On October 1, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the America’s Conservation Enhancement (ACE) Act (S. 3051) by voice vote under suspension of the rules. The bill, which passed the Senate on September 16, brings together eight bills introduced in either the House or the Senate or both that reauthorize a number of key conservation programs as well as create new authorization for a chronic wasting disease task force and for national fish habitat partnerships. The bill, led by Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) and Ranking Member Senator Tom Carper (D-DE), had strong support across the conservation community and marks one more success for conservation legislation enacted during the 116^th Congress.

A small survey of six midwestern states (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin) showed that sales of licenses to be eligible to participate in the 2020 archery season are up significantly for this time of year. Although each state offers licenses for sale beginning with a standard license year and ending after hunting seasons close, sales of licenses are usually most brisk during the week before a season opener. October 1 is the opening date for many states, and we compared sales by October 1, 2020 with sales by October 1, 2019. The number of unique customers who purchased licenses to become eligible to archery hunt was up 16-32% across the reporting states by October 1.

It seems odd to say this, but Ohioan Joseph List may have lived much of his adult life without ever seeing a white-tailed deer. This first-generation American, born in 1860, experienced his spring of life at the dawn of the Civil War. This son of German immigrants was Everyman from Anytown, USA—and he was a hunter.

The USGS Utah Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at Utah State University (USU) is partnering with the Ecology Center (USU), the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Reclamation, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, and U.S. Department of Agriculture-National Wildlife Research Center to evaluate the efficacy of beaver translocation for desert river restoration by comparing the fates, space use, and dam building activity of naturally occurring and translocated beavers in the Price and San Rafael Rivers in eastern Utah.