Hunters Applaud USDA Secretarial Memorandum Directing Coordination and Action for Wildlife Migration

October 21, 2024

Memo will formalize and expand USDA’s commitment to migration conservation and enhance benefits for wildlife habitat connectivity and corridors in partnership with public land managers, state agencies, Tribes, private landowners, and NGOs  

Today, hunters and conservationists celebrated the signing of a Memorandum from Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack that recognizes the importance of USDA’s role in conserving wildlife movement and migration habitats across public and private lands.

“This Secretarial Memo sends a clear message that the USDA recognizes the important role that the Department’s programs and policies play to enhance big game migration and habitat across the country,” said Joel Pedersen, president and CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “The TRCP thanks Secretary Vilsack and the USDA for their leadership to highlight how voluntary efforts can improve wildlife habitat on public and private lands, which is crucial to ensure the next generation of sportsmen and sportswomen can experience healthy big game herds.”

To date, the USDA’s Migratory Big Game Initiative has leveraged programs within the Natural Resource Conservation Service and Farm Services Agency to support voluntary private land conservation projects in Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho.

Today’s announcement enhances and expands upon this work and directs several USDA agencies, specifically NRCS, FSA, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to:

– Consider terrestrial wildlife habitat connectivity and corridors in relevant planning processes, programs, and assessments. This would include NRCS and FSA Farm Bill conservation programs, USFS Joint Chiefs Landscape Restoration Partnerships program, USFS land management planning and wildfire crisis planning, and APHIS wildlife disease management programs.

– Improve internal coordination and delivery of USDA planning processes and programs to increase outcomes for wildlife connectivity, such as through continued alignment of NRCS and FSA private landowner programs to maximize habitat connectivity outcomes, encouragement of innovation in conservation practices, and additional financial assistance.

– Improve coordination with states, Tribes, and other federal agencies, including recognition of Tribal sovereignty and individual state authorities, and improve direct collaboration with the Department of the Interior, Department of Transportation, Department of Defense, and other agencies.

– Collaborate with non-governmental organizations to facilitate engagement with and support of local communities.

“The Mule Deer Foundation applauds the signing of this Secretarial Memo to ensure that the full suite of USDA programs and resources are coordinated to sustain mule deer and other big game populations that migrate,” said Steve Belinda, Chief Conservation Officer for the Mule Deer Foundation. “Like DOI’s Secretarial Order 3362, USDA has the potential to facilitate on-the-ground conservation over a vast area of public and private lands that are critical to conserving and improving mule deer and other wildlife habitat.”

“The Department of Agriculture has an essential role in maintaining the movements of wildlife throughout the United States,” said Mike Leahy, Senior Director of Wildlife, Hunting, and Fishing Policy for the National Wildlife Federation. “We are glad the Department of Agriculture is expanding their commitment to keep elk, deer, antelope, and other wildlife moving through our fragmented landscapes, and look forward to the benefits this will bring to hunting, wildlife populations, and collaboration in conservation.”

“CSF thanks the USDA for initiating this effort that will help enhance conservation for migratory wildlife and their associated habitats,” said Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation President and CEO Jeff Crane. “CSF will continue to prioritize wildlife connectivity through Interior Secretarial Order 3362, the Wildlife Highway Crossings Pilot Program, USDA’s Migratory Big Game Initiative, the Wildlife Movement Through Partnerships Act, and now the USDA Secretarial Memo.”

“Big game migration corridors have been a policy and investment focus of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation for many years, and we have been pleased by the strong bipartisan support for the issue across administrations and in Congress,” said Blake Henning, Chief Conservation Officer for RMEF. “This USDA Secretarial Memo aligns with the existing Department of Interior Secretarial Order 3362 and will help leverage private lands conservation programs to bolster habitat across the landscape in coordination with state-led action plans. RMEF appreciates that USDA recognizes the leadership that hunters have played in this and other conservation successes in America.”

