The future of fire and forests in the changing, complex social and ecological setting of the Central Appalachians was the theme of this year’s Central Appalachians Fire Learning Network meeting. More than 80 participants from 14 different agencies and organizations attended the workshop in Warm Springs, VA on November 5-6. Presentations during the meeting touched on this theme and included updates from the Consortium of Appalachian Fire Managers and Scientists, a summary of the recent synthesis of the Fire-Oak Literature of Eastern North America, lessons learned from the national Fire Learning Network, and an analysis of the effects of prescribed
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The second ever joint Northeast and Southeast Partners in Flight Conference brought together the bird conservation community across the eastern United States to focus on “Full Life Cycle Conservation: Flyway-scale Planning, Implementation, Monitoring, and Communication”. Coordinator Todd Fearer, Science Coordinator Becky Keller, and many partners represented the AMJV at the conference, which further developed full life-cycle migratory bird conservation business plans and expanded on the initial 2013 effort to include projects highlighting efforts on breeding grounds. Convened at Virginia Beach, VA from October 6-9, the Conference also allowed for multiple technical working groups to convene, including those for Golden-winged Warbler, Wood
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The AMJV is happy to have on board student interns from Virginia Tech and Hollins University who will help the Partnership on both the Science and Communication fronts. Jenna Gant, a senior at Hollins University, will be working with AMJV Science Coordinator Becky Keller starting in January 2015 on an ongoing bird-window collision study at Virginia Tech, as well as expanding this project to Hollins University in Roanoke, VA. When not pursuing her career interests in conservation, Jenna enjoys rock climbing, traipsing around in the Blue Ridge, and birding. Melissa Skirkanich, a junior at Virginia Tech majoring in wildlife conservation and
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At the Fall AMJV Management Board Meeting, natural resource managers throughout the Appalachians provided insight and guidance towards the focus of the AMJV work in the coming three years. This year marks the first revision of the AMJV Operational Plan, which outlines the major conservation priorities of the partnership and details how AMJV staff and partners will deliver specific contributions to accomplish collective objectives. The outline of the AMJV Operational Plan is being finalized, with a focus on developing tools to inform the JV’s landscape design, improving the Technical Committee structure, and continuing to strengthen habitat delivery capacity. In addition
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As part of the recently-implemented “Tennessee Northern Bobwhite Quail Restoration Plan” a third person has been added as a Quail Forever farm bill wildlife biologist in the state. David Peters joins the Quail Forever staff. He will work closely with Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency staff on the plan to help bring back the bobwhite quail population which has seen its numbers decline over the past several decades. His primary area of responsibility will be in TWRA Region III, which includes one of the four quail focus Wildlife Management Areas, the Bridgestone/Firestone Centennial WMA. “We are excited to bring on David
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The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission is joining other organizations in supporting the proposed management areas unveiled by the U.S. Forest Service for the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests, located in western North Carolina. The U.S. Forest Service is revising its Land Management Plan for Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests, which will guide management activities for the next 10 to 15 years. As part of that process, the Forest Service has established two management areas, or zones, that encompass approximately 700,000 acres where activities, such as wildlife management, sustainable timber harvests, controlled burns or other measures, can be used to create
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