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04/14/2011
NWTF Receives Forest Restoration Award
On April 8, James Earl Kennamer, Ph.D., chief conservation officer of the National Wild Turkey Federation, and the NWTF received the USDA Forest Service's Forest Restoration Award.
The NWTF earned the award for contributions to the restoration of the national forests in the Southeast – forests established through the Weeks Act. Since 2004, the NWTF has managed the restoration of more than 23,500 acres in 16 states – mainly in the Southeast – at a total cost of nearly $5.7 million.
When passed in 1911, the Weeks Act permitted the federal government to purchase private land in order to protect the headwaters of rivers and watersheds in the eastern United States, and called for fire protection efforts through federal, state and private cooperation.
It has been one of the most successful pieces of conservation legislation in U.S. history. To date, the Weeks Act has protected nearly 20 million acres of forestland. This land provides habitat for hundreds of plants and animals, recreation space for millions of visitors and economic opportunities for countless local communities.
