WMI received a multistate grant from the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) in 2022 to determine the current status of statutes, regulations, and policies on the translocation and movement of feral swine for 50 state wildlife agencies and provide recommendations that increase uniformity and effectiveness. Working with Southwick Associates, WMI surveyed identified natural resource agency point people for feral swine and the state veterinarian for each state, as well as conducting an online review of regulations. Feral swine was defined as escaped domestic swine, Russian or Eurasian wild boar, Russian boar hybrids, or escaped pot-bellied pigs.

Leopoldo “Leo” Miranda-Castro was introduced as the new Executive Director for the Conservation without Conflict coalition in the February issue of the Outdoor News Bulletin. We’ve asked Leo to provide a more detailed biography and to provide more information about what the coalition is working on.

During the Western Governors Association meeting in Boulder, Colorado, in late June, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation Robert Bonnie announced a significant new focus on private land programs focused on wildlife conservation. More than $500 million will be directed over the next five years through all USDA conservation efforts including the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and the Working Lands for Wildlife (WLFW) effort. The funding will help deliver cohesive WLFW Frameworks for Conservation Action, which establish a common vision across the partnership of public and private interests and goals for delivering conservation resources in a given ecosystem, combining cutting-edge science with local knowledge.

The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the circuit court, holding that the Missouri Constitution does not permit the General Assembly to limit the Conservation Commission’s authority to expend and use conservation funds for constitutionally enumerated purposes.

The 89th North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference will be held March 24-29 at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Conference Steering Committee is seeking ideas and participation from professional conservation interests to help develop the conference agenda. In particular, proposals for the four conference Special Sessions are invited. Ideas for prospective plenary keynote speakers are also welcome.

The Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at Dr. Jonathan Spurgeon’s Lab is centered on understanding distribution and population demographics of native prairie stream fishes. Greater than half of known fish diversity is supported by freshwater that accounts for approximately 3% of global water supply.