the Bighorn Mountains.
• Weston County–Assist Wyoming Game and Fish in purchasing a conservation easement to protect 3,036 acres of habitat for elk, turkeys, deer, mountain lions, raptors and songbirds in the Black Hills area.

Projects are selected for grants using science-based criteria and a committee of RMEF volunteers and staff along with representatives from partnering agencies and universities.

Partners for 2011 projects in Wyoming include the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), National Park Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service, University of Wyoming, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Geological Survey, Wyoming Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Wyoming Game and Fish Commission, Wyoming Game and Fish Department, Wyoming Governor’s Big Game License Coalition, Wyoming Stock Growers Agricultural Land Trust, Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust, other agencies, tribes, organizations, corporations and landowners.

Since 1985, RMEF and its partners have completed 454 different conservation and education projects in Wyoming with a combined value of more than $87.7 million.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.9 million acres–a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

National Shooting Sports Foundation

NEWTOWN, Conn --(Ammoland.com)- Boy Scouts and their troop leaders, who are known for being resourceful, will easily recognize the great opportunity provided by the National Shooting Sports Foundation and its new $100,000 challenge grant that encourages shooting sports programs at local Boy Scouts of America Councils.

The challenge grants by NSSF, the trade association for the firearms, ammunition, hunting and shooting sports industry, are available to qualifying BSA Councils that plan to strengthen and increase their activities in the shooting sports. Such programs teach Scouts marksmanship skills, firearm and range safety, teamwork and fundraising.

“NSSF is taking its long-standing partnership with Boy Scouts of America to a new level with this challenge grant,” said Chris Dolnack, NSSF’s senior vice president and chief marketing officer.

“With the shooting sports among the most popular Scouting activities, NSSF is proud to assist local councils in developing new and expanded opportunities for Scouts to gain knowledge of the shooting sports.”

BSA Councils applying for a grant must specifically earmark funds for shooting sports programs and provide matching funds at least equal to the grant request. NSSF will provide funding to the first 50 qualifying applicants up to a maximum of $2,000 in matching support.

Councils must use awarded funds toward the purchase of equipment and supplies for their shooting sports activities from an NSSF member retailer, a list of which is available at www.nssf.org/retailers/find.

Examples of qualifying purchases are ammunition, eye and ear protection, firearms, targets and shooting vests.

Applicants may view NSSF BSA Council Challenge Grant guidelines and application procedures at www.nssf.org/bsagrant.

For information contact Melissa Schilling at NSSF at mschilling@nssf.org.

About NSSF
The National Shooting Sports Foundation is the trade association for the firearms industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of more than 6,000 manufacturers, distributors, firearms retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen’s organizations and publishers. For more information, log on to www.nssf.org.

NSSF is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2011. Learn about the Foundation’s history at www.nssf.org/50.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Washington, DC --(Ammoland.com)- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) invites submission of grant proposals from federally recognized Indian tribal governments, including Alaska Native Villages, for the development and implementation of programs that benefit wildlife and their habitat, including species of Native American cultural or traditional importance and that are not hunted or fished.

The Tribal Wildlife Grant (TWG) program supports projects that develop or augment tribal capacity to manage, conserve, or protect fish and wildlife resources through funding and technical support. The Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 President’s Budget proposes to fund the Tribal Wildlife Grant program at $8,000,000, a $1,000,000 increase from the FY 2011 President’s budget request.

Project proposals must be postmarked by September 2, 2011, and submitted to the appropriate Regional Office. A TWG project proposal includes a cover page, program summary, program narrative, budget narrative, budget table, resolution of support from the tribal council, and Standard Form 424 Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424).

To view the FY 2012 TWG Application Kit and related materials, please visit the Service’s Native American Liaison web site at www.fws.gov/nativeamerican/grants.html or contact the Native American Liaison in the Service’s Regional Office in which the proposed project would occur.

Information on TWG is also available from the Office of the Native American Liaison, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 N. Fairfax Dr. MS-330, Arlington, VA 22203; or telephone 703-358-1728.

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.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont. --(Ammoland.com)- Helping Oregon biologists better predict habitat nutrition levels and elk population responses, and restoring shrinking aspen and meadow areas, are the key themes in a list of 2011 grants for Oregon from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

The new RMEF funding totals $150,000 and affects 17 counties: Baker, Benton, Crook, Curry, Deschutes, Douglas, Grant, Jefferson, Harney, Lake, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Morrow, Umatilla, Union and Wallowa.

One project has statewide interest with implications also extending into California.

“Wildlife habitat is changing all across Oregon. Fire suppression and noxious weed infestations are slowly altering the composition of the forestlands as well as shrinking the grasslands. Elk and other species are losing forage areas,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “The habitat projects that we’re funding this year could add well over 13,700 acres to the 693,081 acres that we’ve previously helped to conserve or enhance for wildlife in Oregon.”

Nationally, RMEF hopes to impact about 100,000 acres in 2011 to reach the 6 million-acre lifetime mark in lands conserved or enhanced for elk and other wildlife.

Allen thanked RMEF volunteers and fundraiser attendees for building the organization’s grant coffers in Oregon, saying, “Because of their amazing passion and generous support, a major conservation milestone is within reach.”