The Secretarial Memorandum directs USDA agencies to establish a USDA Terrestrial Wildlife Habitat Connectivity and Corridors Committee charged with implementation of the Memorandum. An initial progress report is due to the Secretary by June 30, 2025.

Learn more about TRCP’s work on big game migration conservation HERE.

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by: Carl Erquiaga

posted in: Migration

Hunting with My Granddaughters

TRCP’s Nevada field representative Carl Erquiaga recently published the below story about hunting migrating mule deer with his granddaughters in the November 2024 issue of Fur Fish Game magazine. This long-established periodical will celebrate 100 years of contiguous publication in 2025

As I’ve grown older, having granddaughters has become one of the most enjoyable parts of my life. My eldest granddaughter Hayden, now 14, drew her first deer tag in our home state of Nevada in 2022. We did our best to make the most of the entire experience and it was, quite honestly, nothing short of perfect. She took a nice muley buck after hunting for several days, and the family was very proud of her – no one prouder than her Papaw.

Hayden shot her first buck in 2022, a year before Carly’s first hunt.

Each child and grandchild my wife and I are blessed with has a special place in our hearts. My second granddaughter Carly, being my namesake, has a grip on me I cannot explain. She’s a little sassy with a wry sense of humor that we share. She’s also fiercely independent.

In 2023, Carly, age 12, became eligible for a hunting license. She hoped to draw one of Nevada’s coveted youth deer tags. Before she could buy a license and apply, she was required to pass the Nevada Department of Wildlife’s Hunter Safety course. I helped Carly study, went over gun safety as well as some basic wildlife management principles, and attended the class with her. She passed with flying colors.

When Hayden turned 12, I bought her first hunting license and helped her fill out the application for her tags. I did likewise for Carly. As luck would have it, Carly drew a northeast Nevada deer tag for the October 2023 season. The mule deer herd there is migratory, but I had confidence we’d find deer.

Carly prepared for the hunt all summer. She shot a .22 rimfire, then graduated to her uncle’s youth-sized .243 Winchester. True to family form, she was a natural shooter.

In mid-October, we – Carly, her father (my son-in-law) Garrett, and myself – packed my camp trailer and made the six-hour drive to the unit. We’d scheduled six days for the trip, but I didn’t believe we’d need that long. Oh, the best laid plans of mice and men.

As the sun illuminated the slope, we glassed the basin ahead and saw a group of does with three small bucks in the shadows.

We arrived at camp early enough to make a short afternoon hunt. As we made our way up the first of many rough, rocky roads, I asked Carly if she was ready to wake up at 4:30 a.m. every morning. “Yes!” she said, with no hesitation.

I told her I didn’t want to make this too much work, but hunting big game does require commitment. She said she was ready. I jokingly mentioned something about not wanting her to be grumpy in the morning.

“You know, Papaw, I’m generally a pretty jovial person,” she quipped. I tried to contain my laughter, recalling a slightly less than jovial stage – thanks to her fiercely independent streak.

We spent the evening glassing to no avail. It rained off and on most of the afternoon. With the temperature dropping, we returned to camp, ate and warmed up. The RV made it easy to keep Carly’s spirits high. We planned to be in another area at daylight.

I never sleep well the first night of a hunt, and when the alarm went off, it felt like I had just fallen sleep. I didn’t want to wake Carly, but to my surprise she popped out of bed and got her breakfast together, not quite jovial, but as good as one can be at 4:30 a.m.

We made it out of camp plenty early but had to wait for sunrise before going up the road. It’s a good thing we did. We hadn’t even reached the canyon when a young buck and doe crossed the road in front of us – no chance for a shot – so we eased up the trail to the ridge.

As the sun illuminated the slope, we glassed the basin ahead and saw a group of does with three small bucks in the shadows. They were a mile away, but we noted their location and turned up the ridge.

Granddaughter and Papaw in the side-by-side.

