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

Michigan Department of Natural Resources

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

AUSTIN, Texas --(Ammoland.com)- According to survey results compiled by the Texas Agricultural Extension Service 74% of Texas’ 254 counties contain feral hog populations and there is a good chance Texas Parks & Wildlife Department offers feral hog hunting opportunities in those counties on almost 1 million acres of Public Hunting Lands scattered across the state.

Right now is as good a time as any to hit the woods feral hog hunting. Given the drought conditions across the state hunters can anticipate feral hogs being around whatever water sources are available, especially with acorn-producing trees nearby.

In East Texas there are several Wildlife Management Areas that offer year-round hog hunting, but staff recommends keying in on those areas associated with rivers such as Alabama Creek, Alazan Bayou, Angelina Neches/Dam B, North Toledo Bend, and Blue Elbow Swamp Wildlife Management Areas.

With the purchase of a hunting license and a $48 Annual Public Hunting Permit hunters will be mailed a publication that includes maps, legal game box descriptions, and means and methods of hunting for each and every Wildlife Management Area, Public Hunting Land, State Park, etc…available in our Public Hunting Program.

Additionally, folks can digitally-scout these areas before heading down the highway by visiting http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/hunt/public/lands/maps/

About:
The Mission of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, (TPWD), is to manage and conserve the natural and cultural resources of Texas and to provide hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation opportunities for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. Visit: www.tpwd.state.tx.us

Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership

WASHINGTON --(Ammoland.com)- Sportsmen-conservationists today condemned a federal decision to defund a keystone land conservation program, the Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program, also known as Open Fields, that facilitates responsive private lands management practices and public access for activities such as hunting and angling, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership announced.

“While the necessity of reducing federal spending is inarguable, the truth is that Farm Bill conservation programs like VPA-HIP are critical to the more than $95 billion in economic activity annually contributed by hunting and angling,” said Jennifer Mock Schaeffer, Farm Bill coordinator for the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies.

“We are deeply disappointed by the shortsighted decision to completely eliminate fiscal year 2012 funding for VPA-HIP, which can help stabilize an economy already taxed to the point of collapse.”

The fiscal year 2012 “minibus” conference report, unveiled on Monday by House and Senate appropriators, would fund the U.S. Department of Agriculture along with a range of other federal entities.

In addition to VPA-HIP, numerous Farm Bill conservation programs face drastic cuts:

• · Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program cut by $35 million;
• · Wetlands Reserve Program cut by approximately $200 million;
• · Grasslands Reserve Program cut by approximately $30 million;
• · Environmental Quality Incentives Program cut by $350 million.

“Dedicated and ongoing work by the sportsman-conservation community has been instrumental in bolstering Farm Bill programs that play a key role in conserving privately owned lands and waters,” said Steve Moyer, vice president of government relations for Trout Unlimited.

“Programs such as Open Fields, which address the paramount issue of public access to these areas, help perpetuate our outdoor traditions, along with the significant economic boost they provide rural communities all across the country.”

A vital part of U.S. private-lands conservation, the Farm Bill has helped conserve and enhance millions of acres of fish and wildlife habitat and the hunting and fishing opportunities they provide. VPA-HIP, which incentivizes owners and operators of privately held farm, ranch and forest lands to provide public access to their lands for wildlife-dependent activities such as hunting and fishing, was included in the 2008 Farm Bill for the first time in large part due to the efforts of the TRCP and its partner groups.

“Loss of access is the No. 1 reason hunters and anglers stop pursuing the traditions we enjoy,” said Steve Kline, director of the TRCP Center for Agricultural and Private Lands.

“For a program like VPA-HIP to be eliminated in the rush to cut spending means Congress will be turning ‘Open for Hunting’ signs into ‘Posted: No Trespassing’ signs all across the country, with real impacts on local economies.”

The TRCP’s farm policy work is guided by the Agriculture and Wildlife Working Group, composed of representatives from the nation’s leading sportsmen’s groups and formed by the TRCP to provide recommendations to Congress and the administration on Farm Bill conservation programs critical to private lands conservation and hunting and angling.

Learn more about the TRCP’s agricultural and private lands conservation work.

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

Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Michigan --(Ammoland.com)- Department of Natural Resources Director Rodney Stokes has authorized the Department to proceed with purchasing 2,354 acres in Menominee and Dickinson counties in the Upper Peninsula to create the Menominee River State Recreation Area.

The DNR will purchase the land for $2,534,400 in funding from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund and DNR Land Exchange Facilitation Fund. The land is currently owned by Wisconsin Electric Power Company.

The acreage includes two separate tracts – Piers Gorge and Quiver Falls. Piers Gorge is located one mile south of the community of Norway, and includes 145.35 acres of land and 1.5 miles of access along the Menominee River. The acreage includes whitewater rapids and waterfalls, and contains some of the fastest-moving water in Michigan or Wisconsin. It is not navigable for general canoeing, but has become a popular destination for expert class kayakers seeking challenging Class IV whitewater. The parcel also contains good wildlife viewing opportunities for eagles, osprey and waterfowl, as well as public fishing access.

Quiver Falls is eight miles south of Piers Gorge and contains 2,208.83 acres of land and provides eight miles of access along the Menominee River. It is adjacent to the existing Menominee River Natural Resource Area, a 4,450-acre tract along five miles of the Menominee River managed by both the Michigan and Wisconsin Departments of Natural Resources.

The Quiver Falls parcel contains river frontage on both sides of the Menominee River, scenic rocky gorges with significant drops in the river and waterfalls. The area is popular with hunters and anglers, as well visitors because of the scenic sightseeing opportunities.

“This acquisition will give the Michigan Department of Natural Resources a unique opportunity to co-manage this area with our counterparts in Wisconsin,” said Ron Olson, chief of the Michigan DNR’s Parks and Recreation Division. “This would be our first jointly operated public recreation area and river corridor park, and would protect and make open to the public more than 5,000 acres along the Menominee River. The tourism potential of this project is enormous.”

For more information on the purchase, including a map of the area, go to www.michigan.gov/nrc and click on the Nov. 10 agenda for the Michigan Natural Resources Commission. The purchase is outlined in Item 6 under Land Transactions.

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.

AmmoLand Gun News

U.S. SENATE --(Ammoland.com)- On the eve of big-game hunting season in Montana, Senator Jon Tester is pushing to improve voluntary access to land for Montana’s hunters and anglers.

Tester this week introduced an amendment that will restore the Open Fields initiative. Open Fields encourages owners and operators of private lands to voluntarily make their property accessible to the public for hunting or fishing.

Tester, chairman of the bipartisan Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus, says that the loss of access to private land is the main reason Montana sportsmen and women stop hunting and fishing.

“Montana is world famous for our hunting and fishing, but we’re also known for our good neighbors who value the traditions of access to land and water,” Tester said. “This measure keeps Montanans working together to access some of the state’s best places to hunt, benefiting Montana’s outdoor heritage and our economy.”

Currently, 26 states have voluntary public access initiatives, but funding for Open Fields was removed from a recent Senate appropriations bill.

Tester’s amendment is supported by numerous sportsmen’s organizations, including the National Rifle Association, the Montana Wildlife Federation, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, and Ducks Unlimited.

“Diminishing access to hunting land is the primary reason many Americans are forced to give up hunting,” said Christopher Cox, executive director of the NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action. “Reinstatement of the Open Fields program will encourage owners and operators of privately held farm, ranch and forestland to voluntarily make those lands accessible to hunters and sportsmen. This will help increase hunter retention and help preserve America’s hunting heritage.”

“Keeping the dialogue open between Montana’s private landowners and sportsmen and women is vital,” said Gayle Joslin of the Helena Hunters and Anglers. “We appreciate Senator Tester going to bat for Open Fields in order to maintain our conservation legacy and our commitment to accessible lands for our hunters and anglers.”

Open Fields – formally known as the Voluntary Public Lands Access and Habitat Incentive – is run by the U.S. Farm Service Agency along with state and tribal governments. It offers competitive grants to states and tribal governments to expand private land access through easements.

Outdoor recreation represents a $2.5 billion-per-year industry in Montana. Tester recently held a public hearing in Bozeman on the value of public lands where he heard from Montana’s sportsmen and women.

Tester’s amendment is available online HERE.

Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership

WASHINGTON --(Ammoland.com)- The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership today commended a decision by the U.S. Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals that reinstated the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule as the law governing 49 million acres of inventoried roadless areas located on the nation’s national forests and grasslands.

The ruling overturned a lower district court’s decision enjoining the 2001 rule in August 2008 and resolved uncertainty about federal management of roadless areas across America.

The so-called “roadless rule” is a multiple-use national forest management regulation that was designed to limit road building and timber harvest on undeveloped public lands managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The rule determines the management of all national forest roadless areas outside of Idaho.

“Today’s decision affirmed the value of backcountry areas in sustaining healthy and secure habitat for fish and wildlife – something hunters and anglers have known for years,” said Joel Webster, director of the TRCP Center for Western Lands.

“Sound roadless conservation policies safeguard big-game habitat security, productive trout and salmon fisheries and our sporting traditions. The 2001 roadless rule is a strong mechanism for conserving America’s backcountry recreational activities and outdoor heritage.”

The TRCP has mobilized a broad cross-section of sportsmen, conservationists and recreationists supporting conservation of roadless areas and the outdoor opportunities they foster. For purposes of the rule, roadless areas are defined as contiguous blocks of backcountry public land that are 5,000 acres or larger and do not have improved roads.

While access is important to sportsmen, densely roaded areas have been shown to negatively affect elk and deer behavior, reproduction and survival and consequently hunter opportunity. Excessive, poorly located roads contribute to increased sediment loads in waterways that are important to wild trout and salmon, thereby diminishing the number and size of fish.

“We appreciate the dedication of the U.S. Department of Agriculture in upholding this popular land management policy,” said TRCP President and CEO Whit Fosburgh, “and we applaud the court’s decision as one made in the absolute best interest of our public-lands fish and wildlife populations and outdoor recreation.

“As the 2011 fall hunting season continues, sportsmen have reason to celebrate backcountry conservation,” continued Fosburgh. “Whether they’re hunting the West Big Hole of Montana, the northern Blue Range of New Mexico or backcountry lands in Vermont’s White Mountains, public-land hunters across the nation will benefit from the court’s thoughtful decision for generations to come.”

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

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

Ohio Department Natural Resources

ATHENS, OH --(Ammoland.com)- American Electric Power (AEP) is a long-standing partner in the effort to provide hunters with more access to lands on which they can pursue their pastime.

While approximately 90,000 acres of land are currently open to sportsmen and women, not all AEP properties are open to the public, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Wildlife.

“The name AEP has become synonymous with public land in southeastern Ohio, but not all the land they own is open for public hunting,” stated District Four Law Enforcement Supervisor Tom Donnelly. “Hunters need to confirm that the AEP property they plan to hunt is open. Hunting without permission on AEP’s private properties has rarely been enforced, but that will change this year.”

Many hunters have been using the private AEP properties for years with no repercussions, but that will no longer be the case. As a result of increased illegal activity on these private properties, AEP’s land management section has asked the Division of Wildlife to begin enforcing hunting without permission. Many of these private properties are in lease agreements with private hunting clubs, or with farmers for agricultural practices.

“AEP requires their lease holders to purchase liability insurance and enter into a written contract,” stated Brian Cox, a forester with AEP’s land management section. “This is a relatively new process, and local sportsmen who have accessed these properties in the past should consider them equivalent to any other piece of privately-owned property.”

None of the public AEP properties are affected by this increase in enforcement, and sportsmen and women who have been legally hunting these areas will not see any change. All persons interested in recreational activities on any public AEP properties must still obtain a free lifetime permit which can be found at various locations including the ODNR Division of Wildlife District 4 Office in Athens, or at www.aep.com/environmental/recreation. The AEP permit is valid at the following areas: The ReCreation Lands, Poston Plant lands, Avondale Wildlife Area, Gavin Wildlife Area, and Conesville Coal Lands. These properties total approximately 90,000 acres and spread through Athens, Coshocton, Gallia, Meigs, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble, and Perry Counties. ATV’s are not allowed on the areas, and many of the same rules apply as when hunting on ODNR owned lands.

In Ohio, hunting without permission is a misdemeanor of the third degree on the first offense, with a maximum penalty of a $500 fine and up to 60 days in jail. Any subsequent hunting without permission offenses would be charged as misdemeanors of the second degree with a maximum penalty of a $750 fine and up to 90 days in jail.

Anyone observing or suspecting that wildlife violations are occurring may report illegal activity by calling the Turn-In-A-Poacher (TIP) hotline toll free at 1-800-POACHER.

The ODNR ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR Web site at www.ohiodnr.com.

Ruffed Grouse Society

Coraopolis, PA --(Ammoland.com)- The Ruffed Grouse Society (RGS) applauds the Pennsylvania Game Commission for opening an additional 10,400 acres in Centre and Clearfield counties to hunters and trappers.

“With thousands of acres being lost annually through development and private landowner posting, it’s important that more access be made available to sportsmen and sportswomen; not only here in Pennsylvania, but in every state across this great nation of ours,” said Mike Zagata, RGS President and CEO, noting that is was hunters that laid the cornerstone for today’s conservation movement.

“In may sound paradoxical, but in order for grouse, woodcock, deer, duck, turkey or the thousands of songbirds and other non-hunted species to survive, it is imperative that the outdoor traditions we inherited from our forefathers continue, and the only way that can happen is by making more land available and maintaining it so that all wildlife will prosper,” Zagata said.

Established in 1961, the Ruffed Grouse Society is the one international wildlife conservation organization dedicated to promoting conditions suitable for ruffed grouse, American woodcock and related wildlife to sustain our sport hunting tradition and outdoor heritage.

Information on RGS, its mission, management projects and membership can be found on the web at: www.ruffedgrousesociety.org.

Pennsylvania Game Commission

HARRISBURG, PA --(Ammoland.com)- Pennsylvania Game Commission officials urge hunters and trappers to place a greater emphasis on pre-season scouting this year, as there have been a number of dramatic changes in the landscape, some of which is manmade while others are the result of nature’s fury.

“Annual changes in the availability of fall food sources require hunters and trappers to study how wildlife behavior and movement patterns are altered as the seasons approach,” said Carl G. Roe, Game Commission executive director. “Those who take the time to scout for these food sources and trails before the seasons open greatly increase their chance of harvesting game.

“However, this year, dramatic changes on the landscape will be just as important – if not more important – as looking for the highly nutritious acorns and other natural foods sought by game animals.”

Specifically, Roe cited Marcellus Shale-related drilling and recent Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee damages as examples of larger impacts on the landscape that may alter what hunters and trappers find in the forests and fields of Pennsylvania.

“The ‘Big Woods’ area of northcentral Pennsylvania, home to many of the traditional hunting camps, lies within the area being explored for Marcellus Shale natural gas, and has seen a dramatic increase in drilling,” Roe said. “Northeastern Pennsylvania also has seen a large volume of Marcellus Shale activity. Both of these regions experienced more disruption in traditional hunting and trapping areas from drilling activity.”

Roe said decisions about when drilling activities on State Game Lands occurs is largely dictated by who owns the oil and gas rights. In many instances, the Game Commission owns only the surface rights, and a separate party owns the oil and gas rights under State Game Lands.

“According to state law, mineral and oil/gas estate rights exceed surface estate rights, meaning the mineral and oil/gas owners have the right to use the surface in a reasonable manner to access these natural resources. Simply put, the Game Commission can’t just say ‘no’ to those seeking to tap into the gas reserve they own. However, the Game Commission strives to work proactively with the subsurface rights owners to minimize the surface impacts of the drilling operations.”

When the Game Commission owns the oil and gas rights, Roe said the agency exercises much greater control and oversight of drilling operations.

“All drilling operations are regulated by state court rulings, state law and the state Department of Environmental Protection,” Roe said. “That being said, the Game Commission does weigh many factors when considering a lease on State Game Lands, and much attention is paid to areas with critical or unique habitats. When the Game Commission owns the rights to the subsurface resource, we have the ability to stipulate that no drilling-related activities occur during peak hunting seasons.”

Roe said the standard language in all agreements in which the Game Commission owns the rights to the oil and gas under State Game Lands states that drilling-related activities are not permitted for the following: opening day of archery deer season; opening day of any youth or special-use hunting season; opening day of early fall muzzleloader deer season; opening day of early small game season; opening day of general small game season; the first three days of the antlered and antlerless or concurrent antler/antlerless firearms deer season; opening day of fall turkey season; all Saturdays of firearms deer season; opening day of spring turkey season; and opening day of bear season.

Unfortunately, in situations where the Game Commission does not own the oil/gas and mineral rights, Roe said the agency cannot prevent an operator from exercising his or her rights in a reasonable manner.

“We strive for voluntary agreement to our standard hunting season restrictions with those companies,” Roe said. “When the agency doesn’t own the rights to oil and gas deposits under State Game Lands, the Game Commission’s ability to restrict drilling activities during hunting seasons is limited.”

Roe also noted that there have been significant impacts on wildlife and the environment from weather beyond gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale layer.

“Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee wrecked havoc on thousands of Pennsylvanians,” Roe said. “At the same time, access to certain areas of State Game Lands and other hunting and trapping locations may require hunters and trappers to use alternative plans or routes to reach their intended destinations.”

As an example, Luzerne County Wildlife Conservation Officer (WCO) Gerald Kapral said the recent hurricane and heavy storms that passed through the Northeastern United States caused a tremendous amount of damage to roadways and bridges, making many areas impassable.

“While major roads will be on the priority list for repairs, many back roads and those in more remote areas could be closed for an extended period of time,” WCO Kapral said. “With another season on the way, hunters and trappers should check access to their favorite spots as soon as possible to avoid any last minute surprises that could keep them away from areas they plan to be this fall and winter.”

Lebanon County WCO Michael Reeder reports that several access points to SGLs in Lebanon County have been affected by flooding.

“The Food and Cover Corps crews are busy trying to repair the damage, but hunters should plan on possible limited access points and parking during the upcoming season,” he said.

