Conservation Briefs is a compilation of short news stories of interest to Outdoor News Bulletin readers. The stories cover a number of issues that have developed in the past month or provide updates on issues that were featured in previous ONB editions. Each story includes links to online resources for more details on each topic.

This Month:

• Sportsmen's Package Tripped Up by Senate
• USDA Announces $50 Million in Conservation Funding for Red River Basin
• FWS Seeks Comments on Eagle Permitting Rule
• DOI Report Documents $360 Billion Economic Impact of Department Activities

Sportsmen's Package Tripped up by Senate

In spite of broad support, the Bipartisan Sportsmen's Act of 2014 stumbled in the U.S. Senate on July 10 amid mid-term election year politics. After more than 80 amendments to the bill were filed, many of which were not germane to the bill or supported by the sportsmen's community, the Senate failed to invoke cloture to limit debate on the bill.

"Upfront, we wish to thank the bill's sponsors Senators Kay Hagan (D-N.C.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) for working with us to craft a bipartisan bill that we, and others in the sporting community, believe should have passed," said American Sportfishing Association Vice President Gordon Robertson. "It's very disheartening that the Senate process and partisan politics pulled down, for the second time in two years, a comprehensive sportsmen's package that would have benefited this nation's fish and wildlife resources as well as hunters and anglers."

USDA Announces $50 million in Conservation Funding for Red River Basin

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on July 2 that it is making $50 million available for conservation projects over the next five years in the Red River basin. The 25 million-acre Red River watershed lies in parts of Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.

"Along with better protection from flooding, these conservation efforts can help provide improved farming and ranching opportunities, cleaner water, and homes for a variety of wildlife," USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said. "This will help boost the region's economy in a number of areas including agriculture, hunting and fishing and other outdoor recreation."

Applications for the program will be accepted at USDA service centers on a continuous basis.

FWS Seeks Comments on Eagle Permitting Rule

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has initiated a process to allow public input as the agency revises a rule on issuing permits for the non-purposeful take of bald and golden eagles. In addition to the 90-day public comment period, there will be five public information meetings: July 22, 2014, in Sacramento, Calif.; July 24, 2014, in Minneapolis, Minn.; July 29, 2014, in Albuquerque, N.M.; July 31, 2014, in Denver, Colo.; and Aug. 7, 2014, in Washington, D.C. The FWS began the process in April 2012 when it published an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and invited public comment on eagle population management objectives, compensatory mitigation, and programmatic permit issuance criteria. More detailed information about eagles and their management as well as how to participate in the public comment process is available at the agency's eaglescoping.org web site. Written comments must be submitted by September 22.

DOI Report Documents $360 Billion Economic Impact of Department Activities

On July 11, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell released the U.S. Department of the Interior Economic Report for Fiscal Year 2013 that outlines how production and activities on lands administered by the Department of the Interior supported approximately 2 million jobs and $360 billion in economic output in 2013. The uses considered within the report include recreation, renewable energy, conservation, restoration, fossil fuel energy, non-fuel minerals, forage and grazing, timber, water, scientific data, and grants/payments. The report also documents the effects of the FY 2013 sequestration when automatic spending cuts mandated by the Budget Control Act of 2011 went into effect. Supplemental materials to the report include a summary of contributions by bureau and an interactive map of economic impacts by state.

"This report illustrates to the American people that both conservation and development on public lands continue to support vibrant economic activities in communities across the country," said Jewell. "It also demonstrates the economic benefit of thoughtful legislation, like the Land and Water Conservation Act of 1964, that took a small amount of revenue generated by oil and gas development offshore and reinvested it in local communities to support conservation and recreation opportunities for all Americans."