Posts Tagged ‘us fish and wildlife service’

Create Holiday Memories in Nature

For Release on December 16, 2009
Contact: Valerie Fellows (703) 358-2285

The weather may be chilly, but it’s still a great time to get outside and see birds, mammals and a host of other wildlife species in your own neighborhood. This holiday season, create lifetime memories and establish new family traditions by getting outdoors with your camera and capturing photos of yourself and your family and friends exploring nature.

Visit a national wildlife refuge, a national fish hatchery, or even a stream or woods in your own neighborhood. Then share your best photos of you and your family enjoying the natural world with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and its Let’s Go Outside photo project, which already includes more than 4,000 images. Your photos will become part of an online image mosaic being compiled from thousands of photos.

Here’s all you have to do:

Read more…

Public Comment Sought on Proposed Land Exchange Between WDFW and WDNR (Washington)

NEWS RELEASE
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091

November 18, 2009
Contact: Jennifer Quan, 360-902-2508

Olympia, WA – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) invites public comment through Dec. 16 on a proposal to exchange additional land in eastern Washington with the Washington Department of Natural Resources (WDNR).

In the second phase of a major land exchange proposed by the two agencies, WDFW would acquire approximately 25,849 acres of shrub-steppe and lower-elevation forest habitats, while WDNR would acquire approximately 12,424 acres of higher elevation forest habitat.

The proposed exchange would affect properties in Kittitas, Okanogan, Klickitat, Yakima, Asotin and Chelan counties.

“This proposal continues our work with WDNR to more efficiently and effectively manage lands for wildlife that have been fragmented for more than a century,” said Jennifer Quan, WDFW lands division manager.

WDFW and other agencies involved in the proposed land exchange are accepting comments on a joint Environmental Assessment document that addresses both state and federal regulatory requirements.

Because the proposed land exchange is administrative in nature, WDFW has proposed a determination of non-significance (DNS) in the Environmental Assessment under provisions of State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA).

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service, which provided funding for some of the lands involved in the exchange, are also accepting public comments on the proposed action under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

A copy of the joint Environmental Assessment, which includes a description and maps of the proposed land exchange, is available on the WDFW website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/hab/sepa/sepa.htm. Comments on the document can made through Dec. 16 on that webpage, by FAX (360-902-2946), or by postal mail to WDFW SEPA Desk, 600 Capitol Way N., Olympia, WA 98501-1091.

In the first phase of the land exchange, finalized in August, WDFW acquired 9,000 acres and WDNR acquired 5,100 acres.

Quan said much of the public land owned by the state in eastern Washington is arranged in a checkerboard pattern, due to the way lands were distributed after statehood in 1889. That left wildlife habitat fragmented, increasing both the cost and the difficulty of effectively managing those lands over the long term.

In one large area of central Washington, WDNR and WDFW own or manage every other square mile across a 170,000-acre landscape with different management goals and legal mandates. Exchanging lands would allow each agency to better address its specific management goals without reducing the total amount of public land available for wildlife or recreation, Quan said.

The primary benefits of the exchange would:

• Protect and enhance habitat for big-game species (e.g. elk, mule deer, bighorn sheep), shrub-steppe species (e.g. sage grouse, sage thrasher, sage sparrow, Brewer’s sparrow), and forest species (e.g. goshawk, pileated woodpecker, white headed woodpecker, forest grouse).
• Maintain public access and recreation on public lands.
• Generate revenue for WDNR trust beneficiaries such as public schools.

http://wdfw.wa.gov/do/newreal/release.php?id=nov1809b

Enjoy Fall at a National Wildlife Refuge

For Release on August 4, 2009

Contacts:
Vanessa Kauffman, 703-358-2138, vanessa_kauffman@fws.gov
Martha Nudel, 703-358-1858, martha_nudel@fws.gov

Enjoy Fall at a National Wildlife Refuge

A world of seasonal wonders awaits you this fall at a National Wildlife Refuge. The National Wildlife Refuge System, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is the world?s premier system of public lands and waters
set aside to conserve America?s fish, wildlife and plants. There is a National Wildlife Refuge within an hour?s drive of most major cities.

Premier Hunting Experiences Accessible?

Where is the closest National Wildlife Refuge that offers turkey hunting for people with disabilities?

You don?t need to guess or start phoning names on a long list. A new National Wildlife Refuge System interactive Web site, Your Guide to Hunting on National Wildlife Refuges, (http://www.fws.gov/refuges/hunting) provides
hunters with an easy search mechanism to find a refuge by special interest, such as game species (i.e. deer, waterfowl, big game), zip code, youth or special needs (i.e. universally accessible), or using any combination of
topics. You can also search by a refuge name or state name.

More than 2 million hunters visit National Wildlife Refuges each year. Hunting, within specified limits, is permitted on more than 300 refuges. Of these, 43, including Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Maryland and
Bald Knob National Wildlife Refuge in Arizona offer accessible turkey hunting; 97 refuges offer youth hunts.

While definitions of hunting categories vary by refuge and state, migratory bird hunting generally includes ducks and geese. Small game hunting includes animals, such as rabbit, squirrel and raccoon. Big game hunting may cover animals like elk, moose and bear.

Refuge hunts are carefully managed to give hunters a quality experience according to four guiding principles: manage wildlife populations consistent with approved management plans; promote visitor understanding and appreciation for America?s natural wildlife resources; provide quality recreational and educational experiences; and minimize conflicts with visitors participating in other wildlife-dependent recreational activities.

The instructive Web site offers additional information and includes tips to hunters, facts on archery hunting, special stories about hunting in Alaska and becoming a more effective waterfowl hunter. In addition, information on state hunting licenses is provided. For those who wish to bring the guide with them; it is available as a downloadable publication organized by state.

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and
trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.