Five Star Restoration Program Announces New Grants

WASHINGTON - The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, National Association of Counties (NACo) and the Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) announced that the Five Star Restoration Program will award new grants totaling $765,429 to 27 different community-led wetland and streamside restoration projects nationwide. These communities have committed an additional $2.2 million in local project support.

The Five Star Restoration Program, founded in 1999, receives major funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Southern Company and the Pacific Gas and Electric Company's (PG&E) Nature Restoration Trust. This year, projects in California are also receiving funds from the S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation. Since its founding, Five Star has supported 478 projects with more than $4.1 million in federal funds, $900,000 in corporate contributions and $12.5 million in matching funds at the local level.

"America needs more people to step up and become stewards of our precious wetlands," said Jeff Trandahl, executive director of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, "and the Five Star Restoration program specializes in fostering exactly this type of conservation ethic. The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation is extremely proud to collaborate with a diverse range of partners to continue to build community connections across America through the program."

"EPA is proud to support the Five Star Restoration Program because of the opportunities it provides communities acting through partnerships to restore and improve wetlands, streams and coasts," said EPA Acting Assistant Administrator for Water, Michael H. Shapiro.

"PG&E is delighted to support habitat and wetlands restoration projects in the communities we serve," said Steven L. Kline, vice president of corporate environmental and federal affairs for PG&E Corporation. "Environmental stewardship is one of our company's core values, and supporting these projects is one of the ways that we're able to continue to conserve California's diverse habitats."

"Southern Company is proud of its longstanding partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to provide conservation challenge grants to leading organizations throughout the Southeast," said Chris Hobson, Southern Company's senior vice president for research and environmental affairs. "The Five Star grants serve to further the important grassroots efforts working on-the-ground to restore and protect our wetlands, streams and coasts and the wildlife that inhabit them."

"On behalf of the nation's counties, I congratulate the 2009 NACo Five Star grantees," said NACo President Don Stapley, supervisor, Maricopa County, Ariz. "NACo is very proud of its longstanding support of the Five Star Restoration Program. Counties and their partners across the country are fostering environmental stewardship and building diverse partnerships that promise to restore and protect the environment well into the future."

Major funding for the program comes from EPA's Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds. In addition to federal funding, PG&E has committed $1 million over three years through its Nature Restoration Trust, and Southern Company has committed $1.2 million over five-years to Five Star.

The Five Star 2009 winners were selected from a competitive pool of more than 165 applications. Consideration for funding is based upon the educational and training opportunities for youth and the community at large, the ecological and other cultural and economic benefits to the community. Five Star projects must also involve a high degree of partnership between local government agencies, elected officials, community groups, businesses, schools, and environmental organizations for improving local water quality and restoring important fish and wildlife habitats. For a full list of the 2009 grant winners please visit www.nfwf.org/fivestar and http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/restore/5star/ .

Project Spotlight
In Northwest Georgia, the Conasauga River Alliance will partner with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the Tennessee Aquarium Aquatic Research Institute, Badger Farm Bed and Breakfast, Murray County Public Works, and the Limestone Valley RC&D Council to restore the heavily silted Colvard Spring. Cleaning the stream will improve vital habitat for the Georgia-listed Coldwater darter. Georgia Department of Natural Resources proposes to evaluate Colvard as a safe-guard population site for Tennessee yellow-eyed grass, a federal endangered wetland plant of the Limestone Ridge and Valley Province. The project will result in the restoration of a 1.5 acre spring pool habitat and a demonstration workshop for county, landowner, and resource managers.

In New Mexico, the Sky Island Alliance will partner with the New Mexico Environment Department, U.S. Forest Service, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to restore a degraded creek and wetland. This project will reconnect one of the largest desert ciénegas to its subsurface water source and protect a large population of Chiricahua leopard frogs. Cloverdale Ciénega is a historic wetland of approximately 150 acres of which 90 acres has dried. Partners on the project will remove all levees and plug the spillway gully with material from the removal of the levees as a coordinated set of restoration treatments. The water table is expected to rise, and the ciénega surface should become fully saturated, eventually killing the upland species that have invaded the site, as a natural transition back to a wetland plant community occurs over the next decade.

In California, Resource Conservation District of Santa Cruz County will partner with the Water District, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Soquel Neighborhood Alliance, Natural Resources Conservation Service, County Weed Management and several local schools to restore 1.25 acres of degraded riparian habitat. The project will reduce invasive plant species along lower Soquel Creek where the steelhead population is declining. This restoration project will lead to a more educated community with conservation values and place-based connections with Soquel Creek by involving students and the public in hands-on restoration and educational activities.

