What diverse values do our nation’s citizens hold regarding wildlife and nature? What benefits do people enjoy due to the existence and management of robust natural systems? How can we, as natural resources professionals and public servants, better connect with broader segments of the public through their values, and through the perceived and unperceived benefits they receive as products of our work? These questions—which lie at the heart of every discussion of the societal relevance of conservation—will be addressed at a special session scheduled for March 28^th, from 10 am to noon at the North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference in Norfolk, Virginia. Titled, “The Chicken or the Egg: Broader Support or Broader Engagement?” this session will illuminate powerful implications for people’s sense of connection with the natural world and for the political and fiscal support available to deliver conservation in the future.

January is an important month for industry trade shows. The Archery Trade Association hosted their annual trade show first, running from January 11 to 13 in Indianapolis. Next week, the National Shooting Sports Foundation will host the SHOT (Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade) Show in Las Vegas from January 23 to 26. These two events provide an opportunity for the manufacturers of hunting, recreational shooting, and related equipment to come together to display their newest products for distributors and retailers to review and make their orders for the upcoming sales cycle. As part of a Multi-State Conservation Grant (MSCG), the Wildlife Management Institute (WMI) will participate in these trade shows to help enhance the relationship between the excise tax paying industries and the wildlife agencies who benefit from those taxes.

The last chance to apply for the upcoming training session on public trust and wildlife governance is fast approaching. The training, scheduled for April 3 – 5 at Blackwater Falls State Park in Davis, West Virginia, will deepen participants’ understanding of the public trust responsibilities of state wildlife agencies. There are only 20 openings in the April session, targeting northeast and southeast states. Additional information about the training and a link to the application is available from the Public Trust Practice website.

Decisions made in upcoming Farm Bill discussions will affect voluntary conservation programs that set-aside croplands into grasslands and forests, with important consequences to species that use these habitats. The current Farm Bill expires in September 2018, and congressional leaders are working towards completion of the next Farm Bill in the spring of 2018. With a history of greater crop yields annually and large estimated ending stocks of corn and soybeans, the stage is set for raising the cap on allowable acres in set-aside programs although there is significant opposition to this policy.

Scientists with the USGS Louisiana Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit are leading research on one of the most economically important and productive oyster fisheries in the United States, with harvest revenue exceeding $35 million in dockside sales every year. Well-loved for their culinary contributions to Louisiana culture, the eastern oyster also plays an important role in keeping our coastal waters clean. With more than 60 percent of U.S. coastal rivers and bays moderately to severely degraded from excessive nutrient loading (also known as eutrophication), the eastern oyster is a valuable ally in offsetting declines in water quality.