On top, Garrett spotted more does with one small buck in the draw below. They were working their way up the opposite ridge and soon disappeared over the top. We tried to cut them off, but rounding the last corner, into the draw, we saw does running, but no buck. I was about to whisper to Carly he might still be there, when he ran out, full tilt, stotted over the ridge, with no chance for a shot.

We spent the rest of the day glassing and checking new areas, ending up in the basin where the shadow bucks were at first light. We saw plenty of wildlife, including pronghorns, chukars, and sage grouse, but the bucks never materialized. Still, the day was a success because Carly remained in great spirits.

The next morning, we were up very early again, returning to where we’d been the first afternoon. It was October 14, when the solar eclipse passed over Nevada. We hoped to see it later that morning, if the clouds broke.

When we reached where we wanted to glass, a side-by-side UTV with three young men pinned behind binoculars greeted us. The canyon below showed three deer – two forkhorns and a small three-point – moving through brush toward the closest ridge. They were well out of range, so I took the opportunity to teach Carly some hunter etiquette. The other hunters were there first. I wanted to make sure we wouldn’t cut them off if we went after the bucks. I was ready to talk to them, but they picked up their gear, headed in a different direction, evidently not interested in the bucks.

Those bucks were exactly what we were looking for. As soon as the trio disappeared behind the ridge we went after them.

The memories made with my granddaughters were only possible with Nevada’s incredible wildlife. The deer we hunted migrate across hundreds of miles to their winter range. If we as hunters want to continue to make meaningful memories outdoors with our families, we must get involved in conservation efforts.

We made good time reaching where they’d fed, their tracks peppering the ground. We followed those tracks around to the edge of the canyon, when I spotted the bucks 140 yards on the opposite side, according to the rangefinder.

Feeding off each other’s excitement, I set up the tripod for Carly. One buck moved up the ridge between bushes where, if he stopped, Carly would have a good shot.

But he didn’t stop, traveling almost out of range.

I felt uncomfortable having Carly shoot at the moving buck. I felt it was better to let him go, and didn’t feel too bad when he ducked into some very thick aspens. The other two should be following shortly. One was that nice three-point.

We waited for his friends to come along. We waited and waited. But they never came out.

Now, I felt disappointed for not letting Carly try a shot. She might have connected when the buck wasn’t moving. I’d hoped for the better buck, but that wouldn’t matter to her. In fact, at one point, the little buck stepped out of the aspens, broadside, at 400 yards. She asked if she could try the shot. I told her no because she’d never shot that far. Better to be sure than take a risky shot.

Walking back to the truck, I was feeling bad. But Carly was still excited and looking forward to the eclipse. Kids are so resilient.

Watching the eclipse with her and her dad was a very special experience. The rest of that day and the next we continued to explore as much new country as we could. We saw deer every day, but no bucks within range or in places we could stalk. Some bucks we tried to stalk, only to find another hunter filled his tag on them. The others gave us the slip.

Carl and Carly take a break from hunting to watch the 2023 eclipse.

On Sunday night, the return trip looming, our spirits were low. We’d have time for a four-hour hunt that morning before breaking camp and heading home. At 4:30 a.m. we all moved a little slower, a little bit grumpy.

We went to the spot where Carly’s father had shot his first deer in 2020. That day, we only had time for a short hunt, but we made it happen. I hoped for a repeat. But despite checking several honey holes, we didn’t see a deer. Returning to camp, I told Carly I was sorry she didn’t tag a deer, and that I was proud of her great attitude and thanked her for wanting to hunt.

“It’s okay I didn’t get one,” she said. “But I am a little less jovial. There’s always next year. And I will be glad to get home, take a shower, and sleep in.”

Then she gave me a hug and said, “I love you, Papaw.”