RMEF grants will help fund the following 2011 projects, listed by county:

• Baker County–Improve winter range used by approximately 150 elk by applying herbicide to 360 acres of noxious weeds such as leafy spurge in the Alder Creek area of Wallowa-Whitman National Forest.
• Crook County–Hand-thin juniper on 697 acres to improve forage for elk, brood rearing habitat for sage grouse, groundwater recharge and stream flows, and risk of catastrophic wildfire in the Maury Mountains of Ochoco National Forest.
• Curry County–Thin encroaching vegetation and re-seed native grasses to improve coastal meadow habitat for elk and other wildlife in the Gold Beach Ranger District of Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest.
• Deschutes County–RMEF volunteers will assist with removing encroaching conifer and using prescribed fire to enhance forage for elk on 170 acres in Cow Meadow area of Deschutes National Forest.
• Douglas County–Create 21 acres of forage openings, fertilize 37 acres, re-seed native grasses on nine acres and prescribe burn 362 acres to improve forage for elk in Diamond Lake Ranger District of the Umpqua National Forest.
• Grant County–Rehabilitate 100 acres of meadow habitat used as winter range by a regional herd of 600-800 elk, mule deer and other wildlife in Rudio Mountain area; improve hardwood forest habitat by thinning, prescribe burning and treating weeds in the Hardscrabble Ridge area of Ochoco National Forest; remove conifers and construct exclosure fencing to improve aspen and meadow habitat to enhance 91 acres in Malheur National Forest; treat 800 acres of weeds and invasive plants in Monument area of Umatilla National Forest; remove encroaching juniper on 1,235 acres of forage habitat in Murderer’s Creek Wildlife Management Unit of Malheur National Forest; use a variety of methods to restore understory browse and shrubs in the Willow-Pine area of Ochoco National Forest.
• Jefferson County–Remove juniper and ponderosa pine to restore forage for elk on 300 acres on the west side of Crooked River National Grassland.
• Harney County–Slash and burn to remove encroaching juniper and promote recovery of mountain mahogany, aspen and native grasses used by elk and other wildlife in the Otis Mountain-Moffit Table area of BLM lands; perform maintenance on seven guzzlers used regularly as wildlife watering sources in the Silvies and Wagontire areas of BLM lands (also affects Lake County).
• Lake County–Thin conifers encroaching into 65 acres identified as aspen-priority habitat in the West Drews Creek area of Fremont-Winema National Forest.
• Lane County–Apply herbicide to control noxious weeds, re-seed native grasses, conduct a test burn and other treatments to improve elk habitat in Foley Ridge area of Willamette National Forest; thin, prescribe burn and/or re-seed native grasses to improve 91 acres of meadow habitat in Chucksney and Grasshopper meadows of Willamette National Forest; mechanically treat 500 acres to remove invasive weeds such as Scotch broom, Canada thistle and evergreen and Himalayan blackberries in Siuslaw National Forest (also affected Lincoln, Douglas and Benton counties); remove noxious weeds and re-seed grasses and legumes on 123 acres of powerline corridors in Willamette National Forest, Buckhorn Wildlife Area and former seed orchards.
• Linn County–Remove conifers encroaching into 200 acres of subalpine meadow habitat used by elk and other wildlife in the Echo Mountain area of Willamette National Forest.
• Statewide–Activate the first of three phases in a project to develop elk habitat models for use by wildlife managers concerned with nutritional limitations of habitat in southwest Oregon and northern California. The first phase involves collecting vegetation and nutrition data to develop a prediction model using confined elk.
• Umatilla County–Treat noxious weeds on 3,000 acres of elk winter range on federal, state and private lands in the Blue Mountains (also affects Grant and Morrow counties).
• Union County–Thin 500 acres of overstocked conifer stands to improve forage for elk in the Chicken Hill area of the Starkey Wildlife Management Unit.
• Wallowa County–Treat 730 acres of noxious weeds and re-vegetate 150 acres of grassland habitat used by elk and other wildlife along the Grande Ronde and Imnaha rivers.

Projects are selected for grants using science-based criteria and a committee of RMEF volunteers and staff along with representatives from partnering agencies and universities.

This year, RMEF received $366,450 in funding requests–far more than available funds could accommodate.

Partners for 2011 projects in Oregon include Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Oregon Dept. of Agriculture, Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon Hunters Association, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, other agencies, tribes, organizations, corporations and landowners.

Since 1985, RMEF and its partners have completed 662 different conservation and education projects in Oregon with a combined value of more than $39.4 million.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.9 million acres–a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

NSSF Awards Challenge Grant to Fund ‘Respected Access is Open Access’ Campaign

Treadlightly.Org

OGDEN, Utah --(Ammoland.com)- The National Shooting Sports Foundation has awarded a $50,000 challenge grant to help fund the educational and outreach campaign created by the nonprofit Tread Lightly! called “Respected Access is Open Access.”

This grant will help fund an important element of the campaign—the production costs of a minimum of 250 information kiosks to be provided to the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and state agencies that manage America’s public lands. These important education and information tools will be placed on public lands throughout the nation to encourage responsible behavior in America’s great outdoors.

