“Pheasant Fest,” the annual trade show for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever, kicks off today in Iowa, and the resounding topic at the event will likely be concerning the state’s struggling pheasant population.
“The problem is in Iowa you don’t have very good winter habitat, and you don’t have very good nesting habitat,” Pheasants Forever’s spokesman Bob St. Pierre told the Des Moines Register. “It has been the perfect storm of bad scenarios.”
In an article published today, St. Pierre said the decision to bring the event back to Des Moines (it was held there in 2007), was partially related to the need for Iowa to return to its former elite status among the top pheasant-hunting states. The pheasant harvest in Iowa reached an all-time low last season, at 383,000, according to the Pheasants Forever website.
The number of pheasant hunters has also dropped sharply—from 200,000 in 1996 to less around 90,000 as of 2008, the Register article states.
Weather and loss of habitat are two the critical factors, and, the story adds, “habitat is shrinking as the ethanol industry fuels already high demand for corn.”
Upland bird hunting brings in $186 million a year in Iowa, the paper reports. That figure is down from an estimated $386 in 1996, the story says.
According to Pheasants Forever’s website, there are more of the conservation-organization’s chapters in Iowa than any other state.
Iowa reportedly has 1.6 million acres enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), the federal program that allows farmers to set aside acreage in exchange for annual rental payments.
—Tom Tiberio

WASHINGTON – The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership today urged House lawmakers to reject reductions to Farm Bill programs that are critical to American private-lands conservation and hunting and fishing opportunities.


Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack defended the potential cuts in a hearing this morning before the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, which for the first time is reviewing the Obama administration’s fiscal year 2011 budget for the Agriculture Department.


The budget proposes funding decreases for programs such as the Conservation Reserve Program, Wetlands Reserve Program, Grasslands Reserve Program and Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program. The TRCP and other sportsmen-conservation groups have fought for and championed federal support of these and other Farm Bill programs, which include compensating farmers and other landowners for undertaking measures to conserve wetlands and farmland at risk from development.


“While we appreciate the administration’s desire to reduce unnecessary federal spending, the fact remains that these programs are crucial to our country’s ability to sustain private-lands fish and wildlife habitat – habitat that forms the bedrock of outdoor sporting traditions for millions of Americans,” said Tom Franklin, TRCP director of policy and government relations.


For more on this issue that's of critical importance to our fish and game, please go to trcp.org - Jay Cassell

Sam Hamilton, director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, died Saturday, after suffering chest pains, a symptom reflective of an underlying heart condition, the Summit County, Colorado, coroner said. Hamilton ,54, was on a mountain at the Keystone Ski Resort in Keystone, Colorado, when he complained of the pains.

Hamilton had served the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for more than 30 years.

"Sam was a friend, a visionary, and a professional whose years of service and passionate dedication to his work have left an indelible mark on the lands and wildlife we cherish," Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar said in a written statement.

"His forward-thinking approach to conservation - including his view that we must think beyond boundaries at the landscape-scale- will continue to shape our nation's stewardship for years to come."

Hamilton took over the leadership of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in September. He was previously the regional director of the 10-state Southeast region for the agency. He was charged with a $484 million budget and oversight over more than 350 threatened and endangered species and 128 national wildlife refuges, according to the agency's Web site.
While regional director, he also supported the creation of a carbon sequestration program that helped restore about 80,000 acres of wildlife habitat.

His colleague, Thomas Strickland, assistant secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks, praised Hamilton's more than 30 years of service to the agency.

"Sam brought more than just a wealth of experience to the job, he brought courage and outstanding leadership," Strickland said in a statement. "The Department of the Interior will miss him greatly."

Hamilton first became involved with the agency when he was 15 years old, as a member of the Youth Conservation Corps in Mississippi with the Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge, according to the agency's Web site.

He is survived by his wife Becky; sons Sam Jr. and Clay, as well as his grandson, Davis. -- Jay Cassell

A report last week highlighted threats to Colorado's waters and wetlands under regulatory guidance resulting from two Supreme Court cases. Compiled by the National Wildlife Federation, Ducks Unlimited and Trout Unlimited, the report identifies cases where the loss of Clean Water Act (CWA) protections has put Colorado waters at risk for pollution, unrestricted drainage and destruction.

"Without these protections, Colorado's limited and precious aquatic resources are at further risk," said Dennis Buechler, director emeritus of the Colorado Wildlife Federation and author of the report. "In some instances where protections have been removed completely, the state of law has caused unnecessary confusion."

An example of this confusion is the case of Hidden Lake, an 88-acre lake in Westminster, Colo., which has had its Clean Water Act protections removed because it supposedly does not have a surface connection to waters covered by the CWA. The lake boasts an excellent small-mouth bass fishery and is used by local residents for recreation such as swimming and boating. After the City of Westminster protested, protections were restored. But protections were not in place for more than half a decade.

For more on this situation, please go to ducks.org -- Jay Cassell

The figures are astounding and unprecedented. More than 4,500 sea turtles were rescued from the cold water in January. Manatee carcasses continue to appear, putting the deaths for 2010 at more than 200 after only one month. For comparison, the highest number of manatee deaths for a single calendar year is 429.

Massive efforts by the state's wildlife agency, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), to rescue, save and recover the cold-stressed animals saved the lives of at least 80 percent of rescued sea turtles. Since the beginning of the year, biologists have rescued more than a dozen manatees statewide and transported them to rehabilitation facilities as needed, and transported manatee carcasses to the FWC's Fish and Wildlife Research Institute's lab in St. Petersburg for examination. Volunteers, other government agencies and partners from the corporate world all assisted in the efforts during this unprecedented event.