Roe noted damages caused the agency to cancel three of its popular public tours for State Game Lands. Those cancelled were for SGL 211 in Dauphin/Lebanon counties; SGL 57 in Luzerne/Wyoming counties; and SGLs 12 and 36 in Bradford County.

“The cancellation of these tours should alter hunters and trappers who use these roads to access interior portions of State Game Lands to the fact that they may want to consider alternative access points,” Roe said. “The bottom line is that scouting this year will need to include how you plan to get to where you’re hunting or trapping.”

U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance

Columbus, OH --(Ammoland.com)- Newly introduced H.R. 2834 (the Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage and Opportunities Act) is being supported by a “who’s who” of hunting groups for good reason: it is a necessary piece of legislation with a great upside for conservation.

Unfortunately, the Obama administration is opposing the bill and is joined by several groups with a history of opposing sound wildlife management and other conservation principles.

House Resolution 2834, a U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance backed bill, was introduced recently in Congress. Those testifying in favor of the Act included Bill Horn, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Director of Federal Affairs.

His testimony revealed numerous benefits for anglers, trappers and hunters. And while there was no mention of roads, jeep, or anything else to do with travel by sportsmen on federal public lands included in H.R. 2834, there was the mention of wilderness. That word quickly triggered opposition from the government in concert with the Wilderness Society.

“The government and the Wilderness Society have publicly claimed this Act will open Wilderness areas to motorized vehicle use,” stated Horn. “A Society spokesman states if hunters are retrieving game on Wilderness lands, you could ride your off-road jeep anywhere you choose. Nothing could be further from the truth. The bill is not about road construction, jeep trails or motor vehicle access. The absurd comments could be to grab attention, or to simply oppose hunting.”

During the hearing, U.S. Forest Service Deputy Chief Joel Holtrop admitted to being opposed to the bill without fully reading or understanding it.

“H.R. 2834 was only formally introduced three days before this hearing and the Department has not had sufficient time to conduct an in-depth analysis of the legislation as introduced,” he stated.

Predictably, environmental extremists are already misrepresenting the bill that’s specifically worded and designed to ensure continued fishing, hunting, and shooting on Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) public lands. These lands total more than 400 million acres in the U.S. and provide critical opportunities for public fishing, hunting, and shooting activities. One feature of the bill declares that fishing, hunting, and shooting are “necessary” to fulfill the purposes of those public land areas designated as Wilderness per the 1964 Wilderness Act.

The provision is needed to counter recent federal court rulings from San Francisco that reinterpreted the meaning of “necessary” while creating precedents that fishing and hunting might be found to not be “necessary” in these areas and be prohibited. The “necessary” section of the bill restores the legal status for hunters and anglers that existed from 1964 until the recent San Francisco rulings.

The jeeps and off-road comments by the Wilderness Society in particular are clouding the real issue and will only confuse the public.

“This statement (about jeeps) is utter nonsense,” continues Horn. “H.R. 2834 specifies that hunting is “necessary” so that hunters (and anglers) cannot be run off Wilderness areas by federal judges deciding that these traditional activities are not necessary. The bill makes no reference to motorized vehicles and will not change existing limitations on motorized access on Wilderness lands.”

Environmental groups and the Obama administration through their opposition are distracting anglers and hunters from the potentially devastating consequences of the San Francisco court decisions along with the need to shield sportsmen from those bad rulings.

“And what’s really ironic is that while the Wilderness Society is complaining about vehicles on public lands, the group is staging a bus tour of a national wildlife refuge in Montana on October 1,” said Horn. “Nothing will make those elk flee, especially the bugling elk that are being targeted, like a busload of tourists filing off and gathering around or chasing to take a photo. The group should also take note that public lands roads and access make this “event” possible.”

Take Action! Sportsmen and sportswomen should call their Congressman today and urge them to support H.R. 2834. Tell them that this Act will protect the integrity of federal public lands for future generations and deserves their support. To find your Congressman visit the Legislative Action Center at www.ussportsmen.org/lac.

To voice your opinion of H.R 2834 to the administration, contact U.S. Forest Service Deputy Chief Joel Holtrop’s office at 202-205-1523.

Following is a list of national organizations supporting H.R. 2834:

• American Sportfishing Association
• B.A.S.S. LLC.
• Catch-A-Dream Foundation
• Campfire Club of America
• Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation
• Conservation Force
• Delta Waterfowl Foundation
• Houston Safari Club
• Mule Deer Foundation
• National Rifle Association
• National Shooting Sports Foundation
• National Trappers Association
• National Wild Turkey Federation
• Orion – The Hunters’ Institute
• Pope & Young Club
• Quail Unlimited
• Quality Deer Management Association
• Ruffed Grouse Society
• Safari Club International
• Texas Wildlife Association
• U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance
• Wildlife Forever
• Wildlife Management Institute

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

Arizona Game and Fish Department

PHOENIX, AZ – -(Ammoland.com)- Here is some updated information for hunters and other outdoor recreationists regarding public access to areas within the Wallow Fire burn perimeter, including a Frequently Asked Questions section (below) and a link to an updated map.

Arizona Game and Fish Department (Department) personnel in Region I have been coordinating with Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests (Forest) staff to finalize the Forest’s decisions related to public access to those areas within the Wallow Fire burn perimeter.

With fall hunting seasons rapidly approaching, this is a process of significant priority for the Department.

The following information encompasses the key elements and framework the Forest has announced and will utilize in opening the area of the Forest (those portions of Game Management Units 1 and 27) impacted by the Wallow Fire. In reviewing this information, please be advised of the following key points:

• Many areas within the Wallow Fire perimeter continue to present significant public safety hazards, primarily associated with dead (falling) trees and flash flood impacts. The amount and level of public access provided is largely dictated by these public safety concerns and liabilities.
• A prerequisite to reopening the Forest within the Wallow Fire burn perimeter has been clearing and preparing designated, priority roadways for safe public travel. Roads are being evaluated in an ongoing process for consideration of opening, with open roads for motorized travel being designated with white arrows. Roads and trails not having white arrows are closed to all motorized travel. As a result, vehicular access will be limited to white-arrow roads for a certain time, but foot and nonmotorized access will be available to all areas that are not designated as closed by the Forest.
• Forest users are responsible for their own safety and are encouraged to use caution as they utilize their Forest, and to do so in a responsible manner to ensure the protection of life, property and natural resources. Be aware of your surroundings – “Look up, look down and look around.”

WALLOW FIRE BURN AREA ACCESS – FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Developed Aug. 15, 2011

Where can I drive within the Wallow Fire perimeter?
Motorized use within the fire perimeter will only be allowed on roads designated as open, indicated on the ground with a white arrow. With certain exceptions for motorized big game retrieval and fuelwood collection, cross-country motorized use is not allowed.

When will you open more roads?
Forest managers are evaluating conditions on a weekly basis to determine if additional roads or areas are safe for reentry. Typically, we’ll know by Wednesdays if any changes will be made for the weekend. Alternately, all currently open areas are subject to be closed again if safety conditions change. Be sure to Know Before You Go – double check conditions with your local Apache-Sitgreaves office or the website before you venture out.

Why do portions of the Forest need to remain closed after the fire is out?
Our number one priority is human safety. We’re dedicated to avoiding accidents and injuries as much as possible. After the fire is out, many hazards still exist, including stump holes, falling dead trees, and the potential for flash flooding. We’ll continue to work hard mitigating some of these hazards so we can begin opening certain areas for public reentry.

How long until all the areas within the fire perimeter are open?
The length of closure is dependent upon many criteria, including public safety, protection of property, and protection of forest resources (i.e., soils, vegetation, water quality, wildlife, fisheries, recreation, heritage, etc.). We’re working diligently to remove hazards and restore the forest to safer conditions for public use. We’ll be able to open some areas over the next several weeks. Other areas with severe damage will have to remain closed for some time.

If I encounter a road that is not shown on the map, but is posted with a white arrow on the ground, can I use it?
Yes. Postings with a white arrow on the ground supersede the map; however crews are in the process of signing some roads that are not yet open. Gates, barricades, and other closure signs supersede white arrows.

What hazards should I be aware of in burned areas?
Stump holes, flooding potential, washed out roads, falling trees/branches. Any time you enter the forest, you should be aware of your environment and changing weather conditions. The environment you are entering is highly susceptible to rainstorms and wind events. As always, Look Up, Look Down, and Look All Around.

Can I go hunting within the perimeter of the Wallow Fire?
Yes, with a valid hunting license, and as long as you’re driving only on roads designated as open with the posting of a white arrow, or entering via non-motorized means into off-road areas designated as open. Remember that hazards such as falling trees, stump holes, and potential flooding continue to exist in the area. You’re responsible for your own safety — Look Up, Look Down, and Look All Around.

Can I retrieve my legally harvested big game animal with a motorized vehicle within the Fire perimeter?
Yes. You may retrieve legally harvested animals by motorized means, so long as you do not cause resource damage. You may not enter areas designated as closed for either motorized or non-motorized game retrieval without additional authorization by the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests or the Arizona Game and Fish Department. You may not drive off-road to scout for game.

Can I pursue an animal that I wounded during hunting season into a closed area?
In certain circumstances, Apache-Sitgreaves or Arizona Game and Fish officials may consider limited entry into a closed area in pursuit of mortally wounded or deceased game animals. If you experience this situation, you must contact either the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s Operation Game Thief hotline (24-hour, 7-day/week) at-1-800-352-0700 or the local Forest Service office (Alpine Ranger District Office at (928) 339-5000, or the Springerville District office at (928) 333-6200) during normal business hours to make a request of this nature.

I am a CHAMP hunter, am I allowed motorized use off designated roads and trails, or in areas designated as closed?
No. With the exception of retrieving legally harvested big game animals by motorized means, you are not allowed to use motorized vehicles off designated roads and trails.

Can I go fishing within the Wallow Fire perimeter?
Yes, with a valid fishing license, and as long as you remain in areas and along routes designated as open with a white arrow. Remember that hazards such as falling trees, stump holes, and potential flooding continue to exist in the area. You’re responsible for your own safety — Look Up, Look Down, and Look All Around.

Can I go camping in the campgrounds associated with the Wallow Fire?
Camping will continue within certain developed campgrounds deemed safe. Please keep in mind that certain campgrounds have been closed for an indeterminant length of time until hazards can be mitigated, and flooding potential subsides.

Can I camp in dispersed areas, outside of campgrounds, within the perimeter?
Yes. Dispersed camping is allowed within 30 feet of any motorized or non-motorized routes designated and posted on the ground with a white arrow. Please keep in mind that certain areas remain closed to dispersed camping in order to limit potential exposure to hazards by forest users, mitigate erosion potential, and minimize impacts to vegetation.

Can I camp further than 30 feet away from an open road if I walk in?
Yes. If you walk in, you may camp in any area designated as open. Vehicles must remain within 30 feet from an open road. Bear in mind that these areas have not been mitigated for hazards and pose a higher risk to your safety. Hazards such as falling trees, stump holes, and potential flooding continue to exist in the area. You’re responsible for your own safety — Look Up, Look Down, and Look All Around.

When can I collect firewood within the fire perimeter?
Fuelwood permits are anticipated to be available beginning Tuesday, Aug. 23 from the Springerville and Alpine Ranger District offices. The cost will be $5 per cord with a minimum purchase of $20. The cost and regulations apply only to areas within the Wallow fire perimeter. All other areas are $10 per cord; regulations vary by district.

Where will I be able to collect firewood within the fire perimeter?
With a valid fuelwood permit, you may collect fuelwood within 150 feet from any Forest Service numbered road, except in closure areas and areas where fuelwood collection is normally restricted (campgrounds, wilderness, etc.). Remember that hazards such as falling trees, stump holes, and potential flooding continue to exist in the area. You’re responsible for your own safety — Look Up, Look Down, and Look All Around.

Can I drive off road to collect firewood within the perimeter of the Wallow Fire?
With a valid permit, you may retrieve your fuelwood by motorized means as far as 150 feet off the road, so long as you do not cause resource damage. You may not enter areas designated as closed. Remember that hazards such as falling trees, stump holes, and potential flooding continue to exist in the area. You’re responsible for your own safety — Look Up, Look Down, and Look All Around.

Why can fuelwood collectors drive on any numbered road and drive 150 feet off the road while hunters must remain within 30 feet of roads signed with a white arrow?
Fuelwood collection is a permitted activity administered by the Forest Service, not a licensed activity from the Arizona Game and Fish Department. By signing the permit, the collector agrees to the specific liability clauses within that permit, clauses that do not exist in hunting licenses.

In addition, collecting fuelwood from the burn area is helping to remove fuels that could lead to tree infestation and disease, as well as severe behavior of future fires. We want to encourage the public to help reduce that risk as much as possible while putting the wood to good use. Safety conditions still apply to all visitors within the fire perimeter: Hazards such as falling trees, stump holes, and potential flooding continue to exist in the area. Each individual is responsible for his or her own safety.

Can I use routes not designated with an arrow for non-motorized activities?
Yes, so long as the routes are not within a designated closure area, you may use routes for non-motorized activities. Please keep in mind that any area affected by the wildfire can be prone to hazards such as falling trees, flooding and burned out stump holes. Any time you enter the forest, you should be aware of your environment and changing weather conditions. The environment you are entering is highly susceptible to rainstorms and wind events. As always, Look Up, Look Down, and Look All Around.

Can I hike on trails within the fire perimeter?
While the trails within the open areas can be used, they have not been mitigated for hazards and pose a higher threat to your safety. We recommend that you try to find other locations across the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests. Remember that you’re responsible for your own safety. While you’re hiking, continue to Look Up, Look Down, Look All Around.

What is the penalty for going into areas or on routes that are designated as closed?
Any violation of closure order is punishable by a fine of up to $5,000 for individuals, and $10,000 for organizations and/or imprisonment up to than six (6) months.

Does the white arrow program pre-empt the Travel Management Rule?
No. The White Arrow designation of motorized routes within the Wallow Fire perimeter is being used as an interim measure for the protection of public safety, property and forest resources. Further assessments will occur later in the year that will help Travel Management planners determine the next steps for moving forward in that process.

Where can I get a map of the routes designated as open to motorized use?
As motorized routes are assessed and opened for motorized entry, they will be depicted on a map, which is available to the public. This map will be updated on a periodic basis to accurately reflect conditions as they appear on the ground. The map is available from the link toward the bottom of this information, or can be obtained at any Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests’ office, or at www.fs.fed.us/r3/asnf.

How often will the map be updated?
The map will be periodically updated to reflect changes. Be sure to either check this web page, or call one of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests’ offices, or check the Forests’ website prior to venturing into the forest to ensure you have the most recent information.

OTHER KEY INFORMATION

• You are responsible for your own safety!
• Check in with a friend or family member; tell them where you are going, when you’re leaving, and when you plan to return.
• Whenever possible, travel in pairs.
• When parking your vehicle, look up for overhead hazards within 1 ½ times the length of the tallest tree surrounding your vehicle.
• Don’t camp in areas that have dead trees within 1 ½ tree lengths.
• Carry a communication device and check-in at regular intervals.
• Don’t cross washes when water is present.
• Flash flooding almost always follows large, intense wildfires. Locations in, near, and downstream of recently burned areas are now much more susceptible to flash flooding and debris flows.
• Remember…it does not take a heavy downpour to result in flash flooding on a burn scar.
• Even a short period of moderate rainfall on a severely burned watershed can lead to flash floods or debris flows. After soils and vegetation have been charred, rainfall that would normally be absorbed will run off extremely quickly. Severely burned soils can be as water repellent as pavement.
• Rapidly moving flood waters can pick up large amounts of debris that can damage or destroy culverts, bridges, roadways, and buildings, potentially causing injury or death. Flash floods in and near burn scars can be life threatening.

MAP and LIST OF FOREST ROADS CURRENTLY OPEN

• Click here to view the latest burn area access map. (Note: This map was posted Aug. 15 and will be updated as changes occur.)
• Click here for a list of Forest Roads currently open within the Wallow Fire perimeter.

To view Wallow Fire burn area information on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests web site, click here or visit www.fs.usda.gov/asnf.

The above information is also posted on the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s website at www.azgfd.gov/wildfires.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, or disability in its programs and activities. If anyone believes that they have been discriminated against in any of the AGFD’s programs or activities, including employment practices, they may file a complaint with the Director’s Office, 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix, AZ 85086-5000, (602) 942-3000, or with the Fish and Wildlife Service, 4040 N. Fairfax Dr. Ste. 130, Arlington, VA 22203. Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation or this document in an alternative format by contacting the Director’s Office as listed above.

Backcountry Hunters and Anglers

Joseph, OR --(Ammoland.com)- When big game hunter Theodore Roosevelt became President, one of his first acts was to begin planning a national conservation policy.[1] Roosevelt, in fact, implanted the idea of conservation into our culture and enriched our future prospects with 230 million acres of designated public forests, wildlife refuges, parks, national monuments, and game ranges.[2]

TR would be turning over in his grave today at the prospect of H.R. 1581/S. 1087 (the Wilderness and Roadless Area Release Act of 2011), which if implemented would open more than 60 million acres of these backcountry lands to road construction, motorized recreation, mining, and oil and gas extraction.[3]

As BHA’s (Backcountry Hunters & Anglers) founder (and Army veteran), Mike Beagle, says: “We believe in keeping public lands healthy and accessible. We believe in managing wildlife as a public trust and all native wildlife as a priceless resource. We believe in protecting the big, natural areas and natural functions that support our hunting and fishing heritage.”

