Ridge tops and high places are perfect locations for wind turbines to capture breezes that help power our society. Unfortunately, they are also ideal places for golden eagles to soar. Researchers from West Virginia University and Penn State University are trying to figure out the best ways to make sure the eagles can fly and the energy can be generated. They defined risk as the probability of golden eagles encountering wind energy turbines. To do this, they overlaid models of the landscape features that suit both the birds and the energy producers. “Economic development creates complex problems when juxtaposed against
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After more than two years of negotiating and over a year of extending the 2008 Farm Bill, on February 7 the President signed into law a new Farm Bill, according to the Wildlife Management Institute. Led by Agriculture Committee Chairs Senator Debbie Stabenow and Congressman Frank Lucas, and Ranking Members Senator Thad Cochran and Congressman Collin Peterson, the four principal negotiators of the 2014 Farm Bill, the new law is largely seen as a victory for conservation. “This bill includes proactive and common sense conservation programs that will help deter wetland and other habitat loss, incentivize habitat conservation and keep
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Agriculture Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment Robert Bonnie announced today a multi-year partnership between the U.S. Forest Service and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to improve the health and resiliency of forest ecosystems where public and private lands meet across the nation. Two of the areas to be addressed are within the AMJV boundary; at Triplett Creek in Kentucky where activities will reduce the risk of wildfire and improve fire resilience of communities in the Triplett Creek Watershed through conservation treatments and homeowner and landowner education, and in West Virginia where a restoration venture will accelerate recovery from
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For persons interested in performing active management on their property to establish or improve wetlands, riparian (streamside) areas, forest lands, or other upland habitats for wildlife and pollinators, now is the time to request a plan and apply for financial assistance if desired. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has notified the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency that enrollment is continuing for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP). While the first application deadline was Jan. 17, producers and other farmland owners can continue to submit applications at their local
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In the most comprehensive study of its kind, involving the review and analysis of almost two dozen studies and over 92,000 records, federal scientists have found that between 365 and 988 million birds are likely killed in the United States each year as a result of collisions with buildings. The study, “Bird–building Collisions in the United States: Estimates of Annual Mortality and Species Vulnerability” was published in a peer-reviewed journal, The Condor: Ornithological Applications in January 2014. It was authored by Scott R. Loss, Sara S. Loss, and Peter P. Marra of the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and Tom Will of the
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The 2014 Winter Newsletter highlights how the Appalachian LCC and its partners are addressing landscape issues and bringing together a community to find sustainable solutions. Read the Full Newsletter here. This issue features: APPALACHIAN LCC AND PARTNER INITIATIVES: Appalachian LCC Expertise Database | Partners Launch Whitewater to Bluewater Site | High Value Conservation Areas | Working with SAMAB | Helping to Facilitate CASRI and SASRI Coordination PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS: Classifying and Mapping Cave and Karst Resources | Evaluation and Downscaling of Climate Simulations for the Southeast and Appalachians | Evaluating Effects of Climate Change on River Flows in the Clinch River Basin ENHANCING
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