Senators Introduce Package of Sportsmen's Bills On June 7, Senators Jon Tester (D-MT) and John Thune (R-SD) introduced the Sportsmen's Act of 2012 that pulls together 16 separate bills impacting sportsmen, reports the Wildlife Management Institute. The bills are packaged and filed as an amendment to the Senate's Farm Bill that is currently being debated on the Senate floor (see related story). The amendment is broader in scope than the Sportsmen's Heritage Act that... Read The Article
Efforts Underway to Conserve Lesser Prairie Chickens Agencies in the five states that are home to the Lesser Prairie Chicken (LPC) have joined forces to develop a conservation plan for the species in an effort to preclude the need for listing under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA), according to the Wildlife Management Institute. Working together under the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies' Western Grassland Initiative (WGI), state and federal agencies hope to have the same outcome of preventing a listing of the LPC that they achieved with black-tailed prairie dogs and swift fox. Time is limited, but WGI Coordinator... Read The Article
CRP General Sign-up Period Ends Despite near-record prices for many crops, interest in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) remains high, reports the Wildlife Management Institute. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced that nearly 48,000 offers were received from agricultural producers covering 4.5 million acres during the 43rd general sign-up opportunity for CRP that concluded in late May. USDA accepted 3.9 million acres into the program out of the 4.5 million acres offered. Currently 29.6 million acres are enrolled in CRP nationwide. Six and a half million of those acres are scheduled... Read The Article
FWS Announces Refuge Acquisitions from Migratory Bird Stamp and NAWCA Grants The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will acquire approximately 1,368 acres for the National Wildlife Refuge System with $1.3 million from the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund, the proceeds of the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp (Duck Stamp). In addition, the Service will be providing $25 million in grants for wetlands conservation through the North American Wetlands Conservation Act. The funding was approved by the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission at its... Read The Article
Senate Moves Farm Bill to Floor Senators overwhelmingly approved a measure to open debate on the 2012 Farm Bill on June 6. By a vote of 90 to 8, the Senate voted to open discussions of the bill on the full Senate floor, according to the Wildlife Management Institute. The Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2012 (S. 3240) is being spearheaded by Senator Debbie Stabenow, Chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee. Senator Stabenow indicated that she is hopeful that the full Senate will act on the legislation in fairly short order. Numerous amendments to the bill, many unrelated to... Read The Article
80th North American Conference Slated for 2015 Negotiations were recently completed for the 80th North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference to be held March 9 to 14, 2015, at the Hilton Omaha in Omaha, Nebraska. The 80th North American in Omaha will be preceded by the 79th from March 10 to 15, 2014 at the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel in Denver, Colorado, and the 78th from March 25 to 30, 2013 at the Marriott Gateway Hotel in Arlington, Virginia. Read The Article
