Conservation Briefs is a compilation of short news stories of interest to Outdoor News Bulletin readers. The stories cover a number of issues that have developed in the past month or provide updates on issues that were featured in previous ONB editions. Each story includes links to online resources for more details on each topic.

This Month:

• USDA Releases $328.5 Million for Wetlands, Farmland Conservation
• 2014 State of the Birds Report Released
• Three State Directors Write in Support of Wolverine Decision

USDA Releases $328.5 Million for Wetlands, Farmland Conservation

On September 8, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that it would be targeting $328 million this year to help farmers restore key farmlands, wetlands and grasslands across the country. The funding comes through the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) that was created in the 2014 Farm Bill by consolidating previous farm easement programs like the Wetlands Reserve Program, the Grasslands Reserve Program and the Farmland and Ranchland Protection Program. Approximately 380 projects were selected nationwide to protect and restore 32,000 acres of farmland, 45,000 acres of grasslands and 52,000 acres of wetlands. A listing of the total grants for each state is posted on the USDA website.

"Conservation easements help farmers and ranchers protect valuable agricultural lands from development, restore lands that are best suited for grazing, and return wetlands to their natural conditions," USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack said. "These easements are making a dramatic and positive impact for our food supply, rural communities and species habitat."

2014 State of the Birds Report Released

The U.S. Committee of the North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI) released The State of the Birds 2014 - USA report on September 9. This is an annual report that documents the status and trends of the U.S. bird population. The current report found that bird populations in several key habitats including aridland habitats (desert, sagebrush and chaparral) as well as grasslands are declining. Associated with the report is a watch list of 233 U.S. bird species most in need of conservation action as well as a list of 33 common birds that are in steep decline. The report also outlines the bird populations that are recovering where strong conservation investment is in place. This includes some grassland habitats where the decline of bird populations has leveled off since 1990 when significant investments in grassland bird conservation began.

According to the NABCI release, "The strongest finding in The State of the Birds 2014 is simple: conservation works. Ducks fly once again in great numbers up the Mississippi River and across the Chesapeake Bay. California condors are rebounding from just 22 birds to more than 200 today. Bald eagles, brown pelicans, peregrine falcons?all species once headed the way of the passenger pigeon?are now abundant. To prevent future extinctions like the passenger pigeon, the report's authors point to science, technology and knowledge as the foundation of proactive partner-driven conservation."

Three State Directors Write in Support of Wolverine Decision

The directors of the state fish and wildlife agencies in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming reached out to local media in support of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's (FWS) decision last month to not list the wolverine as a threatened species.

"For the record, our states opposed the Service's original recommendation to list wolverines based on our concerns about listing a species that is at its highest population level in the past 80-100 years?and still increasing. This fact supports the conclusion that state management works for wolverine... It is likely the model used for wolverines, a model based on cooperation with the states, will have utility for future decisions," they wrote. "Ultimately, the Service made the right decision for wolverines for the right reasons. We thank the Service for its willingness to listen, to keep an open mind, and to utilize additional methods to fully explore science in its decision process."