BHA member (and World War II Navy veteran) Bill Sustrich hit the nail on the head when he said, “From my own observations, I have seen nothing yet created by mankind that offers the degree of habitat protection that is achieved through wilderness [and roadless] designation.”[4]

In places like Colorado, for example, 12 of the 15 most hunted game management units (the most productive ones) have over 100,000 acres of roadless backcountry. More than 70 percent of Colorado River Cutthroat trout habitat is in roadless areas. Build roads in these areas, and the elk migrations are hindered, the mule deer populations suffer, and the trout spawning habitat is negatively impacted. That means less hunting and fishing opportunity.[5]

In Idaho, roadless areas provide 68 percent of remaining bull trout habitat, and support 87 percent of bull trout strongholds. Similar examples exist everywhere roadless areas are found. California has some 4.4 million roadless acres, but also 40,000 miles of designated roads within the borders of its National Forests (for comparison, the circumference of the Earth is a mere 24,000 miles).[6]

While we understand the need for mining, oil development and other resource extraction activities on some federal lands, and even recognize the attraction (to some) of motorized recreation far from the glare of civilization, when our forefathers landed on our shores in the 17th century, 100 percent of the land was wilderness. Today, that figure has dwindled to less than 3 percent in the Lower 48 states, and H.R. 1581/S. 1087 threatens what little remains.

As the man whose visage is chiseled into Mount Rushmore once said, “I recognize the rights and duty of this generation to develop and use the natural resources of our land; but I do not recognize a right to waste them or to rob, by wasteful use, the generations that come after us.”

Contact your Senator and Representative and ask them to vote NO on H.R. 1581/S. 1087.

• [1] E. Donnall Thomas Jr. How Sportsmen Saved the World: The Unsung Conservation Efforts of Hunters and Anglers. Guilford, Connecticut: Lyons Press, 2010, p. 64.
• [2] Hal Herring. “Today’s sportsmen and sportswomen are a powerful force for conservation.” Nature Conservancy: Autumn 2006.
• [3] Andrew Christie. “Representative McCarthy, have you no shame?” The New Times: 5/4/11.
• [4] Bill Sustrich. “Browns Canyon.” Landscapes: December 2009, p. 5.
• [5] Kirk Deeter. “Roadless Area Are Essential to Fly Fishing.” Field & Stream: 7/12/11.
• [6] Mark Clifford. “Off-road vehicles ruin the hunt.” November 2007.

About:
Backcountry Hunters and Anglers: Our primary mission is to advocate for more wilderness protection. We favor the USFS Roadless Rule, but want all of those lands to be included within the 1964 Wilderness Act. We will always lend our name and support to potential wilderness bills, National Wildlife Refuge additions and National Monument designations that protect habitat for fish, wildlife, and native vegetation. All of these ventures will benefit the hunting and angling communities. Visit: www.backcountryhunters.org

Pennsylvania Game Commission

FRANKLIN, Venango County, PA --(Ammoland.com)- Pennsylvania Game Commission officials today announced the beginning of a three-year, 700-acre habitat improvement project on State Game Land 314 in the western portion of Erie County to provide “early successional” habitat for species such as the American woodcock and the blue-winged warbler.

“Young forests with dense seedlings and shrubs are needed to benefit early successional dependent species such as the American woodcock and blue-winged warbler,” said Howard Wurzbacher, Game Commission Northwest Region Forestry Supervisor.

“These species, as well as other early successional species have exhibited dramatic declines related to habitat loss in recent decades. Over the next three years, the habitat project will involve timber harvesting on about 700 acres, or around 20 percent of the State Game Land.”

Formerly known as the USX Property, U.S. Steel Property or Conneaut Farms, SGL 314 is in the extreme northwest corner of the state and borders Lake Erie and the Ohio state line. This property was acquired by the Game Commission in 1991, and contains about 3,400 acres. Many farms on the property were abandoned in the 1940s and 1950s. Through succession over the last 60 to 70 years, many old farm fields have reverted into red maple, aspen and shrubs. A variety of hardwood tree species, such as white ash, red oak, hickory and sugar maple are found in areas that were not previously farmed. They are forest stands that contain large trees with a dense shrub understory.

“To benefit wildlife, we conducted commercial timber harvesting, along with ‘cut and drop’ non-commercial cutting, and there has also been mechanical mowing of shrub and sapling areas treated in the past,” Wurzbacher said. “All past cutting has regenerated very successfully.

“As part of the contract, the Game Commission will realize nearly $177,000 to be used for other wildlife management programs and habitat improvement projects throughout the State Game Lands system.”

The goal is to create a large amount of early succession habitat for species dependent on this habitat type. American woodcock and the blue-winged warbler are currently recognized as priority species in numerous management plans including the Pennsylvania Wildlife Action Plan, the U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan, and Partners in Flight.

Additionally, the Nature Conservancy and the National Audubon Society have identified woodcock as a crucial species of management concern because it is an important species to the public.

“Hunters enjoy pursuing woodcock with dogs, and non-hunters are awed each spring by the courtship displays of males,” Wurzbacher said. “They are a cryptic bird, preferring young forests and other early successional habitats for cover.

“This preferred habitat also is shared by other important animal species, and, subsequently, managing habitat for woodcock benefits a plethora of birds, mammals and reptiles, including popular species such as deer and wild turkey.”

American woodcock are habitat specialists, preferring early forest stages, they regularly seek scrub/shrub or seedling/sapling habitat, comprised of dense cover. This range of cover on proper soils provides the habitat needs for woodcock, and it is the quality and availability of these habitats that determine population densities. Research has indicated that creating early successional forest habitat on suitable soils is beneficial in increasing populations of woodcock.

Timber harvesting is expected to begin on the area in the late summer of 2011. This will involve cutting of trees within 17 blocks, which are areas marked and designated for cutting. Logging will be done using a whole-tree harvest and chipping method. The cut trees will be moved to areas near the roadside, where they will be sorted by size and species. Sawlogs, good quality large logs of desirable species, will be moved from the site to provide raw material to sawmills for the production of hardwood lumber.

All other trees will be chipped on site, and the chips will be loaded onto trucks and transported to facilities for use in papermaking and manufactured panels. Harvesting is to occur during dry or frozen conditions, so work on the State Game Land can be expected during the summer and winter seasons, with the possibility of activity during periods of the spring or fall if conditions are appropriate.

“It is important to note that the Game Commission has inserted restrictions into the timbering contract to prohibit timbering-related activity on SGL 314 on all Saturdays from October through January, and all Saturdays during spring gobbler seasons,” Wurzbacher said. “This was done to avoid conflicts with the peak hunting seasons.

“Other days that timbering activities will not be permitted are the first two days of regular firearms deer season, and Saturdays of all deer seasons, including muzzleloader and late archery, as well as junior hunting days.”

Wurzbacher said visitors to this area may, at first, be concerned about the initial visual impact to the area. However, he urged visitors to remember that re-vegetation and growth on the sites is expected to occur quickly after cutting.

“The use of whole-tree harvesting for the project is designed to maximize the use and removal of woody material such as logs, trees and limbs from the site,” Wurzbacher said. “This will enable land mangers to have easier access to treat areas with equipment so that the desired seedling, sapling, and shrub habitat conditions can be re-cut at 10- to 15-year intervals to maintain early successional habitats.

“Also, we plan to avoid cutting in many sensitive areas, such as streamside corridors, the Lake Erie shoreline north of Lake Road, and locations of unique habitat features.”

Wurzbacher also emphasized that this project is unique from a number of perspectives: first, it is occurring on a State Game Lands identified as a critical habitat area for American woodcock, blue-winged warbler and other early successional dependent birds and animals; second, it is ambitious, and planned to impact a large landscape scale; and third, the use of whole-tree harvesting should allow for the maintenance of this important habitat type on a perpetual basis.

Misinformed Anti Hunting Protesters fail to realize that Sportsmen fund almost all conservation efforts in the USA.

U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance

Columbus, OH --(Ammoland.com)- The lengthy battle over hunting access on dozens of units of the 100 million-acre National Wildlife Refuge system has ended—and hunters can declare VICTORY!

In April 2011, federal Judge James S. Gwin ruled for sportsmen across America by granting summary judgment in favor of the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and other defendants while denying a lawsuit aimed at closing hunting on National Wildlife Refuge System parcels.

After this ruling, an appeal process was opened, and the appeal clock began ticking. On Monday, that appeal period came to an end with the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) failing to file any appeal.

“This long sought win is a great victory for hunters everywhere, and reinforces the process of keeping national wildlife refuges open for hunting, by hunters,” said Bill Horn, the US Sportsmen’s Alliance director of federal affairs.

This long-running case began in 2003, when the Fund for Animals, which later merged with the HSUS, filed a lawsuit to stop hunting on 39 refuges. The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation (USSAF), along with other organizations, intervened on behalf of sportsmen. Anti-hunting groups later expanded the lawsuit to nearly 60 refuges. USSAF defended this case for eight years, through many rounds of hard-fought and costly briefing, providing stability in the defense as the U.S. attorneys assigned to the case changed frequently over that time.

Judge Gwin’s April 2011 ruling stopped HSUS’ attempt at using the National Environmental Policy Act to close hunting on these refuges. In making the decision, the judge noted that “Plaintiffs, however, are not entitled to an inviolate sanctuary for their preferred uses – Congress has determined that, to the extent possible, hunters, fishers, observers, photographers, and educators must share the refuge.”

The 1997 Refuge Improvement Act, championed by the USSA, made hunting, fishing and other wildlife oriented activities priority uses on refuge units. The Act also mandated hunting and fishing activities be “facilitated”. Now, 14 years after passage of the Act, Judge Gwin’s ruling firmly rejects Plaintiffs’ attempt to “end run” the Act.

“The majority of national wildlife refuges were created to be open to hunting, and now hunters everywhere can continue to legally pursue their interests on these great public lands,” said Walter “Bud” Pidgeon, USSA president and CEO. “With the end of this prolonged battle, this solidly reaffirms that hunting is a priority use of refuge land wherever and whenever compatible with wildlife management.”

The U.S. Sportsmen’s Legal Defense Fund (SLDF), the legal arm of the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation, has worked since the beginning of this case to defend the rights of hunters and has collaborated with other groups including Safari Club International (SCI). Together, the SLDF and SCI are co-counsels and also represent Ducks Unlimited, the National Rifle Association, Izaak Walton League, Delta Waterfowl Foundation, and California Waterfowl Association.

National Wildlife Refuges provide vast opportunities for hunters seeking waterfowl, big game, furbearers, and much more. Refuge hunting provides countless hours of public recreation while also helping maintaining optimal wildlife populations.

The National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act of 1966 empowered the Fish and Wildlife Service to open refuges to hunting when compatible with the purposes for which the refuges were established. Today, hunters can continue to enjoy these benefits thanks to this important win.

About USSA and USSAF: The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance and the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation watchdog efforts protect the rights of hunters, anglers and trappers in the courts, legislatures, at the ballot, in Congress, and through many public education programs. The USSA has more than 110,000 Sentry members that regularly receive information about conservation issues, and then actively work to promote and protect scientific conservation through calls and contacts. For more information about the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation and the Sentry program, call (614) 888-4868 or Visit www.ussportsmen.org.

Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Michigan --(Ammoland.com)- A land transaction that would sell 500 acres of state-owned land in Oakland County’s Commerce Township to the township to develop into a public outdoor recreation facility is nearing completion, as Department of Natural Resources Director Rodney Stokes authorized the DNR to move ahead with the deal at the June 9 meeting of the Michigan Natural Resources Commission.

The two-phase deal includes sale of approximately 502 acres in Commerce Township to the township for a total of $2.805 million. The first phase includes sale of a 201.4 acre parcel for $1,282,140, with a closing to occur before Sept. 15. The second phase includes the sale of 301.3 acres for $1,522,860, with a closing to occur before April 15, 2012.

The transaction is the culmination of a multi-year discussion between the DNR and Commerce Township about the sale of the land for public recreation and open space uses. Under the sale agreement reached, the township agreed to keep the property open to the public for open space, wildlife habitat and public outdoor education purposes.

The property, known as the Proud Lake Recreation Area – East Unit, was partially used in the 1950s as a Nike missile base by the US Department of Defense. Due to its occupation by the Department of Defense, the property was closed to the public, and not actively managed as part of the Proud Lake Recreation Area. In 2006, the DNR re-evaluated the property as a part of its statewide Land Consolidation Strategy, and recommended that the 502 acres be sold or exchanged.

The property is bisected by Wise Road, which divides it into two distinct parcels. The north portion is approximately 253 acres and undeveloped. The south portion is approximately 248 acres, including 72 acres that contained the former Nike missile site. The former missile silos on the property have been filled in and the area now consists of open fields.

The sale agreement requires the township to keep the land as open space, in a generally natural condition, for wildlife habitat and public outdoor education purposes. The 72-acre former missile site that was formerly developed can once again be developed to host active outdoor recreation facilities and fields, tennis or basketball courts or ice rinks. The property can be used for events, classes, instructional activities, contests, tournaments or similar events that promote the outdoors. The agreement also allows Commerce Township to charge fees to offset the cost of ownership, operation and maintenance of the property.

Proceeds from the sale of the property will go into a restricted fund the DNR uses to purchase land for public recreation purposes. Priority will be given to lands within DNR boundaries in state game areas, parks and recreation areas, and other high quality outdoor recreation land in southern Michigan. A portion of the proceeds will be used to acquire replacement lands that meet the criteria for lands acquired with funds from the state’s Game and Fish Protection Fund.

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.

Congressional Sportsmen

Washington, DC --(Ammoland.com)- H.R. 1997, the Making Public Lands Public Act, introduced in the U.S House of Representatives yesterday and S. 901, introduced earlier this month in the U.S. Senate, could potentially open hundreds of thousands of acres of Federal public land to hunting, fishing, and other outdoor recreational activities.

The House version, introduced by the leadership of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus (CSC): Co-Chair Rep. Jeff Miller, Co-Chair Rep. Mike Ross, and Vice-Chairs Rep. Bob Latta and Rep. Heath Shuler, and the Senate version introduced by Co-Chair Sen. Jon Tester and Vice-Chair Sen. James Risch, would require the Secretaries of Agriculture and Interior to utilize 1.5% or a minimum of $10 million annually of their Land and Water Conservation Fund budgets for projects that secure recreational public access to existing federal lands through easements, rights-of-way, or fee title acquisitions from willing sellers.

“Coupled with bipartisan congressional support and the support of over 40 hunting, fishing, and conservation groups, this bill is a win for all – the sportsman, the land management agencies, and the willing private land owner,” said Rep. Miller. “At no additional cost to the taxpayer, this legislation, which would provide increased land access, will afford the hunters, anglers, recreational shooters and all in the sportsmen community the opportunity to continue to enjoy the great outdoors.”

“The public should be able to enjoy public lands,” said Rep. Ross. “This bill will help ensure the proper balance between conserving our public lands, promoting wildlife management and providing more Americans access to enjoy some of our nation’s most beautiful places. This is a win-win, commonsense piece of legislation.”

“Unlocking public lands is vital to our great American traditions of hunting and fishing; that’s why this legislation is an important step in improving and opening access to restricted federal lands,” said Rep. Latta.

Last August, similar language passed the U.S. House of Representatives, as an amendment by CSC Member and former Co-Chair, Rep. Ron Kind, overwhelmingly 404-1 as part of H.R. 3534, the Consolidated Land, Energy, and Aquatic Resources (CLEAR) Act.

Federal public lands are an important destination for millions American hunters, anglers, trappers, recreational shooters, and other outdoor enthusiasts. Nearly half of all hunters, for example, conduct a portion of their hunting activity on these lands. In addition, lack of access is cited as a primary reason that hunters and anglers stop participating in these traditional sports. A 2004 report to the House Appropriations Committee, stimulated by a Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) report, concluded that more than 35 million acres of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and U.S Forest Service (USFS) land have inadequate access.

“This legislation would improve sportsmen’s access to hundreds of thousands of acres of federal land annually that is currently blocked or restricted,” said Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) President Jeff Crane. “The CSC is working diligently alongside the sportsmen’s community to open more public land to hunting and fishing, thereby providing more opportunities for Americans to enjoy the great outdoors.”

CSF, in cooperation with allies in the American Wildlife Conservation Partners (AWCP), a group of over 40 non-governmental organizations representing millions of hunter conservationists, launched the “Making Public Lands Public: Enhancing Hunter & Other Recreational Access to Federal Public Lands” initiative two years ago and subsequently requested that BLM and USFS utilize funds to improve hunter and other recreational access to Federal land and have identified opportunities in its list of funding priorities. Such opportunities have been identified as important projects by the Congress as expressed in the U.S. House Report to the FY 2010 Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.

In a letter to Congress in support of the Making Public Lands Public Act earlier this month, the AWCP partners urged members to sign-on and support the legislation. The letter states that “Allowing federal agencies to identify and prioritize smaller parcels on the boundaries of federal lands that provide public access for hunting and other nature-based recreation is common sense policy. Directing a modest portion of LWCF funds to secure those parcels would help the Departments of Agriculture and the Interior maximize the value of their existing federal land holdings.

About:
The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2009. Throughout this time, CSF has maintained a singleness of purpose that has guided the organization to become the most respected and trusted hunting and fishing organization in the political arena. Visit: www.sportsmenslink.org

Pennsylvania Game Commission

Pennsylvania --(Ammoland.com)- The Pennsylvania Game Commission’s teams of land managers, foresters and Food and Cover Corps crews are focusing their efforts – and the agency’s resources – on a massive amount of habitat improvement projects on the more than 1.4 million acres of State Game Lands this spring.

“Wildlife habitats are changing across the landscape as farming practices evolve and urban/suburban expansion convert former wildlife habitats into various types of developments, from homes to shopping malls,” said Carl G. Roe, Game Commission executive director. “According to Pennsylvania’s Wildlife Action Plan, 300 acres of wildlife habitat are being lost every day, primarily to sprawl.

“For this reason, the Game Commission’s network of State Game Lands is critical to ensuring that wildlife will always have access to the three habitat components it needs to survive: food, shelter and water. And, through our habitat improvement efforts, we strive to ensure habitat diversity for all wildlife.”

As an example, Chester/Lancaster/York Counties Land Management Group Supervisor (LMGS) Linda Swank said that her Food and Cover Corps crews are working to re-establish several non-productive hedgerows that were removed this winter on State Game Land (SGL) 43 in Chester County.