“Careless behavior by even a few hunters or target shooters is damaging to the image of all,” said Chris Dolnack, senior vice president and chief marketing officer of NSSF, the trade association for the firearms, ammunition, hunting and shooting sports industry. “Our challenge grant of $50,000 to Tread Lightly! furthers NSSF’s commitment to promoting good sportsmanship. We encourage others to take up the challenge and help fund this education initiative.”

Respected Access is Open Access was officially launched in late 2009 at the request of the Federal Lands Hunting and Shooting Sports Roundtable. The campaign works to improve the behavior of outdoor recreationists on public and private land and addresses littering, careless behavior by hunters and target shooters, illegal dumping, straying from the trail and other issues. The ultimate goal of this movement is to protect and enhance access and opportunities for people so they can enjoy recreational shooting, hunting and other outdoor activities now and in the future.

“This is a remarkable gift that will give us the ability to truly take the campaign to the next level,” said Lori McCullough, Tread Lightly!’s executive director. “With this grant, NSSF is also challenging us to find matching funding from other like-minded companies and organizations. We will be working hard this year to accomplish this goal.”

Part of the match has already been made by Yamaha Motor Company, which plans to award a $20,000 grant to Tread Lightly! this spring through its OHV Access Initiative to help further advance the campaign, especially for the OHV community.

As the trade association for the firearms industry, NSSF’s mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of more than 6,000 manufacturers, distributors, firearms retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen’s organizations and publishers.

More information about the Respected Access is Open Access campaign and its partners can be found at respectedaccess.org.

Tread Lightly!, Inc. is a national nonprofit organization with a mission to promote responsible outdoor recreation through ethics education and stewardship. Tread Lightly! is the nation’s signature ethics message for all outdoor enthusiasts—especially those that use motorized vehicles. The organization also offers unique training and restoration programs strategically designed to instill an ethic of responsibility in a wide variety of outdoor enthusiasts and the industries that serve them.

National Shooting Sports Foundation

NEWTOWN, Conn --(Ammoland.com)- Nine state wildlife agencies and one regional organization have been awarded $480,552 in grants by the National Shooting Sports Foundation to fund programs that will work to expand hunting opportunities for all ages.

Since NSSF began the Hunting Heritage Partnership grant program nine years ago, more than $4.3 million has been provided via 109 grants to 38 state agencies and one regional agency covering all Western states.

“These grants support sorely needed programs that might never have gotten off the ground because agencies are so strapped for funding,” said Chris Dolnack, senior vice president and chief marketing officer of NSSF, the trade association for the firearms, ammunition, hunting and shooting sports industry.

“Hunting Heritage Partnership grants are making a difference. After decades of decline, hunting license sales have stabilized, and in 2009 thirty states reported increases in license sales.”

Notable among this year’s awards are Kentucky earning its first grant and Florida receiving funding for two projects. Three new grants will have an effect on multiple states. The Western Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies received funding for a programs-evaluation project that will benefit all states in its region. Two proposals–Virginia’s and Georgia’s–will focus on research related to apprentice hunters that will benefit five Southeastern states.

“We encouraged submission of these broader plans to encourage states to work together on recruitment-and-retention issues they are all dealing with,” said Melissa Schilling, NSSF’s recruitment and retention manager. “We have high hopes for this approach.”

NSSF developed the Hunting Heritage Partnership grant program to respond to significant challenges that hunters face in an increasingly urbanized and mobile society. Helping hunters locate land on which to hunt and to easily access state hunting information plus encouraging newcomers to get started and then continue hunting are issues state agencies are grappling with nationwide.

This year’s 11 grant recipients are as follows:

• Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission–$46,560
  Project: The agency plans to evaluate its apprentice hunting license program to identify trends and then use an integrated marketing approach to motivate apprentices to complete a hunter-education course and purchase a hunting license.
• Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission–$16,992
  Project: The agency plans to increase the amount of hunting activity with current and lapsed hunters by using email, social media and Internet-distributed public service announcements promoting public lands and quota- hunt opportunities. The goal is to reach more hunters with these less-expensive, new-media strategies.
• Georgia Department of Natural Resources–$55,000
  Project: This multi-state project with Georgia, Alabama and Kentucky will assess the best ways to encourage and assist hunter-education graduates to become regular hunters and license purchasers. The project will focus on using data combined with hunter education surveys to develop “next step” guidance for hunter-education graduates.
• Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Restoration–$75,000
  Project: A comprehensive advertising promotion to increase hunting participation will focus on electronic outreach to males in their 20s and 30s. A promotion related to apprentice-hunter opportunities will include “next steps” to creating lifelong hunters. In addition, the agency will launch an effort to expand partnerships with shooting ranges.
• Maryland Department of Natural Resources–$39,000
  Project: Mentored youth hunts will be offered in each region of the state to provide a positive hunting experience and allow youth to interact with wildlife managers and conservation officers. The importance of mentoring will be impressed on parents, relatives and guardians. The goal is to increase the number of youth who annually purchase a hunting license and to develop lifelong hunters.
• Michigan Department of Natural Resources–$25,000
  Project: The agency’s Mi-Hunt public hunting interactive website will be enhanced to deliver quality information on nine million acres of land open to public hunting. Features include new data on vegetation and game species and more detailed maps of habitat. At the same time, the agency will advertise Mi-HUNT on social media sites.
• Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation–$40,000
  Project: The agency plans to certify 4,000 to 5,000 students via teacher-led, in-school hunter education courses and recruit up to 1,000 students to participate in hunting.
• Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife–$25,000
  Project: The agency plans to train adults from groups such as the Boy Scouts, 4-H and Outdoor Schools to become certified hunter-education instructors and incorporate hunter education into their group’s activities.
• South Carolina Department of Natural Resources–$38,000
  Project: The agency will utilize its email database to mount an electronic media campaign to increase hunting license sales and highlight regional hunting opportunities. The agency hopes to reactivate lapsed hunters and encourage active license holders to hunt more. Secondary efforts focus on recruiting new hunters through Facebook.
• Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries–$75,000
  Project: This multiple-state project includes Virginia, Alabama, Kentucky, Georgia and South Carolina and will use research to determine apprentice hunting license holders’ motivations for obtaining a first-time license, their expectations related to hunting and their satisfaction with their hunting experiences. Such information can be used to encourage apprentice license holders to become regular hunters.
• Western Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies–$45,000
  Project: The purpose is to develop tools that state agency members of this regional organization can use to evaluate recruitment-and-retention programs so that project coordinators are provided important feedback and assessments.

About NSSF
The National Shooting Sports Foundation is the trade association for the firearms industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of more than 6,000 manufacturers, distributors, firearms retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen’s organizations and publishers. For more information, log on to www.nssf.org.

NSSF is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2011. Learn about the Foundation’s history at www.nssf.org/50.

Treadlightly.Org

Ogden, UT --(Ammoland.com)- The nonprofit organization Tread Lightly! has announced a new small grant program to support volunteer stewardship projects across the country.

The program is designed to help individuals and clubs organize clean-ups, trail maintenance work days, and other small stewardship projects. The maximum grant amount is $500, and those funds can be used to purchase supplies like seedlings, tools, garbage bags, water for volunteers, or to rent equipment.

To be eligible for a Tread Lightly! Stewardship Grant, applicants must be either a Club Member or an Individual 3-Year Member of Tread Lightly!.

Tread Lightly! Launches Stewardship Grant Program

The first grant cycle is now open with a deadline of May 18, 2011. The simple online application process requires a letter of support from a representative of the land management agency or land owner and, if applicable, any additional documentation including photos of the area. Projects can start anytime after June 1, 2011. All projects or events must be completed and final reports submitted by September 30, 2011.

Application deadlines will follow a quarterly schedule to encourage the ongoing efforts of volunteers in revitalizing their favorite recreation areas throughout the year. The second grant cycle will have a deadline of August 18, 2011.

The program is funded through a partnership with Quadratec, which donates a portion of the proceeds from several off-road vehicle products such as floor liners and grab bars to Tread Lightly!’s Restoration for Recreation program.

“Stewardship of our public and private lands and waters by outdoor enthusiasts is an essential component of treading lightly,” said Lori McCullough, executive director of Tread Lightly!. “When we head outdoors we should always pack it in, pack it out and leave an area better than we found it, but sadly that is not enough. We also need the collective efforts of volunteers for clean-ups and trail maintenance to mitigate the damage caused by a few irresponsible recreationists—and this is where the new Tread Lightly! Stewardship Grants can assist.”

To apply for a grant or for more information, visit www.treadlightly.org

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont. --(Ammoland.com)- Wolf-related research on elk productivity and survival in the Bitterroot Valley, plus a variety of forest, weed and habitat management efforts, headline a slate of projects selected for 2011 grants from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

The new RMEF grants total $210,705 and affect Beaverhead, Broadwater, Deer Lodge, Flathead, Gallatin, Granite, Missoula, Lewis and Clark, Powder River, Powell, Ravalli and Sanders counties.

“We expect the Bitterroot Valley research to help build the body of science needed to effectively manage both wolves and elk in the future. We’re also pleased to providing funding again this year for prescribe burns, weed treatments, forest thinning, fence removal and other habitat projects to benefit elk and other wildlife. These projects could add over 9,400 acres to the 693,373 acres that we’ve already helped to conserve or enhance in Montana,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO.

Nationally, RMEF hopes to impact about 100,000 acres in 2011 to reach the 6 million-acre lifetime mark in lands conserved or enhanced for elk and other wildlife.

Allen thanked RMEF volunteers and fundraiser attendees for building the organization’s grant coffers, saying, “Because of their amazing passion and generous support, a major conservation milestone is within reach.”

