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Wildlife Management Tools
WHC works with various outside organizations and local, state and federal agencies. Some of the partner programs are listed below and are available for members to incorporate into their habitat programs. These resources can help provide technical assistance and sometimes funding through grants. An added bonus is the opportunity to gain broader recognition for positive contributions to biodiversity conservation efforts. Through partnerships, corporations can become leaders in planning for sustainability and meeting environmental needs of the present and for future generations. Stop by the WHC Spotlight to learn about ongoing efforts by WHC members and partners. Don't forget to check out our Links Directory hosted by GreenBiz.com for more outside information and useful tips. Visit the Wildlife Management Tips for additional ideas.
Call 1-888-LAND-CARE for a free copy of the Backyard Conservation booklet or browse online. USDA and the National Audubon Society have revised the popular "Backyard Conservation" publication. The printed version has always been available in English; it will now also be available in Spanish. A program fostering partnerships across boundaries is the Corporate Campaign for Migratory Bird Conservation (CCMBC). The overarching goal of each project is to enhance migratory bird habitat on corporate lands by fostering public-private partnerships to engage in collaborative habitat work in surrounding landscapes. Several pilot projects already launched involve multiple stakeholders across the United States, Canada and Mexico. The Fish and Wildlife Habitat Management Leaflets series is part of a continuing partnership with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Discover the habitat needs of the wood duck, eastern bluebird, eastern cottontail, northern bobwhite, wild turkey, ruby-throated hummingbird, bats and many others. The latest publications teach habitat management recommendations for these incredible wildlife species on your property! The Five Star Restoration Challenge Grant Program, in an effort to encourage local natural resource stewardship on private and public lands, provides modest funding to assist community-based projects that restore and conserve wetland, riparian and coastal ecosystems, build diverse partnerships and foster environmental education and awareness. The program is partnership between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, National Association of Counties, Southern Company and Wildlife Habitat Council. The Izaak Walton League of America offers a variety of materials and tools to help you become active in protecting wetlands in your watershed. American Wetlands Month is a wonderful opportunity to conserve wetlands and help educate others about their importance. Join thousands of Americans each May in celebrating the uniqueness, beauty and importance of wetlands. The Department of Defense (DoD) Legacy Resource Management Program provides financial assistance for efforts to preserve our natural and cultural heritage on DoD installations. In response to the threat posed to native ecosystems by invasive species, WHC has partnered with the Army Corps of Engineers to initiate an invasive species project under the Legacy Program titled “Invasive Species Management at DoD Installations in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.” National Conservation Training Center - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Conservation Training Center trains and educates natural resource managers to accomplish the common goal of conserving fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Environmental Performance Track Program is designed to recognize and encourage top environmental performers -- those who go beyond compliance with regulatory requirements to attain levels of environmental performance and management that benefit people, communities, and the environment. Working in partnership with the Performance Track Network, WHC is helping corporations and other large landowners, including several member facilities of Performance Track, to manage their environmental footprint. By focusing on unused, or under-utilized lands companies can learn to manage their properties in an ecologically sensitive manner to promote wildlife habitat and protect the environment. WHC has entered into a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in an effort to enhance wetland ecosystems and wildlife populations. Considered by many to be the most successful international conservation initiative in existence, The North American Waterfowl Management Plan lays out a strategy to restore continental waterfowl populations by enhancing, restoring, and protecting the habitats waterfowl and other wetland wildlife depend on for survival. On the Wing is WHC’s online source for information on nest monitoring. Members will find interesting management techniques and important issues in the world of bird conservation. This useful site provides advice on observing activity, problem solving, a directory of resources and news. The site is also a place for members to share their success stories. Pollinator Friendly Practices was developed by WHC jointly with the North American Pollinator Protection Campaign (NAPPC) and NAPPC members, including the Xerces Society and Coevolution Institute. The guidelines augment existing land use incentives and are to be used by organizations such as WHC in promoting pollinator friendly land use practices. WHC is the first organization to promote the Pollinator Friendly Practices and offer recognition for these efforts. WHC in a cooperative effort with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service conducted a literature review to gather information on the various techniques that have been used to manage vegetation on utility Rights-of-Way (ROWs) in eastern forested landscapes. The research shed light on the numerous benefits that both wildlife and corporations can achieve from wildlife-oriented vegetation management. When the proper mitigation measures are taken, ROW corridors can be sites of increased habitat diversity. Wildlife comes in many forms and can be found within a short distance of nearly anyone's home, even in your own backyard. Hummingbirds, butterflies and various songbirds lead the list of nature's creatures that can be easily observed and photographed in your yard, at your company facility or at a nearby schoolyard. It can be as simple as erecting a bird feeder and filling it with sunflower seed during the winter months, or for the more ambitious, an elaborate garden pond surrounded by hummingbird and butterfly-attracting flower beds. Learn more in the Wildlife Photography Tips brought to you by Lynda Richardson Wildlife Exposed. Additional Resources Cooperative Conservation America is a public forum for collecting and sharing the cooperative conservation stories, lessons, models and achievements of all Americans. It provides citizen conservationists from every walk of life an opportunity to contribute to, and learn from, a common pool of conservation knowledge, tools and practices – a cumulative and evolving database of information that will advance citizen stewardship, foster community-based conservation, encourage and support the vital role of private lands and landowners, and expand and strengthen shared governance in the care and conservation of America’s lands, waters and wildlife. View some examples of WHC cooperative conservation projects: If you want to contribute and share your conservation project story, visit Cooperative Conservation America to learn more about cooperative conservation and enter your project story into the database.
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