“More wildlife-friendly trees and shrubs will be planted in those areas over the next few years,” LMGS Swank said. “The crew also is working to establish a few more warm-season grass fields at Muddy Run in southern Lancaster County, and putting in some hedgerows there as well. Mowing is starting already and lime and fertilizer are being spread to begin the preparation for planting. The next few weeks will be non-stop for both crews.”

Bradford/Susquehanna Counties LMGS Richard J. Lupinsky Sr. said a four-acre border cut around food plots is planned on SGL 12 in Bradford County.

“This will create brush piles, which serve as escape cover for wildlife, and will release apple trees, shrubs and vines,” he said. “We have cut about four acres in the past, which resulted in grouse and rabbit populations increasing. We will be planting six acres in this same general area in fields that have not been planted in years.”

Carbon/Luzerne/Lackawanna/Monroe Counties LMGS Michael Beahm said an area of SGL 119 in Luzerne County will undergo major habitat changes.

“Currently, there is a 30-acre area of fescue grasses and scattered food plots close to Francis E. Walter Dam,” LMGS Beahm said. “Each fall, the area is utilized as a youth pheasant hunt site with marginal habitat. This spring, a prescribed burn is planned for the area to remove the heavy thatch created from the fescue cover. The prescribed burn will be the start of its transformation, followed by an herbicide application and replanting the area with native warm-season grasses. These changes will take a couple years to mature, but wildlife value will improve greatly along with the hunting.”

Lawrence/Butler Counties LMGS Jeffery T. Kendall and his Food and Cover Corps crews have been working hard to prepare for the upcoming planting season.

“The crews plant many food plots with various grains and grasses to benefit many different species of wildlife,” LMGS Kendall said. “The plots are planted for food and cover for different times of the year to help wildlife.”

Sometimes, the drive to implement habitat improvements can be made difficult by weather, especially in remote parts of Pennsylvania. For example, Potter/Tioga Counties LMGS Denise H. Mitcheltree said winter conditions persisted through March and made travel within the remote State Game Lands quite difficult.

“Food and Cover Corps crews in Potter and Tioga counties used a variety of means, including snowmobile and snowshoes, to access locations with bluebird boxes,” LMGS Mitchelltree said. “The crews were able to finish cleaning out 156 bluebird boxes in preparation for the spring nesting season. They also cleaned out and repaired 20 duck boxes that could not be access earlier. When not working on nesting structures and general infrastructure maintenance, the crews were able to prune 286 fruit trees and release 124 apple trees throughout the seven State Game Lands. Six brush piles also were built to provide escape cover for birds and small mammals.”

Adams/Cumberland/Franklin Counties LMGS Barry Leonard said his Food and Cover Corps crews were busy repairing damage caused by recent heavy rains to roads and parking lots.

“Culverts that get clogged with leaves and debris result in water running across roadways thus degrading the road surface,” LMGS Leonard said.

Roe noted that the Game Commission is mandated, by state law, to spend a specific amount of money on habitat improvement each year. That minimum is based on an established rate of $4.25 for each resident and nonresident adult general hunting license and $2 for each antlerless deer license. During the 2009-10 license year, the Game Commission sold 846,293 resident and nonresident adult general hunting licenses and 867,697 antlerless deer licenses, for a total minimum of $5,332,139.

“In reality, we spent $5,902,523 on habitat improvement projects, which was $570,384 more that the legislatively-mandated minimum,” Roe said. “This was not a one-time aberration, however, as we have routinely exceed the minimum threshold set by the Legislature because we recognize how important habitat improvement is for all wildlife.

“However, when you combine our stable license sales with the increasing costs of conducting habitat work – from gas prices to repairs of heavy equipment – we are seeing the amount of work we are able to accomplish stagnate or decline. Fortunately, with organizations such as the National Wild Turkey Federation and Pheasants Forever, we are able to do more than what our license dollars allow.”

Clarion/Jefferson Counties LMGS George J. Miller said the NWTF Millcreek Chapter recently completed a habitat project to plant beneficial trees and shrubs on SGL 74 in his two counties.

“About 40 volunteers from the NWTF Chapter and Wal-Mart planted more than 200 trees and shrubs, including serviceberry, high-bush cranberry, arrowwood, crabapple, nannyberry, and Washington hawthorne, in the interior of three fences established last year as part of this same type of project,” LMGS Miller said. “The dry weather last April and early May, along with girdling of the bark by rodents over the winter months, caused mortality in most of the trees and shrubs previously planted. In addition to the plantings, the group added tree tubes for additional protection against girdling by mice and added fertilizer to promote growth and vigor. The Chapter will come back this summer to remove woody, invasive species that are crowding out the desired plantings. After the trees and shrubs become well established, the fencing and tree tubes will be removed.”

Perhaps one of the most important wildlife habitat partnerships for the future is the Game Commission’s cooperative effort between the agency’s Howard Nursery and local land managers and the American Chestnut Foundation. This partnership has been working to raise more than 700 blight resistant American chestnut hybrid seedlings, which represent the most nearly pure American strain yet produced.

Armstrong/Indiana/Westmoreland Counties LMGS Art Hamley said his Food and Cover Corps crews are assisting with the establishment of an American chestnut orchard.

“We are very optimistic that this generation will play an extremely important role in the restoration of blight resistant American Chestnuts to Penn’s Woods,” LMGS Hamley said. “Returning this native food source to the wilds of Pennsylvania will be a welcome addition for a wide variety of wildlife.”

Bedford/Fulton Counties LMGS Jonathan S. Zuck said, on March 5, the Thunderbird Chapter of the Ruffed Grouse Society (RGS) assisted the agency in conducting a “Habitat Day” on SGL 73 in Bedford County.

“About 50 volunteers improved habitat for ruffed grouse and other wildlife by clear-cutting about five acres of pole stage timber and constructing six brush piles,” LMGS Zuck said. “It was truly a team effort with members of the RGS, local sportsmen’s clubs, Fort Bedford Boy Scouts, and concerned individuals working with the Game Commission to improve wildlife habitat. A special ‘thank you’ goes out to the Thunderbird Chapter for providing lunch.”

Howard Nursery Superintendent Cliff Guindon said the Game Commission’s “Seedlings for Schools” program, in its fourth year, shipped roughly 110,000 seedlings to 850 school buildings in Pennsylvania.

“Seedlings were shipped the weeks of April 18 and 25 to coincide with Earth Day and Arbor Day activities at schools,” Guindon said. “All seedlings are donated by the Game Commission’s Howard Nursery and shipping costs are covered by the Wildlife for Everyone Foundation with funding from Waste Management, Mealy’s Furniture, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Partners for Wildlife program. Elementary school grade levels have choice of white pine or silky dogwood seedlings. Other species from the nursery public sales list are made available for ‘Seedlings for Habitat’ projects for middle and high school programs.”

Juniata/Mifflin/Perry/Snyder Counties LMGS Steve Bernardi said 15 young men and their instructors from the Carson Long Military Academy in New Bloomfield, Perry County, recently assisted with a habitat project on SGL 171 in Juniata County. They erected several bluebird nest boxes, replanted fruit producing seedling to replace some that had died and made improvements to a five-acre herbaceous opening.

Bernardi added that the same group assisted the Perry County Conservation District in cleaning up a large illegal dumping area on SGL 281.

“They picked up more than five tons of trash and debris and around 300 tires – about 4.6 tons – that had been dumped over a bank along a remote roadway,” Bernardi said. “Many thanks to this group for doing this work that may other wise would not have gotten done anytime soon.”

Dauphin/Lebanon Counties LMGS Scott Bills said, on April 14, a group of Cub Scouts from Pack 77 helped plant winterberry, alder, viburnum, mountain ash and crabapples on SGL 211, in an area that usually attracts migrant woodcock.

“Invasive alien species, such as honeysuckle and multiflora rose, were cut and removed from the area by members of the 28th Class of Wildlife Conservation Officers (WCOs) prior to their graduation,” LMGS Bills said. “The Upper Dauphin Area High School’s conservation club also will be planting many of the same species in recovered fencerows on SGL 211 soon. Some 600 seedlings will be put in the ground by this hardworking group.”

Berks/Schuylkill Counties LMGS Matthew D. Belding said the Ruffed Grouse Society, Charles Bechtel Chapter, had a working field day on SGL 110 on April 9.

“For many years, the Ruffed Grouse Society has contributed many hours of labor and thousands of dollars to assist with our habitat management of SGL 110 in Berks and Schuylkill counties,” he said. “This year, we had more than 25 people attending to plant 1,000, three-year old white spruce. The evergreens will provide winter and escape cover not only for the grouse, but for many other species of wildlife.”

Despite all of this work to improve wildlife habitats, Game Commission officers continue to see disregard for State Game Lands by individuals who view them as nothing more than rural dumps and courses for motorized vehicles that are illegal to use on State Game Lands.

For example, Mercer County WCO Lawrence R. Hergenroeder is investigating the recent dumping of a large projection screen television in SGL 284 parking lot.

“If you witness this type of illegal activity, please pass on any vehicle and subject information you can to the appropriate Region Office,” WCO Hergenroeder said. “State Game Lands are open for public use, but those responsible for this type of illegal activity will be subject to stiff penalties when they are caught.”

In another case, WCO Hergenroeder cited a New Castle man for dumping household trash on SGL 178 in Neshannock Township.

“When confronted with the evidence, the man admitted that the dumpster he usually uses was full, so he drove to the SGL and threw it over the embankment instead,” WCO Hergenroeder said.

Allegheny County WCO Dan Puhala reports that a dump truck load of yard debris was intentionally dumped in the parking area for the shotgun range at SGL 203.

“The large pile of brush was found dumped in the middle of the parking area causing obvious access issues,” he said. “Inconsiderate acts such as this have a negative impact on all of those who use the State Game Lands. The tire tracks on scene indicate that a dual wheel dump truck was used in this incident. Anyone having information regarding this careless act should call the Southwest Region office at 724-238-9523.”

Fayette County WCO Brandon Bonin, while patrolling SGL 138, discovered a large dump site containing; tires, shingles, and assorted household products.

In another recent case, WCO Bonin issued a citation to an individual for operating an ATV on SGL 238.

“I have received information that ATVs are on this State Game Land frequently, and I will be increasing law enforcement patrols in this area, especially targeting the unlawful operations of these machines,” WCO Bonin said.

Westmoreland County WCO Brian Singer and his Deputy WCOs investigated several illegal dumping cases in his district.

“We have been able to track down the violators and charges have been filed for trash illegally dumped on lands open to public hunting,” WCO Singer said. “We remind individuals that penalties for this kind of activity can cost hundreds and even thousands of dollars, much more than the trash companies charge to pick up the trash at your doorstep.”

Roe said that the Game Commission’s land management teams have accomplished much so far this year, and that they have plans to do even more.

“I’ve long said that it is not our employee’s enthusiasm and ingenuity that limits our abilities to accomplish habitat projects to benefit wildlife; it is our limited financial resources that inhibits our capability to do more for wildlife,” Roe said. “There is no doubt that we can do more for wildlife if only provided the means to do so.”

Following is a summary of other habitat projects underway in each of the Game Commission’s six regions.

NORTHWEST:

Forest/Warren Counties LMGS Richard T. Cramer reported that his Food and Cover Corps crews have been busy maintaining SGL boundary lines, maintaining and replacing bluebird nest boxes, preparing equipment for spring planting, readying equipment for prescribed fires and many other duties.

Crawford/Erie Counties LMGS Shayne A. Hoachlander and all of the Northwest Region Food and Cover Corps crews, foresters, biologists, and LMGSs recently met for a two-day conference that provided or covered: mandatory pesticide license credits, habitat management techniques, commercial drivers license training, Marcellus gas operations on SGLs and other information pertinent to habitat management duties. Crawford County LMGS Jerry A. Bish noted that this training is only done once a year in this format. “In addition, it gives us time to compare strategies and techniques with our colleagues, and we had a little bit of fun,” he said.

Butler/Lawrence Counties LMGS Jeffery T. Kendall said the constant rainfall this spring has delayed the Food and Cover Corps crews from getting State Game Land fields planted. “Many of the food plots are setting idle because they are too wet to get equipment into to get them planted,” he said. “This could affect what ends up getting planted and what will be available for wildlife next winter.”

Clarion/Jefferson Counties LMGS George J. Miller reported the Jefferson County Food and Cover Corps crew will be planting about 1,600 native trees and shrubs in the riparian buffer of the remnants of the old Punxsutawney Reservoir on SGL 195. “They also will be reseeding a vegetated interior roadway on SGL 244 by applying herbicide to kill undesirable grasses, applying lime and fertilizer, and then no-till plant with legumes,” he said. “These projects were made possible by PR funding, which is revenue from an excise tax placed on firearms and ammunition that is then made available to state wildlife agencies for such projects.”

Mercer County WCO Donald G. Chaybin reported seedlings recently were distributed to private landowners enrolled in the Game Commission public access programs. “There also were surplus seedlings made available to sportsmen’s clubs, schools and youth groups,” he said. “All of these seedlings will provide valuable food and cover for wildlife in the future. In northern Mercer County, there were nearly 10,000 seedlings provided without charge to safety zone cooperators and others interested in improving wildlife habitat. Our seedlings are produced at the Game Commission Howard Nursery in Howard, Centre County.

SOUTHWEST:

Armstrong/Indiana/Westmoreland Counties LMGS Art Hamley, this spring, said his Food and Cover Corps crews have been rehabbing and maintaining the many leguminous State Game Land food plots and establishing new ones. He also said various SGL nesting boxes have been cleaned and repaired and await new residents.

Hamley said, over the winter months, the Food and Cover Corps crews did numerous border cuts on public and private lands, including the cutting of aspen stands to increase stem density and browse. “Apple trees have been day-lighted and some stands of larger evergreens have been topped, which helps to maintain vigorous growth at or near ground level,” he said. “Many of these efforts would have been impossible to attain without the use of the new Cat habitat machines.”

Hamley also said a prescribed burn on warm-season grass fields is planned this spring and foresters, land managers and Food and Cover Corps crew personnel have received many hours of training to assure compliance with laws surrounding that activity.

Cambria/Indiana Counties LMGS Dan Yahner said the Food and Cover crews in northern Cambria County recently spent a considerable amount of time operating a hydro-axe machine on SGLs 108 and 184 this month. “This 16-ton machine has a type of ‘brush hog’ mower attachment on the front that is capable of cutting down brush and small trees up to seven inches in diameter,” he said. “The cutting was done to remove the invasive locust trees from a mountain-top grassland bird nesting area on SGL 108. The Game Commission is conducting a cooperative study with Penn State University to record the nesting activity of threatened and endangered birds in these reclaimed strip mined areas. Among others, Henslow sparrows, short-eared owls and Northern harriers have been observed using the area. The hydro axe also was employed to cut maturing scrub oak areas on the mountaintops along the Allegheny front. This unique habitat matures over time and becomes overgrown and choked out by larger trees such as birch and sassafras. By clear-cutting these areas completely every 10 to 15 years, the scrub oak quickly reproduces new sprouts and provides untold amounts of browse and acorns for the wildlife. In days gone by, the scrub oak areas were maintained by wildfires that were started regularly by sparks from the steam engine railroads. The fires would burn out and kill the shallow rooted invasive type tree species, allowing for the deep-rooted scrub oak to re-sprout and sustain itself. Modern methods of fire suppression have caused these scrub oak areas to slowly disappear.”

Yahner also said the new Food and Cover Corps crew in northern Indiana County has been hard at work cutting down a stand of mature aspen trees on SGL 262. “By cutting down the old and dying trees, the sunlight reaches the ground and a proliferation of new aspen spring up from root sucker sprouts,” he said. “Many species of wildlife benefit greatly from this new and thicker aspen regeneration.”

Southwest Region Field Forester Roger Brown said a 189-acre timber harvest habitat project on SGL 82 in Somerset County is going to be a Woodcock Demonstration Area. “To date, 48 acres of the 59 acres planned to be cut along Wills Creek have been cut in the Goudy Memorial Habitat Project,” he said. “This project will improve habitat for woodcock by removing the mature trees in the stream corridor. Removing these mature trees will stimulate sprouting, creating a long swath of dense young forest growing on the moist bottomland soil. The timber harvest also will reach into the nearby forest stands, where 49 acres of an additional planned 130 acres have been cut. These cut areas will provide feeding habitat for breeding and migrating woodcocks.”

Brown also said a 14-acre timber sale on SGL 93 in Somerset County was completed in March. “This timber sale was set up to improve habitat conditions near a reclaimed strip mine on this new SGL,” he said. “A long, thin area was cut in the forest stand along the edge of the reclaimed strip mine. This will create a border edge of dense young growth between the open field area of the strip mine and the forest stand. Border edges are an important source of food and cover for wildlife. Apple trees, crabapples and hawthorn were reserved in this area, which will provide a valuable food source. A small patch of Japanese knot weed that was found on the strip mine was treated with an herbicide to prevent the spread of this invasive species.”

Brown said a 75-acre timber sale on SGL 111 in Somerset County will reduce the number of large trees that have begun “shading out” the food plots with their large branches. “Cutting the timber around the fields allows more sunlight into the fields,” he said. “This also creates border edges around the fields, allowing a transition from the open areas of the fields to the new dense young growth in the cut areas, to the forest stands. Border edges provide food and cover and are valuable wildlife habitat. Part of this timber sale also will cut some of the timber that is shading the grass game land road that provides access to the food plots, in effect, creating a long border edge. Valuable wildlife trees such as oaks and hickories will be reserved in these areas. This timber sale will be shown to interested timber buyers in May. The winning bidder will have until 2013 to complete the sale.”

Brown said a 30-acre timber sale on SGL 297 in Washington County will improve wildlife habitat by cutting large mature poplar timber along some small wet drainages in the sale area. “This will provide areas of dense young growth that is preferred by species such as woodcock,” he said. “A small stand of aspen also will be cut, again providing valuable wildlife habitat as the aspen re-sprouts. A wetland is planned for development near this timber sale. With the wetlands, and nearby fields, this timber sale will create valuable wildlife habitat. This timber sale will be shown to interested timber buyers in April. The winning bidder will have until 2013 to complete the sale.”

