NWTF Field Day Teaches Habitat Improvement
Private landowners and managers had an opportunity to interact with forestry and wildlife professionals at the National Wild Turkey Federation's Alabama Wild Turkey Woodlands Field Day.
More than 100 people attended to learn the best ways to manage their property for timber production and wildlife. The event was held at Portland Landing, a 14,000-acre property owned by International Paper and leased by Mossy Oak Brand Camo, and on the property of NWTF member Dr. Lee Youngblood. The field day's purpose was to demonstrate to attendees proper management techniques on both timber company and privately held lands.
"So many of the Turkey Federation programs are for public land that we wanted to offer something to the private landowner," said Jere Peak, NWTF National Board of Directors vice president. "This was a hands-on seminar where they could really learn what they needed to know."
Biologists and wildlife management professionals from the NWTF, International Paper, BASF, Monsanto, Mossy Oak, U.S. Forest Service, Alabama Forestry Commission and the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources were on hand to show landowners the benefits of planting chufa and bio-tech corn and soybeans, having buffer zones around timber, using Arsenal` to control hardwood brush and thinning techniques to establish roost and brood habitat.
"We showed landowners what they could do with a timber program both for wildlife and economic gain," said K.C. Nelson of Mossy Oak Biologic. "We want people to know that you can make money on land while also improving it for wildlife."
For more information about the Wild Turkey Woodlands program or about the NWTF, call 1-800-THE-NWTF.
