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Sportsmen’s conservation policy issues from public lands access for recreation to forest management to sportsmen’s recruitment and retention – and much more. Bringing you need-to-know information from around the country. |
On October 2, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, in conjunction with 35 other conservation organizations, sent a letter to United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue urging the USDA to fully implement the Farm Bill’s Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). CRP is the largest and most successful voluntary conservation program in the United States. Originally designed to protect our nation’s soil and water quality, CRP was enhanced to include wildlife habitat and has since become a major contributor to the success of private lands wildlife management throughout the U.S. CRP works by providing rental payments to landowners who agree to remove crop land from production to improve soil health, water quality, or wildlife habitat. Instead, landowners agree to plant species that will help improve environmental health and quality throughout the length of the contract period, which usually lasts 10-15 years. Often, landowners replace row crops with native grass communities which can then be used as emergency livestock forage during periods of extreme weather (e.g., droughts or flooding events). Through these measures, CRP serves as an important resiliency tool for our nation’s producers. For sportsmen and women, CRP enrollment combined with increased public access that is accomplished through other Farm Bill programs, greatly benefits wildlife habitat and leads to better hunting opportunities and success rates. Unfortunately, there has not been a General CRP sign-up period since Fiscal Year 2016 (FY2016), meaning that landowners who are interested in applying for the program have not had the opportunity to do so. In that time, previously established contracts have expired without a chance for renewal, and current CRP enrollment is well below the FY2019 cap of 24-million acres. The letter encourages the USDA’s Farm Services Agency to develop and announce rules related to the upcoming General CRP sign-up period in December, provide an adequate sign-up period which will allow landowners to work with conservation partners to take full advantage of the CRP program, and ensure that all conservation practices are eligible for consideration in this and future enrollment periods. For more information on the Conservation Reserve Program, please visit the USDA’s CRP website. |
Articles
PURINA AND PHEASANTS FOREVER PARTNER ON SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVE IN PRAIRIE POTHOLE REGION
Oct 29, 2019 |
Restoration efforts to protect and promote wildlife habitat and soil health benefits are underway to improve more than 8,000 acres in the Prairie Pothole Region. Working with Pheasants Forever, the nation’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to upland habitat conservation, Purina has committed $1 million to positively impact soil health and habitat, promote water stewardship and create new public wildlife areas. This represents the single largest, one-time donation from a corporation to Pheasant Forever’s mission to improve upland habitat. “Purina is committed to making high-quality pet food and also passionate about collaborating with farmers and conservationists to support best-in-class practices that improve habitat and soil health, enhance water stewardship and overall promote a healthy environment,” says Purina CEO Joe Sivewright. “The Prairie Pothole Region is a special area for conservation and for farming. This partnership will find ways to enhance both so that native plants and cherished wildlife can flourish alongside healthy ingredients like those used in Purina’s nutritionally complete-and-balanced formulas.” Pheasants Forever’s 3-year plan for Purina’s contribution is to provide wildlife habitat and soil health benefits for growers, pet owners and their bird dogs through two distinct programs: the Soil Health and Habitat Program, which will utilize precision agriculture technology to analyze data from private land in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa, where Purina has manufacturing facilities in Clinton, Fort Dodge and Davenport, to enhance soil health and protect water quality; and the Build A Wildlife Area Program, which will acquire 1,000 acres of land for public access while promoting wildlife and public recreation. “The work will be focused in key states where Purina sources high-quality ingredients for its pet food products,” explains Purina Vice President of Sustainability and Responsible Sourcing Jack Scott. “We will be collaborating with farmers and conservationists to implement best-in-class practices that promote a healthy environment for our soil, ingredients, pets and people.” Purina, whose Pro Plan brand is the official performance dog food of Pheasants Forever, is a long-time supporter of organizations that work to conserve natural resources while also celebrating hardworking dogs and people who share a passion for the outdoors, a nod to the company’s belief that pets and people are better together. |
Project to Restore Everglades Headwaters Habitat Also Opens Access
Oct 29, 2019 |
Unique conservation partnerships have helped to restore habitat and provide new public hunting and fishing access on nearly 4,000 acres in south-central Florida Sportsmen and women love a great access success story, but when newly opened hunting and fishing lands also provide a win-win for habitat conservation, that should be breaking news across everyone’s social feeds. This is one of those stories. It has the grit and tenacity of passionate volunteers and tireless collaborators. And their years of effort are already making a big difference for fish and wildlife in the Everglades, where water mismanagement has created a conservation and infrastructure crisis. Here’s what you need to know about a project that will establish the first state Wildlife Management Area in Okeechobee County and provide hunting opportunities and recreational access on almost 4,000 acres of formerly private land. |  |
The Triple Diamond Ranch ProjectIn 2012, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service established the Everglades Headwaters Conservation Partnership Area, a relatively new model of land conservation where the objective was to conserve 150,000 acres of fish and wildlife habitat in the headwaters of the Everglades ecosystem. Conservation in an area of this size could never be accomplished by one organization alone. Just look at the scope of the project: The partnership area extends from just north of Lake Okeechobee to the outskirts of Kissimmee just outside Orlando. This kind of conservation requires partnerships on a scale that is rarely encountered, but a unique coalition can already count one big win in the partnership area. We’re talking about acquisition and restoration of the Triple Diamond Ranch, which lies adjacent to the Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park and east of the Kissimmee River. This well-managed private ranch supports wet and dry prairie, which is otherwise globally imperiled. In addition to protecting this rare habitat, planned conservation work on the ranch will provide hydrological benefits as water flows south through the Everglades, restoring wetlands that can hold water and naturally filter out nutrients as flows are gradually released. |
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The ecological benefits of this project are clear. However, just as significant was the formation of unique alliances, which have paved the way for the property to be purchased, managed well, and eventually opened to the public for outdoor recreation. No single governmental entity was able to purchase the property on its own, so this had to be a team effort. Two nonprofit organizations, the Open Space Institute and the Wyss Foundation, made the initial purchase of the property, and it is now owned and managed collaboratively between the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In the end, almost 4,000 acres are now in permanent conservation status, with major assists from TRCP partners like the National Wildlife Refuge Association and Ducks Unlimited, as well as local advocates at Audubon of Florida, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Florida Division of State Lands, and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. And collaboration continues—these lands will be co-managed by the Florida Forest Service and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Eventually, the property will be managed as the first state Wildlife Management Area in Okeechobee County, providing hunting opportunities and recreational access on almost 4,000 acres of formerly private land. This is not just a win for fish and wildlife habitat, sportsmen’s access, and clean water. It’s a model for using conservation partnerships to make measurable progress on Everglades restoration. After all, we’re better together. Jon Andrew is the Florida outreach coordinator for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. He is recently retired from a 35-year career as a biologist and refuge manager with the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, where he eventually became responsible for management of all refuge lands in the southeastern U.S. and Caribbean. In his spare time, he enjoys saltwater flyfishing and poling his skiff in the shallow waters along the southwest Florida coast in search of snook. Top photo by Andy Wraithmell/Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission |
