CONSERVATION

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.

Grand Slam Club/Ovis has pledged a five-year commitment to Wild Giants Conservation Fund to support rewilding efforts in the Republic of Georgia, including habitat restoration and community-led conservation. The partnership aims to restore native species like Bezoar Ibex to their historic range in the Caucasus.

The Indiana Conservation Partnership announced 2025 conservation accomplishments, with landowners installing over 44,800 new conservation practices and preventing 2.1 million tons of sediment from entering waterways. Hoosier farmers planted 242,000 acres of cover crops and implemented 217,000 acres of conservation tillage with ICP assistance.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service downlisted the razorback sucker from endangered to threatened, marking a significant conservation milestone after 30+ years of collaborative efforts by Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, federal agencies, tribes, and the Arizona Game and Fish Department.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks accepted an 82-acre island donation from Trust for Public Land on the upper Yellowstone River, creating Siskin Island Fishing Access Site. The acquisition protects riparian habitat, expands public access, and will be managed for conservation and recreation including float-in camping and fishing.

Governor Mike Braun and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources announced the acquisition of 15 acres of forested land for Austin Bottoms Conservation Area in Scott County. The Central Indiana Land Trust purchased the property and conveyed it to DNR, which used President Benjamin Harrison Conservation Trust funds from blue Environmental license plate sales to complete the acquisition.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources, partnering with the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation and Lucas County Conservation Board, is restoring the newly acquired 356-acre Rathbun Wildlife Area in southeastern Lucas County through invasive species removal, prescribed fire, and wetland restoration to enhance habitat quality.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rescinded the blanket 4(d) rule under the Endangered Species Act, a policy victory championed by PERC and RMEF. The change enables more tailored, incentive-driven species recovery by rewarding conservation progress and encouraging habitat restoration by states and landowners.

The piping plover, absent from Pennsylvania for over 60 years, has achieved ten consecutive years of nesting at Presque Isle State Park in Erie. The Pennsylvania Game Commission, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Army Corps of Engineers, USDA, DCNR, Erie Bird Observatory, and Western Pennsylvania Conservancy collaborated to restore this federally endangered shorebird to the Commonwealth's beach ecosystem.

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources completed 133 habitat projects during fiscal year 2025, restoring or preserving over 114,277 acres across Utah with $55 million in funding from 49 partners. Projects included acquiring the Cook Wildlife Management Area in Daggett County and completing watershed restoration initiatives to improve mule deer populations and habitats.

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources and Parke Trails Alliance celebrated the opening of Phase 2 of the Parke Community Rail Trail in Jessup, a 2.5-mile hard-surface segment funded by a $5 million grant. The project connected Jessup and Catlin communities and relocated a historic 175-year-old Whipple truss bridge, aligning with Governor Mike Braun's commitment to outdoor recreation and healthy communities.

Wild Giants Conservation Fund officially launched with a mission to restore iconic wildlife in the Caucasus Mountains of the Republic of Georgia. Founded by Tanner Tripp, the organization combines rewilding, community partnerships, and sustainable economic development to rebuild wildlife populations while creating lasting economic opportunities for local communities.