New Jersey’s eagle population continued to climb in 2014, to 156 pairs. The number of young broke the 200 mark, with 201 fledging from 145 known-outcome nests. Eagles nest in all counties except Essex and Hudson. The report also highlights the movements of eagles being tracked with satellite tags. In their first years after leaving the nest, they are moving far and wide across the northeast, from Maine to Maryland. The satellite-tracked eagles reveal new information about eagle habitat use, foraging and roosting locations. For details about the continuing recovery of eagles in NJ, and the efforts of the NJDEP
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The USDA Forest Service’s new land and resource management plan for the George Washington National Forest, released today, will help conserve and restore a core network of resilient forests and improve healthy watersheds, while demonstrating the value of public collaboration on similar projects. “The George Washington National Forest contains some of the most biologically rich temperate broadleaf forests on the planet,” said Marek Smith, program director of the Conservancy’s Allegheny Highlands Program. “As Virginia’s largest forest, it supports a tremendous diversity of plant and animal species, ensures clean drinking water for neighboring communities and provides boundless recreational opportunities for outdoor
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Nationwide’s “Preserve your Passion” contest recently ended with the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) collecting the highest voter percentage and winning the top prize of $45,000. Recognizing the importance of hunting and fishing to its members and conservation partners, Nationwide created the “Preserve Your Passion” contest to give $75,000 to conservation and help create or preserve outdoor opportunities. “Nationwide is a proud partner of the NWTF and they continue to support conservation across the country,” said George Thornton, NWTF CEO. “There were many other great organizations involved and we [the NWTF] feel honored to have been selected by the voters.”
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The U.S. Forest Service today announced that it exceeded its forest restoration goals for Fiscal Year (FY) 2014, highlighting the agency’s continued commitment to improving the health of the America’s National Forests, reducing the threat of catastrophic wildfire, and protecting watersheds. “The Forest Service has made strategic investments across all agency programs to advance our efforts to create resilient forests and sustainable communities,” said U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell. “This work reduces the wildland fire threat to communities and firefighters and minimizes the risk of forest pests and climate change, while supporting American jobs and rural economies.” In Fiscal
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The distribution of birds in the United States today will probably look very different in 60 years as a result of climate, land use and land cover changes. A new U.S. Geological Survey study predicts where 50 bird species will breed, feed and live in the conterminous U.S. by 2075. While some types of birds, like the Baird’s sparrow, will likely lose a significant amount of their current U.S. range, other ranges could nearly double. Human activity will drive many of these shifts. The study was published today in the journal PLOS ONE. “Habitat loss is a strong predictor of bird extinction
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The Migratory Bird Conservation Commission today approved $28 million in funding for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and its partners to purchase, lease, restore or otherwise conserve more than 128,000 acres of wetland habitats for ducks, bitterns, sandpipers and other birds in the United States. The commission also recognized the contributions of Rep. John Dingell, who is retiring after an unprecedented 45 years of service as a member. “Our nation’s efforts to conserve migratory birds have no better supporter than Congressman Dingell, who has worked tirelessly over more than four decades to protect and restore the wetland and upland
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