I believe Carly learned a great deal about hunting and the responsibilities that go with it. I’m sure some of my ramblings about wildlife and its management challenges will sink in. And I know there are still good kids out there who are being given the tools to get through life and make good decisions. I’m very proud of my kids and grandkids.

The memories made with my granddaughters were only possible with Nevada’s incredible wildlife. The deer we hunted migrate across hundreds of miles to their winter range. If we as hunters want to continue to make meaningful memories outdoors with our families, we must get involved in conservation efforts.

Subscribe to Fur Fish Game HERE.

Learn more about TRCP’s work on big game migration conservation HERE.

by: Noah Davis

posted in: Migration

September 19, 2024

Reflections on Salmonflies, Big Trout, and Winter Range

The author, TRCP’s Western conservation communications manager, remembers how a day of good Spring fishing can reveal the importance of intact habitats and healthy winter range for big game

Salmonflies, big as hummingbirds, flew so close to my head my first reaction was to duck. Alders shook in the breeze that carried the massive stoneflies out over the river, and flycatchers and robins did their best imitations of peregrine falcons as they launched after the orange T-bone steaks. Trout, braving the surface for meals equal to a thousand trico mayflies, gulped and slapped the bugs with such intensity any angler might honestly think a child was throwing rocks into the current. This was a good time to be in the Lolo National Forest, an opportunity my buddy James and I wouldn’t miss.

Still needing to cling to the streamside willows, I worked my way from eddy to eddy where rocks interrupted the flow. My size 10 skinny salmonfly buoyed a size 10 black stonefly pattern that probed below. The first fish was a foot-long rainbow on the edge of a glide. She must’ve known her cousins just to the west in Idaho make annual trips to the sea and she was inspired by them. Going airborne and catching the current twice, the trout fought above her weight class, and I thanked her as she kicked back into the shallows after I freed the hook.

The T-bone steak of the dry fly world: the salmonfly.

The Lolo National Forest stretches across 2 million acres of western Montana. This landscape offers vital habitat for elk, mule deer, bighorn sheep, and moose, and invaluable, intact cold-water systems home to native fish like bull trout and Westslope cutthroat as well as wild rainbow, brown, and brook trout. These millions of acres support innumerable recreation and commercial opportunities that provide thousands of jobs in local communities.

As with all National Forests, land management plans must be updated periodically, and the Lolo’s has not been revised in over two decades. In that time, new challenges have arisen that must be addressed, including increased outdoor recreation, the growing presence of noxious weeds, and the impacts of decades of fire suppression combined with hotter, drier weather. And with burgeoning exurban development, winter and transitional ranges for elk and deer continue to fragment on neighboring private lands.

A mature brown trout released back into the cold waters of the Lolo National Forest.

The brown missed the nymph on my first float. I could see the fish turn, but when I lifted the rod there was nothing. I bit the inside of my cheek and told myself to wait. The flies smacked the rock and began their second drift. I saw the trout come unstuck again, and when the top fly disappeared, I was connected.

Then I ran downstream.

The brute rode the swift water down. I tried to turn the brown and grinned at myself for foolishly not using 3x. The fish worked below me, but made a poor choice to head back upstream, fighting both the current and me. James netted the exhausted trout, and we admired the golden sides void of talon marks and a mouth uncut by tippet or hooks. An unlikely, unscathed mature fish returned to the river.

As we climbed the bank to continue to the next run, we saw the old scat of wintering elk, pellets a chalky brown under the ponderosa pines. A few of their tracks were still caught in the path where mud dried a month or more ago. Their presence a reminder that our feet could carry us from the river to the peaks of the Bob Marshall Wilderness, all on contiguous public land.

A top priority for TRCP is to ensure the Lolo recognizes that in the decades since the existing forest plans were finalized, several important big game migrations and winter ranges for elk, mule deer, and bighorn sheep in western Montana have been identified.

