President's Message In the Face of Change As I sit down to write this President’s Message, like much of the last few weeks, I struggle to concentrate. Part of my struggle is clearly due to the distraction of planning for the 90th North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference and preparing for all the associated activities. But of course, further complicating my thought processes are the ongoing losses associated with federal capacity and particularly in the conservation arena. Read The Article
North American Conference News Lowell Baier Receives WMI’s Highest Honor, George Bird Grinnell Award Today, for only the second time in my short tenure at WMI, I have the honor of presenting the George Bird Grinnell Award for Distinguished Service to Natural Resource Conservation. This award is not only the Wildlife Management Institute’s highest honor but clearly one of the highest honors in the natural resource profession. It is truly a pleasure for me to present this award and have this opportunity to acknowledge the career contributions and distinguished service of this year’s recipient. Read The Article
New Groundbreaking Conservation: Successful Reintroduction of the Reticulated Flatwood Salamander Resource Management Service, LLC (RMS), one of the world’s largest and most experienced providers of timberland investment services, recently achieved a groundbreaking conservation milestone by successfully reintroducing the federally listed reticulated flatwood salamander (Ambystoma bishopi) in collaboration with multiple agencies and partners. Read The Article
OICC Partner Story - Gun Owners: Guilty by Association New Research Identifies Public Approval of Hunting and Target Shooting is Softening as Concerns About Gun Violence Rise New research shows declining support for hunting and target/sport shooting among the general population. A primary reason for this is that concern over gun violence is high and folks are increasingly associating activities such as legal, regulated deer hunting and recreational trap shooting with illegal gun violence. Read The Article
USGS Cooperative Research Unit Corner The Torment of Ticks in the Penobscot Nation, Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont Moose populations (Alces alces) in New England are experiencing reduced birth rates, and lower than normal calf and adult survival caused by severe winter tick (Dermacentor albipictus) infestations. In the early spring of bad years, it is common to see “Ghost Moose” which are skeletal, and nearly hairless. The ghastly appearance of these moose combined with the population effects of the ticks has caused alarm by moose managers and the public in affected area. Read The Article