Family-Outdoors

JEFFERSON CITY Mo -- The Missouri National Archery in the Schools Program (MoNASP) will hold its 2011 state tournament Feb 25-26 at Linn State Technical College Student Activity Center, One Technology Drive in Linn. Almost 1,000 students from around the state will participate. MoNASP is coordinated through the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) in partnership with schools and supporting organizations throughout the state. MoNASP is an affiliate of the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) and promotes education, self-esteem and physical activity for students in grades 4-12 through participation in the sport of archery. More than 25,000 Missouri students from 148 schools participate in MoNASP. Since NASP's beginnings in 2002, more than seven million students have participated in the program through 7,350 schools in 47 states and five countries. Related articles Students Opt Out of Gym Despite Obesity Epidemic (abcnews.go.com) Utah students dazzl...

Image via Wikipedia The President’s FY 2012 budget request of $1.7 billion for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) will focus funding on the agency’s highest priority conservation initiatives, such as the America’s Great Outdoors initiative, while containing costs through management efficiencies and other savings.  The requested $1.7 billion is a net increase of $47.9 million compared to the FY 2010 enacted budget.  The budget also includes approximately $1 billion available under permanent appropriations, most of which will be provided directly to States for fish and wildlife restoration and conservation. “In these hard economic times the Service recognizes budget requests are very challenging as difficult choices have to be made,” said Acting Fish and Wildlife Service Director Rowan Gould. “The investments considered for this budget will support the Service’s mission to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the con...

Image via Wikipedia This invasive alga smothers aquatic life vital to the food chain that supports fish such as trout. JEFFERSON CITY Mo – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) will hold public open-house forums in March and April to help educate anglers and boaters about the dangers of “didymo” or “rock snot.” This invasive alga forms large, thick mats on the bottom of lakes and streams, smothering aquatic life vital to the food chain that supports many fish species, including trout. Didymo ( Didymosphenia geminata ) has been found just south of the Missouri-Arkansas border in the White River. According to MDC Fisheries Biologist Mark VanPatten, preventing the spread of this invasive species is critical to the health of Missouri’s lakes and streams. He added that recreational equipment such as boats, lifejackets, and fishing gear -- particularly waders -- are the most likely ways for Didymo to spread into Missouri.  “In addition to educating anglers and boa...

WASHINGTON, D.C. – President Barack Obama today announced the Administration’s action plan, under the America’s Great Outdoors initiative, to achieve lasting conservation of the outdoor spaces that power our nation’s economy, shape our culture, and build our outdoor traditions. By making the Federal Government a better partner with American communities, this initiative seeks to reinvigorate our approach to conservation and reconnect Americans, especially young people, with the lands and waters that are used for farming and ranching, hunting and fishing, and for families to spend quality time together.  Recognizing that many of these places and resources are disappearing and under intense pressure, the President established the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative last April to work with the American people in developing a conservation and recreation agenda that makes sense for the 21st century. Recognizing that the best ideas come from outside Washington, the report r...

JEFFERSON CITY Mo – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) has just confirmed a mountain lion sighting in southern Linn County along the border of Chariton County. A landowner in the area contacted the MDC on Feb. 15 with two photos of a mountain lion taken Dec. 29 by a trail camera on his property. “The photo is clearly of a mountain lion and we have confirmed the location,” said Jeff Beringer, resource scientist with the MDC’s Mountain Lion Response Team. “It may be wearing a radio collar based on what appears to be an antenna extending from the cat’s neck.” The Linn County location is about 25 miles from where a mountain was shot and killed in Macon County on Jan. 22.  This latest confirmed sighting makes five confirmed reports of a mountain lion in Missouri since November and 15 confirmed reports over the past 16 years. Beringer said that it appears these mountain lions are young males roaming from other states in search of territory. “It is very difficult...

Image via Wikipedia Hunting and fishing industry, as well as recreational shooters, hunters, boaters, and anglers, continue to fund conservation in the nation WASHINGTON, D.C. — Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced today the distribution of more than -$749 million in excise tax revenues generated by sportsmen and women to state and territorial fish and wildlife agencies through the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration and Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Programs. “Hunters and anglers have provided the foundation for wildlife conservation in America for more than 75 years. They continue to provide dedicated, critical funding for fish and wildlife agencies across the nation, especially at a time when many state budgets are under pressure,” said Secretary Salazar. “These funds will support important fish and wildlife management and conservation, recreational boating access, and hunter and aquatic education programs.” Program funds come from excise tax...