Positive Wildlife News 2023

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Minam River Wildlife Area Acquisition Complete, Adding 15,573 acres in Oregon Landscape-Scale Conservation

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), Manulife Investment Management Timber and Agriculture Inc. (Manulife) and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation are proud to announce a major conservation victory for elk, mule deer and other wildlife, fish, hunters, anglers, hikers and public access.

The three organizations and other partners, including the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) and U.S. Forest Service (USFS), completed a two-phase project that conserves and opens access to a combined 15,573 acres of wildlife and riparian habitat, now part of the Minam River Wildlife Area, in northeast Oregon.

Minam River Wildlife Area Acquisition Complete, Adding 15,573 Acres in Oregon Landscape-Scale Conservation
 
Washington state allotted nearly $1.7 million to support wildlife, habitat, hunting heritage projects

Washington’s elk, deer, moose, turkey and other wildlife species are getting $1,679,574 in grant funding to enhance habitat and improve both migration corridors and scientific research. The funds, supplied by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and its partners, also support an array of mentored hunting, fishing, youth camps and other outdoor-related events and activities.

Washington Allotted Nearly $1.7 Million to Support Wildlife, Habitat, Hunting Heritage Projects
 
RMEF-WAFWA Partnership Commits $1.2 million to Accelerate Western Big Game Migration Corridor Conservation

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation committed $400,000 to reinforce its multi-decade partnership with western states on issues crucial to the movement and overall health of elk, mule deer, pronghorn antelope and other wildlife species.

“This is not just an agreement with our partners at the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA). It’s an action plan,” said Kyle Weaver, RMEF president and CEO. “The initial three-year allotment of funding will be matched by WAFWA at a ratio of at least a 3-to-1, thus placing more than $1.2 million on the ground for the protection and conservation of critical winter range and migration corridors.”

RMEF-WAFWA Partnership Commits $1.2 Million to Accelerate Western Big Game Migration Corridor Conservation
 
Rare plant on Santa Cruz Island saved by conservation efforts

A rare plant that grows only on Santa Cruz Island, off the coast of Santa Barbara, was on the endangered species list – but not any more. Conservation efforts were a success.

Rare plant scientist Heather Schneider, Ph.D., said California is a hot spot for biodiversity, and especially the Channel Islands.

“We kind of refer to them as a hot spot within a hot spot,” she said.

Schneider leads the rare plant conservation program at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden. She said some of the plants found on the Channel Islands, like the Santa Cruz Island Dudleya, live in one location and one location only.

https://www-kcbx-org.cdn.ampproject...sland-saved-by-conservation-efforts?_amp=true
 
Dam Removal Advances Atlantic Salmon Restoration in Lake Champlain Basin

Two dams that stand between Atlantic salmon and upstream spawning habitat on the Saranac River in New York are coming down, the culmination of years of collaboration among the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Trout Unlimited and other public-private partners. The Lake Champlain Basin Program supported the project by providing $370,000 in funding through its Aquatic Organism Passage Implementation Fund, provided under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

The removal of the Indian Rapids and Fredenburgh Falls dams advances a conservation goal more than three decades in the making: reestablishing salmon runs in the largest tributary on the New York side of Lake Champlain.

“Our goal is to have a healthy river where the salmon can once again reach their natal spawning waters,” said Rich Redman of the Trout Unlimited Lake Champlain Chapter, a long-time advocate for restoring the fishery. “The removal of the remnants of these dams is an important piece of that effort.”

Dam Removal Advances Atlantic Salmon Restoration in Lake Champlain Basin • NEIWPCC
 
North Island First Nation declares Indigenous protected area east of Gilford Island

A North Island First Nation has declared 40,000 hectares of their traditional territory as an Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area.

On Friday, at a gathering in Sooke, the Kwikwasut’inuxw Haxwa’mis First Nation (KHFN) made the declaration. According to a
statement from the nation, the region is important because it contains cultural and archaeological sites and is crucial for food security.

North Island First Nation declares Indigenous protected area east of Gilford Island - My Powell River Now
 
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation conserves New Mexico Elk, Mule deer Migration Corridor

Thanks to a northern New Mexico landowner who appreciates the wildlife values of his property, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation conserved 3,537 acres of critical winter range for elk and mule deer.

Stanley Ruyle entered a voluntary conservation agreement with RMEF that also helps protect a key corridor for tens of thousands of migrating elk and mule deer between the San Juan Mountains of southern Colorado and wintering grounds in New Mexico.

“We salute and recognize Mr. Ruyle for his vision and foresight in keeping his land the way it is in perpetuity. His actions allow elk and other wildlife to continue using their historic migratory habitat and corridors,” said Kyle Weaver, RMEF president and CEO.

