A Million Bucks

What is A Million Bucks? Million Bucks, originally conceived in 1989, is a partnership program that emphasizes management of National Forests and Grasslands to benefit deer and people’s enjoyment of deer. The basis of this program is the collaboration between the Forest Service and several partners, including the Mule Deer Foundation, Whitetails Unlimited, state agencies and other conservation groups towards conserving and restoring deer habitats to support healthy deer populations as well as recreational opportunities for the public. Photograph by Dave Herr

Why is the Forest Service interested in A Million Bucks?

Millions of acres of deer habitat fall on National Forest System lands across North America. Although management of deer populations is the responsibility of the state fish and game agencies, the Forest Service contributes to deer conservation by managing the habitats upon which these deer depend. This contribution, primarily in the form of habitat restoration and conservation education, is significant due to the economic, recreational (e.g., hunting and viewing), and ecological roles deer play in our society and in environmental communities.

News

Mule Deer Conservation Award Congratulations to Nate Yorgason, Devin Johnson, Ron Rodriguez, and Tyler Hoyle, of the Dixie National Forest, on receiving the 7th annual Mule Deer Conservation Award!

The 7th annual Mule Deer Conservation Award was presented by Mr. Brian Ferebee, Forest Supervisor of the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, at the Mule Deer Foundation annual convention, February 6, 2009, in Salt Lake City, as part of the Western Hunting and Conservation Expo. Nate Yorgason, Devin Johnson, Ron Rodriguez, and Tyler Johnson were recognized for their collaborative work with the Mule Deer Foundation and numerous other partners toward the conservation of mule deer and black tail deer on the Dixie National Forest, located in south-central Utah. Their work consisted of a suite of projects targeting important winter, summer, and transition range in the southern portions of Utah.

These projects were designed to improve upon degraded mule deer habitat conditions across a broad landscape and over a variety of land ownerships. Specific treatment areas were located on the Cedar City and Pine Valley Ranger Districts, near the towns of Irontown, Pine Valley, Panguitch, Paragonah, Enterprise, and Pinto. The strategy behind the series of projects in these areas focused on decreasing Pinyon pine/juniper regeneration in old anchor-chained areas and creating quality deer habitat over a wide range of deer habitats on public lands, both Forest Service and BLM. These projects included numerous components which addressed different needs related to enhancing habitat including:

• Pinyon pine/juniper removal
• Reseeding/seeding of native vegetation
• Sagebrush treatments
• Water/wetland developments
• Monitoring to assess effectiveness of and improve upon treatment
  

In total, almost 14,000 acres of mule deer habitat have been enhanced using these methods, a total that has been matched on adjacent BLM lands as part of the larger cooperative efforts.

Congratulations Nate, Devin, Ron, and Tyler!

How Can You Help?

You can help by supporting management of habitats for deer and other wildlife that depend upon the National Forests and Grasslands. This can be done by providing funds to our partners supporting projects and programs that will directly benefit deer and their habitats, volunteering time on such projects, and expressing support for these activities and efforts in your community and more broadly.

MOUs/MOAs

• MOU/MOA main page
  
  
• Mule Deer Foundation (MOU) PDF 471 KB
  
  
• Quality Deer Management (MOU) PDF 129 KB