The National Association of Counties (NACo) is the only national organization that represents county governments in the United States. Founded in 1935, NACo provides essential services to the nation's 3,068 counties. NACo advances issues with a unified voice before the federal government, improves the public's understanding of county government, assists counties in finding and sharing innovative solutions through education and research, and provides value-added services to save counties and taxpayers money. For more information about NACo, visit www.naco.org.

The Wildlife Habitat Council is a nonprofit, non-lobbying organization dedicated to increasing the quality and amount of wildlife habitat on corporate, private and public lands. WHC devotes its resources to building partnerships with corporations and conservation groups to create solutions that balance the demands of economic growth with the requirements of a healthy, biodiverse and sustainable environment. More than 2.4 million acres in 48 states, Puerto Rico and 16 other countries are involved in WHC-assisted projects. For more information, visit WHC online at www.wildlifehc.org.

A nonprofit established by Congress in 1984, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation sustains, restores and enhances the Nation's fish, wildlife, plants and habitats. Through leadership conservation investments with public and private partners, NFWF is dedicated to achieving maximum conservation impact by developing and applying best practices and innovative methods for measurable outcomes. Since its establishment, NFWF has awarded over 10,000 grants to over 3,500 organizations in the United States and abroad and leveraged - with its partners - more than $600 million in federal funds into more than $1.5 billion for on-the-ground conservation. For more information, visit www.nfwf.org.

Press Release found at the Outdoor Wire

New Pheasants Forever Chapter Formed

Gillette, Wyoming - Hunters and conservationists from Campbell County, Wyoming have formed the state's newest Pheasants Forever (PF) chapter, known as the Thunder Basin Chapter of PF. The chapter is dedicated to improving habitat for pheasants and other wildlife, as well as providing ways for youth to become involved in outdoor activities.

"One of our tops goals is bringing children to the outdoors through education and participation," said Paul Connelly of Gillette, the Thunder Basin chapter's newly-elected president, "By holding youth outdoor days, working with local schools and also partnering with other organizations in conservation efforts, we feel we can enhance Pheasants Forever's No Child Left Indoors initiative." Launched last year, No Child Left Indoors is part of a national movement aimed at getting youth unplugged from electronics and turned on to the outdoors, nature and wildlife.

"With over 45 people at the chapter's start meeting alone, it's evident there's a spirit for conservation in Campbell County," said Bob Hix, PF Field Representative in Wyoming, "With Pheasants Forever's local model, there's a tremendous opportunity to better wildlife habitat for pheasants, but also sage grouse, chukars, antelope and mule deer." Pheasants Forever and its quail division, Quail Forever (QF), are the only national conservation organizations that empower local chapters with the responsibility to determine how 100 percent of their locally raised conservation funds will be spent. As a result, chapter volunteers are able to see the fruits of their efforts locally, while belonging to a larger national organization with a voice on federal and state conservation policy.

Hix also sees the chapter continuing PF's strong support of the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission's Access Yes program, which provides public hunting opportunities on private lands. On average, every dollar donated to the Access Yes program results in about 4.2 acres of hunting access. Wyoming's PF chapters have donated a total of $39,100 to the program, which translates into over 164,000 acres that PF dollars have helped open up for public access in the state.

The Thunder Basin Chapter of PF has also elected Adam Mathes of Gillette as vice president, Michelle Smith of Gillette as secretary, Greg Smith of Gillette as habitat chair, James Smith of Gillette as youth/education chair and Jaci Mathes of Gillette as treasurer. The chapter will hold its next meeting on Wednesday, May 27th at 7 PM. For more information about the chapter and its upcoming meetings and events, contact Paul Connelly at (810) 614-1672 or via email atcrazie4gsp@yahoo.com.

Wyoming is home to six PF chapters and over 1,000 PF members. Those chapters have historically spent $675,000 to improve Wyoming wildlife habitat, completing 600 habitat projects benefitting over 13,000 acres for wildlife. For more information about Pheasants Forever in Wyoming, to start or join an existing chapter, contact Bob Hix, PF Field Representative in Wyoming at (303) 743-8957 or via email at BHix@pheasantsforever.org.

Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever are non-profit conservation organizations dedicated to the protection and enhancement of pheasant, quail, and other wildlife populations in North America through habitat improvement, land management, public awareness, and education. PF/QF has more than 130,000 members in 700 local chapters across the continent.

