Family-Outdoors

WASHINGTON  – As we celebrate American Wetlands Month, hundreds of bird species will benefit from $160 million in funding for various wetland conservation projects in North America. The funding was approved by the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission, which is chaired by U.S. Secretary of the Interior David L. Bernhardt. Of the approved funds, the Commission allocated $22.1 million under the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and its partners to conserve or restore more than 160,000 acres of wetland and associated upland habitats for waterfowl, shorebirds and other birds for 22 projects in 15 U.S. states. Partners will match these grants with an additional $50 million. “These dollars are from our great conservationists – the hunters and anglers who purchase migratory bird stamps,”  said Secretary Bernhardt . “These efforts support local economies and wildlife in numerous ways. As the country continues to reopen, access to o...

Wisconsin 2020 Elk Hunt Application Deadline Is May 31 MADISON, Wis.  – The Natural Resources Board on Wednesday approved a harvest quota of 10 bulls from the northern elk herd for the 2020 Wisconsin elk hunt, matching the number of tags from the 2019 season. Of the 10 tags, five will be awarded to state hunters, and the Ojibwe tribes will receive an allocation for the remaining five elk in accordance with treaty rights. Hunters have just a few days left to apply for the opportunity to participate in northern Wisconsin’s 2020 elk hunt, the third managed hunt in state history. Wisconsin residents can purchase elk tag applications through May 31 via  Go Wild , the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources license system. Each potential hunter may apply once online or by visiting a  license agent . The application fee is $10. For each application, $7 is earmarked for elk management and research in Wisconsin. During the first two hunting seasons, applicants generate...

MADISON, Wis.  – With a 45% increase in turtle crossing reports in the last year and a growing number of landowners taking action to protect turtle nests from raccoons, state conservation biologists are hopeful for the next generation of these hard-shelled reptiles. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ biologists are asking the public to continue reporting turtle crossings online for the DNR’s  Wisconsin Turtle Conservation Program . “We’ve seen tremendous growth in people reporting turtle crossings, sightings of rare turtle species, and in people actively protecting turtle nests on their land,” said Andrew Badje, who coordinates the Wisconsin Turtle Conservation Program for the DNR Natural Heritage Conservation Program. Since the DNR began requesting turtle crossing reports in 2012, the public has provided 2,903 turtle crossing location reports, with nearly 1,000 crossings identified in 2019 alone. Of those, Badje and colleagues have identified 47 locations as parti...