Positive Wildlife News 2021

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Governor Northam Dedicates Virginia’s 26th State Forest

Governor Ralph Northam today announced the dedication of the Charlotte State Forest, opening the first publicly-accessible state land in Charlotte County. The 5,004 acre state forest is Virginia’s 26th state forest in the Commonwealth. The Virginia Department of Forestry will sustainably manage the forest under Sustainable Forestry Initiative and American Tree Farm Standards, conserving key habitat areas and providing new public access to outdoor recreation activities.

“Virginia’s state forests are critical to preserving environmental sustainability and a strong economy across the Commonwealth,” said Governor Northam. “Charlotte State Forest will conserve wildlife habitats, enhance water quality, provide recreational opportunities for the public and support local economies. We look forward to enjoying this new outdoor asset.”

The forest was owned by Governor Thomas B. Stanley, who served from 1954 to 1958, and the Stanley Land and Lumber Corporation prior to The Conservation Fund’s purchase in 2019. It was used to provide shortleaf and Virginia pine, as well as white oak and hickory, to local mills for furniture.

Governor Northam Dedicates Virginia’s 26th State Forest
 
He is here: the leopard has returned to Georgia

In the protected area of Tusheti, which covers almost 114 thousand hectares, the Conservation Research Group of the Biodiversity Protection Fund “Nakresi” caught a leopard again through a photo trap.

The photo trap was allegedly taken by a leopard in Tusheti on August 25, at 2 pm, but Nakresi researchers only now checked and deciphered the photographs of the trap.

He Is Here: The Leopard Has Returned To Georgia » World » Prime Time Zone
 
Census shows Michigan’s once-endangered Kirtland’s warbler is thriving

boots-on-the-ground count conducted earlier this year showed that the comeback of the Kirtland’s warbler continues to exceed expectations.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Forest Service recently announced that a survey conducted in June 2021 shows the birds continuing to flourish since their
fall 2019 removal from the federal endangered species list.

Census shows Michigan’s once-endangered Kirtland’s warbler is thriving
 
Nature Conservancy of Canada to use land donation to create massive protected area near Bancroft

A land donation in Hastings County will allow the Nature Conservancy of Canada to protect 12,000 acres of land near Bancroft.

NCC Program Manager Kristyn Ferguson says the region will be known as Hastings Wildlife Junction.

“There is so much beautiful natural cover of things like wetlands, undeveloped rivers and rapids. Amazing forests that sort of stretch on for kilometres. And we’ve seen so much evidence of and had direct encounters with wildlife out there. It really is a haven for wildlife.”

The land will be available for public day use like hiking, bird watching and cross country skiing.

NCC to use land donation to create massive protected area near Bancroft
 
UngulateNerd92 said:
Fisher Rewilding: How Washington State Is Restoring a Native Carnivore

Years of work in the Pacific northwest is paying off. It started with preserving the ecosystem so native species would have something to return to.

There aren’t too many animals that will eat a porcupine for lunch, but fishers are at the top of the list.

Fishers (Pekania pennanti) are members of the mustelid family and a relative of otters, minks and martens. Quick on the ground and agile tree climbers, these forest dwellers couldn’t out-maneuver trappers in the 1800s, who relentlessly pursued the housecat-sized carnivores for their high-value pelts.

https://goodmenproject.com/featured...ington-state-is-restoring-a-native-carnivore/
Click to expand...

Again Fishers released in the Olympic National Park :

Another Batch Of Fishers Released At Olympic National Park
 
Trumpeter swans are returning to St. Louis. Here’s where you can see them

The largest species of waterfowl in North America is on its way back to wetland areas north of St. Louis.

Trumpeter swans were nearly hunted to extinction in the early 1900s, but targeted conservation efforts helped populations recover. Once limited to just a handful of individuals, hundreds of swans now spend the winter at the Audubon Center at Riverlands in West Alton.

With a wingspan stretching more than seven feet, trumpeter swans migrate thousands of miles south to the central U.S. each year from breeding grounds in northern Canada.

Their deep bugle-like calls have begun filling the skies at the Audubon Center at Riverlands, said Tara Hohman, a conservation science associate at the reserve.

