Grants Totaling $ 1.509 Million to Fund Improvements to Wildlife Habitat in California’s Central Valley
September 23, 2008
Two grants totaling more than $1.5 million will help fund two wildlife habitat restoration and conservation projects in California, Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne announced Monday (Sept. 15). Funded under the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA), these two projects will help protect, restore and enhance more than 8,600 acres of wetlands, riparian and associated habitat in the Central Valley. Partners in these projects will contribute an additional $2.895 million in non-federal matching funds to help support these conservation effects.
A grant of $1,000,000 to Ducks Unlimited will support Phase 2 of a multi-phase initiative to conserve wetlands and associated habitats in the northern Tulare and San Joaquin basins of California?s Central Valley in Fresno and Merced Counties. Partners will protect, restore and enhance 5,210 of wetlands, 205 acres of riparian and 1,334 acres of associated wildlife habitats consisting of native grasslands, scrublands and managed upland habitats. Habitat conserved through this grant will benefit waterfowl, shorebirds and other wetland-dependent birds throughout the year.
A second grant of $509,039 to the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service will support the seventh phase of a multi-phase initiative to protect, restore and enhance wetlands and associated uplands within the Grasslands Wildlife Management Area and the San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge acquisition boundary. The work will restore and enhance 1,854 acres of wetlands, riparian and wetland associated habitat, which will provide resting and foraging habitat for wintering migratory waterfowl and year-round habitat for other riparian and wetlands dependent birds and wildlife. These lands will provide long-term benefits to wetlands conservation and migratory birds because the lands are protected under U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service perpetual conservation easements. The northern San Joaquin Valley–especially the wetlands in Merced and Stanislaus counties–is a critically important wintering area for Pacific Flyway migratory birds, with peak annual numbers of ducks and geese ranging from 800,000 to 1,000,000.
The two grants were awarded under NAWCA?s U.S. Standard Grants Program administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service through the Central Valley Joint Venture ( http://www.centralvalleyjointventure.org
). The grants are funded by annual Congressional appropriations; fines, penalties and forfeitures levied under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act; interest accrued on funds under the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act and excise taxes paid on small engine fuels through the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Fund.
The commission includes Senators Thad Cochran of Mississippi and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas, Representatives John Dingell of Michigan and Wayne Gilchrest of Maryland, Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Stephen L. Johnson, as well as state representatives serving as ex officio members who vote on projects located within their respective states.
More information about NAWCA grant programs and summaries of the projects is available at: http://www.fws.gov/birdhabitat/Grants/NAWCA/index.shtm.
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.
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Are Off-Highway Vehicles And Hunting Compatible?
August 20, 2008
The Montana Hunter Behavior Advisory Council reported ten years ago that motor vehicle use during hunting, including off-highway vehicles, is creating serious problems. Today the situation is magnified, as growing numbers of hunters use OHVs.
“An estimated 30,000 hunters used OHVs during Montana’s 2007 hunting season,” said Ray Paige, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks motorized trails specialist. “OHV registrations in Montana climbed from about 23,000 in 2003 to about 54,000 today.”
Paige said that hunters who obey the laws and regulations guiding the use of OHVs during the hunt are in the majority. However, only a few motorized vehicles can do real harm to wildlife, wildlife habitats and the hunting experiences of others when hunters don’t know the law or choose to ignore it.
According to a 2007 Montana Wildlife Federation survey of private landowners, ATV use and abuse is cited as one of the top ten reasons a landowner would not allow the public to hunt on their lands.
“OHV issues occur on public and private land, but this survey makes it clear OHV abuses hurt all hunters’ chances for hunting access to private lands,” Paige said.  “If the trend continues, the FWP Commission has said hunters may see new restrictions on OHV use.”
FWP stepped up education on proper OHV use during the 2006 and 2007 hunting seasons, in a cooperative effort involving FWP, the Montana Trail Vehicle Riders Association, US Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management. One outcome, a brochure just for hunters titled Hunting and ATVs, is available at FWP regional offices and at many license providers.
MTVRA, with a Montana Trails Grant, administered by FWP, has also produced educational brochures, a youth education program in the schools and aired a television PSA promoting ethical use of OHVs.
