February 2016

Over the last century, as shrublands and young forests across the Northeast have been cleared for development or have grown into mature forests, populations of more than 65 songbirds, mammals, reptiles, pollinators and other wildlife that depend on this type of habitat have fallen alarmingly. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, state wildlife agencies, private landowners and conservation organizations have begun restoring and protecting shrublands and young forest throughout New England and New York. Despite significant progress, conservationists have determined that more...

Natural resource managers are facing the growing challenge of emerging and resurging fish and wildlife diseases. In the past, disease was not a significant consideration in natural resource management, but over recent decades, there has been a recognized need to incorporate disease prevention, surveillance and control into population management strategies. How do natural resource managers deal with these issues? A North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference special session entitled Science-Based Management Strategies for Fish and Wildlife Diseases aims to stimulate...

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FFWCC) wrapped up its 2nd Python Challenge last week, with over 600 participants rounding up more than 100 of the invasive exotic snakes, reports the Wildlife Management Institute. This contest, to raise awareness and assist with control of the Burmese python, was initiated in 2013 by the FFWCC in response to growing concerns  with the impact the snake population was having on Florida's native species. The inaugural event in 2013 attracted more than 1,600 participants and rounded up only 68 snakes, due to the cryptic...

Although studies and research have provided projections of the effects of climate change on fish species and their habitats, there has been limited synthesis on the response by humans to those changes, and how management agencies should be prepared to cope with those changes. A special session at the 81st North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference entitled Effects of Climate Change on Inland Fish and Fisheries: Looking Back and Moving Forward, will provide insights on how fisheries management agencies can adapt to an uncertain and changing future. Slated for...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced that it is accepting applications for funding through two Farm Bill conservation programs, according to the Wildlife Management Institute. Project proposals for the new wetland mitigation banking program are due by March 28, and proposals for funding of 2016 projects under the Conservation Stewardship Program are also recommended to be submitted before the end of March.

USDA will make $9 million available to states, local governments and qualified third parties to establish or expand...

The Oklahoma Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit and faculty and students from Oklahoma State University are studying spread, population viability, and habitat use of expanding black bear populations in eastern Oklahoma. The research is supported by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) through funding from the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Program.

The distribution of black bears (Ursus americanus) historically included Oklahoma and Arkansas. During the late 1800s, over-hunting and habitat loss reduced those populations to...