2015 Conservation Investments United States and U.S
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NATIONAL FISH AND WILDLIFE FOUNDATION 2015 CONSERVATION INVESTMENTS UNITED STATES AND U.S. TERRITORIES U.S. AND STATES UNITED On the cover: A herd of mule deer moves down a ridge in Montana. NFWF’s conservation investments in western states benefit not only imperiled species such as sage grouse and swift fox, but also more common species such as cutthroat trout, mule deer, elk and pronghorn. The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation is dedicated to sustaining, restoring and enhancing the nation’s fish, wildlife, plants and habitats for current and future generations. NFWF will advance its mission through innovative public and private partnerships, and by investing financial resources and intellectual capital into science-based programs designed to address conservation priorities and achieve measurable outcomes. In Fiscal Year 2015, NFWF funded more than 800 conservation projects across the nation, generating an on- the-ground conservation impact of more than $378.1 million. UNITED STATES AND U.S. TERRITORIES U.S. AND STATES UNITED CONTENTS United States and U.S. Territories Fiscal Year 2015 Conservation Investments Alabama 05 Montana 35 Alaska 06 Nebraska 37 Arizona 09 Nevada 37 Arkansas 10 New Hampshire 38 California 10 New Jersey 39 Colorado 14 New Mexico 40 Connecticut 16 New York 41 Delaware 17 North Carolina 43 District of Columbia 17 North Dakota 44 Florida 18 Ohio 45 Georgia 20 Oklahoma 45 Hawaii 21 Oregon 45 Idaho 22 Pennsylvania 48 Illinois 23 Rhode Island 51 Indiana 24 South Carolina 52 3 Iowa 24 South Dakota 53 Kansas 25 Tennessee 54 Kentucky 25 Texas 54 Louisiana 25 Utah 57 Maine 26 Vermont 57 Maryland 27 Virginia 58 Massachusetts 29 Washington 60 Michigan 31 West Virginia 62 Minnesota 32 Wisconsin 63 Mississippi 33 Wyoming 64 Missouri 34 U.S. Territories 65 United States and International Fiscal Year 2015 Conservation Investments 66 Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund Fiscal Year 2015 Project Commitments 70 Impact-Directed Environmental Accounts Fiscal Year 2015 Project Commitments 74 UNITED STATES AND U.S. TERRITORIES FISCAL YEAR 2015 CONSERVATION INVESTMENTS UNITED STATES AND U.S. TERRITORIES U.S. AND STATES UNITED ALABAMA Auburn University Cumberland River Compact Town Creek Watershed Tennessee/Cumberland Strategic Plan for Alabama Forest Resources Center Restoration at Auburn University Barrier Removal and Aquatic Connectivity Red-Cockaded Woodpecker and Longleaf Add three restorative features and education- Improvement (AL, KY, TN) Pine Restoration in Southeast Alabama al signage to the headwaters of a tributary Partner with The Nature Conservancy and Maintain, enhance and expand ongoing of Town Creek at Auburn University. The American Rivers to improve aquatic con- recovery efforts for red-cockaded wetland restoration and riparian habitat proj- nectivity in high-priority watersheds of the woodpeckers and other species on private ect will provide restoration and educational Cumberland and Tennessee River basins by quail plantations in southeast Alabama. activities for watershed residents, students strategically accelerating the momentum of $135,000 and visitors on water quantity, water quality barrier removals. and community engagement. $125,000 Alabama Forestry Association $46,780 Enhancing Longleaf Pine Ecosystems to FishAmerica Foundation Improve Black Pine Snake Habitat in Baldwin County Soil and Initiating Barotrauma and Mortality Alabama and Mississippi Water Conservation District Reduction Strategies with Gulf of Mexico Engage landowners to form community-based Gulf Coast Gully Restoration Initiative Recreational Anglers (AL, FL, LA, MS, TX) burning networks; enlist mentors to work Restore classic gullies in Baldwin County Advance the implementation of FishSmart best with landowners to provide training and using current engineering designs and practices designed to reduce mortality of fish on-the-ground experience; and provide ed- practices combined with natural restoration released during recreational fishing. Project will ucation and coordinating access to technical techniques. Project will result in signifi- distribute descending devices on recreational and cost-share assistance. Project partners cant reductions in sediment and nutrient for-hire vessels and select recreational anglers will restore 200 acres of longleaf pine and transport, peak discharge attenuation and to assess the adoption of best practices and enhance 7,000 acres of existing longleaf increased time of concentration. potential reduction of post-release mortality. habitat primarily by increasing the amount $200,000 $60,000 and frequency of prescribed burning in the 14 counties in Alabama and Mississippi his- CLS America Friends of the Cahaba River National