An example of an elevated wildlife highway crossing near the Arizona-Nevada state line.

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — The Kaibab and Coconino national forests are seeking public comments about a proposal to install up to three new wildlife highway crossings in northern Arizona, pending funding availability. The goal: keep motorists safe and allow wildlife to safely cross interstates.

The proposal, brought forward by the Arizona Game and Fish Department in collaboration with the Arizona Department of Transportation, is based on years of study.

The proposed crossings would be located on Interstate 17 south of Kachina Village, on I-17 north of the Willard Springs exit and on I-40 west of Parks. Read more

Whitetails Unlimited has completed its 2022-23 fiscal year where 2,099 grants were awarded, totaling $3,671,022 in mission-related projects. Through its Grassroots Program, and with the assistance of their dedicated volunteers and members, WTU has grown and developed its four pillar programs which include Staying on Target, H.O.P.E. for Wildlife, Preserving the Hunting Tradition, and the D.E.E.R. program.

Over the past 41 years Whitetails Unlimited has recruited thousands of conservation minded individuals to join its ranks as members. These WTU members share similar values with others concerned about the white-tailed deer, its habitat, and the future of deer hunting. Their continued dedication will remain a vital ingredient in the organization’s formula for success as they continue their journey through the 21st century. Read more

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service has published a report that provides a snapshot of current U.S. forest and rangeland conditions and projects conditions 50 years into the future. The Resources Planning Act Assessment report uses a mixture of scientific, climate and economic projections to identify drivers of change, resources and trends across all land ownerships, as well as summarize probable outcomes for nature-based economies.

The Resources Planning Act Assessment is published every decade with mid-decade updates and can be used to inform policies, management decisions and research efforts. Resources covered include forests, rangelands, urban forests, forest products, carbon, fish and wildlife, biodiversity, outdoor recreation, water, and the effects of socioeconomic and climate change. The Forest Service uses the assessment and other tools, to help inform efforts like land management plans, which set the long-term management direction and guidance for each national forest and grassland.

“This assessment provides a critical window into the risks facing our forests, rangelands, and communities across the U.S. now and into the future. Socioeconomic changes and the effects of a changing climate are leading to shifts in disturbances, including wildfires, that strain our natural resources and leads to increasing challenges for land managers and owners,” said Forest Service Chief Randy Moore. “Projections made years ago are now proving accurate, with forests in many states, particularly in the Intermountain West, slowly becoming net emitters of carbon. The Forest Service, boosted by extraordinary investments and grounded in the type of sound science this assessment provides, is working to tackle these issues through such efforts as implementing the wildfire crisis strategy, increasing reforestation, and working across ownership boundaries. This requires a national all-in effort today to mitigate the projected issues of tomorrow and in the future.” Read more

The first in a series of videos promoting the fact that outdoor industry manufacturers, state wildlife agencies, and America’s 60+ million active HATS (Hunters, Anglers, Trappers, and Shooters) fund and manage wildlife conservation and target shooting opportunities has been released.

The video, “Connecting with Conservation – Creedmoor Sports and Outdoor Alabama,” features staff from Creedmoor Sports and the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) touring Creedmoor Sports headquarters in Anniston, AL and visiting the site of a newly acquired property that ADCNR plans to develop into a multi-million-dollar hunting and shooting sports area for Alabamians to enjoy.

“It was great to see all the hard work being done by the good folks at ADCNR to expand target shooting opportunities here in Alabama. We learned a great deal about how these ranges are financed, and Creedmoor Sports is glad to support such efforts through the excise taxes we pay. We certainly want to thank our customers for their patronage and inform them that their purchases of items like firearms and ammunition are a primary funding source for ADCNR’s Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division which allows them to build and enhance such shooting ranges.” noted John Teachey, Vice President of Operations and Marketing at Creedmoor Sports. Read more

Continuing a family conservation mindset dating back to the early 1900s, landowners worked with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) and partners to conserve important habitat for elk, mule deer and other wildlife, and bolster hunting access to adjacent public lands in southeast Wyoming.

“We salute the conservation ethic of our landowner partners,” said Kyle Weaver, RMEF president and CEO. “Entering into a voluntary conservation agreement with RMEF allows the family to continue to steward their land and maintain its wildlife values while also providing pivotal access through it to improve hunting opportunity on nearby public land.”

The property is about 35 miles northwest of Laramie and is mostly surrounded on three sides by state and federal land. In addition to conserving their land in perpetuity, the landowners and their neighbors extended an existing agreement, managed by WGFD, from five to 20 years for a road access easement that reaches adjacent lands administered by the State of Wyoming, Bureau of Land Management and Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest. Read more