Outdoor News Bulletin

Outdoor News Bulletin

June 2013 Edition | Volume 67, Issue 6 | Published since 1946

New Study Spotlights Challenges to Conservation Planning Goals in the Prairie Pothole Region

New research to be published in the June edition of the Wildlife Society Bulletin suggests that conservation goals in the Prairie Pothole Region are not attainable given current pressures on the system, reports the Wildlife Management Institute. The study, "Conservation Planning in an Era of Change: State of the U.S. Prairie Pothole Region," analyzed current loss rates for wetlands and grasslands, and added the factors of time and costs of conserving these threatened habitats. The U.S.

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Senate Passes Farm Bill

On June 10, the Senate passed their version of the new Farm Bill by a vote of 66 to 27, according to the Wildlife Management Institute. The conservation portions of the legislation appear to be similar to the bill the Senate passed last year with two notable exceptions. The first is a requirement for producers to apply basic conservation measures on highly erodible land and wetlands in order to qualify for federal subsidies on crop insurance. Secondly, a sodsaver provision is included that limits subsidies on land recently converted from native grasslands to crops.

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USGS Cooperative Research Unit Corner

Massachusetts Moose Research

The North American moose (Alces alces) is the largest member of the deer family (Cervidae) and is distributed throughout northern North America. Along the southern edge of their range, moose can be found in the parts of the Pacific Northwest, down the Rocky Mountains, around the upper Great Lakes region, and into New England and New York. Moose habitat covers a wide array of vegetation types and environmental conditions, but two aspects characterize where moose live: woody plants and cold temperatures.

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