COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife is concluding a two-year long investigation into illegally harvested and dealt ginseng. The operation involved the illegal trafficking of ginseng in Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, New York, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Indiana. The operation was conducted in coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The investigation, which ran from 2018 to 2020, spanned 21 Ohio counties and resulted in 110 defendants being charged with a combined 259 violations. Charges included the illegal harvest of ginseng, falsification or failure to keep ginseng records, illegal purchase of ginseng, and harvest of ginseng without permission. During the investigation, seven individuals were charged for the manufacture, possession, or sale of illicit drugs.

Defendants in the case combined to pay $76,178 in fines and $21,633.05 in court costs, with an additional $20,871.68 in cash being forfeited. Courts ordered a total of 7,986 days of jail time; 2,068 days were served, and the rest was suspended. Those charged with drug-related crimes were ordered to serve 12 to 15 years in prison. Additional penalties included probation, community service, home confinement, suspension of ginseng dealer permits, and suspension of digging ginseng. Read more

Game Warden K9 Gordon and Game Warden Preston Pomerleau located a missing 64-year-old man early Thursday morning after he became lost behind the vacation house he was renting while looking for moose tracks.

At approximately 10:15 last night, the Maine Warden Service received a call that Donald Cook, age 64 of Harrisburg, Virginia, was reported missing by his family. The family had returned home to their rental place at about 3:30 and Cook was missing, and they could not find him despite searching for several hours.

Several game wardens responded to the scene to search for Cook at approximately 11:00 p.m. last night, including a warden K9. K9 Gordon and Warden Pomerleau searched the area, and after nearly two hours of searching, K9 Gordon located Cook in the woods at a little after 1:00 a.m. this morning, approximately one half mile from the rental home.

Cook was dehydrated and cold. Game Wardens gave Cook some water, and warm clothes, then assisted him out of the woods. Cook said he had gone out back to look for moose tracks, but got lost after he left the trail behind the house. Cook was examined by emergency medical personnel from Caribou Ambulance but did not need to be transported to the hospital and he was released.

The Maine Warden Service was assisted by the Aroostook Sheriff’s Office and caribou ambulance. This release will be updated if more information becomes available.

Private landowners from Missouri recently attended a workshop to learn about the importance of private land habitat management and the programs available to facilitate it.

The NWTF recently partnered with the Missouri Department of Conservation to host 17 private landowners on a field-tour workshop in Wright County, presenting information about active management and its benefits for private landowners.

“While the terms forest and woodland are often used to mean the same thing in everyday language, they are two distinct habitats,” said Will Rechkemmer, NWTF Missouri wildlife biologist. “Forests have a predominately closed canopy and allow little light to reach the ground. Woodland habitats, however, have an open canopy that allows sunlight to reach the forest floor and allows native grasses and wildflowers to flourish, creating the early successional habitat that wild turkeys and many other species need. It enhances overall ecological value while providing landowners with better wildlife viewing and hunting opportunities. Restored woodlands also provide high quality nesting and brooding cover for wild turkeys, which is severely lacking across the landscape.” Read more

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Monday signed legislation creating more opportunities for quality outdoor recreation by authorizing $23.3 million in Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grants.

“From camping and kayaking to swimming and snowmobiling, Pure Michigan offers us world-class recreation right in our backyard,” said Gov. Whitmer. “Since 1976, the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund has helped us protect our precious natural places and invested in accessible outdoor public recreation. Today’s grants will fund 45 projects across the state, anchoring communities, spurring local economies and making our state a better place to live.”

House Bill 4437 approves funding for the 45 recreation development projects and land purchases recommended by the board. It is now Public Act 119 of 2023. Read more

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) revised the state of Michigan’s interior hemlock woolly adelgid quarantine. The new quarantine is effective on August 1, 2023.

The updated quarantine now includes Benzie and Manistee counties as well as a portion of Washtenaw County in and around the Nichols Arboretum after the pest was identified in these areas. The previous interior hemlock woolly adelgid quarantine regulated movement of hemlock in Allegan, Mason, Muskegon, Oceana, and Ottawa counties.

The quarantine regulates the movement of hemlock and tiger-tail spruce trees, forest products and nursery stock, with some exceptions, from the quarantine areas to other locations within the state. Read more

If you are looking for a good perennial to add to a garden space, Bee Balm comes in a variety of colors, but emphasize red flowering plants, which are most attractive to hummingbirds (red flowers produce nectar with a higher sugar content).

Red Hot Poker plants are among the variety of “hummingbird plants” that flower well under drier conditions.

It’s a great time to take a second look at your yard with birds in mind now that the summer growing season has provided what may be the peak of greenery in your trees, shrubs, garden, and lawn, and while many of your flowering plants are in bloom as part of a succession of plants in flower – with more on the way. Take it all in, and at the same time, remember your spring flowering trees and the birds that were attracted, and think about the flowers that have attracted the most hummingbirds. Remember the tall grasses and flowering plants that provided winter and early spring forage and cover for birds, and consider how you can improve and expand on your successes. Read more

Outdoor lovers, conservation-minded folks and anyone who wants to help wildlife thrive – the Michigan Department of Natural Resources is hiring for a variety of temporary wildlife positions that may be right for you! Based throughout the Lower Peninsula, these fall jobs could be especially attractive to college students, those looking to reenter the workforce, or seniors and retirees who want to get more involved in the outdoors.

Whether you’re looking to gain new skills or seeking an interesting job steeped in natural resources, the DNR Wildlife Division has several options. Temporary fall workers are crucial to maintaining the healthy wildlife populations that are central to quality hunting and wildlife watching experiences. People in these roles help deliver:

• • Surveillance for chronic wasting disease in deer.
  • Support for seamless managed waterfowl hunt drawings.
  • Answers and information to customers with wildlife-related questions.

Read more

Wyoming’s elk, mule deer, pronghorn antelope and other wildlife populations are getting a helping hand thanks to an allocation of $10,764,859 from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and its partners. The grant funding supports 33 projects across the Cowboy State.

“There continues to be a great need to restore aspen, fight noxious weeds, establish wildlife-friendly fencing and create public access for hunting and other recreational activities,” said Blake Henning, RMEF chief conservation officer. “This funding will help all those efforts while also bolstering scientific research and advancing Wyoming’s traditional hunting lifestyle.”

Twenty-three conservation projects will benefit 17,643 acres of habitat, including land protection and public access, while the other 10 are focused on outdoor and hunting heritage efforts. Read more