Southwest Region Field Forester Brandon Karlheim said a 45-acre aspen timber harvest on SGL 184 in Cambria County involves a reverted 30-plus year old strip mine that has regenerated to larch, pine, aspen, locust and red maple, mostly a pole timber size stand (six to 16 inches in diameter). “The objective of this cut is to remove the species listed to create early successional habitat that is being managed for grouse and to improve the current habitat that is already present,” he said. “This harvest will improve habitat for other mammals and bird species which thrive in early successional aspen cuts for both food and cover as well. Timber species that will be reserved within the sale will consist of white pine and small islands of red pine for roosting structure and thermal cover. Future management of these aspen stands proposed for regeneration may include cutting smaller portions of these areas every five to 10 years, maintaining aspen stands in various stages of maturity. The creation of small patches of conifer cover within these aspen stands will be reserved and will enhance ruffed grouse survival in the winter.”

Karlheim also said a 75-acre prescribed fire is planned for SGL 174 in Indiana County. “The prescribed burn will be completed with the 75 acres split up into seven smaller blocks that will allow for greater control of the fire,” he said. “The purpose of the prescribed forest burn is to eliminate the striped maple that makes up much of the understory and to promote the present oak seedlings that are unable to proceed past the overtopping striped maple. With using a prescribed fire as a management tool it allows us to eliminate competing undesirable species, promote desired species, enhance wildlife habitat and meet training standards. Such preventative measures have been taken to promote desired outcomes. The prescribed burn also will remove debris – such as leaves, dead tops and logs – from around the bases of high-valued mast producing trees, such as oaks.”

Karlheim reported a 65-acre hawthorn timber promotion project is planned for SGL 279 in Cambria County. “Of these 65 acres, 23 acres have been preferred to have the established hawthorn within the site promoted,” he said. “The hawthorn will be promoted by having the overtopping trees removed from the site. Also a spray contractor will be selectively hand spraying invading hardwood species and patches of multiflora rose that are competing with the present hawthorn. Hawthorn plays a significant role in wildlife habitat such as providing great cover for woodcocks and nesting structures for songbirds. Hawthorn also provides an excellent feed source for other wildlife.”

NORTHCENTRAL:

Lycoming/Union Counties LMGS Thomas M. Smith said his Food and Cover Corps crews recent accomplishments include: pruning 10 fruit trees; border cutting 10 acres; thinning of two acres of invasive species; releasing 140 trees from competing vegetation; building nine rabbit brush piles; cleaning out three waterfowl nests; marked and painted one mile of State Game Lands and five miles of propagation boundaries; posting 14 informational signs; and conducting various maintenance on 17 gates, 15 parking lots, four culvert pipes, four dikes, one building, one shooting range and five miles of roadway.

Centre/Clinton Counties LMGS Michael Ondik said that his Food and Cover Corps crews erected or maintained more than 200 nesting or housing structures for bluebirds and bats. “The cleaning of these boxes every year, removing last year’s nests, is a key to successful use this year,” he said. “Please remember to do maintenance on your box, or erect some if you can.”

Elk/McKean Counties LMGS John P. Dzemyan reported the two-man McKean County Food and Cover Corps installed new out-flow pipes for three duck ponds on the Allegheny National Forest last fall. “The three ponds serve as popular fishing spots in the summer, duck and goose hunting areas in the fall, beaver trapping sites in the winter and wildlife viewing destinations all year long,” he said. “The crews partnered with the local Mt. Jewett Sportsman’s Club and have been implementing fish structures in the pond bottoms when ponds were lowered for repairs. Funding for the work comes through the Fish and Boat Commission as well as the Allegheny National Forest.”

Dzemyan said the McKean County crew also constructed four new acres of clover strips for cottontail rabbits on SGL 62 and maintained food plots by mowing and applying some new seeding, lime and fertilizer. “The crew also maintained more than 40 wood duck boxes on the numerous wetlands,” he said “The crew also is maintaining youth pheasant hunter areas on SGL 61 and the Allegheny National Forest McKean County with special plantings and stockings.”

Dzemyan said that the three-man Elk County Food and Cover Corps crew has been busy creating more seedling sapling habitat all winter with numerous border cuts and fruit and mast producing day lighting efforts. “One location on SGL 25 is a cooperative project with the Wapiti Chapter of NWTF, in which we created about 10 acres of bush piles and sapling stands next to thousands of new seedlings planted for food and cover for turkeys and other wildlife,” he said. “This area has been mostly a pole-stage monoculture forest stand. Through the middle of this NWTF project, the crew has disked up a strip about one-half mile long and will soon plant it with clovers and grains for wildlife this summer. The increased federal Pittman-Robertson funding for habitat work also has enabled the contract spraying to remove unwanted growth from herbaceous openings on 61 acres of SGLs 25 and 44. We now will be contracting to plant those 61 acres with grains and clovers to improve habitat conditions for game and non-game animals.”

Dzemyan said the Elk County crew also worked with Ruffed Grouse Society to erect fencing to protect about 4,000 fruit and mast producing shrubs in herbaceous openings.

Dzemyan said the Elk County crew also is busy on SGL 311 with maintaining hundreds of new acres of herbaceous openings for elk and other wildlife from the massive mine reclamation program there. “With more than 170 elk being seen on SGL 311, elk numbers are at all-time highs,” he said. “Turkeys and deer also have made heavy use of these new habitat improvements.”

Dzemyan said, on SGL 44, the Elk County crew partnered with the Elk County Chapter of Pheasants Forever on the new 6,000-plus acres of State Game Lands between Brockway and Ridgway to improve pheasant stocking areas and small game rabbit areas. “New herbaceous openings have been created for grains and clovers, and more than 275 acres of new warm-season grasses are starting their second year’s growth from the cooperative WHIP project with NRCS on those lands,” he said.

Dzemyan said partnerships with the Department of Environmental Protection to maintain and improve water quality in both the Tobey Creek branch of the Clarion River and Dents Run and Bennett’s branches of the Susquehanna River are a daily occurrence. “Fish now are in places of both watersheds that just two and three years ago were too polluted with mine acid to support trout and or bass fishing,” he said. “Major projects continue with the DEP and the Bennett’s Branch Watershed Association and the Toby Creek Watershed Association to protect and improve what coal mining has done to both those waterways over the past 100 years.”

Dzemyan said work continues to clean up dump sites on State Game Lands in his two counties. “The McKean County Conservation District worked to clean up old junk yards along the Allegheny River on SGL 301, and McKean County Cleanways helped stop erosion along a stream on SGL 61,” he said. “The Elk County Conservation District and Cleanways have removed a couple hundred tons of dump site garbage form SGL 44 and 293, as well as on Forest-Game Cooperative lands over the past five years and continue to monitor and keep those sites clean. The Allegheny National Forest WIN’s program is preventing silt from public dirt roads from impairing streams on State Game Lands. The Allegheny National Forest funded a project to remove seven abandoned camps that had fallen apart on State Game Lands along the Clarion River. They also helped to improve and old road and to reclaim two old roads that were mud and silt problems for the Clarion River.”

SOUTHCENTRAL:

Adams/Cumberland/Franklin Counties LMGS Barry Leonard said his Food and Cover Corps crews have been busy planting trees and shrubs on several State Game Lands. “The intent is to provide additional food and cover for wildlife in the future,” he said. “In addition to that, they have released and pruned numerous existing fruit trees in order to enhance production this year. The crews have been busy making food plot and habitat improvements on SGLs 76 and 170 thanks to money made available through local NWTF chapters.”

Leonard also said local prisoners in Cumberland County assisted with releasing and trimming about 40 apple trees on SGL 169.

Leonard reported an area of switch grass fields on SGL 235 have been prepped for a burn later in the year. This will clear out some overgrowth and allow for regeneration of desirable vegetation.

Leonard said a timber sale is being conducted on SGL 170. It will result in about 1.5 million board feet of lumber being removed. In return, the sportsmen will gain additional access to the interior of the State Game Land via an extended access road and parking area. The removed timber will allow better regeneration of food and cover for wildlife.

Bedford/Fulton Counties LMGS Jonathan S. Zuck reported during the winter months his Food and Cover Corps crews pruned or fenced 286 fruit trees and day-lighted nearly 9,000 mast-producing trees and shrubs, and created 25 acres of edge habitat and 34 wildlife brush piles. “This hard-working group of dedicated individuals also improved 70 acres of forested habitat through clear-cutting and by thinning and releasing food-producing trees and shrubs,” he said. “We now are top-dressing clover food plots and preparing to plant tree seedlings and turn soils in State Game Land wildlife openings.”

Zuck also reported the New Enterprise Food and Cover Crew planted 20 fruit trees on an old orchard site on SGL 261 near Hopewell with the assistance of a local NWTF chapter, businesses and volunteers. “We received funding through the Tussey Mt. Strutters Chapter of the NWTF to plant, fertilize, and fence 15 apple and five pear trees,” he said. “The trees, fertilizer, and fencing were purchased from local businesses. Art Rexinger, a local volunteer, donated his time and equipment to dig the holes and Beegle’s Log and Lumber of Everett donated eight cubic yards for mulch for use in planting. Later this spring the orchard site will be seeded with beneficial wildlife foods such as oats, clover, brassica and buckwheat.”

Huntingdon/Blair Counties LMGS Bert Einodshofer reported that additional conifer plantings on SGL 99 will continue. “Over the past five years, Food and Cover Corps crews, foresters and Pennsylvania Conservation Corps members have created conifer stands of three to five acres where all existing deciduous trees have been removed and then re-planted with conifers,” he said. “In all, more than 10,000 conifers have been planted in these areas. Volunteers also have enabled us to rehab this area where past gypsy moth infestations devastated the oaks on this State Game Land. Since these projects began, volunteers have provided a key component to allowing us to complete as much as we have. For several years, Bill Mattern, Bill Mattern Jr., Mitch Hiddenman and Joe Myers volunteered and planted more than 6,000 conifers, oak seedlings and other beneficial deciduous trees surrounding the project areas. Without their help, this phase of the project would not have been possible.”

Einodshofer said the Food and Cover Corps crews in his two counties have been training and preparing to conduct several prescribed burns to improve habitat conditions. “Weather conditions permitting, there are three burns planned for SGL 67 in Huntingdon County,” he said. “These burns are being conducted to improve site conditions for scrub oak as well as expand the area in which it currently is found. One burn is planned for late spring and two sites are planned for late summer into early fall. In all, these three areas comprise of almost 150 acres.”

Blair County Stephen T. Hanczar said The Nature Conservancy recently enrolled a 640-acre tract of woodlands within Logan and Frankstown townships into the agency’s Hunter Access Program. “On a brisk, sunny Saturday morning in March, ten volunteers assisted Molly Anderson, Nature Conservancy representative, mark the boundary with the Nature Conservancy’s placards,” he said. “These dedicated members travelled rugged terrain like ‘mountain goats’ to mark the lines.”

Southcentral Region Field Forester Roy Bucher and Juniata/Mifflin/Perry/Snyder Counties LMGS Steve Bernardi discovered a nice stand of aspen on SGL 256 in Perry County last year. “Currently, I am laying out a timber sale to regenerate the aspen that we found,” he said. “While flagging in the sale area, I flushed a grouse from her nest and heard a male drumming in the same area. Looks like the grouse are already in the area and will benefit from the early successional habitat that the regenerated aspen will provide.”

Bucher noted that the wet and rainy spring hampered opportunities to use prescribed fire within the region. “Fortunately, we did get several rain free days and completed a planned prescribed burn on SGL 107 in Juniata and Mifflin counties,” he said. “The area burned was a four-year-old shelter wood cut that did not have acceptable amounts of oak regeneration and significant numbers of other less desirable tree species. We believe we met our objective of reducing the number birch and maple saplings and have made conditions more favorable to release the oak that was present and may gain more from acorn germination.”

Bucher and Bernardi also completed a prescribed burn on SGL 212 in Snyder County. “The burns were for two small forested tracts and had two different objectives,” Bucher said. “The larger unit will be managed for red-headed woodpeckers. We would like to eliminate the brushy understory with the use of the prescribed fire and then remove, by felling, some of the smaller diameter trees. The objective is to create a park like habitat. This objective may require subsequent use of prescribed fire to control brush within the stand. The objective in the smaller unit is to eliminate invasive species and create the conditions to regenerate hard pine. There has been some mortality of the hard pine, creating gaps that have been filled in by invasive species. With the use of fire we hope to eliminate the invasive species and provide the right conditions to regenerate some hard pine.”

NORTHEAST:

Carbon/Luzerne/Lackawanna/Monroe Counties LMGS Michael Beahm said his Food and Cover Corps crews have been working to complete NWTF-sponsored habitat projects. “Each year, local NWTF chapters fund habitat projects on State Game Lands across Pennsylvania,” he said. “This year, we planted 42 mature crabapple trees that were about 10- to 12-feet tall on SGLs 135, 186 and 187. They will provide a valuable soft-mass crop in during the fall and winter months. Additionally, the NWTF funded three acres of clover plantings on SGL 187 in Luzerne County. The funding for the projects was made possible from the money raised at local NWTF Hunting Heritage banquets.”

Beahm said, on SGL 127, the Food and Cover Corps crew worked hard to open up a road on Artillery Ridge this past winter. “The road had slowly grown shut over the years along with severe ice damage,” he said. “This spring, the crews will be planting the road with a clover mix, which will greatly improve the brooding habitat in this area for grouse and turkey, and provide excellent browse for the deer and rabbits.”

Beahm said the Food and Cover Corps crews will be establishing a new food plot on SGL 129. “For the last few years, we have been planning a new food plot along Schoch Mill Road,” he said. “After inspecting several food plots, with the Game Lands Maintenance Supervisor Tony Colecio, and seeing how heavily they are used by the deer and turkeys, we knew this was the year to get it done. Once the food plot is opened up, it will be planted with buckwheat for the first couple years to improve the soil. These projects are always exciting; it’s like building the field of dreams, knowing their full potential impact.”

Sullivan/Luzerne/Wyoming Counties LMGS William Williams said the SGL 57 Food and Cover Corps crew initiated work on a new four-acre linear food plot near Upper Bean Pond. “The plot will be planted in a brassica mix this spring,” he said.

Columbia/Montour/Northumberland Counties LMGS Keith Sanford said personnel from The Nature Conservancy and the Game Commission combined forces in March to conduct a controlled burn of native warm-season grasses on SGL 58 in Columbia County. “Six out of a planned 16 acres were treated,” he said. “The remaining 10 acres will be burned in April if weather conditions permit. The burns will help rejuvenate the grasses by reducing accumulated thatch, eliminating invasive woody plants, and by adding nutrients to the soil. Warm-season grasses are utilized by deer, cottontail rabbits, pheasants, and a variety of songbirds.”

Sanford said, in spite of heavy rains and the opening day of trout season, seven volunteers from the Col-Mont Gobbler Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation and Woodcock Limited of PA teamed up with the Game Commission on April 16 for some habitat work. “The group managed to plant 1,800 aspen seedlings on SGL 58 in Columbia County,” he said. “The site where the project took place is being managed to create nesting, brood rearing, feeding and roosting cover for ruffed grouse and woodcock but will also provide important habitat for many wildlife species that thrive in early succession forests.”

Bradford/Susquehanna Counties LMGS Richard J. Lupinsky Sr. said that the Food and Cover Corps crews have been busy with browse cutting to day-light certain areas to let the sun impact the snow and ice and to get the nutritious buds close to the ground for winter wildlife survival.

Lupinsky and his Food and Cover Corps crews will be doing follow up work on 110 acres of reclaimed strip mines that was a prescribed burn and herbicide treatment on SGL 36. “This will include filling sink holes and planting warm-season grasses for habitat that will be used by small game and nongame species,” he said.

In another project, Lupinsky said 40 acres of warm-season grass will be planted along with prior herbicide treatment on SGL 219. “One site will be about 10 acres, with a clover buffer around the outside and through the middle to allow prescribed burning on alternate years,” he said. “The other will be about 30 acres in three parcels and be burned in the same way. This will allow habitat to be in varying stages of growth to create more diversity for the wildlife that uses it.”

Lupinsky said a 54-acre prescribed fire is planned for the spring in the Rose Hollow area of SGL 35. “The goal is to reduce laurel thickets a buildup of forest duff and previous logging slash for optimum regeneration from red oak present in the over story,” he said.

SOUTHEAST:

Chester County WCO Scott Frederick and Chester/Lancaster/York Counties LMGS Linda Swank have partnered with the local Boy Scout troop to conduct some clean-up operations on SGL 43 in Chester County. “Bud Burdy, who is a volunteer HTE instructor and a Boy Scout leader, contacted me recently about coordinating efforts to help clean up portions of SGL 43,” WCO Frederick said. “He already lined up a local refuse company to donate a dumpster so that one of the parking lots can be cleaned up of the items that have been dumped there in recent times. Anyone who uses and enjoys the SGLs needs to provide a big round of applause to Mr. Burdy and the Scouts under his charge in initiating this wonderful endeavor.”

Swank said it is a very busy time for the Food and Cover Corps crews. “It is a time of planning for spring planting and getting equipment ready as well,” she said. “The crews really have been affected by the weather coming out of winter and into almost summer like conditions. Both the York and Lancaster crews worked together to sort seedlings from the agency’s Howard Nursery, to get the seedling ready for distribution to cooperators

Dauphin/Lebanon Counties LMGS Scott Bills and his Food and Cover Corps have been mowing native forbs and grasses in lieu of burning the fields this spring. “Of course, in the midst of all this, the crews still have to get into the many fields and prepare them for planting as the rainfall slows,” he said. “After that they will be seeded with various grains, legumes and wildflower mixes for the fall season.”

Bills said, at this time of the year, some part of the Food and Cover Corps crew tasks includes planting seedlings grown at the agency’s Howard Nursery. “Conifer blocks with soft mast shrubs on the periphery are being planted in some of the long herbaceous openings of SGL 210 to provide escape cover for those species that utilize the open areas, such as wild turkey,” he said. “The Crew will be installing a small orchard of 20 crabapple trees on SGL 210, too. These crabapples were purchased from a local fruit nursery and should yield crabapples in several years. After the planting, the area will then be immediately fenced to prevent damage from rutting bucks and rampaging bears. Once the trees reach a size that almost no amount of damage can kill them, the fence will be taken down.”