“We’ve already had a couple families of swans come in, but it’s still early in the season,” Hohman said. “We’re expecting to see many more as the winter months continue.”

Trumpeter swans are returning to St. Louis. Here’s where you can see them
 
Old Growth Forests in Slovakia will be protected in newly established nature reserve thanks to NGOs Prales and WWF Slovakia

Old Growth Forests of Slovakia is the official name of a new nature reserve approved by the Government of the Slovak Republic. Establishment of the new reserve is a result of long lasting effort of two conservation organizations OZ Prales and WWF Slovakia. Yet unprotected or insufficiently protected old growth and natural forests in 76 localities througout Slovakia with a total area of almost 6.5 thousand hectares are going to be declared a nature reserve on 1 December, 2021.

https://www.eureporter.co/environme...serve-thanks-to-ngos-prales-and-wwf-slovakia/
 
‘Natural Health Service’: Derby approves UK’s largest urban rewilding project

Plan to transform 130 hectares of Allestree Park could see reintroduction of species such as red kite and harvest mouse

“I’m excited about the potential for large wildflower-rich grassland areas mixed with naturally regenerating scrub,” said Prof Alastair Driver, director at Rewilding Britain. “It won’t be long before these areas are ringing with warbler song and sizzling with grasshoppers and crickets.”

The source of Driver’s excitement is Allestree Park, the largest open space in Derby, to which Derby city council has given the green light this week to become what Rewilding Britain believes to be the UK’s largest urban rewilding project.

https://amp-theguardian-com.cdn.amp...proves-uk-largest-urban-rewilding-project-aoe
 
Long-awaited Environment Act passed

The Wildlife Trusts welcome the passing of the Environment Act, which will help the UK Government make significant progress in tackling the climate and nature crises. Along with other NGOs, MPs and Peers, we have campaigned for this bill for more than three years and look forward to seeing it receiving Royal Assent in its current, much-strengthened form.

The inclusion of a legally-binding 2030 species abundance target has the potential to boost efforts to reverse the decline in wildlife and will put the UK on the path towards protecting 30% of land and sea for nature by 2030. The new requirement for planning applications to provide Biodiversity Net Gain will encourage developers to put nature at the heart of their work, whilst Local Nature Recovery Strategies will create the framework for a national system of interconnected sites for nature.

Long-awaited Environment Act passed | Surrey Wildlife Trust

 
UngulateNerd92 said:
The Conservation Fund Buys the Largest, Unprotected Forest in Wisconsin

Nonprofit’s purchase of 70,000 acres will support timber industry and outdoor recreation, strengthen rural economies, protect water quality, combat climate change, and maintain critical wildlife habitat.

The Conservation Fund announced today its purchase of 70,000 acres of forestland in northern Wisconsin from The Forestland Group. The national nonprofit’s purchase provides time for the development and implementation of permanent conservation easements on the land with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) that will secure public recreational access and sustainable forest management for timber production.

Largest Unprotected Forest in Wisconsin Secured | The Conservation Fund
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Latest Green Bond Purchase Safeguards Largest Unprotected Forest In Wisconsin

Up until recently, 70,000 acres of forestland in northern Wisconsin was the largest, privately-owned, unprotected block of remaining forest in the state. The Conservation Fund, a Virginia-based nonprofit, has purchased the land for an undisclosed price. But the value is sort of priceless.

The purchase of the property, now referred to as Pelican River Forest, means the fund will safeguard wildlife habitat and water quality while continuing sustainable timber harvesting and traditional recreational uses like hunting and fishing. Pelican River Forest also will remain privately owned and on the tax rolls.

https://www-forbes-com.cdn.ampproje...-largest-unprotected-forest-in-wisconsin/amp/
 
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Advocates: Court Deal A Win For Endangered ‘I‘iwi Bird


The agreement could serve as a model to help save Hawaii’s other endangered honeycreeper species, they said.

In a new court settlement, federal wildlife officials have agreed to finally put forth by December 2022 a proposed critical habitat area that might rescue Hawaii’s imperiled ‘i‘iwi.

That proposal is already overdue by at least three years, according to court documents.

The deal announced in U.S. District Court on Thursday comes after the Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit to compel the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to designate that critical ‘i‘iwi habitat. Federal officials were required to take that step, plus create a recovery plan for the species, when they listed the ‘i‘iwi as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 2017, the nonprofit group’s suit contended.

The iconic honeycreeper, known for its bright-red plumage, is among some 17 forest bird species native to the islands facing extinction.

Advocates: Court Deal A Win For Endangered ‘I‘iwi Bird
 
Biden Administration Largely Restores Habitat for Threatened Owls, Reversing Trump's Deep Cuts

The imperilled northern spotted owl has won a reprieve.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) moved Tuesday to reverse a Trump administration
decision that would have opened millions of acres of the owl's West Coast forest habitat to potential
logging, arguing that Trump political appointees acted on inaccurate science.

Biden Admin Largely Restores Habitat for Threatened Owls, Reversing Trump's Deep Cuts - EcoWatch
 
Study shows ‘encouraging’ results of China’s bid to protect coastal wetlands
    • China’s coastal wetlands experienced a significant recovery in recent years after many decades of loss and destruction, a new study suggests.
    • Satellite imagery shows that different kinds of coastal wetlands deteriorated between 1984 and 2011, but began to improve from about 2012.
    • The degradation of China’s coastal wetlands is largely attributed to land reclamation, construction and other economic activities, the study suggests.
    • But the nation has recently recognized the importance of coastal wetlands, and initiated several projects aiming to restore and conserve these ecosystems.
A new study has found that China’s coastal wetlands have undergone significant recovery within the last 10 years after several decades of loss and destruction.

https://news-mongabay-com.cdn.amppr...ering-thanks-to-conservation-study-shows/amp/
 
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COP26: Scotland to restore and extend Celtic rainforest as global leaders pledge to end deforestation

Rare and internationally important Celtic rainforests in Scotland are to be restored and expanded as part of a
£500 million national investment in the country's natural economy.

Also known as Atlantic or temperate rainforest, the habitat is home to many globally scarce plants - including some unique to Scotland

The woodlands grow in the ‘hyper-oceanic’ zone on Scotland’s west coast, with most of the remaining forests found in Argyll.

They are just as significant and even less common than their better-known tropical counterparts.

COP26: Scotland to restore and extend Celtic rainforest as global leaders pledge to end deforestation | The Scotsman
 
Biden Signs Infrastructure Bill Into Law with Billions for Wildlife Habitat and Climate Resiliency 

“Though not a perfect bill, it is an uplifting note in what needs to be a symphony of dedicated funding aimed at strengthening ecosystem resiliency in the face of climate change and the biodiversity crises going forward. We now call on Congress to swiftly pass the Build Back Better Act.”

Mary Beetham, Legislative Director for Defender's of Wildlife

Biden Signs Infrastructure Bill Into Law with Billions for Wildlife Habitat and Climate Resiliency 
 
North Florida Land Trust Has Officially Saved Little NaNa Dune

North Florida Land Trust is pleased to announce they have raised the money needed to pay off a loan used to purchase a portion of the Little NaNa Dune System in historic American Beach. The media coverage helped the nonprofit obtain the remaining $150,000 from an anonymous donor that was needed to pay back a $1.305 loan taken out to purchase three parcels that were in danger of development. The recent donation, combined with a $500,000 from another anonymous donor, a challenge grant from the Delores Barr Weaver Fund and donations from the community through the Amelia Forever Campaign and the American Beach Task Force will protect this portion of the natural landscape.

“This really was a team effort to save this important piece of land which has environmental importance as well as historic and cultural importance,” said Jim McCarthy, president of NFLT. “We are grateful to the members of our Amelia Forever Committee and the American Beach Task Force who have worked and continue to work alongside us to preserve natural spaces throughout Amelia Island. We also want to thank our generous anonymous donors and the Delores Barr Weaver Fund who consistently contribute to conservation.”

North Florida Land Trust Has Officially Saved Little NaNa Dune - North Florida Land Trust
 
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