The Amargo Canyon property is in the same area as four (and possibly soon to be five) other RMEF voluntary conservation agreements. It supplies a mixture of meadows, aspen and conifer forests, and grasslands along with a number of springs, stock ponds and seasonal streams, including Amargo Creek riparian habitat.

Originally part of New Mexico’s iconic Broken Butt Ranch, Ruyle’s property lies between the 10,950-acre W.A. Humphries State Wildlife Management Area (WMA) to the southwest, 20,209-acre Edward Sargent WMA to the east, U.S. Forest Service land to the northeast and Jicarilla Apache Nation lands to the south. The property agreement results in an increase of protected, contiguous open space for wildlife.

Since 1987, RMEF and its partners conserved or enhanced more than 538,000 acres of New Mexico elk habitat.

RMEF Conserves New Mexico Elk, Mule Deer Migration Corridor
 
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Allots $250,000 for Wildlife Migration Corridor Mapping

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation allocated $250,000 to advance research associated with mapping more western wildlife migration routes for elk, mule deer, moose, pronghorn antelope and other wildlife.

“By working with state and tribal wildlife agencies, we are producing detailed maps of where animals migrate across large landscapes, which will benefit the health of these herds and aid the conservation of their corridors” said Matt Kauffman, wildlife biologist and researcher with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and University of Wyoming, who leads the Corridor Mapping Team. “RMEF has been a steadfast supporter of this work and a key NGO partner in our collaborative vision to map ungulate migrations across the West.”

RMEF Allots $250,000 for Wildlife Migration Corridor Mapping
 
Loxa-Lucie Initiative Secures Second Parcel for Protected Ecological Corridor in Hobe Sound

An ambitious plan to create a permanently protected ecological corridor in south Martin County between the Loxahatchee and St. Lucie rivers has taken a significant step forward with a second land acquisition along Bridge Road in Hobe Sound.

The Conservation Fund, a member of the Loxa-Lucie Headwaters Initiative, has closed on a 20-acre tract on the south side of Bridge Road in Hobe Sound. This piece of land is another critical component to the Loxa-Lucie vision for conserving a landscape spanning nearly 70,000 acres between and including Jonathan Dickinson State Park and the Atlantic Ridge Preserve State Park.

“We’re especially proud that the land purchase was made possible solely through the generosity of the community,” said Matt Sexton, Senior Vice President and Southeast Regional Director for the Conservation Fund and a Loxa-Lucie Steering Committee member. “The fundraising campaign we launched last December to purchase this piece of land was a great success. The $1.2 million raised enabled us to acquire the land with private donations. We didn’t need to draw on any governmental funds.”

https://www-wqcs-org.cdn.ampproject...d-ecological-corridor-in-hobe-sound?_amp=true
 
Greater Lakenvlei Protected Environment in South Africa Expanded

The Greater Lakenvlei Protected Environment was first established on April 7, 2017, covering 14,305 hectares and made up of 66 properties in the area between Dullstroom and eMakhazeni (formally known as Belfast) in northeastern South Africa. Our partners, The Endangered Wildlife Trust, with BirdLife South Africa, Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency, and the Greater Lakenvlei Protected Environment Landowners Association, completed the necessary processes, including thorough field assessments and meetings with landowners, to expand the protected area by 7,448 hectares with 32 additional properties. The expansion was formally proclaimed on September 1, 2023, and published in the Mpumalanga Provincial Gazette Number 3569.

Greater Lakenvlei Protected Environment in South Africa Expanded
 
Rancher, conservationists reach deal to preserve 100,000 acres for native Colorado bighorn herd

A wildlife conservation group recently agreed to pay a Colorado rancher to move his domestic sheep out of the high country in order to free up the territory for a herd of Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep.

The National Wildlife Federation announced the deal with the Etchart Sheep Ranch on Nov. 8.

In exchange for receiving a lump sum payment, the Etchart family will waive the family's grazing permits on 10 large, high-elevation allotments that span 101,676 acres in the San Juan mountain range near Silverton.

https://www-cbsnews-com.cdn.ampproj...juan-sheep-wildlife-conservation-agriculture/
 
Mission accomplished: Securing a sustainable future for marshes in Quebec's National Wildlife Areas

"Looking back at what we’ve already accomplished this year at Cap Tourmente...we feel a great deal of pride."

Less than an hour from Quebec City lies the Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area. In addition to the bulrush marshes that provide an important migratory stopover for the greater snow goose, the area is home to numerous bird species. This includes several at-risk species such as the least bittern, bobolink, yellow rail and Eastern meadowlark. Well-known and frequently visited by birders and other outdoor enthusiasts, this area is a symbol of successful habitat protection.

Mission accomplished: Securing a sustainable future for marshes in Quebec's National Wildlife Areas — Ducks Unlimited Canada
 
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