Private landowners are vital stewards of our nation’s landscapes and wildlife. Roughly 60 percent of land in the United States is privately owned. In many cases private lands are working lands that provide critical resources – such as food and wood – as well as a source of income and livelihood to landowners through farming, forest management, and other agricultural and recreational uses. They also provide important habitat for a variety of wildlife and are an integral part of a healthy ecosystem. Working lands can operate sustainably in ways that provide critical wildlife habitat while maintaining, and even enhancing, the land’s productivity and value.
The Appalachian Mountains Joint Venture (AMJV) is working with partners to provide a variety of opportunities for private landowners in improving habitat on their property to benefit a variety of birds and other wildlife, including game species and even pollinators. Examples of some of the great work landowners are applying to their properties include:
Enhancing wildlife habitat can involve many different techniques and strategies depending on the type of habitat you’re working in (old field versus mature forest), the initial conditions of that habitat, and your goals for enhancing the habitat.