Press Release found at the Outdoor Wire

SCI Making International Trophy Records Now Available

If you've ever wondered where your big buck, granddaddy elk, or boss gobbler would rank in the record books, Safari Club International (SCI) has all of that information right at your fingertips with the SCI Online Record Book.

The Online Record Book features SCI's full database of trophy records and allows members to search the hunting records of individual species by continent or state/region, measurer, guide service, and method of kill. It also features helpful population density maps and taxonomic information to assist hunters in planning future big game hunts.

The first SCI Record Book entry was submitted in 1977. Today, the Online Record Book has nearly 150,000 entries for more than 100 species from all around the world. It is a great resource to assist hunters in preparing for their next hunting trip, as it provides all of the tools a hunter needs to successfully identify where and when the best opportunity is to harvest a trophy-class animal. Hunters can determine the best areas to hunt a particular species and become familiar with the antler and horn measurements before entering the field. Visitors to the Online Record Book will also soon have the ability to view contact information for guides and outfitters.

For those unfamiliar with the SCI scoring system, the Online Record Book uses a unique, all-inclusive record keeping system to preserve and document our hunting heritage. The SCI scoring system recognizes typical and non-typical animals and also has distinct trophy categories for free range and estate-harvested animals. SCI measurements enforce no deductions on animals with asymmetrical antlers or horns. It is the only world-wide recognized scoring system that does not penalize animals for asymmetry. Green-scored animals can be submitted immediately to the Online Record Book and Top 10 entries are eligible after a 60-day drying period.

The SCI Online Record Book is the only dynamic, automatically updated trophy records system in existence. Every evening, entries to the Record Book are ranked, and approved changes are added to the database. It is an informative and exciting way to monitor trophy records for a specific species or region, and it is available to everyone.

The Online Record Book offers a variety of subscriptions, including a one-time, absolutely free 24-hour trial membership. Discounts are offered to SCI members, but anyone can purchase an annual subscription to the site. A one-year subscription costs $69.95 for SCI members and $99.95 for non-members. A seven-day subscription is also available for $9.95.

To learn more about the SCI Online Record Book and its exhaustive information on trophy records, please visit the site at www.scirecordbook.org.

Press release found at the Outdoor Wire

TRCP Says Some Sportsmen Programs Get Funding Boost In Obama Budget

WASHINGTON - The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership and its partners lauded key provisions in President Obama's 2010 budget, but also raised concern about some of the cuts and restrictions the President has placed on strategic programs aimed to conserve fish, wildlife and the habitat on which they depend.

"While the sportsmen and conservation community is still examining and digesting the President's budget, we're happy to see that climate change and the Open Fields programs for example are issues that the Obama administration is putting its resources behind," said George Cooper, TRCP president and CEO. "But we're disappointed that the President's budget also includes cuts and restrictions on other programs aimed at conserving habitat on private lands and encouraging property owners to open their lands to hunters and anglers. As the budget goes forward, we look forward to working with the administration and our allies in the House and Senate to ensure that sportsmen programs across the board receive necessary funding."

The highlights of the President's budget include increases in the allocations for wildlife grants to help states implement climate change adaptation programs, comprehensive funding for the implementation of the Magnuson-Stevens Act and support for the new Open Fields program. The lowlights include cuts to Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program and Wetlands Reserve Program.

"Many of the issues that we work on at the TRCP have been affected by the President's budget," said Tom Franklin, TRCP senior vice president. "And whether the change is positive or negative, we're looking forward to working with our partners, the administration and congress to make sure that hunters and anglers will continue to benefit from these important conservation programs."

Here are some of the details from President Obama's budget that affect sportsmen:

Department of Agriculture (USDA) Programs:
Wetlands and Habitat Conservation on Private Lands:
The suite of conservation programs within the USDA represents the largest federal investment on private land, yet still only accounts for roughly 8 percent of the department's budget. A positive increase of more than $11 million to Technical Assistance within Conservation Operations will provide landowners with proven methods to carry out best management practices on their land.

However key habitat conservation programs saw their budgets decrease under the new proposal. Most notably, the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) and the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP) saw major reductions from last year's levels-levels that are not consistent with the sportsmen and conservation community's recommendations for achieving maximum benefit to fish and wildlife habitat. WRP-the only USDA program solely dedicated to wetlands conservation and responsible for nearly 2 million acres of wetlands since its inception-was cut by $27 million, from $418 million to $391 million. The very popular WHIP program, which focuses on improving key wildlife habitats, has been underfunded from the program's inception, as applications have outnumbered the funding by a 2-to-1 ratio. Unfortunately this program has been cut by 50 percent in the budget.

