The 78th?North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference will be held March 24-29, 2013, in Arlington, Virginia.?The Conference Steering Committee is seeking ideas and participation from professional conservation interests to help develop the conference agenda. In particular, recommendations for topics, potential co-chairs and presenters for four Special Sessions are invited. Ideas for prospective plenary keynoters are also welcome.

The Wildlife Management Institute announces the launch of a new website designed to provide a wealth of information on the New England cottontail. The site provides landowners and the general public with information about the species and descriptions of habitat-creation projects that can help keep this brush-dwelling rabbit off the federal endangered species list. In addition, professional wildlife managers will find solid scientific information to assist with their management efforts.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) staff recently conducted a two-day workshop to explore the public trust doctrine (PTD) and what it means to the agency. The Public Trust Doctrine is the principle that wildlife resources are owned by no one and are to be held in trust by government for the benefit of present and future generations. It is one of the keystones of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and Ducks Unlimited announced in early March they will work with the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission to increase habitat protection resources in the Prairie Pothole Region of the northern plains, reports the Wildlife Management Institute. The northern prairies are known to produce between 50 and 70 percent of the continent's waterfowl but are threatened by conversion of native grasslands and isolated wetlands to expanding agriculture.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced that it is launching a new initiative within the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) to enroll a million acres of grassland and wetland habitats, according to the Wildlife Management Institute. With full enrollment, the initiative will secure 200,000 acres of wetlands, restore 700,000 acres of grasslands and create 100,000 acres of habitat for pollinators.

The Obama Administration kicked off the annual federal budget process last month with release of their proposed funding priorities for fiscal year 2013. ?The budget request includes an overall reduction in federal spending with specific cuts to certain programs that impact natural resource management, according to the Wildlife Management Institute. However, a president's budget proposal is a starting framework for Congress to consider as they develop the annual appropriations bills.

On March 2, the Department of the Interior hosted the White House Conference on Conservation ? Growing America's Outdoor Heritage and Economy. The conference is part of the administration's America's Great Outdoors initiative and its goal was to strengthen partnerships and identify next steps in advancing community-driven conservation and outdoor recreation.