RMEF grants will help fund the following 2011 projects, listed by county:

• Beaverhead County–Remove encroaching conifers from aspen and mountain mahogany stands, and treat noxious weeds such as spotted knapweed, houndstongue and musk thistle, to improve elk habitat in the Rattlesnake Creek and Little Sheep Creek areas of Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest.
• Broadwater County–Remove juniper encroaching into native grasslands by prescribe burning 845 acres of elk and bighorn sheep habitat in the Crow Creek/Elkhorn Mountains of Helena National Forest.
• Deer Lodge County–Improve native grasslands for elk and other wildlife by treating with herbicide 1,429 acres of spotted knapweed in Stucky Ridge area of Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest.
• Flathead County–Treat weed infestations in elk winter range in the Spotted Bear River, South Fork of the Flathead River and Bob Marshall Wilderness areas of Flathead National Forest (also affects Powell and Lewis and Clark counties); continue ongoing weed management program using aerial and ground herbicide applications, mechanical controls and biocontrols (insects) on 550 acres in Lost Trail National Wildlife Refuge.
• Gallatin County–RMEF volunteers will help remove approximately 20 miles of old barbwire fencing to improve habitat for elk in the Bozeman and Hebgen ranger districts of Gallatin National Forest.
• Granite County–Prescribe burn 1,800 acres, and spot treat weeds on 100 acres, to improve elk winter range in the Rock Creek/Butte Cabin area of Lolo National Forest.
• Missoula County–Prescribe burn 540 acres to remove conifers, rejuvenate brush and native grass forage for elk and other wildlife in the Cooney, Rumble and Smith creek areas of the Swan Range in Flathead National Forest.
• Powder River County–Improve habitat for elk, deer and other species by prescribe burning 1,500 acres of ponderosa pine forest in Ashland Ranger District of the Custer National Forest.
• Ravalli County–Thin small trees and prescribe burn to enhance forage in important elk winter range in the West Fork of the Bitterroot River/Soda Springs area of Bitterroot National Forest; conduct scientific research on elk productivity, survival and recruitment in areas where wolves are present in the Bitterroot Valley.
• Sanders County–Improve elk summer range by thinning trees and prescribe burning 302 acres in the Beaver Creek area of Kootenai National Forest.

Projects are selected for grants using science-based criteria and a committee of RMEF volunteers and staff along with representatives from partnering agencies and universities.

Partners for 2011 projects in Montana include Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, University of Montana, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service and other agencies, organizations, corporations and landowners.

Since 1985, RMEF and its partners have completed 688 different conservation and education projects in Montana with a combined value of more than $124 million.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.9 million acres–a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

MISSOULA, Mont. --(Ammoland.com)- —Elk research at Mt. St. Helens and habitat improvements on four national forests and other public lands in Washington headline a slate of projects selected for 2011 grants from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation.

The new RMEF grants total $156,380 and affect Asotin, Cowlitz, Columbia, Garfield, Jefferson, Kittitas, Lewis, Pend Oreille, Skamania, and Stevens counties.

“Along with research on elk population densities and forage use at Mt. St. Helens, we’re also funding habitat projects like prescribe burns, forest thinning, weed treatments and guzzler installations. These projects could add well over 25,000 acres to the 391,805 acres that we’ve already helped to conserve or enhance for wildlife in Washington,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO.

Nationally, RMEF hopes to impact about 100,000 acres in 2011 to reach the 6 million-acre lifetime mark in lands conserved or enhanced for elk and other wildlife.

Allen thanked RMEF volunteers and fundraiser attendees for building the organization’s grant coffers, saying, “Because of their amazing passion and generous support, a major conservation milestone is within reach.”

RMEF grants will help fund the following 2011 projects, listed by county:

• Asotin County— Prescribe burn 1,200 acres to improve forage quality on elk summer range in Umatilla National Forest; enhance grassland habitat by treating new outbreaks of invasive weeds (rush skeletonweed, sulfur cinquefoil, spotted knapweed, etc.) countywide, plus targeted projects to reduce weeds on 938 acres and reseed native grasses along the Grande Ronde River and to treat Mediterranean sage on 300 acres of public land in the heart of Asotin County; continue multi-year project to treat 20,204 acres of weeds in the Blue Mountains Wildlife Area Complex.
• Cowlitz County —Begin a two-year research project on forage quality and elk population densities in late-succession forest habitat surrounding Mt. St. Helens (also affects Lewis and Skamania counties); lime, fertilize and reseed native grasses on state lands in the Mt. St. Helens area.
• Columbia County— Treat 1,100 acres of yellow starthistle and spotted knapweed to improve habitat for elk and other wildlife in the Jim Creek/North Touchet River area; treat noxious weeds on 1,450 acres in Robinette Mountain area.
• Garfield County —Install 1,800-gallon guzzler as a critical wildlife drinking station on Abels Ridge in the W. T. Wooten Wildlife Area.
• Jefferson County —Thin 247 acres of dense forest to improve forage in high-use elk areas in Matheny Creek area of Olympic National Forest.
• Kittitas County— Redevelop nine springs as critical water sources for elk that winter in the arid Quilomene Wildlife Area.
• Lewis County —Enhance elk forage areas by thinning (pre-commercial) forest plantations in the Davis and Greenhorn creek areas of Gifford Pinchot National Forest.
• Pend Oreille County— Improve elk forage areas by removing encroaching conifers using prescribed fire in Sullivan Creek area of Colville National Forest.
• Skamania County— Treat noxious weeds and prescribe burn retired nursery fields to improve forage for elk and deer in the Wind River area of Gifford Pinchot National Forest.
• Stevens County —Rejuvenate browse vegetation for elk and reduce wildfire fuels by prescribe burning 355 acres in the Cottonwood Creek area of Colville National Forest.