The public can help efforts to conserve and fund research for both sea turtles and manatees by purchasing a specialty license plate or decal. The extra fee for the sea turtle tag helps fund the Sea Turtle Grants Program. Approximately 30 percent is distributed to the grants program, which is administered by the nonprofit Caribbean Conservation Corporation. Visit www.helpingseaturtles.org for more information. The other 70 percent of tag revenue goes to the FWC's Marine Turtle Protection Program to support research and management activities related to sea turtles. License plate funds were an important source of money used to support the rescue of the sea turtles during the January cold snap.

The money generated from the extra fee for manatee plates goes to the implementation of the FWC's manatee management plan. This comprehensive, strategic plan aims to manage the manatee population into the future by securing habitat and minimizing threats. The manatee plan includes key research, rescue and management conservation measures necessary to maintain manatees throughout the state.

The sea turtle and manatee also are featured on decals. The funds collected for the decals also help fund research and conservation efforts. The decals are on sale for $5 each at Florida tax collectors' offices, or as a voluntary add-on to boat registration fees. Decals from previous years are available from MyFWC.com/SeaTurtle andMyFWC.com/Manatee.

Specialty license plates are available at all county tax collectors' offices, as well as online at www.buyaplate.com. For more information on the impacts of the cold snap on Florida's wildlife, visit the "Quick Clicks" area of MyFWC.com. -- Jay Cassell

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack yesterday announced the creation of the Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council to promote and preserve America's hunting heritage.

"Sportsmen and women applaud both Secretary Salazar and Secretary Vilsack for providing us with a seat at the table through a formal advisory role on key issues of concern to hunter conservationists," said CSF President Jeff Crane. "Revenue generated from hunting licenses, duck stamps and excise taxes on firearms, ammunition and archery equipment provides billions of dollars for habitat across the nation, and provides the principal source of funding for state wildlife agencies."

The press conference and Charter signing was held at Theodore Roosevelt Island National Memorial in Washington, D.C, and was attended by many hunting, fishing and conservation organizations, including the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation (CSF), who look to be a part of the new Federal Advisory Council on Wildlife Conservation and Hunting Issues. Montana Governor Brian Schweitzerwas also on hand to lend his support for the new advisory council.

"Theodore Roosevelt understood the vital role that hunting plays in American life, as well as the importance of protecting lands and wildlife to sustain that tradition," said Secretary Salazar. "The early efforts of America's hunters and anglers to preserve our nation's wildlife heritage fueled the modern conservation movement and left us the natural bounty we are now entrusted with protecting."

The new federal advisory provides a forum for sports men and women to advise the Federal government on policies related to wildlife and habitat conservation endeavors that (a) benefit recreational hunting; (b) benefit wildlife resources; and (c) encourage partnership among the public, the sporting conservation community, the shooting and hunting sports industry, wildlife conservation organizations, the States, Native American tribes, and the Federal government.

"Today's conservation challenges demand that we all step forward and embrace the important work necessary to maintain and conserve the wildlife habitat and water resources that are so important to America's hunting and angling heritage," said Secretary Vilsack.

The new Council replaces the previously existing Sporting Conservation Council (SCC) by expanding membership to include the archery, hunting and shooting sports industries, as well as including broader representation from the nation's major hunting organizations. Crane served as Vice Chairman of the SCC, and CSF Board Member, Bob Model, served as Chairman of the SCC.

A podcast of today's announcement is available at: http://doi.gov/news/podcasts/-- Jay Cassell

February 3, 2010 (WASHINGTON, DC) - Member organizations of the Cooperative Alliance for Refuge Enhancement (C.A.R.E), including the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation (CSF), reaffirmed their commitment to the National Wildlife Refuge System today in a meeting at the U.S. Department of Interior (DOI).

Department of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, along with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director, Sam Hamilton, and Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks and DOI Chief of Staff Tom Strickland spoke to the members about the importance of the National Wildlife Refuge System and the collective efforts of the C.A.R.E. coalition to support necessary funding to the system.

"The conservation agenda for the 21st century should surpass the conservation agenda that goes back to the days of Theodore Roosevelt," said Secretary Salazar. "We are doing some heavy lifting against the backdrop of huge budget deficits, including funding for the refuge system and DOI in general."

"Sportsmen's access to America's refuge system is a key to maintaining sportsmen support, especially in light of the fact that waterfowl hunters help pay for the refuge system through the federal duck stamp program," said CSF President Jeff Crane.

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the founding of C.A.R.E as it was created in 1995 as a loose coalition of diverse organizations concerned about the ability of our National Wildlife Refuges to fulfill their missions. C.A.R.E has worked together as a coalition representing over 15 million Americans who enjoy wildlife refuges for hunting, fishing, and conservation and whose purpose is to increase the level of operations and maintenance funding for the 150 million acre system.

With support from CSF through the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus, along with the other member organizations of C.A.R.E., the system has received a steady increase of funding, and C.A.R. E. has requested $578 million in operations and maintenance funding for 2011, which is an increase of $75 million over FY 2010.

"A more targeted approach with engagement by sportsmen might broaden bipartisan appeal on Capitol Hill, potentially leading to the increased funding sought by the C.A.R.E. partners," offered Strickland.

The current members of CARE are:

American Birding Association
American Fisheries Society
American Sportfishing Association
Assateague Coastal Trust
Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation
Defenders of Wildlife
Ducks Unlimited
Izaak Walton League of America
National Audubon Society
National Rifle Association of America
National Wildlife Federation
National Wildlife Refuge Association
Safari Club International
The Corps Network
The Nature Conservancy
The Wilderness Society
The Wildlife Society
Trout Unlimited
U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance
Wildlife Forever
Wildlife Management Institute