News & Announcements

Bobwhite Concerns, Bobwhite Meeting

Posted on Tuesday, July 8th, 2014 by aadmin

The current status of Northern Bobwhite in the U.S. is less than ideal. Once a common and prolific breeder in pastures, grassy roadsides, and farmlands across the eastern half of the country, the species has experienced a severe decline over a number of decades. With this in mind, Northern Bobwhite experts from around the country will meet in West Des Moines, Iowa, at the end of this month for the 2014 meeting of the National Bobwhite Technical Committee (NBTC). The NBTC – comprised of representatives of state wildlife agencies, academic research institutions, and private conservation organizations – is the technical
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Posted on Tuesday, July 8th, 2014

At its midway point, there’s already reason to believe 2014 just might go down as the “Year of the Pennsylvania Bald Eagle.” In January, the Pennsylvania Game Commission removed the bald eagle from the state’s list of threatened species, capping a 30-year comeback that ranks as one of the great success stories in wildlife-conservation history. And in the months that followed, more than 3 million viewers joined in the celebration, watching online as three bald eaglets hatched, then developed into birds strong enough to fledge the Pittsburgh nest in which they grew up. Now, the Pennsylvania Game Commission reports its
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New Federal and Junior Duck Stamps Now on Sale

Posted on Tuesday, July 1st, 2014 by aadmin

Canvasbacks are taking center stage for hunters, conservationists and stamp collectors as the new Federal Duck Stamp goes on sale today. The 81st Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, as it is formally known, debuted at a special event hosted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Bass Pro Shops at the Department of the Interior in Washington, D.C. The 2014-2015 stamp features a pair of canvasbacks painted by wildlife artist Adam Grimm of Burbank, S.D.  Last fall, a panel of five judges chose Grimm’s art to grace the stamp from among 202 paintings at the Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest. Grimm is a two-time contest
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Urban and Community Forestry Challenge Grants to Support Climate Resilience

Posted on Tuesday, July 1st, 2014 by aadmin

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the 2014 USDA Forest Service’s National Urban and Community Forestry Challenge grant recipients. The grants provide funding that will help enhance urban forest stewardship, support new employment opportunities, and help build resilience in the face of a changing climate. Close to 80 percent of the U.S. population lives in urban areas and depends on the essential ecological, economic, and social benefits provided by urban trees and forests. Climate and extreme weather events pose threats to urban trees and forests requiring increased investment in management, restoration and stewardship. “Our urban and community forests provide clean
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First Participants in Conservation Stewardship Program can Renew

Posted on Tuesday, June 24th, 2014 by aadmin

Producers with expiring U.S. Department of Agriculture Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) contracts have from July 11 until Sept. 12, 2014 to renew and add conservation activities that will support their natural resource improvement activities and fine-tune their conservation plans. “CSP farmers are conservation leaders and go the extra mile to conserve our nation’s resources,” said Natural Resources Conservation Service Chief Jason Weller. “The 2014 Farm Bill continued that strong commitment and heightened the program’s focus on generating conservation benefits. This program allows landowners to reach the next level of conservation and opens the door to trying new conservation activities.” About
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Posted on Tuesday, June 10th, 2014

While ticket scalpers have not made appearances yet, they may not be far behind as reservation demands are spiking for a unique, new testing facility that is nearing completion in New York City. While this venue will not likely attract A-list celebrities, it will help save the lives of scores of birds by advancing efforts for an increasingly sought after component of home and business construction: new glass windows and doors that are more bird- and user-friendly and that may lead to a reduction in the up to one billion annual bird/glass collision deaths in the United States. The new
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