The South Carolina Waterfowl Association's Camp Woodie and Camp Leopold education staff partnered with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to band 98 wood ducks at Santee National Wildlife Refuge. The hands-on experience provided educators with professional development in wildlife research and management practices to enhance their educational programming.
The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, partnering with the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, and Trout Unlimited, will conduct a rotenone treatment in Mill Creek on September 1 to remove illegally-introduced brook trout and restore native Bonneville cutthroat trout populations.
Waterfowl hunting advocates raised $80,000 to restore operations at four Michigan DNR managed waterfowl areas this fall. Donations from Shiawassee Flats Citizens and Hunters Association, St. Clair Flats Waterfowlers and Harsens Island Waterfowl Hunters Association, Ducks Unlimited, Michigan Duck Hunters Association, and Delta Waterfowl will fund temporary staffing through Thanksgiving weekend.
Wildlife for Tomorrow announces the return of 820 Day on August 20, Arizona's statewide day of giving for wildlife. The second annual event celebrates Arizona's approximately 820 wildlife species and encourages donations to support habitat restoration, conservation, and education projects through the Arizona Game and Fish Department.
The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and Alabama People Against a Littered State invite volunteers to participate in the 39th Annual Alabama Coastal Cleanup on September 19, 2026, across Baldwin, Mobile, and Escambia counties. Since 1987, over 115,000 volunteers have removed 900 tons of marine debris through this International Coastal Cleanup effort.
The Upland Game Bird Enhancement Program (UGBEP) Projects Access Guide is now available, administering over 600 habitat projects conserving 370,000 acres of game bird habitat and providing 740,000 acres of hunting access. The guide includes project details, habitat management information, and maps for all FWP regions. Contact UGBEP coordinator Debbie Hohler for more information.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources acquired a conservation easement protecting over 73,000 acres in the Michigamme Highlands, including Mt. Arvon's peak and critical wildlife habitat. Funded by the Forest Legacy Program, Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Walmart's Acres for America, and Life Time Foundation, the project provides public recreational access and sustainable forest management.
The Vermont Bear Hound Association donated $3,042 to the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department to purchase two satellite GPS bear tracking collars for monitoring female bears and studying reproduction and population dynamics in the Green Mountains and Connecticut River Valley.
The Sportsmen's Alliance alerts hunters that three animal-rights amendments will be considered during the Senate Agriculture Committee's Farm Bill markup on August 5. The amendments include the Greyhound Protection Act, the FIGHT Act, and the SAFE Act, which could restrict hunting practices and wildlife management.
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission's Conservation Incentive Program has funded 585 landowner applications and improved over 16,000 acres in its first year. With $2.5 million in U.S. Forest Service funding, CIP 2.0 selected 349 landowners for 380 projects focusing on forestry practices, firebreaks, and prescribed burning to enhance wildlife habitat across Arkansas.
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission honored 31 Arkansas schools with School of Conservation Leadership designation for 2026-29, impacting 33,709 students. Derek Ratchford and Mary Beth Hatch noted the program's unique approach to K-12 conservation education, with Cohort 3 receiving 100 applications for the 2026-27 school year.
The Safari Club International Foundation's African Leopard Research Project completed a comprehensive leopard survey in Botswana using over 1,000 camera-trap stations, identifying 427 individual leopards. The data informed Botswana's 10-year Leopard Management Plan and CITES quota submission. The project is now expanding into South Africa through a partnership with the PHASA Foundation.
Wildlife for Tomorrow, the official nonprofit of the Arizona Game and Fish Department, announced the return of 820 Day on August 20, celebrating Arizona's approximately 820 wildlife species. The statewide day of giving invites residents and businesses to support conservation efforts through donations and community participation.
Governor Mike Braun and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources announced the acquisition of 51 acres in Greene County for Martin State Forest, funded through the President Benjamin Harrison Conservation Trust and the Indiana Natural Resources Foundation Tree Fund. The addition expands the forest to 9,735 acres and provides new public hunting and forest management opportunities.
Wildlife-friendly fencing along 5 miles of Highway 212 in southeast Montana helps restore a critical pronghorn migration corridor between Montana and Wyoming. FWP, landowners Doug Gardner, Robert Giacometto, and Andrew Cathey, plus partners including the Wyoming Migration Initiative, Montana's Outdoor Legacy Foundation, and the North American Pronghorn Foundation collaborated on the project informed by GPS collar research led by biologist Ryan DeVore and Wyoming Game & Fish's Erika Peckham.
Wild Giants Conservation Fund has begun production on a specialized wildlife enclosure in the Republic of Georgia for Bezoar ibex management as part of its Caucasus rewilding initiative. Founder Tanner Tripp emphasized the organization's commitment to transforming donor support into measurable conservation action while supporting habitat restoration and local communities.
The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources will coordinate with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service to conduct rotenone treatments in Fall Creek and North Fork Sheep Creek drainages in the High Uintas to remove non-native fish and restore native Colorado River cutthroat trout populations. Treatments are scheduled for August 2026, with temporary closures of affected waterbodies.
The Mule Deer Foundation received a $350,000 grant from the Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's Outdoor Fund to expand habitat conservation efforts across multiple states. The investment will improve or restore 20,000 acres of mule deer habitat and modify 25-30 miles of wildlife-friendly fencing across Great Plains states and southern Idaho.
Oregon's Initiative Petition 28, the "People for the Elimination of Animal Cruelty Exemptions (PEACE) Act," failed to gather sufficient signatures for the 2026 ballot. NSSF opposed the measure, which would have criminalized hunting, trapping, and livestock production, threatening Oregon's $9 billion outdoor recreation economy and wildlife funding sources.
The Michigan DNR acquired two significant properties in Q2 2026: the 40-acre Bavin Tract in Hillsdale County for Lost Nation State Game Area, and the 320-acre Thunder Bay River Headwaters Tract in Montmorency County for Atlanta Forest Management Unit. Ess Lake Development Corporation contributed $231,000 toward the Thunder Bay acquisition.