Bills also said a new bridge on the abandoned railroad bed in Stony Valley at Yellow Springs was finished.

Bucks/Lehigh/Montgomery/Northampton Counties LMGS Dave Mitchell said contractor recently started working on creating almost five miles of firebreaks on SGL 217. “The firebreaks are constructed using a bulldozer,” he said. “By installing them, we will be able to use prescribed fire to manage the forest and increase the oak component in that area of the SGL, as well as the overall habitat health. Quality habitat should lead to healthy populations of deer, turkey, and grouse. Watch for the first burn to take place next year.”

Mitchell said the Food and Cover Corps crews recently planted more than 1,000 aspen trees on SGL 168 with the hopes of improving grouse and woodcock habitat. “The Walking Purchase Chapter and the Pocono Chapter of the NWTF donated more than $3,000 for the purchase of lime and fertilizer to assist with the planting of 20 acres of food plots on SGL 168,” he said. “The Walking Purchase Chapter held a habitat work day, and planted crabapple trees in memory of a member who had passed away.”

Mitchell also said the Jerry Zimmerman Memorial Chapter of the NWTF donated $1,500 for the purchase of fertilizer to assist in planting of food plots in the Trexler Nature Preserve. “We plant around 15 acres of corn, soybeans and clover in the TNP,” he said. “The property is open for archery hunting of deer and turkey through a cooperative agreement with Lehigh County.”

Southeast Assistant Regional Forester Randy Bauman reported that, as invasive species become more of a problem, foresters are forced to spend more of their time trying to prevent their spread. “Mile-a-minute weed is one of these plants that invade a forest wherever sunlight is introduced to the forest floor,” he said. “We currently are working with the USDA on a project to introduce weevils that eat mile-a-minute leaves and buds. In 2010, we placed 1,750 weevils on six sites on four SGLs and this summer we plan to introduce 1,000 additional weevils. As part of this project, we will be monitoring these sites and documenting the results. We have high hopes that these natural predators will alleviate the threat that mile-a-minute weed poses to the environment.”

Southeast Regional Field Forester Frank Vinitski reported that a timber stand improvement project and a regeneration cut will be conducted along Sharp Mountain just to the east of Gold Mine Road. “This project, totaling around 50 to 75 acres, will improve mast opportunities for the Allegheny woodrat and create desired seedling regeneration to benefit ruffed grouse,” he said. “Wildlife habitat also will be improved by constructing log landings which will be converted into herbaceous openings. These openings will offer food opportunities for the many birds and mammals that utilize this area.”

Southeast Regional Field Forester Jonathan Weaver reported that a prescribed burn has been planned for SGL 156 in northern Lancaster County. “This is a new process for us here in the Southeast Region, and we have learned many lessons,” he said. “Just when we thought everything was ready, we were met with multiple rainy weeks. This is a good example of some of the issues we face as natural resource managers. We can plan things well in advance, but are still at the mercy of weather patterns and other natural processes.”

Facts from the Pennsylvania Game Commission: Landowners interested in developing “backyard habitats” beneficial to wildlife are encouraged to check out the “Landscaping for Wildlife in Pennsylvania,” available from the Pennsylvania Game Commission. The 160-page book, which costs $9.43 (plus state sales tax and shipping and handling), can be purchased through the “The Outdoor Shop” on the agency’s website (www.pgc.state.pa.us), in the “General Store” section in the menu bar at the top of the homepage. Orders also are being accepted at 1-888-888-3459.

Boone and Crockett Club

MISSOULA, Mont.--(Ammoland.com)- MISSOULA, Mont.–Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., and Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, today introduced legislation –the “Making Public Lands Public Access Act of 2011″– that guarantees funding for improving hunter access to existing public lands.

This bipartisan legislation is supported by the Boone and Crockett Club, the National Rifle Association and other hunting organizations.

The bill directs the U.S. Forest Service and BLM to acquire rights of way and other land interests from willing-seller landowners to open access to existing public lands where public access for hunting and fishing is closed.

“Sportsmen and women want the Forest Service and BLM to provide better access to our national forests and BLM lands for hunting and fishing. Senator Jon Tester and Senator Jim Risch are tackling this problem head on with this bill,” said Ben Wallace, president of the Boone and Crockett Club.

Additionally, Wallace praised Tester and Risch for “their deep commitment to enhancing hunting opportunities on our public lands.” Tester is the co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus within the U.S. Senate. Risch is the vice co-chair of the same caucus.

For the 32 million American hunters, anglers and recreational shooters, federal public lands are an increasingly vital to their participation in outdoor sports. Nearly half of all hunters, for example, conduct a portion of their hunting activity on public lands. Reduced access is cited as a primary reason that hunters, anglers and target shooters stop participating in these traditional sports. A 2004 report to the U.S. House Committee on Appropriations concluded that more than 35 million acres of U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) land have inadequate access.

Specifically, nearly 2 million acres (or 10 percent) of USFS lands in Montana and 8.4 million acres (or 29 percent) of BLM lands in the Montana/Dakota’s region were identified as having inadequate access.

Sportsmen and women make important contributions to both wildlife conservation and the nation’s economy. The hunting and shooting sports industries create over 160,000 full-time jobs nationwide, generating an economic benefit of over $20 billion annually.

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

The closure is due to washouts of the trail bed caused by Wednesday’s excessive rainfall. The closed trail segments are along Mullett Lake in Cheboygan County

Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Michigan --(Ammoland.com)- The Department of Natural Resources today announced that two segments of the North Central State Trail (NCST) are temporarily closed.

The closure is due to washouts of the trail bed caused by Wednesday’s excessive rainfall. The closed trail segments are along Mullett Lake in Cheboygan County, between Cheboygan and Topinabee, from Royal Oak Beach Drive north to Liberty Point Drive and then south of Tryban Road.

The Indian River Weather Station reported 1.48 inches of rainfall in five hours on Wednesday. DNR officials said that landowners near the NCST remarked that they haven’t seen anything like this in over 30 years.

The NCST is located on old railroad grade between Gaylord and Mackinaw City, and was improved with a new limestone surface in 2007. The water rose over the former grade in several locations, but washed out just two locations. The majority of the compacted limestone trail surface remained in place after the flood waters went down.

Repairs will be completed by DNR staff, and the trail will be reopened as soon as possible. In the meantime, the DNR appreciates the public’s cooperation with respect to the barriers on the closed trail segments. Trail users are encouraged to use the NCST trail portions not affected by the rain.

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.

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

Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership

WASHINGTON --(Ammoland.com) Following the U.S. Forest Service’s release of a new management document that could define development on more than 4.2 million acres of national forest lands in Colorado, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership today pronounced the revised Colorado roadless rule “a positive step forward.”

“While strengthened, the Colorado roadless rule requires fine-tuning to adequately conserve the backcountry values of these public lands,” said Joel Webster, director of the TRCP Center for Western Lands.

“Sportsmen see opportunities to improve the rule and will be working alongside state and federal decision makers to assure a strong future for Colorado’s public-lands outdoor heritage.”

The rule issued today, the first iteration of the state-based management tool to be created under the Obama administration, represents what could be the final opportunity for the public to comment on guidance that will permanently direct the future administration of key big-game habitat, valuable fisheries and opportunities for public-lands hunting and fishing that have been used and relied upon by citizens for generations.

“In 2010, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack pledged that the Colorado rule would be as protective as or more protective than the national roadless rule,” said TRCP Colorado Field Representative Nick Payne. “The administration has made important strides toward that end, but we haven’t arrived just yet.

“Colorado’s national forest lands support some of the largest mule deer and elk herds in the nation, and we can’t afford to sell these backcountry areas short,” Payne continued. “Hunters and anglers urge the administration to carefully review the successful conservation outcome attained in the Idaho roadless rule, including the expansion of upper-tier roadless acreages acreages valuable to big-game populations and fisheries, with the goal of reaching a similar conclusion in Colorado.”

The TRCP, which has been involved in development of the Colorado rule since the petition was created in 2006, emphasized that sportsmen would be actively engaged in submitting suggestions for improvement during the 90-day public comment period that begins today.

“This new version of the rule represents our last, best chance to resolve a process has continued for five years without resolution,” concluded Webster. “It’s time to resolve the final issues in the Colorado roadless rule, shake hands and move on.”

Read the new version of the Colorado roadless rule.

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

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

Where To Hunt And Shoot - That Is The Question

Bass Pro Shops

Springfield, Missouri - -(Ammoland.com)- One of the biggest challenges to most hunters is just finding a place to hunt.

If you don’t own land or lease land, it probably means finding a good spot on public land. The time to start looking for it is right now.

Your state wildlife agency can provide information on areas close to home and those with the best opportunity for deer, turkey, upland game, or waterfowl. Other sources include National Wildlife Refuges, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land management.

Large timber companies are also a possibility. Some allow hunters to purchase passes to hunt company-owned land. Some military bases and federal installations also allow hunting opportunities.

Another great resource is Hunt and shoot.org.

Hunt and Shoot.org, developed by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the trade association for the shooting, hunting and firearms industry, helps new or experienced hunters and shooters find the information they need.

Hunt and shoot.org provides access to helpful resources and links to searchable state-by-state databases that will help hunters and shooters connect with where to go and how to stay involved with hunting and shooting.

Now is the time to get out and find your next place to hunt and shoot.

Larry Whiteley is host of the award winning Outdoor World Radio. For more tips, log onto www.basspro.com

About Bass Pro Shops Group:
Bass Pro Shops -56 retail stores in 26 states and Canada visited by over 109 million people annually, international catalog and internet retailing, American Rod & Gun wholesale division selling to over 7,000 independently owned retail stores worldwide, Outdoor World Incentives also selling Bass Pro Shops gift cards through over 132,000 retail outlets across America and a restaurant division with 26 locations.  For more information regarding Bass Pro Shops store locations, products or special events, please visit www.basspro.com.  To request a free catalog call 1-800-BASS PRO

Arizona Game And Fish Commission Eliminates Pronghorn Hunts Because Of Private Property Concerns

Arizona Game and Fish Department

PHOENIX, AZ – -(Ammoland.com)- Faced with the loss of public access to a vast area of Game Management Unit 19B north of Prescott, the Arizona Game and Fish Commission on March 23 decided to cancel the pronghorn antelope hunt there prior to the big game draw for the 2011 season.

The commission’s decision affects the hunting prospects for 65 hunters who would have received allocated tags.

Commission Chairman Robert Woodhouse said, “There have been closures of other hunt units for a season or more based on biological reasons such as severe winter die offs, loss of habitat due to fires, etc. … but this was the first time a decision was made to eliminate hunt tags due to public access closures. This was a difficult decision made only after extensive staff input and a long discussion by the commission.”

During the discussion, commissioners pointed out that this was a “no-win situation” for the commission, the department, and for the hunters who applied for the general and archery pronghorn antelope hunts in Unit 19B this fall, but the commission was compelled to do what was most fair to all concerned.

Late last week, the property manager for the Chino Grande Ranch, which is a checkerboard of private and state trust land parcels, verbally notified the department that the ranch is now closed to public access, due to a proposed renewable energy project. Access to other portions of the unit has also become restricted, with some private lands being closed entirely and other ranches allowing access by payment of “trespass” fees.

The Chino Grande Ranch contains a significant portion of the available pronghorn habitat in 19B, and its lands also hold the greatest density of pronghorn numbers in the unit.

The deadline to apply for the upcoming draw was Feb. 8 and the draw results are pending, giving the commission only days to modify the affected hunts without affecting thousands of other hunters.

There are 4,780 people who applied for the 65 pronghorn antelope hunt permits in the two hunts (one general hunt and one archery hunt) scheduled for 19B. Game Branch Chief Brian Wakeling said “the antelope hunts in 19B are some of the most coveted in the state.”

The commission also considered reducing the number of permits in the hunt but after significant discussion, the members felt that option would do a disservice to those who applied, as the area left open for 2011 would differ substantially from that available when hunters applied in February.

With the elimination of these two hunts, the draw program will treat any choice where these hunts were selected as if all tags had been issued and move to the applicant’s next choice. The draw examines first and second choices primarily and then third, fourth, and fifth choices secondarily. The majority of the commissioners felt that to be the most equitable approach.

The commission also expressed its desire to open up a dialogue on the whole land access and wildlife availability issue with land management agencies, county governments and stakeholders to include hunters, anglers and other recreationists. At issue is access to public lands and state trust lands and the management of public resources, such as wildlife and fish.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, or disability in its programs and activities. If anyone believes that they have been discriminated against in any of the AGFD’s programs or activities, including employment practices, they may file a complaint with the Director’s Office, 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix, AZ 85086-5000, (602) 942-3000, or with the Fish and Wildlife Service, 4040 N. Fairfax Dr. Ste. 130, Arlington, VA 22203. Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation or this document in an alternative format by contacting the Director’s Office as listed above.

Outdoor Industry Association

Boulder, CO. --(Ammoland.com)- Citing the need for balance in federal land management and the role public and wild lands play in supporting jobs across the American economy, The Conservation Alliance (Alliance), Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) and companies they represent sent a letter to members of the House Natural Resources Committee supporting the Bureau of Land Management’s new wild lands policy.

“Proper management of wilderness-quality lands and congressionally-designated Wilderness signals our national commitment to conservation of our public lands, clean waters, healthy wildlife, and cultural and historical landscapes,” the industry said in backing the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Secretarial Order 3310.

“The outdoor industry depends on a full spectrum of public lands and waters to provide places for our customers to use the products we make and sell. Outdoor recreation contributes $730 billion annually to the U.S. economy, and supports nearly 6.5 million jobs across our country. Ensuring that some of our BLM lands are preserved for recreation and habitat is an investment in our economic future and the quality of life in communities,” stated the letter signed by the Alliance, OIA and 19 leading outdoor companies.

“Secretary Salazar’s order ensures Western communities have the opportunity to choose a balanced economic approach. Active outdoor recreation generates $289 billion in annual retail sales and supports sustainable, domestic jobs in every American community – rural and urban, said Frank Hugelmeyer, President of OIA. “Jobs vs. conservation is yesterday’s logic. The recreation economy balances boom and bust cycles of extractive industries,” Hugelmeyer said.

“Conservation is an investment in the future of the outdoor industry,” said John Sterling, Executive Director of The Conservation Alliance. “Secretary Salazar’s order requires that the BLM preserve the wilderness characteristics on some of its lands; the same lands where outdoor customers recreate using the products our members make and sell.”

The Conservation Alliance
The Conservation Alliance is an organization of outdoor businesses whose collective contributions support grassroots environmental organizations and their efforts to protect wild places where outdoor enthusiasts recreate. Alliance funds have played a key role in protecting rivers, trails, wildlands and climbing areas. Membership in the Alliance is open to companies representing all aspects of the outdoor industry, including manufacturers, retailers, publishers, mills and sales representatives. The result is a diverse group of businesses whose livelihood depends on protecting our natural environment.

Outdoor Industry Association
Outdoor Industry Association® is a national trade association whose mission is to ensure the growth and success of the outdoor industry. OIA provides trade services for manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, sales representatives and retailers in the outdoor industry. OIA provides industry-defining resources and support in government/legislative affairs, market and social research, business-to-business services and youth outreach initiatives

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

OLYMPIA, WA --(Ammoland.com)- The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission and the state departments of Natural Resources (DNR) and Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) today announced they are co-requesting legislation that will reform state land management and maintain public access to state recreation lands.

SB 5622 ( www.apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=5622 ) addresses the growing demand for recreation opportunities and the impacts of recreation on natural resources and wildlife by developing a reliable source of funding and improving law enforcement on state lands managed by the agencies.

All three agencies have seen sharp declines in their budgets to provide adequate maintenance, improvements, and enforcement for recreation. The Governor’s proposed budget removed state General Fund support for recreation on state lands in favor of a user-supported funding approach.

“As lawmakers discuss the most drastic budget cuts in state history, we need to align our revenues with our expectations about our quality of life,” said State Senator Kevin Ranker (D-40th) ( www.sdc.wa.gov/senators/ranker/ ), the prime sponsor of the bill, said. “We need to talk about not just how much our outdoor recreation services cost, but also about how much it costs to lose them. Without this legislation, we will witness widespread closure of state parks and other public facilities. I am grateful for the leadership provided by Parks, DNR, and WDFW on this critical issue.”

A companion bill, HB 1796 ( www.apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=1796&year=2011 ), has been introduced in the House by Rep. Kevin Van De Wege (D-24th). One of the key components of the bill is the annual $30 pass that will enable the public to visit state lands managed by all three agencies with just a single pass.

“With State Parks moving off General Fund tax support, we need a new way to fund recreation, and a user-pay model seems to be the fairest-those who use parks pay for them” said State Parks Director Don Hoch. “Working together with all three agencies that offer recreation on state lands is a great value for citizens. The public doesn’t have to worry about whether they are on lands managed by State Parks, WDFW, or DNR. One permit gets them access.”

“State general revenues are no longer a stable source of funding for outdoor recreation on state lands,” said WDFW Director Phil Anderson. “This proposal will bring a greater degree of stability to state land maintenance and operation, and will ensure the public’s ability to access state lands and waterways for outdoor recreation. We’re eager to work with legislators and our fellow natural resource agencies to improve the legislation as we seek sustainable funding for state lands.”

“DNR plays a significant role in providing recreation opportunities on state trust lands,” said Bryan Flint, DNR’s Communications and Outreach Director. “Places such as Mount Si, Tahuya State Forest, and Lake Spokane are very popular recreation areas that we manage.”

The bill, as introduced:

• Creates an annual, singular pass -called the “Discover Pass”-that will enable the public to visit lands managed by Parks, WDFW, and DNR. The pass will cost $30 per year per vehicle or $10 for day use.
• Improves public safety , by giving law enforcement officers from each agency the authority to issue natural resource infractions on land managed by any of the agencies.
• Provides a free annual pass to volunteers who donate 40 hours of their time working on volunteer projects sanctioned by the agencies.
• Aligns DNR’s recreational immunity with that of the other state agencies.
• Specifies how each agency must spend the revenue generated by the Discover Pass.

