CONSERVATION

NSSF's Partner with a Payer program showcases how federal excise taxes from firearm and ammunition manufacturers fund conservation. The initiative featured Arizona's Ben Avery Shooting Facility, the Arizona Game and Fish Department, and Remington Ammunition, demonstrating how Pittman-Robertson Act funding supports wildlife restoration, hunter education, and public shooting access across all 50 states.

Maryland's Chesapeake Bay underwater grass coverage expanded from 36,799 acres in 2024 to 41,419 acres in 2025, a 13% increase representing about 36% of the state's 114,065-acre restoration target. The Virginia Institute of Marine Science conducted the annual survey, with Maryland DNR and the Chesapeake Bay Program SAV Workgroup leading restoration efforts.

Safari Club International (SCI) and the Wyoming Outfitters and Guides Association (WYOGA) support the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the National Elk Refuge Bison and Elk Management Plan, which prioritizes hunting as a conservation tool and adaptive management to protect Jackson elk while addressing disease risks.

SCI Foundation partners with Japan's Wildlife Management Office to study Asiatic black bear populations through DNA sampling and GPS collar tracking. The collaborative research aims to improve bear management and reduce human-wildlife conflict across Japan's Kanto Region.

Turkeys for Tomorrow, Ruffed Grouse Society, and American Woodcock Society are collaborating on the Big Mountain Conservation Project in Pennsylvania's Weiser State Forest to restore wild turkey and grouse habitat through mechanical cutting, herbicide treatment, and herbaceous seeding through 2028.

Three wildlife underpasses on U.S. Highway 30 south of Montpelier will be completed this fall through collaboration between Greater Yellowstone Coalition, Idaho Fish and Game, Idaho Transportation Department, and Idaho Conservation League. The $20.8 million project aims to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions by up to 97 percent while protecting migrating mule deer.

Nebraska's Trout in the Classroom program, sponsored by Nebraska Trout Unlimited Chapter 710 and coordinated by Nebraska Game and Parks, has extended its application deadline to September 8 for teachers interested in raising live fish in classrooms and earning scholarships for the 2026-2027 school year.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife  has published guidance on conserving four bumble bee species—Crotch's, Franklin's, Western, and Suckley's cuckoo bumble bees—that became CESA candidates in September 2022. The document provides life history, ecology, and conservation measures to help avoid or minimize impacts to these protected species.

Delta Waterfowl achieved record revenues exceeding $50 million in its 2025-26 fiscal year, enabling expanded duck production, habitat conservation, and hunter education programs. The organization operated 51 Predator Management sites and 16,525 Hen Houses, adding 170,000 ducks to the fall flight, with plans to increase production to 200,000 ducks in 2027.

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.