Outdoor News Bulletin

Each month I sit down to craft a President’s message for the Outdoor News Bulletin. Invariably, the message doesn’t take shape until the deadline is looming as I scramble to curate coherent thoughts into a thoughtful and meaningful message. Each month that this cycle repeats itself, I frustratingly commit to better planning and preparation for next month’s message. Next month’s message, I tell myself, will be better, more thoughtful, reflective and comprised of critical thought. I will have more time and a better opportunity to compose a more meaningful message. Then, as the next month’s deadline looms, the cycle repeats itself. I share this repeating phenomenon only as an example of what transpires for far too many of us every day in the conservation space and what author Charles E. Hummel coined in his book by the same name, the Tyranny of the Urgent.

The Northeast Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (NEAFWA) has announced its first cohort of an adaptive leadership program modeled on the National Conservation Leadership Institute. The application period for this cohort is closed and the program will begin October 5, 2025, and conclude March 13, 2026.

USGS researchers at the Mississippi Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit are leading ongoing research with the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) and volunteer anglers to explore a one-of-a-kind fisheries database. TPWD manages an online tool that collects statistics on large black bass that weigh over 8 pounds. The first steps in this partnership have focused on estimating the habitat needs and recruitment rates of large black bass, herein “lunker” bass.