Revenue from the sales of the pass will be split among the three agencies in the following manner: DNR and WDFW will each receive 7.5 percent and State Parks will receive 85 percent. Both DNR and WDFW would receive an estimated $5.5 million per biennium and State Parks would receive $61 million. Revenues in excess of $71 million would be distributed evenly among the agencies. The pass proceeds would partially offset reductions in state General Fund support to all three agencies.

Recreation on Washington state lands
State lands managed by DNR, State Parks, and WDFW provide millions of acres of recreation opportunities for citizens of the state and for the millions for visitors who come to Washington to enjoy and experience its exceptional outdoor places.

Pennsylvania Game Commission

HARRISBURG, PA --(Ammoland.com)- The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners today gave final approval to a regulatory change to allow the placement of portable hunting treestands and blinds from two weeks before the opening of the first big game season to two weeks after the close of the last big game season within each respective Wildlife Management Unit, excluding the spring gobbler season.

“Hunters need to remember that locating a treestand on State Game Lands does not reserve a hunting area,” Commissioner Weaner said. “The first person to arrive in a certain spot has the right to hunt that area.”

A portable treestand is one that is not permanently attached to a tree.

They include climbing, hang-on and ladder treestands, as well as those constructed and lashed to trees. Treestands nailed or bolted to trees are illegal on State Game Lands.

As approved, hunters will be able to place their treestands on State Game Lands two weeks prior to the archery deer season, and then have to remove the stands two weeks after the late flintlock deer seasons.

Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership

WASHINGTON --(Ammoland.com)- WASHINGTON – -(Ammoland.com)- The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership today welcomed a U.S. Department of Agriculture announcement regarding continued funding for the Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program, popularly known as “Open Fields,” which is dedicated to expanding public access and conserving valuable fish and wildlife habitat on privately owned lands.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack stated that public access programs in 2011 will receive additional grants totaling $8 million toward the total of $50 million that is available for three years through Open Fields. Many of the grants funded in 2010, the first year of the program’s implementation, were for multiple years and will receive continued funding in 2011.

One of the signature issues of the TRCP, Open Fields was successfully included in the 2008 Farm Bill following the efforts of the TRCP and many TRCP partner organizations. Open Fields can open millions of additional acres of private lands to hunters and anglers by augmenting existing state access programs and encouraging new walk-in programs. The increased funding facilitates the creation or expansion of existing public-access programs or provides landowner incentives to increase sportsmen’s access and improve fish and wildlife habitat on newly enrolled lands.

“By allocating these millions of dollars to Open Fields, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is showing its support of practices that benefit fish and wildlife and public access to the nation’s private lands,” said Jennifer Mock Schaeffer, Farm Bill coordinator for the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies and chair of the TRCP Agriculture and Wildlife Working Group. “Without the USDA’s vote of confidence, these important conservation programs would not otherwise be funded.”

The $8 million to be made available in 2011 is in addition to the initial VPA-HIP monies approval for the program in 2010; approximately $11.75 million was awarded to 17 states last year following approval of these funds.

“Our nation’s hunting and fishing traditions are inextricably tied to the health of America’s privately owned farm, ranch and forest lands,” said Dave Nomsen, vice president of government affairs for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever and member of the TRCP Agriculture and Wildlife Working Group. “We appreciate Secretary Vilsack’s commitment to American sportsmen and our shared natural resources through his support of continued funding of Open Fields.”

Twenty-six states currently have public access programs for hunting, fishing and other related activities. Sportsmen are encouraging states and tribal governments to submit VPA-HIP applications for 2011 funding through the federal government’s grants portal to the Farm Service Agency for consideration.

“America’s sportsmen-conservationists already have demonstrated overwhelming support of the Open Fields program – and of similar private-lands conservation programs included in the 2008 Farm Bill,” said TRCP President and CEO Whit Fosburgh. “We offer the USDA our thanks for continuing to see that public access and fish and wildlife conservation remain priorities of the federal government, and we look forward to working to sustain funding for these crucial programs as the 2012 Farm Bill is deliberated in the months to come.”

• Learn more about Open Fields and other Farm Bill programs.
• Read more about the TRCP’s work on the Farm Bill.

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

Removal of Backcountry Lands from Colorado Energy Sale Draws Sportsmen’s Praise

Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership

WASHINGTON --(Ammoland.com)- The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership today roundly praised a decision by the Bureau of Land Management to withdraw thousands of acres of prime backcountry fish and wildlife habitat in Colorado from an upcoming energy lease sale.

The five proposed leases, totaling 10,364 acres and slated for auction on Nov. 10, are located in national forest roadless areas near Craig and south of Rifle and provide important wintering grounds for elk and mule deer, as well as valuable native trout habitat.

“These prized backcountry lands would have been compromised if development was allowed to proceed as planned,” said TRCP Colorado Field Representative Nick Payne, “and we appreciate the Forest Service’s and Bureau of Land Management’s prompt attention in correcting this problem. As proposed, the leases would have violated the Forest Service’s own rules; their willingness to withdraw them from sale fosters more balanced management in the future.”

While the lands in question are located on national forest land, the BLM manages mineral leasing for all federally administered lands, including national forest roadless areas. If the leases were issued, road building could have potentially been allowed within the Sugarloaf North and Black Mountain roadless areas near Craig and the Battlement Mesa roadless area south of Rifle, thereby violating both the 2001 national roadless rule and an agreement between the U.S. Department of Agriculture and state of Colorado.

The state of Colorado and the U.S. Forest Service meanwhile continue to develop the Colorado roadless rule, a plan that could determine the management of 4.4 million acres of roadless areas. The Colorado roadless rule-making process has been dogged by controversy since its inception, with many in the sportsmen’s community criticizing shortcomings in the draft plan that would preclude adequate conservation of backcountry fish and wildlife habitat.

“Colorado’s roadless areas must be conserved at a level that is equal to or stronger than the safeguards afforded by the national roadless rule,” said Joel Webster, associate director of campaigns for the TRCP Center for Western Lands. “While sportsmen are encouraged by the receptiveness of the Forest Service to our recommendations for improvements, the proposed Colorado rule requires additional work before it will satisfactorily conserve core fish and wildlife habitat in the Centennial State.”

“Monday’s decision also did not resolve roughly 70,000 acres of gap leases in roadless areas that have been sold since 2001 and that violate the Forest Service’s own policies meant to safeguard the surface values of roadless areas,” continued Webster. “America’s hunters and anglers remain ready to work with federal decision makers to assure the responsible management of these priceless lands into the future.”

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

TRCP Colorado Roadless Report

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

Huron-Manistee National Forest - NO HUNTING ALLOWED

Ruffed Grouse Society

Coraopolis, PA --(Ammoland.com)- The Ruffed Grouse Society (RGS) is sincerely disappointed with a recent federal court ruling regarding recreation on the Huron-Manistee National Forest in central Michigan; noting that it sets a troubling precedent that could pose a threat to hunting on all of our federal lands.

The ruling by the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals states that the Forest must consider banning gun hunting on 66,000 acres of areas designated as “Semiprimitive”. The ruling questions whether hunting is a compatible use of these areas given that Forest Plan direction states that users will find a “high probability of experiencing isolation from the sights and sounds of humans.”

The following quote from the ruling is disappointing as it paints hunters and hunting in a very negative light – “And so, in striking a balance between competing uses of the Forests, one might expect the Service seriously to consider whether, say, birdwatchers in fall should be able to enjoy their pastime, in 6.75 percent of the Forests, without ducking for the occasional gunshot.”

Part of the court’s rationale for this ruling is that the Forest failed to consider land management direction (banning gun hunting on the Semiprimitive areas) that would minimize the duplication of recreational opportunity when considering state lands in Michigan.

Because gun hunting is allowed on virtually all state lands, the court suggests that the Forest should have considered banning gun hunting on the Semiprimitive areas. This portion of the ruling could force federal agencies to consider restricting gun hunting to accommodate quiet pursuits in regions where other public lands open to hunting are abundant.

According to Mike Zagata, RGS President and CEO, “The potential ramifications to hunting of this unfortunate court decision are huge. The court is suggesting that the mere sound of a gunshot is incompatible with other public uses of our public lands. In addition, the court fails to recognize that with the exception of spring turkey hunting, the vast majority of hunters are afield in the fall well after the prime period for birdwatching has passed and well before cross-country ski and snowshoe enthusiasts take to the woods.

This decision could well be the single greatest threat to hunting on our federal public lands in recent memory, and RGS plans to enlist the support of its members and volunteers to oppose it.”

The Court has given the Huron-Manistee 90 days to revise its Forest Plan to address the issues raised in this ruling. RGS will continue to coordinate the involvement of other leading wildlife conservation organizations to address the threats posed by this court decision and to protect the right of hunters to pursue their passion on their public lands.

Established in 1961, the Ruffed Grouse Society (RGS) is the one international wildlife conservation organization dedicated to promoting conditions suitable for ruffed grouse, American woodcock and related wildlife to sustain our sport hunting tradition and outdoor heritage.

Recognized by Charity Navigator as a four-star not-for-profit organization, information on the RGS, its mission, management projects and membership can be found on the web at: www.ruffedgrousesociety.org.

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Washington, DC --(Ammoland.com)- What is a perfect way to celebrate America’s rich wildlife heritage?

Go outdoors and enjoy the natural world around you. See for yourself during National Wildlife Refuge Week, October 10-16.

Whether you hike or paddle, fish or hunt, enjoy a family event or lie in wait to capture that prize-winning animal photo, you’ll find plenty to see on a wildlife refuge — one of 552 units in the National Wildlife Refuge System, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. You will also find much to learn, through refuge talks and exhibits and displays on cultural heritage. Friendly and knowledgeable staff can help you get started.

This year’s National Wildlife Refuge Week focuses on our most pristine and undeveloped natural lands, particularly those in the 19.3-million-acre Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2010.

“In its vastness, remoteness and beauty, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge awes and humbles us and puts our human ambitions in perspective,” says Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. Because it is one of the last relatively undisturbed ecosystems on the planet, he notes, the Arctic Refuge is also the site of vital research on climate change, predator-prey relationships and species decline. “This land has been entrusted to the American people,” says Salazar.

“The challenge for us is to be enlightened stewards of the land, preserve its character and oversee it with respect.”

Salazar expressed hope that National Wildlife Refuge Week celebrations will prompt citizens nationwide to discover a renewed sense of wonder in nature and take action to conserve wildlife.

“Americans should take pride in their country’s great wildlife legacy,” says Salazar.

National Wildlife Refuges are dedicated to the conservation of fish and wildlife and their habitats. The nation’s 552 national wildlife refuges and 37 wetland management districts also offer a wide range of wildlife-dependent recreation — from fishing, boating, hunting and hiking to wildlife observation and photography, nature interpretation and environmental education. Refuges offer many programs and events geared to families and children. These include festivals, junior naturalist classes, boating and fishing instruction, crafts and more.

The Refuge System includes more than 2,500 miles of land and water trails. There is at least one National Wildlife Refuge in every state and one within an hour’s drive of most major cities.

Amateur radio enthusiasts once again are supporting Refuge Week by operating special event stations on several wildlife refuges. Ham radio operators at refuge stations will communicate with operators at other refuge stations as well as stations across the United States promoting refuges. Amateur radio operators must obtain permission from the refuge manager to operate within the boundaries of a national wildlife refuge. Interested licensed operators can find a registration form and more information at: http://www.nwrweek-radio.info.

• For more information on National Wildlife Refuge Week events: http://www.fws.gov/refuges/SpecialEvents/FWS_SpecialEvents_DisplayCategory.cfm
• For more information on a specific refuge: http://www.fws.gov/refuges/refugeLocatorMaps/

For more information on the Arctic Refuge, including a timeline of refuge history, visit http://arctic.fws.gov/50th.htm. To learn more about Arctic Refuge 50th anniversary events, see http://www.fws.gov/refuges/mediatipsheet/Stories/201009_50YearCelebrationsArcticAndIzembekRefuges.html See also, on Facebook, “Arctic National Wildlife Refuge 50th Anniversary Celebration.”

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.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks

MALTA, Mont. --(Ammoland.com)- With big game animals continuing to be abundant in many areas, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks staff will again direct hunters to farms and ranches in Region 6 this coming season through referral lists kept at FWP offices in Glasgow and Havre.

“Landowners call and say they’re experiencing game-damage problems or too many deer, and they don’t have anyone stopping to hunt,” said FWP Region 6 Supervisor Pat Gunderson.

“By maintaining lists of landowners who contact us and making those details available to hunters, FWP can help get the parties connected. This has worked very well in the past, and we’re encouraging landowners to use this service even more this year.”

Gunderson said special focus is again being put on connecting hunters with farmers and ranchers in the Milk River Valley between Havre and Harlem and in the Glasgow and Nashua areas. That’s generally where the highest concentrations of white-tailed deer are found in Region 6.

“This year we’re again selling a total of 5,000 of the 699-00 antlerless white-tailed deer licenses, which can be used in any Region 6 hunting district, and that’s on top of all the other whitetail and mule deer licenses and permits that are available,” Gunderson said.

“We also have a strong Block Management program that this year includes more than 300 cooperators on more than 1 million acres of private land in Region 6. Our Block Management program and the landowner listing program both help address the issue of hunter access. And they’re also a benefit to farmers and ranchers.”

With the general archery season already underway, Gunderson said it’s not too early for landowners who are seeking hunters to get on the FWP lists. The quickest way is by calling the Region 6 office in Glasgow at (406) 228-3700 or the Havre Area Resource Office at (406) 265-6177 or stopping by with the contact information.

Outdoorchannel TV

Temecula, Calif.. --(Ammoland.com)- Outdoor Channel, America’s Leader in Outdoor TV, today announced the launch of the Conservation Tour of Duty for its Outdoor Channel Corps initiative.

The company’s newly announced philanthropic effort mobilizes volunteers to restore and improve public lands and spaces to ensure that the outdoor lifestyle thrives in their communities.

To encourage further participation, beginning this week, Outdoor Channel is holding a weekly sweepstakes open to volunteers who sign up to enlist here: http://bit.ly/aNak5H.

A lucky volunteer will be selected weekly to be the recipient of a limited edition Outdoor Channel-branded iPod Nano and an Outdoor Channel prize pack.

Outdoor Channel Corps was created in May 2010 to leverage the unrivaled strength of the Outdoor Channel brand to mobilize passionate outdoor enthusiasts to volunteer in their communities. The program aims to recruit one million volunteers for outdoor-related projects over the next five years, making it the largest outdoor volunteer program of its kind. Projects will be organized around specific “Tours of Duty” and will focus on the principles of conservation, outreach, responsibility and education.

The Conservation Tour of Duty focuses on ensuring access to public lands and outdoor spaces through restoration and improvement volunteer events. Conservation of public lands is critical to ensuring that future generations of hunters, anglers and outdoor enthusiasts have access to traditional recreational pursuits like hunting and fishing.

According to a General Accounting Office (GAO) report, more than 50 million acres of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) have inadequate access. Through its Conservation Tour of Duty, Outdoor Channel Corps is determined to dramatically improve accessibility and restore our cherished public lands.

Outdoor Channel Corps’ first Conservation Tour of Duty will kick off by deploying volunteers on National Public Lands Day, September 25th, 2010, to a total of eight local markets across the U.S. The network will lead the charge in restoration and improvement projects in partnership with various cable affiliates.

“Outdoor Channel has always been a leader in conservation and related philanthropic initiatives. Outdoor Channel Corps leverages our network’s unique ability to mobilize our passionate viewers to make a difference in their communities,” said Denise Conroy-Galley, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Research for Outdoor Channel.

“Our Conservation Tour of Duty aims to restore and improve access to public lands – a critical step in ensuring that the outdoor lifestyle continues to thrive well into the future. We look forward to working with our affiliate partners to encourage communities to take a more active role in preserving the great outdoors for generations to come.”

Conservation Tour of Duty events will take place in the following locations:

* Denotes events officially held in conjunction with the National Environmental Education’s (NEEF) National Public Lands Day

About Outdoor Channel Holdings, Inc.
Outdoor Channel Holdings, Inc. owns and operates Outdoor Channel, America’s leader in outdoor TV, and Winnercomm Inc., an Emmy Award winning production and interactive company. Outdoor Channel offers programming that captures the excitement of hunting, fishing, shooting, off-road motorsports, adventure and the Western lifestyle and can be viewed on multiple platforms including high definition, video-on-demand, as well as on a dynamic broadband website. Winnercomm Inc. is one of America’s leading and highest quality producers of live sporting events and sports series for cable and broadcast television. Winnercomm also owns and operates the patented Skycam and CableCam aerial camera systems which provide dramatic overhead camera angles for major sports events, including college and NFL football. For more information, please visit http://www.outdoorchannel.com.

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission

LINCOLN, Neb. –-(Ammoland.com)- The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is using a new online tool designed to increase hunter access to land where landowners seek more antlerless deer hunters.

The Antlerless Deer Hunter Program allows hunters to register online and landowners to scan the database for hunters in their area, then contact them by telephone or e-mail.

This program is available at OutdoorNebraska.org. Click on Hunting, Programs and then Antlerless Deer Hunter Program to access it, or go directly to http://outdoornebraska.ne.gov/hunting/programs.asp.

“We hear from many hunters who have difficulty finding land to hunt,” said Kit Hams, big game program manager with Game and Parks.

“We also hear from landowners who say hunters only want to shoot bucks or they do not feel comfortable telling hunters to shoot does. This program has the potential to address both problems with a mutually beneficial solution.”

Hunters provide the following when they register: name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, counties and months in which they are willing to hunt, preferred weapons, and the number of deer they want to harvest.

Landowners search the database by county and can see the hunters’ first name, contact information and hunting preferences (county, month, weapon).

