Scientists who have spent decades trying to reverse the broad decline of migratory birds in the Americas will converge by the hundreds later this month in Snowbird, Utah, to seek solutions to the threats migratory birds are facing at northern breeding grounds, southern wintering grounds, and numerous migration stopovers. The pivotal August 25–28 meeting of the bird conservation partnership, Partners in Flight (PIF), will look at progress in the struggle to conserve critical habitats, launch new conservation efforts, and form new alliances to conserve birds throughout the Americas. The meeting includes members of over 100 organizations from 16 countries across
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Native plants in many parts of the U.S. are struggling because of changes in land use and climate, posing problems for the bird and wildlife species that depend on them for sustenance and sanctuary. To combat this, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service is working with private landowners to promote native plants on their land for conservation plantings such as in field borders, buffers and other planted areas. “Native plants provide food and shelter for wildlife and most importantly their structure allows for better survival rates. Native warm season grasses tend to create bunches of vegetation and leave open ground between
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Pennsylvania, a.k.a. Penn’s Woods, is roughly 60 percent forest, with the largest unbroken block of trees spanning the state’s north central region. “This region is one of Pennsylvania’s greatest resources,” says Penn State graduate student Lillie Langlois. “Since the logging era it has re-established itself to contiguous mature forest. A lot of wildlife depend on that habitat for breeding.” Within the past six years, however, the rapid expansion of Marcellus Shale drilling has been breaking up the block. According to the state Department of Environmental Protection, as of 2012, there were more than 8,000 well permits issued and 6,000 wells
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Wildlife biologists with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) have discovered Northern Goshawks successfully breeding in the State for the first time since 2006. This encouraging news follows the senseless killing of a nesting female goshawk in 2011, whose chicks also died as a result of her death. The shooter was never found. Following up on a lead provided by two Garrett County residents last month, DNR biologists found an active goshawk nest with two healthy chicks and confirmed last week that the young birds had successfully fledged. DNR suspects that the pair ─ the only known Northern Goshawks
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If there’s one takeaway from the new “State of the Birds” report, it’s this: America’s strong conservation ethic is more important now than ever. Why? As demand for food, energy, natural resources and commercial production soar on U.S. privately held lands, we should meet those demands in ways that sustain the foundation of our prosperity: our great natural resources. America’s birds are a bellwether for the health of our natural resources, and ultimately, our own prosperity and well-being. Birds need clean air, clean water and healthy natural spaces just like we do. The same wetlands that create homes for waterfowl
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Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell announced the award of $44.2 million in grants to permanently protect 16 working forests in 15 states, including a project that will protect 8,000 acres of working forestland in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina and another project to protect 1,100-acres located in Franklin County, PA that contains a stretch of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail. “Since 1990, the Forest Legacy Program has prevented the loss of more than 2.3 million acres of private forest lands for future generations of Americans,” said Tidwell. “In an era of continued sprawl, this program protects land and
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Click here to view and download the 2023 AMJV Partnership Year in Review!
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The 2023 AMJV Impact Report is now available for downloading and sharing! Starting in 2022, this beautiful report has been designed annually by Liz Brewer (AMJV Outreach Specialist) to…
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by Liz Brewer, AMJV Outreach Specialist Appalachian Mountains Joint Venture (AMJV), in partnership with the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF), USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS), and the West Virginia…
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