Projects are selected for grants using science-based criteria and a committee of RMEF volunteers and staff along with representatives from partnering agencies and universities.

Partners for 2011 projects in Washington include Bureau of Land Management (BLM), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, University of Alberta, other agencies, organizations, corporations and landowners.

Since 1985, RMEF and its partners have completed 449 different conservation and education projects in Washington with a combined value of more than $102 million.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.9 million acres—a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved at www.rmef.org or 800-CALL ELK.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks

MALTA, Mont. --(Ammoland.com)- Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks reminds shooting range enthusiasts that the deadline to apply for range development grant proposals is May 1.

Montana’s Shooting Range Grant Program, administered by FWP, provides funding to private shooting clubs, organizations, local governments and school districts to build and improve public shooting ranges throughout the state.

To learn more about the Shooting Range Grant Program, and for a grant application, go to the FWP website at fwp.mt.gov , click on the Recreation page and look under Grants. Or, call FWP at: 406-444-9939; or email: kcunningham@mt.gov .

Shooting Range Grant applications may be mailed to: Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, PO Box 200701, Helena, MT 59620.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Washington, DC --(Ammoland.com)- Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced today that the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission (MBCC) has approved more than $3.5 million in land acquisitions at three National Wildlife Refuges.

The projects are supported by the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund, which includes proceeds from the sales of the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, otherwise known as the Federal Duck Stamp. These approvals will add an estimated 1,300 acres of vital waterfowl habitat to the National Wildlife Refuge System.

“Wetlands provide many ecological, economic, and social benefits, such as habitat for fish, wildlife, and a variety of plants. They serve as nurseries for saltwater and freshwater fishes and shellfish of commercial and recreational importance,” said Secretary Salazar. “We value our nation’s Great Outdoors, and these additions to the National Wildlife Refuge System will help keep our wetlands safe and provide Americans astounding wildlife viewing opportunities.”

The following acquisitions were approved today:

• Lower Hatchie National Wildlife Refuge Lauderdale and Tipton Counties, Tennessee – Acquisition of 625 acres for $1,880,000. The tract lies in the Hatchie River Basin, which contains a mix of bottomland hardwoods, grasslands, and flood-prone agricultural land. The Service plans to restore this tract to its former forested state and manage it for waterfowl and other migratory birds.
• Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge Washington and Yamhill Counties, Oregon – Acquisition of 32 acres in fee title for $275,000. Various creeks seasonally flood this agricultural tract, making it extremely attractive to wintering and migrating waterfowl. The Service plans to restore habitat and manage the land for waterfowl, especially tundra swans.
• Tulare Basin Wildlife Management Area Kern and Tulare Counties, California – Acquisition of an easement of 656 acres for $1,425,700. These three perpetual conservation easements will add to the growing chain of easements in this area. These wetlands attract many waterfowl species, including northern pintails, northern shovelers, gadwalls, and green-winged teal.

The Commission also approved more than $29 million (pending FY2011 funding) in federal grants under the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) for projects that will help to protect, restore and enhance more than 85,000 acres of wetlands and associated habitats across the United States and Mexico. If Congress approves FY2011 funding, these grants will support 26 projects in 17 states under NAWCA’s U.S. Standard Grants Program.

Projects include:

Ark-La-Miss Wetlands Conservation II, Arkansas, Louisiana – Clay, Desha, Prairie, White and Woodruff Counties, AR and Concordia and Tensas Parishes, LA This project builds on efforts to acquire, protect, restore and enhance wetland habitats in the Lower Mississippi Valley to offset the habitat losses of the previous century. Activities will include enhancement of ecologically diverse wetland habitats that will provide foraging, nesting, or roosting habitat for a number of waterfowl species and other wetland-dependent migratory birds. Partners will also improve or enhance other wetland values and functions by improving local and regional water quality, providing natural flood storage capacity and enhancing soil conservation by reducing sediment in precipitation runoff. Six of the nine project tracts are publicly owned and will be available for public use and access.

Coastal Marin Wetlands Restoration Project II, California – Marin County, California This project aims to protect – through acquisition and restoration – estuarine, riparian and floodplain areas, with a goal of eliminating habitat fragmentation and establishing a network of healthy wetlands and adjacent habitats in Point Reyes National Seashore and Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Partners will restore natural processes and transitional habitat to increase resilience to environmental change; augment forage for migratory birds; restore riparian corridors to benefit neotropical migrants, waterfowl, and endangered fish; and revitalize habitats for resident and wintering wildlife, including colonial waterbirds and threatened and endangered species. More than 400 species of wildlife use habitats within the project area for wintering, migration, and/or breeding habitat.