The Lolo is currently in the process of updating its land use plan, and engaged hunters and anglers will have upcoming opportunities this year to speak up for a successful planning outcome that conserves important big game and fisheries habitats and maintains special places for outdoor recreation. A top priority for TRCP is to ensure the Lolo recognizes that in the decades since the existing forest plans were finalized, several important big game migrations and winter ranges for elk, mule deer, and bighorn sheep in western Montana have been identified.

Over 2,000 elk roam the Blackfoot and Clearwater watersheds. These herds mostly calve and spend their summers in the Bob Marshall and Scapegoat Wilderness areas at the northernmost reaches of the Lolo. As winter dumps feet of snow in the high meadows, the elk drop down onto private, state, and Bureau of Land Management land along the rivers.

The Forest Service must incorporate the latest science, utilize the best-available conservation tools, and prioritize coordination with other stakeholders to safeguard big game corridors and winter range as the agency initiates the forest plan revision process for these public lands.

Winter range in the Lolo National Forest.

The day turned to evening and we made our way back to the vehicle. Drained from fighting the water and cobble, we trudged toward the fantasy of pizza and burgers once we made it back to town.

Then the pool came into view.

The current hugged the large bolder like an old friend. It was a place that a trout would feel safe and happy: depth, a bubble line buffet, and the barrier of a rock field to keep most anglers away.

But we braved the rock field and James worked the bubble line until his salmonfly was pulled under by the great-grandma of the rainbow I caught earlier. Rod doubled over, he climbed the rock over and back as the trout couldn’t decide which way to run. Finally, she settled in the shallows, and I returned the favor of netting the fish for my friend. Already recovered from the spawn, the fish was strong and turning silver, with a pink cheek clinging to the spring cold.

Swallows had filled the air, chasing a hatch of mayflies upstream. Beyond them were grassy parks that in the evening would welcome mule deer and elk, all of them feeding and moving higher.

Photos courtesy of James Wicks

***

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by: Zach Bodhane

posted in: Migration

September 11, 2024

House Committee on Natural Resources Hears Testimony on Conserving Wildlife Migration Corridors

Hearing highlighted bipartisan legislation aimed at formalizing migration conservation programs that provide financial and technical assistance to states, Tribes, and private landowners

This week, the House Committee on Natural Resources conducted a hearing that included the bipartisan, bicameral Wildlife Movement Through Partnerships Act led by Senator Padilla (D-Calif.), Senator Hoeven (R-N.D.), Congressman Zinke (R-Mont.) and Congressman Beyer (D-Va.).

“Successful migration conservation requires collaboration between local, state, Tribal and federal governments, private landowners, and the NGO community,” said Joel Pedersen, president and CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “This legislation would authorize existing federal programs that support locally driven, collaborative conservation projects that restore and conserve the most important areas wildlife need to migrate and move to fulfill their lifecycle needs. TRCP thanks Senator Padilla, Senator Hoeven, Representative Zinke, and Representative Beyer for their leadership on this critically important, bipartisan legislation.”

The Wildlife Movement Through Partnerships Act would formally authorize existing federal programs initiated by the Department of the Interior during the Trump Administration through Secretarial Order 18-3362, to conserve big game migration corridors. These crucial programs have been supported and expanded by the Biden Administration but remain discretionary. Congressional action to formalize these discretionary programs would guarantee that the work will persist regardless of future administration changes. This is important because state and Tribal wildlife agency annual budgets are unable to meet the full demand for resource management. The financial and technical assistance from these federal programs would help to bridge that gap.

The bill seeks to expand the scope of existing work to support corridor conservation efforts nationwide for a wider range of species and provides Congress the opportunity to support collaborative partnerships, policies, and funding to advance the research and conservation of migration corridors and seasonal habitat.

The legislation would:

– Establish the Wildlife Movement and Migration Corridor Program at the Department of the Interior, to be administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, to fund projects that improve or conserve habitat quality in movement areas including habitat treatment projects, fence modification, and wildlife crossings.