 Paige said it is a tough task to change the behavior of riders who knowingly violate the law. Enforcement is one answer, but enforcement budgets, such as FWPs, are limited to user fees from OHV registrations.
“The USFS and BLM participate in FWP’s TIP-MONT program and receive information directly from callers reporting OHV and other violations,” Paige said. “FWP game wardens work on the ground with USFS and BLM rangers to respond to these reports.
FWP encourages hunters and others who observe hunting violations involving OHVs to report them to 1-800-TIP-MONT, that is 1-800-847-6668, and to gather appropriate evidence when it is safe to do so, including license and registration numbers, photos of the OHVs with the license plate in the image, and photos of tracks and other evidence of damage. Callers may remain anonymous and could receive an award for information that leads to a conviction.
Here are some tips for hunters to help reduce the impact of OHVs during hunting season.
- Know the vehicle use regulations for the area you are in.
- Stay on designated public roads or trails. It is the law.
- Access your hunting area before shooting hours and then hunt on foot.
- Retrieve harvested big game from the nearest designated road or trail.
- Respect other hunters and recreationists by slowing down or stopping as you approach them on the trail.
- Avoid wet areas.
- Reduce emissions and sound.
- Pass in a safe and courteous manner when overtaking others.
- Limit OHV use in and near campgrounds.
- Report violations to TIP-MONT at 1-800-847-6668.
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Guzzler Hotline Up and Running
May 16, 2008
Artificial water developments, or guzzlers as they’re commonly called, literally blanket Nevada. And with almost 1,600 guzzlers statewide to keep track of, the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) needs all the help it can get to properly maintain these devices that are critical to the survival of the state’s wildlife. Now with the creation of the NDOW guzzler maintenance hotline at (775) 688-1537, Nevada sportsmen can lend a hand by reporting any guzzler problems they see while afield.
So what exactly is a guzzler? Guzzlers are metal structures built in suitable wildlife habitats to provide an additional source of water for all types of wildlife. The structure collects snowmelt and rainwater and stores it in tanks, which then feed the water to a drinker that can be accessed by wildlife. Nevada’s 332 large guzzlers, designed for big game like deer, bighorn sheep and antelope have a 3,600 gallon capacity, while 1,232 small guzzlers, favored by upland game like chukar, sage grouse and rabbits have a 325 gallon capacity.
The survival of Nevada’s wildlife is partially dependant on their adaptability to the state’s arid conditions and the ability to find water sources, ranging from natural springs or puddles to raindrops on leaves and dew on grass. Lack of water can sometimes lead wildlife to turn away from quality Nevada habitats that would otherwise suit their needs. Guzzlers allow Nevada’s wildlife to take advantage of this otherwise suitable habitat.
The idea for the guzzler hotline is the result of suggestions by concerned citizens who wanted an easier way to report guzzler issues to NDOW, according to John Gebhardt, wildlife staff biologist in charge of the guzzler program. “Before the hotline, anyone wanting to report issues with a guzzler could fill out a guzzler maintenance form found on the agency website at www.ndow.org,” said Gebhardt. “But we heard comments that the form was hard to find or that some didn’t understand the form’s purpose. So we created the hotline as a simple, more convenient method to report problems.”
And while Gebhardt says maintenance related issues such as vandalism, holes in storage tanks, piping leaks and broken drinkers are among the reasons for most calls, he welcomes other information as well. “In addition to damage reports we’re also interested in wildlife usage, water quality and quantity in the storage tanks, condition of vegetation in the vicinity and any other observations folks may have noted during their visit. We ask they provide us with the date and time of the visit, name of the guzzler if a sign is present, location - with GPS coordinates if possible - and as many other details as they can provide,” explained Gebhardt. “There are a lot of sportsman’s dollars invested in these water developments and it is much easier and more cost effective to maintain existing guzzlers than build new ones. Now with the hotline the public can help NDOW make the most of that investment.”
The Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) protects, restores and manages fish and wildlife, promotes fishing, hunting, and boating safety. NDOW’s wildlife and habitat conservation efforts are primarily funded by sportsmen’s license and conservation fees and a federal surcharge on hunting and fishing gear. Support wildlife and habitat conservation in Nevada by purchasing a hunting, fishing, or combination license. For more information, visit www.ndow.org.
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