Access:
TRCP was pleased to see that the new hunter access program, Open Fields, is funded at $50 million in the president's request. Passed in the 2008 Farm Bill, this represents an unprecedented added resource to states to promote public access to hunting and fishing opportunities and thereby stimulate local economies.


U.S. Forest Service (USFS):
The USDA budget also included a $60 million increase in available funds for capital improvements, including national forest road maintenance, upgrading, and decommissioning, within the budget for the USFS. Over 380,000 miles of mapped roads currently exist in the USFS. Maintaining these existing roads should be a priority in addition to a focus on conserving the 58.5 million acres of national forest roadless areas in order to provide continued quality access to important hunting and fishing destinations.

Department of the Interior (DOI) Programs
Climate Change:
This initiative has some of the largest increases of any other individual issue in the entire budget. The President included a $133 million department-wide increase in the Interior's budget to combat climate change-including a $15 million increase for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) received the largest increase of any department agency, including a $40 million enhancement to fund State Wildlife Grants. This increase provides the FWS a total of $115 million to help states incorporate climate change adaptation strategies into State Wildlife Action Plans and tribal wildlife plans.

The TRCP lauds the administration for establishing an interagency approach to combat climate change, and establishing a process to monitor resources and recreational uses as agencies move forward with these strategies.

Energy Development:
The proposed budget for the DOI's energy development did not address many fish or wildlife concerns. Two visible changes in the budget from the 2009 fiscal year's budget is an initiative to develop more renewable energy sources and an increase in the fee from $4,000 to $6,500 for the application for permit to drill (APD)-making the fee more in line with cost-recovery policies of other industries and is closer to representing what it actually costs the BLM to process an APD. The budget proposes to sustain the level of funding for its oil and gas program at the same capacity to process the same number of permits as they did during the. Although there is an increase in funding for fish and wildlife programs, it is not commensurate with the increases the energy programs are receiving. TRCP believes that more attention is needed to maintain sustainable fish and wildlife populations on public lands and with ever increasing focus on energy programs that will take time and resources away from the biologists tasked with that job. The recommendations contained in the TRCP's FACTS for Fish and Wildlife principles and CAST principles outline the importance of addressing the approach to energy development on public lands and waters to better manage fish and wildlife during energy development on public lands and the Outer Continental Shelf.

Wetlands:
Good news for wetlands conservation appears within the DOI budget proposal where funding for the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) sees an increase of $10 million.

Youth Participation and Education:
In order to encourage more young Americans to get outdoors, the president included a total $38 million directed at programs to increase youth involvement in hunting, fishing and conservation. The largest sum of money, $28 million, will go to states to help them fund programs to educate young hunters, anglers and wildlife managers. An additional $8 million will create a 21st century Youth Conservation Corps to encourage a new generation to pursue public service careers within natural resource management.

Other Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Issues:
The budget did put an emphasis on treasured lands managed by the National Park Service and the BLM's National Landscape Conservation System, where a significant amount of important fish and wildlife resources are found. The budget also allows the United States Geological Survey to take a greater role in the use of science in management actions and provided an increase in funding for the Land & Water Conservation Fund.

Department of Commerce Programs
Marine Fisheries:
Within the Department of Commerce budget, the administration proposed a $56.5 million increase for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to support the Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA) implementation process. Signed into law in 2007, MSA governs marine fisheries management. The law included many positive changes for recreational saltwater anglers and included all of the SALT Principles recommended by the TRCP's Angling 4 Oceans coalition.

The total budget request for fisheries came to a total of $911.8 million for this fiscal year, which is $32.8 million more than what was enacted in the 2009 fiscal year budget.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Programs
Water and Wetlands Conservation:
The proposed budget for the EPA stands at approximately $10.5 billion for FY 2010. This represents nearly a $3 billion increase over the last fiscal year's enacted budget for the agency. Notably, some 48 percent of this proposal is directed towards Clean and Safe Water goals within EPA including state revolving funds, a Great Lakes Restoration Initiative and a Chesapeake Bay program.

One issue that remains very critical to helping restore federal protections for these areas is passing the Clean Water Restoration Act currently under consideration in the Senate and likely to be marked-up in the near future by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. We have been encouraged by supportive statements by EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson and others for finding a legislative solution to the problem and we urge the administration to continue supporting the bill as it makes its way through the legislative process.

Press release found at the Outdoor Wire