“With 136 days of deer seasons and 250,000 permits and bonus tags that allow antlerless deer harvest, we have more than enough days and permits to control deer herds,” Hams said. “This is one more tool to help.”

Pioneer Arizona Living History Museum

Arizona Game and Fish Department

PHOENIX, AZ – -(Ammoland.com)- Hello Shooters: Many patrons of the Ben Avery Shooting Facility have been following the developments over the last six weeks related to the Pioneer Arizona Living History Museum property located west of I-17 on Pioneer Road in Phoenix. That property borders the Ben Avery property to the north. The following is an update.

The Phoenix City Council voted at a special session on Aug. 18, 2010, to authorize the City to acquire the Pioneer Arizona Living History Museum property from the current owner, either by purchase, donation, or by the power of eminent domain. The current owner had acquired the 92-acre property at a state land auction on July 15, 2010, narrowly outbidding the City.

The City has had a long-standing interest in acquiring the property for the purpose of preserving the museum and land. The Arizona Game and Fish Commission voted unanimously at the Commission’s February 2009 public meeting to support the City’s acquisition efforts to ensure that a family-friendly, historical-themed park be maintained at this location, which would also be compatible with the ongoing operations of the shooting range and serve as a buffer against encroachment.

The Ben Avery Shooting Facility has been in operation since 1960. It is rated a Five-Star facility by the National Association of Shooting Ranges, has been designated a Phoenix Point of Pride, and supports more than 200,000 visitor days annually. The facility is owned by the Arizona Game and Fish Commission and professionally managed and operated by the Arizona Game and Fish Department. It provides a safe, controlled environment that supports recreational and competitive shooting, as well as a venue for law enforcement training, military training, hunter education, beginning and advanced firearms training, and CCW training.

Ben Avery serves local, state, national and international shooters and events. Recent high-profile events hosted at the facility include the 2008 U.S. Olympic Archery Trials, the 2010 U.S. Skeet Open, the annual Winter Range cowboy action and cowboy mounted shooting championships, and the annual Western Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) and Creedmoor Cup high-power rifle competitions, to name a few. In addition, the facility hosts the annual Arizona Game and Fish Department Outdoor Expo, which draws more than 30,000 visitors.

While all Arizona residents and out-of-state visitors have access to the unique Arizona opportunity that the Ben Avery Shooting Facility represents, the Arizona Game and Fish Department receives no general tax revenue, and the range and its facilities represent the contribution of substantial shooter, archer, and sportsmen and sportswomen dollars that support this world-class venue.

The Department will continue to monitor developments on this issue.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, or disability in its programs and activities. If anyone believes that they have been discriminated against in any of the AGFD’s programs or activities, including employment practices, they may file a complaint with the Director’s Office, 5000 W. Carefree Highway, Phoenix, AZ 85086-5000, (602) 942-3000, or with the Fish and Wildlife Service, 4040 N. Fairfax Dr. Ste. 130, Arlington, VA 22203. Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation or this document in an alternative format by contacting the Director’s Office as listed above.

Beaver Trapping Season

Ohio Department Natural Resources

COLUMBUS, OH --(Ammoland.com)- Beaver and river otter trapping on public land will still require a special permit, but the method of acquiring the permit and permission to trap a particular public land area for beaver and river otters has changed, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Wildlife.

For the 2010-11 trapping season, controlled beaver and/or river otter trapping opportunities on 73 wildlife areas, state parks and other publicly managed lands statewide will be awarded through a new system of computer-generated random drawings, similar to the system used currently for controlled waterfowl and deer hunts in Ohio.

The application period will be September 15 through October 15. Applications will be accepted online only; there is a $3 charge associated with applying for each public land area or group of areas as will be noted on the application form. In most areas, permits will allow beaver and river otter trapping (in counties currently open to otter trapping); however, some permits may be limited to beaver trapping only.

Drawing results will be available in late October at wildohio.com, with permits and instructions being mailed in November to successful applicants. All controlled trapping permits will be transferable; they will be issued to an adult trapper with instructions for use of the permit on a particular public land area.

This revised system for awarding controlled beaver and/or river otter trapping opportunities on select public lands in Ohio will allow area managers to set specific limits and restrictions based on the trapping opportunities and needs for their areas.

“Our mission is to conserve and improve fish and wildlife resources and their habitats, while promoting their use and appreciation by the public,” said Suzie Prange, furbearer biologist for the Division of Wildlife.

“We feel providing fewer trapping restrictions, where warranted, will allow us to better manage beaver populations and provide a more fair system for all trappers with an interest in these recreational opportunities.”

For the wildlife refuge portions of Killbuck Marsh and Mosquito Creek wildlife areas, the current system will not change – they are not part of the online lottery system – instead, sealed bids will be accepted in September for all furbearer trapping opportunities at these areas.

For official bid proposal forms and other information, contact the Division of Wildlife District 3 Office in early September at (330) 644-2293. Also, beaver trapping within American Electric Power’s recreation area, known as ReCreation Land, Avondale Wildlife Area, and Conesville Coal Lands will continue to require a special beaver trapping permit which is in addition to the normal user’s permit. This special beaver trapping permit is issued from the AEP Land Management office in McConnelsville, Ohio.

For more specific information, please visit wildohio.com or call your nearest Wildlife district office.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR Web site at www.ohiodnr.com.

For more information, contact:

• Suzie Prange, ODNR Division of Wildlife
  740. 589. 9930
• Gary Ludwig, ODNR Division of Wildlife, Central Ohio
  614. 644. 3925
• Scott Butterworth, ODNR Division of Wildlife, Northwest Ohio
  419. 424. 5000
• Dan Kramer, ODNR Division of Wildlife, Northeast Ohio
  330. 644. 2293
• Jim Hill, ODNR Division of Wildlife, Southeast Ohio
  740. 589. 9930
• Dave Kohler, ODNR Division of Wildlife, Southwest Ohio
  937. 372. 9261

Ohio Department Natural Resources

COLUMBUS, OH --(Ammoland.com)-   Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ (ODNR) Director Sean Logan will be joined by officials from The Trust for Public Land and Goodyear Global Communications to celebrate the opening of ODNR’s newest state park and wildlife area at Wingfoot Lake on Thursday, August 26 at 6 p.m. The public is invited to attend the ceremony.

Following the ceremony, staff from Ohio State Parks and ODNR Division of Wildlife will host guided wetland hikes, disc golf, mini golf, archery and other outdoor activities. Light refreshments will be provided courtesy of Pepsi Cola and Hersheys Ice Cream Company.

WHAT: Wingfoot Lake State Park & Wildlife Area Dedication

WHO: Sean Logan, ODNR Director

• Bill Carroll, Ohio State Office Director, The Trust for Public Land
• Chuck Sinclair, Senior Vice President, Goodyear Global Communications
• John Hunter, Acting Chief, Ohio State Parks
• Jim Marshall, Acting Chief, Division of Wildlife

WHEN: Thursday, August 26, 6 p.m.

WHERE: Wingfoot Lake State Park & Wildlife Area, Portage County

Wingfoot Lake State Park and Wildlife Area is located off Waterloo Road at 993 Goodyear Park Boulevard near the community of Suffield in Portage County.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR Web site at www.ohiodnr.com.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks

MALTA, Mont. --(Ammoland.com)- Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) is seeking public comment on a proposal to purchase 24,170 acres of important fish and wildlife habitat in the Marshall Creek drainage, near Seeley Lake.

The land is currently owned by Plum Creek, but is under contract to be sold to The Nature Conservancy and The Trust for Public Land as part of the Montana Legacy Project. FWP identified the property as one of its highest statewide native fisheries and wildlife conservation priorities and began applying for federal grants to aid in its purchase in 2008. The property would become part of the FWP’s system of Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) to be managed for fish and wildlife habitat and public access.

The proposed Marshall Creek WMA includes approximately 25 miles of streams that provide important habitat for native fish in the upper Clearwater lakes and river system. The proposed WMA would also provide habitat for over 160 native species including over 37 identified Species of Concern and is critical habitat for three federally listed Threatened species (bull trout, Canada lynx, and grizzly bears). Additionally, the property includes the most important unprotected Canada lynx habitat in the western United States.

“The Marshall Creek country is a critical piece of the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem,” said Mack Long, FWP Region 2 Supervisor. “From bull trout to grizzly bear, this purchase is of national importance and would keep these wild lands open to the public.”

The total purchase price is expected to be $18.4 million. Funding would come from U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Native Fish Habitat Conservation Plan grants, a U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service State Wildlife Grant, a Department of Agriculture Forest Legacy Program grant, the FWP Habitat Montana Program, the FWP Hunting Access Enhancement Fund and private funds donated by the Blackfoot Challenge.

FWP is seeking comments on the draft environmental assessment for the proposed purchase. These documents are available for review on the FWP Web site, fwp.mt.gov, under “Recent Public Notices,” and at the FWP regional office in Missoula (3201 Spurgin Road), by calling 406-542-5500, or by emailing fwprg22@mt.gov.

FWP will hold a public hearing in Seeley Lake to discuss the proposal and take public comment on Thursday, Aug. 12 at 7 p.m. at the Seeley Lake Community Hall, just north of town on the east side of Hwy 83.

Comments should be directed by email to: MarshallWMA@mt.gov or by mail to Region 2 FWP; Attn: Marshall; 3201 Spurgin Road; Missoula, MT 59804. Comments must be received by FWP no later than 5 p.m. on August 31, 2010.

Boone and Crockett Club

MISSOULA, Mont.--(Ammoland.com)- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., today introduced legislation that guarantees funding for improving hunter access to existing public lands.

Included within the Clean Energy Jobs and Oil Spill Accountability Act is a provision supported by the Boone and Crockett Club and other hunting organizations which directs the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to work with volunteering landowners to enhance access to existing public lands for the purposes of hunting, fishing and other recreational activities.

“Sportsmen and women want better access to their national forests and BLM lands for hunting and fishing. Sen. Harry Reid and Sen. Max Baucus are tackling this problem, head on, with this bill,” said Lowell Baier, President of the Boone and Crockett Club.

Additionally, Baier praised Reid and Baucus for “their deep commitment to enhancing outdoor recreation opportunities on our public lands.”

For the 32 million American hunters, anglers and recreational shooters, federal public lands are an increasingly vital to their participation in outdoor sports. Nearly half of all hunters, for example, conduct a portion of their hunting activity on these lands.

In addition, lack of access is cited as a primary reason that hunters, anglers and target shooters stop participating in these traditional sports. However, numerous reports verify that access to federal lands is problematic in many places. In fact, a 2004 report to the U.S. House Committee On Appropriations concluded that more than 35 million acres of U.S. Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service land have inadequate access. Specifically, nearly 2 million acres (or 10 percent) of USFS lands in Montana and 8.4 million acres (or 29 percent) of BLM lands in the Montana/Dakota’s region were identified as having inadequate access.

Sportsmen and women make important contributions to both wildlife conservation and the nation’s economy. The hunting and shooting sports industries create over 160,000 full-time jobs nationwide, generating an economic benefit of over $20 billion annually.

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

Kentucky Fish & Wildlife Moving Quickly To Launch Otter Creek Outdoor Recreation Area

Kentucky Department Fish Wildlife

Kentucky --(Ammoland.com)- Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Jon Gassett and his executive staff have been busy assessing options and building a plan since Governor Steven Beshear’s June 16 announcement that Kentucky’s Department of Fish and Wildlife would re-open Meade County’s Otter Creek Park next spring.

Their mission: Create the Otter Creek Outdoor Recreation Area with more than 2,000 acres of new public hunting and fishing opportunity within 30 miles of Louisville, and simultaneously maintain the area for hikers, runners, horseback riders, mountain bikers, campers, rock climbers, kayakers, canoeists, and more. The Department also plans to establish a Fish and Wildlife law enforcement training facility on the area.

“We’re off to a great start,” said Gassett. “Executive staff spent an entire day on site and department personnel have been there many days since then. We are excited about the area’s many possibilities and what they will mean to all those who pursue recreation outdoors.” The effort is not without its challenges. “We intend to succeed,” said Gassett.

“It’s important to remember that the park was forced to close in 2008 due to its high operating costs. Fish and Wildlife has been successfully supported solely by its users for nearly 70 years and we’re now exploring ways to include the area’s users in that model.”

Some of the area’s structures are sound and can be utilized immediately. But others have fallen into serious disrepair and likely will need to be removed. Hundreds of trees still block hiking and riding trails where winter ice storms dropped them two years ago.

“The public and volunteers have long played integral roles in our department’s management of Kentucky’s fish and wildlife resources and our public areas,” said Gassett. “We’ll be counting heavily on them to make the Otter Creek Outdoor Recreation Area a success as well.” Gov. Steve Beshear called the Department’s new acquisition “a great opportunity to expand our adventure tourism efforts in an area so close to the Commonwealth’s largest city.”

He said the area can be used for many types of recreation and will help tourism and economic development in the region. Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson called it “the best possible scenario for Otter Creek – and for the people who use and love the park.”

He said the city had urged state government to assume operations of the park for more than 20 years. Camp Piomingo, operated by the YMCA of Greater Louisville under a lease agreement, will continue to offer its youth programs. Legal arrangements to initiate a temporary lease of the area from Louisville Metro Government by the Department are continuing until the final land transfer can be completed. The U.S. Department of the Interior deeded the land to the City of Louisville decades ago with deed restrictions that it always remains an outdoor recreation area.

The City now is donating the land to the Department and the Department of Interior must approve the transfer. The Department plans to purchase 200 adjacent acres from the City.

“We’re working diligently on a draft plan of operation that opens the area to hunters and anglers for the first time, but also allows for many other types of outdoor recreation as well,” said Gassett.

“The area has been closed to everyone for more than two years, but we plan to open it this coming spring.”

User fees will be necessary. When the area was Otter Creek Park, the City of Louisville shouldered its operational costs. But Fish and Wildlife receives no General Fund money. It is funded entirely by licenses, permits and fees paid by those who hunt, fish and boat.

Otter Creek users will now be Fish and Wildlife customers as well.

Respected Access Campaign

Treadlightly.Org

Ogden, UT – -(AmmoLand.com)- The nonprofit organization Tread Lightly!, in partnership with some of the nation’s most influential shooting sports organizations, has released nine tips to help shooters minimize their impact on the environment.

The tips are part of a recent public awareness campaign developed to help shooters and hunters keep their access open by encouraging proper environmental and social behaviors. The multifaceted campaign is called Respected Access is Open Access.

1. Target shoot only on lands open to shooting.
2. Use only appropriate targets. Shooting at trees and other natural objects is illegal and leaves a negative image about shooters.
3. Only shoot where there is a good backstop to stop your bullets.
4. Shooting at signs, kiosks, trash containers, buildings and other property is vandalism and illegal.
5. Be sure to pack out your trash including food wrappings, shotgun shells, brass or steel cases, fragmented clay pigeons, and other targets. Be a thoughtful shooter and pick up litter and target trash left by others.
6. Do not shoot household appliances or other objects dumped in shooting areas. It is misconstrued that shooters are the dumpers.
7. Shooting across roads, trails, waterways or into caves or rocky areas is unsafe. Be sure you see your target clearly and you know what lies between you, the target, and beyond.
8. Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot.
9. Shoot away from developed recreation sites such as campgrounds, trailheads, parking areas and boat ramps.
10. Travel on designated routes. Avoid traveling in sensitive areas such as meadows, lakeshores, wetlands and streams.

“The message of the campaign is simple—responsible behavior leads to continued access,” said Lori McCullough, executive director of the nonprofit Tread Lightly!. “Outdoor opportunities in America are dwindling at a rate so serious it demands our immediate action. Damage caused by a few uninformed or uncaring recreationists is contributing to the loss of access for everyone. This campaign will help change that.”

Funding for the campaign has come through grants from Yamaha Motor Corporation’s OHV Access Initiative, the National Shooting Sports Foundation, Safari Club International, National Wild Turkey Federation, Boone and Crockett Club, US Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management. Tread Lightly! created Respected Access is Open Access at the request of the Federal Lands Hunting and Shooting Sports Roundtable.

Public service announcements, web banners, decals, brochures, and more quick tips can be found at the campaign’s website: www.respectedaccess.org.

Tread Lightly! is a national nonprofit organization with a mission to promote responsible recreation through ethics education and stewardship. Tread Lightly!’s educational message, along with its training and restoration initiatives are strategically designed to instill an ethic of responsibility in outdoor enthusiasts and the industries that serve them. The program is long-term in scope with a goal to balance the needs of the people who enjoy outdoor recreation with our need to maintain a healthy environment. Tread Lightly! offers unique programs and services to help remedy current recreation issues.

In 2006, a consortium of fish and wildlife conservation organizations and three federal land management agencies signed the Federal Lands Hunting, Fishing & Shooting Sports Memorandum of Understanding. As a result of this agreement, the Federal Lands Hunting and Shooting Sports Roundtable was created to focus on improving access and opportunities for hunters and recreational shooters across America. The Respected Access education campaign is one of the Roundtable’s top initiatives.

The organizations and agencies signed on to the Federal Lands Hunting, Fishing & Shooting Sports MOU are: USDA Forest Service, USDI Bureau of Land Management, USDI Fish & Wildlife Service, American Sportfishing Association, Archery Trade Association, Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies, Bear Trust International, Boone & Crockett Club of America, Bow Hunting Preservation Alliance, Campfire Club of America, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, Conservation Force, Dallas Safari Club, Delta Waterfowl Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, Wild Sheep Foundation, Houston Safari Club, Izaak Walton League of America, National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses, National Rifle Association of America, National Shooting Sport Foundation, National Trapper’s Association, National Wild Turkey Federation, North American Bear Foundation, North American Grouse Partnership, Orion – The Hunter’s Institute, Pheasants Forever, Pope & Young Club, Public Lands Foundation, Quail Unlimited, Quality Deer Management Association, Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Ruffed Grouse Society, Safari Club International, Sand County Foundation, Sporting Arms & Ammunition Manufacturers Institute, Texas Wildlife Association, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance, Whitetails Unlimited, Wildlife Forever and the Wildlife Management Institute.