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NWTF's Nebraska State Chapter Announces 2009 Funding
EDGEFIELD, S.C. The National Wild Turkey Federation's (NWTF) Nebraska State Chapter budgeted $79,333 from its state Hunting Heritage Super Fund to invest in outreach, education, conservation, increased public land access and other projects in 2009.
The NWTF Super Fund is administered jointly by the NWTF, its state and provincial chapters and wildlife agencies, and supports conservation and education programs.
Since 1985, NWTF chapters in Nebraska have raised and spent more than $441,526 on wildlife habitat enhancements, land purchases, education, outreach and more within the state. NWTF chapters and cooperating partners across North America have raised and spent more than $286 million upholding hunting traditions and conserving nearly 14 million acres of wildlife habitat.
"The Nebraska State Chapter is dedicated to improving land access and wildlife habitat, and is backing up their commitment with the funds to make needed changes," said James Earl Kennamer, Ph.D., the NWTF's chief conservation officer. "By directing dollars to land access and wildlife habitat improvements, and strengthening outreach and education programs, the Nebraska State Chapter is helping enhance habitat for all kinds of wildlife while making a better outdoor experience, not just for hunters but for everyone."
Hunters are important to the state's economy, too. The Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation reports that Nebraska hunters spend $259 million and 1.5 million days afield pursuing their sport each year.
The NWTF's Nebraska State Board of Directors dedicated $79,333 to accomplish the following Hunting Heritage Super Fund projects in 2009, which will benefit Nebraska's resident and non-resident sportsmen:
- · $15,000 to purchase a skid steer that will be used to remove invasive trees in grasslands and woodlands on the Grove Lake Wildlife Management Area (WMA) near Royal, Neb., in Antelope County. Removing undesirable trees like eastern red cedar can improve the quality of woodlands and grasslands, which are valuable brood-rearing and nesting habitat.
- · $13,375 to uphold outdoor traditions through supporting the United States Sportsmen's Alliance (USSA) and the NWTF's JAKES (Juniors Acquiring Knowledge, Ethics and Sportsmanship), Women in the Outdoors and Wheelin' Sportsmen outreach programs, educational programs and scholarships for youth. Of this money, the Nebraska State Chapter will donate $6,000 to fund state and local scholarships for youth; $3,375 to support JAKES outreach programs; $1,900 to purchase Wild About Turkey Education Boxes, which help educators teach their students about wildlife and conservation; $1,400 to fund Women in the Outdoors outreach programs; $500 to the USSA; and $200 to fund Wheelin' Sportsmen NWTF programs to help introduce people with disabilities to outdoor activities.
- · $12,000 allocated to support the NWTF's Southern Great Plains Riparian Initiative, which enhances riparian areas, or areas along streams and rivers that are prime habitat for both game and non-game species. Projects planned for 2009 will occur across the state on state and federal lands and include:
- · Removing invasive eastern red cedar and Russian olive trees from cottonwood stands along the Republican River on the Swanson WMA in Hitchcock County. Cottonwood trees are the primary native roosting trees for wild turkeys in western Nebraska.
- · Removing honey locust and Siberian elms from cottonwood stands along Frenchman Creek on the Enders Wildlife Management Area in southwestern Nebraska's Chase County.
- · $8,300 to support 4-H shooting sports for youth in Nebraska. Of this money, the Nebraska State Chapter will donate $5,000 to purchase shooting equipment for new county shooting programs; $1,500 to purchase archery equipment for the Eastern Nebraska 4-H Center; $1,000 to purchase archery and shotgun equipment for the Boyd County 4-H Shooting Sports program; and $800 to purchase archery targets for the Nebraska 4-H archery trailer.
- · $6,008 allocated to fund organizational dues, travel expenses to professional meetings, special NWTF projects, chapter rebates and more.
- · $5,000 allocated to conduct controlled burns and establish a forested riparian buffer through tree planting around Harlan County Lake. A riparian buffer is a forested zone adjacent to a river that filters water runoff and provides wildlife habitat. These wooded corridors also connect wooded areas to allow safe travel for wildlife.
- · $5,000 allocated to purchase 708 acres in northwestern Nebraska's Dawes County as part of the NWTF's More Places to Hunt initiative. The Pine Ridge Stewardship and Legacy Project land purchase will be funded through matching funds.
- · $5,000 allocated to provide additional hunter access to deer and wild turkey habitat on private lands throughout Nebraska by supporting the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission's new Expanded Access Program.
- · $5,000 allocated in matching funds to purchase land to expand the Wood Duck WMA in northeastern Nebraska's Stanton County. This project will provide additional acres of public access for hunters in eastern Nebraska, where the majority of Nebraska's population resides.
- · $2,500 allocated in matching funds for a Nebraska Environmental Trust Grant to restore habitat along the Republican River in Nuckolls and Webster counties. Projects will include thinning undesirable trees from cottonwood forests and restoring native grasslands where non-native grasses such as brome occur, which will provide improved nesting and brood rearing habitat for wild turkeys, pheasants and quail.
- · $1,400 allocated to purchase a drop net for wild turkey trapping in northeastern Nebraska. Since the 1950s, state and provincial wildlife agencies have moved more than 195,000 wild turkeys to suitable habitat across North America. The NWTF, its volunteers and partners joined the fight to help restore turkey populations in North America in the late 1980s, which greatly accelerated these efforts through purchasing trapping equipment, transfer boxes and help in coordinating wild turkey transfers between states, provinces and nations.
- · $750 allocated to support for the Nebraska Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program, which helps youth ages 8 to 18 learn about wildlife, conservation and land management.
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