On September 2, 2022, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) issued a stakeholder alert implementing restrictions on hunter harvested wild bird meat/carcasses from all of Canada, regardless of province, due to the risk of transmitting highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). However, after significant pushback, APHIS has been working with stakeholders and other federal agencies to provide options for importing hunter-harvested wild bird meat/carcasses that address the HPAI transmission risk to domestic poultry. Effective September 12, APHIS will allow the import of hunter harvested wild bird meat/carcasses with several specific transport requirements.

The Conservation Without Conflict Coalition held its 2022 Annual Coalition Summit in Aurora, Colorado, September 6-8. Representatives of over 40 public and private partners came together to help guide the coalition’s work as the group pivots from identity-formation and planning to capacity-building and action. The meeting featured keynote remarks from leaders across the conservation and working lands communities, including U.S. Department of Agriculture Undersecretary Robert Bonnie, Bureau of Land Management Principal Deputy Director Nada Wolff Culver, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Martha Williams, Association of Fish and Wildlife Association President and Director of Nevada Department of Wildlife Tony Wasley, and Ladder Ranch Owner Pat O’Toole.

We reported on the first natural reproduction of eastern hellbenders in captivity (ONB Dec 2020) as a major step forward in conservation of this species. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced that their Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) will contribute $2.7 million to improve hellbender habitat in a four-county region in south central Indiana, the only remaining habitat for hellbenders in the state.

The Wildlife Management Institute is seeking a new President to replace Steve Williams who last month announced his plans to retire at the end of March 2023. The WMI Board of Directors has begun their search for a new president and plans to select a candidate on or before February 2023. A position description has been developed and qualified candidates are welcome to submit their materials for consideration. Following is the full position description.

Recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) of hunters and anglers is paramount to preserving our outdoor heritage. In June 2022, the Wildlife Management Institute published a synopsis of a recent study conducted under the Multistate Conservation Grants Program to evaluate state R3 programs using a rigorous quantitative approach with the goal of improving the way we recruit, retain, and reactivate hunters and anglers. While the earlier ONB story described some of the more significant findings from the research, the full report has now been finalized.