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

BioLogic, the world’s leader in food plot research, has announced the development of a new, unique food plot planting. What if there were a plant that was irresistible to whitetails? What if the same planting helped to suppress weeds, improve soil nutrients, break up compacted soils and dramatically improved the soil for future crops? Most would say it sounds like we may have stumbled across “the magic bean,” but in this case it’s a new generation of radish developed for deer, introducing “BioLogic’s Endurance Radish!”

BioLogic’s exclusive New Zealand Endurance Radish is a unique, new generation of late flowering, soft-leaf type forage radish with high quality, large tuber and prolific leaf material. It is a new generation radish cultivar capable of growing extremely browse tolerant and nutrient-dense forage with advanced regrowth and cold tolerance over traditional radishes.

In testing we have found that in addition to the desirable cover crop characteristics described above, these new radishes are some of the most attractive plants to whitetails we have EVER seen. These radishes are brassicas, just like others that BioLogic has made famous, but are attractive to deer earlier during the season than many other brassica types. However, because of the superior browse tolerance of this new cultivar the plants will continue to pump out more forage, even after being browsed, providing nutrient-rich forage for months of attraction and herd health. They’re tough, too, in addition to being browse tolerant, they are drought tolerant and cold hardy, too. Read more

New Haven, Mo. – ALPS Mountaineering, manufacturer of performance-driven gear for wilderness adventures, exploration, and family camping, expands its backcountry shelter lineup for 2024 with the release of the all-new Stealth Bivy. Designed for the minimalist backpacker, the Stealth Bivy combines durable, ultra-lightweight construction with integrated features to make bivouacking comfortable and convenient.

The Stealth Bivy is made of a durable, waterproof, and breathable fabric with a heavy-weight floor. All seams are fully taped to withstand the toughest weather, while no-see-um mesh over the head and foot vents offer maximum ventilation to keep bugs out and minimize condensation.

A key feature of the Stealth Bivy is its ingenious step-in design. The longer covered zipper path is designed to eliminate the need for the user to crawl across wet ground and slide their way into the shelter. It also allows for easier and more comfortable dressing and undressing while on your adventure. Read more