torically occupied by the black pine snake. Electronic Reporting in the Gulf of Mexico Wildlife Refuge $149,804 Charter Boat Fleet (AL, FL, MS) Native Habitat Restoration at Cahaba River Implement electronic reporting in approxi- National Wildlife Refuge Alabama Forestry Association mately 275 recreational charter boat vessels Restore native habitat at two locations in the Incentives for Planting Shortleaf Pine in the Gulf of Mexico. Project will engage the Cahaba National Wildlife Refuge. Volunteers in the Alabama Cumberlands fishing industry, federal and state managers, will plant shade trees, shrubs and wildflow- Work with private landowners identified and scientists from Mississippi, Alabama and ers to compliment longleaf pine restoration during outreach efforts conducted through Florida to generate real-time, verifiable, and in the interior of the park. a related project to provide cost-share high-quality recreational fishing data. $6,000 5 incentives for site preparation and planting $1,700,000 of shortleaf pine. Incentives will overcome a Mississippi Land Trust major barrier to planting shortleaf pine and Conservian Veterans Prescribed Fire Crew (AL, MS) will result in the restoration of 1,136 acres Restoring Shorebird Populations and Train and outfit a six-person prescribed of shortleaf pine/upland savanna forest in Building Capacity on the Eastern Gulf (AL, MS) fire crew composed of military veterans the Cumberlands of Alabama. Expand Coastal Bird Conservation/Conservi- to conduct prescribed burns and other $150,000 an’s on-the-ground presence in Alabama and management activities in coastal Mississippi. Mississippi. Project will create a local volunteer Activities will take place on private and pub- Alabama Wildlife Federation steward base and assist with site manager and lic lands to include open wet pine savannas Catalyzing Private Landowner Contributions stakeholder relations. Strong partner relation- and upland longleaf pine. to Alabama Gulf Coast Conservation ships, science-based field expertise, and use $200,000 Use capacity building, expanded partnerships, of standardized monitoring methods and best technical assistance and outreach to increase management practices will help serve as a Mississippi State University landowner engagement and on-the-ground new “model of excellence” for comprehensive Gulf of Mexico Bird Monitoring Framework stewardship implementation on private lands shorebird management on the Gulf Coast. (AL, FL, LA, MS, TX) in Alabama’s Gulf Coast counties. Project will $100,000 Complete a structured decision-making effort create, maintain, enhance and/or eliminate to identify goals, objectives and values under- threats to habitats for shorebirds, waterbirds Conservian pinning a Gulf-wide bird monitoring program. and waterfowl, as well as terrestrial birds and U.S. Gulf Coast Beach-Nesting Bird Field The resulting bird monitoring framework wildlife whose properly managed habitat con- Monitoring Manual (AL, FL, LA, MS, TX) and decision support tools will provide a tributes to positive downstream Gulf Coast Build a standardized training manual for strong basis for increasing coordination and water quality. field personnel and site stewards engaged communication and the advancement of bird $83,590 in monitoring and protecting beach-nesting monitoring across the Gulf of Mexico. birds on the Gulf Coast. The field manual will $222,635 American Forest Foundation be directed toward those actually working on Shortleaf Restoration on Alabama Lauder- the ground with beach-nesting birds, and will Mobile County Soil and dale and Freedom Hills Forever Wild Tracts serve as the next logical step to implementing Water Conservation District Expand on an existing NFWF project and the recommendations of the U.S. Gulf Coast Mobile County Soil and Water Conservation partner with the implementation team Beach-Nesting Bird Assessment and District Habitat Incentive Program focused on shortleaf in the Alabama Cum- Management Guidelines. Improve, restore and rehabilitate land to berland Plateau by planting 1,193 acres of $75,000 control or eradicate invasives that are shortleaf pine on public lands in Lauderdale detrimental to gopher tortoises and and Colbert counties. ground-nesting birds. $150,000 $200,000 Ruffner Mountain Nature Coalition The Longleaf Alliance The Red Mountain Park Fund Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve’s Wildlife Red-Cockaded Woodpecker Translocation Educating Communities Through Habitat Restoration and Community Outreach Support for the Southern Range Translocation Riparian Restoration for the Importance of Native Landscaping Cooperative: Years 13-14 (AL, FL, GA, MS) Establish comprehensive ecosystem Remove invasive plants and reseed with Provide 30 red-cockaded woodpeckers annu- restoration programs for three threatened native plant species appropriate