– Establish a State and Tribal Migration Research Program at the Department of the Interior to provide funds directly to state fish and wildlife agencies and Tribes for research that improves understanding of wildlife movement and migration routes.

– Allow for funds from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program to provide technical and financial assistance to private landowners undertaking voluntary conservation projects that support wildlife movement and migration routes on their land.

– Support the U.S. Geological Survey’s Corridor Mapping Team to provide technical assistance to states and Tribes to map priority routes.

During the hearing, witnesses demonstrated broad support for the bill:

“CSF is proud to support this vital legislation, and we are excited to see a thoughtful and locally driven approach to the ecologically critical topic of wildlife migration and movement and overall landscape connectivity,” said Taylor Schmitz, Federal Relations Director with the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation. “Advancing this legislation will not only support wildlife, but also, sportsmen and women, state and federal agencies, tribes, and interested private landowners.”

“The Wildlife Movement Through Partnerships Act extends the benefits of successful existing federal programs to more wildlife, and more states,” said Mike Leahy, Senior Director of Wildlife, Hunting and Fishing Policy with the National Wildlife Federation. “Important terrestrial wildlife migrations and movements for a wide range of species are at risk throughout the country, so this bill provides an opportunity for states and tribes and communities throughout the US. to receive grants, research funds, or technical support.”

Learn more about migration corridors HERE

Photo Credit: USFWS

by: Dan Morgan

posted in: Migration

August 30, 2024

New BLM Solar Plans Seek to Balance Conservation and Renewable Energy Goals

Hunting, fishing organizations welcome a responsible approach to solar energy development on public lands

Today, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) published the Final Programmatic EIS and Proposed Resource Management Plan Amendments that would support an updated siting and permitting framework across 11 western states for management of utility-scale solar energy development on public lands. The plans would allow development near existing and planned transmission lines and on previously disturbed lands, all while avoiding important fish and wildlife habitat, cultural and Tribal resources, and recreational opportunities.

“Trout populations throughout the West face many challenges, not the least of which is climate change and land uses that place additional stress on shrinking native and wild trout habitat. While the plan does not include specific criteria for important fish habitat, we are encouraged that the exclusions would preclude development in areas subject to conservation agreements, such as habitat for many native trout species,” said Tasha Sorensen, Western Energy Lead with Trout Unlimited. “We look forward to working with the BLM to implement this important safeguard appropriately and ensure renewable energy development balanced with the protection and restoration of wild and native trout.”

“As the country grapples with the need to meet energy demands, it’s crucial to approach the development of solar energy with the perspective that wildlife and solar can coexist on the landscape,” said Joel Webster, interim Chief Conservation Officer for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “TRCP appreciates refinements made by the BLM to the Western Solar Plan that will help maintain seasonal habitats that are crucially important for the West’s big game herds.”

“Our nation’s public lands are at the center of our outdoor traditions, providing countless opportunities for sportsmen and women. We thank the BLM for taking into consideration the importance of intact wildlife habitat, including migration corridors, in their final Western Solar Plan,” said Kaden McArthur, Government Relations Manager for Backcountry Hunters & Anglers. “Doing so will ensure that as our country continues to develop energy, we avoid detriments to treasured public resources like our wildlife.”

“Renewable energy buildout on public lands must be thoughtful, cautious and informed, ensuring that we conserve important wildlife habitat, protect hunting and fishing opportunities, and avoid impacts to cultural and Indigenous resources, as we strive for cleaner energy.” said Bailey Brennan, Public Lands Counsel with the National Wildlife Federation. “The BLM’s improved approach to siting and permitting solar development will help achieve these goals, balancing public lands’ many uses.”

Publication of the proposed final resource management plan amendments initiates a 30-day protest period running through September 30. The BLM anticipates finalizing the plan before the end of the year.

Read the Big Game Guidelines for Utility-Scale Photovoltaic Solar Development by clicking HERE