August 2009

Rules governing the Pinelands National Reserve (PNR) are being significantly amended to improve management of the Pine Barrens forests for ecological and economic purposes. PNR is the largest area of contiguous open space on the Mid-Atlantic seaboard between Richmond and Boston. Congress established it in 1978 as the nation's first national reserve. Reinforced in 1979 with the state's creation of the New Jersey Pinelands Commission (Commission), the 1.1 million-acre PNR is protected in perpetuity and is widely acknowledged as a national treasure.

With the region protected from...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently opened continuous enrollment opportunities for the new Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), according to the Wildlife Management Institute.

CSP is a voluntary program that was authorized in the 2008 Farm Bill. It replaced the former Conservation Security Program of the 2002 Farm Bill. Congress renamed and made adjustments to the program to improve its availability and appeal to landowners. Enrollment opportunity for CSP will remain open continuously and nationwide rather than on a rotational, watershed basis, which the earlier...

In July, the U.S. House of Representatives made progress on two bills that will impact migratory bird conservation.? On July 16, the House passed the Joint Ventures for Bird Habitat Conservation Act by a vote of 400-0.? Then on July 29 by a vote of 26 to 16, the House Natural Resources Committee passed a bill that would increase the price of the Federal Duck Stamp, but not without facing opposition by the panel's minority members.? The two bills are intended to codify and improve existing programs that have made substantial improvements in wetland habitats and migratory bird conservation...

On July 31, shortly before leaving for its August recess, the Senate confirmed Sam Hamilton as the next Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) by unanimous consent, reports the Wildlife Management Institute.? President Obama nominated Hamilton in early June and the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee held a confirmation hearing on July 22.? Although Committee members did criticize the agency's implementation of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and a few environmental groups raised concerns about Hamilton's leadership, the nomination was largely non-confrontational...