Partners in these projects will contribute an additional $70.5 million in matching funds. Grants are funded by annual Congressional appropriations; penalties and forfeitures levied under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act; interest accrued on funds under the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act; and excise taxes paid on small engine fuels through the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Fund. For more information on these grant programs information is available on the web at: http://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/Subpages/GrantPrograms/SFR/SFR.htm http://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/Subpages/GrantPrograms/WR/WR.htm

The Commission also approved more than $3 million in NAWCA grants for nine projects in Mexico. These projects involve habitat acquisition, restoration, enhancement and creation.

Projects include:

Habitat Protection for Migratory Birds in Bahia Magdalena-Almejas Wetland Complex, Phase II – Bahia Magdalena-Almejas wetland corridor and Laguna de Hiray, Valle de Santo Domino, Municipality of Comondu, Baja California Sur, Mexico Partners in this project will acquire coastal wetlands in the Ejido Santo Domingo, and develop an ecological baseline of new parcels in Santo Domingo and in Laguna de Hiray for implementing long-term habitat conservation.

Protection and Management of Laguna Babicora, Chihuahua, Phase II – Mexican northern State of Chihuahua This project will help acquire more than 450,000 acres to become part of the Federal Natural Protected Area System. Partners will also protect critical wetland habitat through conservation easements, enhance habitat by reducing excess sedimentation, and conduct waterfowl monitoring and conservation planning.

These grants will be matched by more than $19.4 million in partner contributions and will directly affect more than 738,315 acres of wetlands and associated habitats in 13 Mexican states. In addition to habitat acquisition, restoration, enhancement and management activities, NAWCA projects in Mexico can also involve technical training, education, sustainable-use studies, or organizational infrastructure building needed to develop or strengthen wetlands conservation and management capabilities.

Final funding for all NAWCA projects will be dependent on the final Fiscal Year 2011 budget. In the absence of funding at the President’s request for FY2011, many of these projects will not be accomplished and conservation benefits will be lost.

Established by law in 1929, the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission has approved the acquisition of more than 43,000 acres of quality waterfowl habitat at national wildlife refuges and in the northern Midwest’s Prairie Pothole Region, all using MBCF dollars.

Since 1929, the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission has met several times each year to consider MBCF land purchases and, starting in 1989, to approve NAWCA grant proposals.

Commission members include: Chairman – Ken Salazar, Secretary of the Interior Thad Cochran, Senator from Mississippi Mark Pryor, Senator from Arkansas John D. Dingell, Congressman from Michigan Robert J. Wittman, Congressman from Virginia Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture Lisa Jackson, Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency Secretary – A. Eric Alvarez, Chief, Division of Realty, Fish and Wildlife Service For more information about the Commission visit http://www.fws.gov/refuges/realty/mbcc.html.

Passed in 1989, NAWCA provides matching grants to organizations and individuals who have developed partnerships to carry out wetlands conservation projects in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The Act was passed in part to support activities under the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, an international agreement that provides a strategy for the long-term protection of wetlands and associated upland habitats needed by waterfowl and other migratory birds in North America. More information about NAWCA grant programs and projects approved today is available on the Web at: http://www.fws.gov/birdhabitat/Grants/NAWCA/Standard/index.shtm.

Under NAWCA, some 4,440 partners involved in more than 2,000 projects have received more than $1.08 billion in grants. They have contributed another $2.24 billion in matching funds to affect 25.9 million acres of habitat and $1.2 billion in non-matching funds to affect 234,790 acres of habitat.

Additional information about the history of the ongoing efforts to conserve North America’s wetlands and waterfowl can be found at FLYways.us. The website provides waterfowl enthusiasts, biologists and agency administrators with the most up-to-date waterfowl habitat and waterfowl population information.

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 Shooting Sports Foundation

NEWTOWN, Conn --(Ammoland.com)- The National Shooting Sports Foundation will award up to $500,000 in grants to help public and private shooting facilities attract more participants.

The announcement marks the fourth year NSSF will provide funding to qualifying ranges through its Range Partnership Grant Program.

“Having purchased firearms and ammunition in record amounts in the last few years, people are excited about target shooting,” said Chris Dolnack, NSSF senior vice president and chief marketing officer. “We want ranges to tap into that enthusiasm and these grants will help shooting range managers test new strategies to attract customers.”

NSSF encourages the owners and managers of target shooting facilities to review the grant guidelines and, if they have a qualifying program, to apply for assistance. Private shooting ranges must have a public-participation option to qualify.

“The best way to increase participation is to enhance and promote shooting opportunities at the local level,” said Melissa Schilling, NSSF recruitment and retention manager. “We’re looking for unique proposals that motivate people of all ages to enjoy target shooting.”

Shooting ranges interested in applying for a grant can view case studies of previous grant recipients and learn more about NSSF’s Range Partnership Grant Program at www.nssf.org/shooting/grants.

About NSSF
The National Shooting Sports Foundation is the trade association for the firearms industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of more than 6,000 manufacturers, distributors, firearms retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen’s organizations and publishers. For more information, log on to www.nssf.org.

Examples of projects receiving funding from both these sources include identifying and rescuing ‘lost’ amphibian populations including the newly discovered ‘Mr. Burns’ beaked toad in Colombia.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Washington, DC --(Ammoland.com)- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is awarding $931,872 in international conservation grants under two new Wildlife Without Borders Grant Programs: the Critically Endangered Animals Conservation Fund and the Amphibians In Decline Fund.

“These grants provide crucial assistance for efforts to help species facing immediate extinction due to habitat loss, disease, poaching, and a variety of other threats,” said Service’s acting Director Rowan Gould.

“They will be funding concrete conservation actions aimed at creating tangible and long-lasting benefits by working with local communities, partner organizations, universities, and government agencies world-wide.”

The over $900,000 will be used to leverage more than $1.5 million in matching funds to conserve amphibians and other critically endangered animals. Some various examples of projects receiving funding from both these sources include identifying and rescuing ‘lost’ amphibian populations including the newly discovered ‘Mr. Burns’ beaked toad in Colombia (that was noted as the #1 discovery of a species on 2010 by TIME Magazine); a social marketing campaign to change local attitudes and behaviors impacting the survival of the Lake Titicaca frog in Peru; development of a guard dog program to prevent the killings of endangered Andean cats in Argentina; rescuing the critically endangered Siamese crocodile from hydro power dam projects in Cambodia; and protecting the only known roosting site for the Tome’s long-eared bat in Bolivia.

The Critically Endangered Animals Conservation Fund is providing vital support for highly imperiled species and their habitats around the world. It awarded $573,390 in grants for 19 projects that will protect critically endangered species in 14 countries in Africa, Asia, and the Americas, leveraging $780,906 in matching funds. These projects target over 20 critically endangered species of birds, mammals, and reptiles.

The Amphibians In Decline Fund addresses threats to frogs, toads, salamanders, newts, and caecilians that face an unprecedented threat of extinction. The program awarded $358,482 in grants for 13 projects in 10 countries in Asia, and Central and South America, leveraging $783,792 in matching funds. These projects target more than 15 endangered amphibian species.

To learn more about the grants provided through the Wildlife Without Borders-Global programs, go to www.fws.gov/international/DIC/global/global.html. Follow us on Twitter @USFWSInternatl and on Facebook, USFWS_International Affairs.

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 Rifle Association

FAIRFAX, Va. --(Ammoland.com)- The February 14 deadline to apply to the National Rifle Association’s Youth Education Summit (Y.E.S.) is approaching. High school sophomores and juniors are invited to participate in the expenses-paid educational summit in Washington D.C., from June 20-26, 2011.

Forty-five outstanding students will be chosen from across the United States to travel to the nation’s capital and participate in the weeklong educational opportunity. The summit encourages young adults to become active and knowledgeable U.S. citizens by learning about the Constitution and Bill of Rights, the federal government and the importance of being active in civic affairs.

Activities on this year’s schedule include:

• Guest speakers at NRA Headquarters and the National Firearms Museum
• Competitive debates with other high school students from across the nation
• Informative tours at historic sites and monuments in and around Washington, D.C.
• Meeting national leaders from Capitol Hill and around Washington, D.C.

“The NRA Youth Education Summit is a great experience that you should definitely attend. You’ll get to do all kinds of fun stuff like touring Washington D.C., visiting the Marine Corps Base at Quantico, hanging out with some amazing kids, plus just learning a bunch about our government and current events,” said past participant Luke Macfarlan.

In addition to the week in Washington D.C., Y.E.S. participants compete for $30,000 in college scholarships. The first round of awards totals $10,000 and is given at the conclusion of the Y.E.S. program. A second round of scholarships is comprised of $20,000 and involves a second application, available to the participants after they go through the Y.E.S. program.

Since the program’s inception in 1996, more than $250,000 in scholarships has been awarded.

Entry into the program requires submission of a completed application form, high school transcript, three-page essay on the Second Amendment, one-page personal statement, and three letters of recommendation. Interested students should have their application post-marked no later than February 14, 2011.

For additional information on the 2011 Youth Education Summit and how to apply, please visit www.friendsofnra.org/yes, or call 1-800-672-3888, ext. 1342.

Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Michigan --(Ammoland.com)- The Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE) and the Great Lakes Commission (GLC) announced today the release of the 2011 grant application package for Michigan’s Volunteer River, Stream, and Creek Cleanup Program (VRSCCP).

A total of $25,000 is available under the program for fiscal year 2011, with funding provided by the DNRE through fees collected from the sale of the state’s water quality protection license plates.  The application deadline for the Volunteer River, Stream, and Creek Cleanup Program is 5 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 14, 2011.

The Michigan VRSCCP provides small grants to local units of government to help clean up and improve Michigan’s rivers, streams, and creeks.  Local units of government may partner with nonprofit organizations or other volunteer groups to carry out the cleanups.  There is a minimum local match requirement of 25 percent of the total project costs.

The Grant Application Package is available at www.glc.org/streamclean/app11. Applications will be reviewed and assessed by the DNRE and the GLC staff, with final decisions anticipated by late April 2011.

Questions regarding the grant application package can be directed to Laura Kaminski at the GLC by calling 734-971-9135 or emailing laurak@glc.org.

The Department of Natural Resources and Environment is committed to the conservation, protection, management, and accessible use and enjoyment of the state’s environment, natural resources, and related economic interests for current and future generations. For more information, go to www.michigan.gov/dnre.