NWTF and Forest Service Celebrate 2024 Achievements Through the Making Tracks Program
The USDA Forest Service and the National Wild Turkey Federation convened at the 2025 NWTF Convention to celebrate a year of significant progress in habitat conservation and partnership development in the Making Tracks program. Established in the 1980s, the program continues to drive collaborative efforts to enhance wild turkey and wildlife habitat across National Forest system lands.
This year marked a transformative period for the program, as the Forest Service and NWTF steering committee members undertook a comprehensive renovation of the program. Five dedicated sub-committees worked diligently to improve communication and coordination, strengthening the partnership’s capacity to execute conservation objectives efficiently. As the program advances into 2025, these sub-committees will continue their efforts to build on this momentum and expand the impact of the Making Tracks program.
A highlight of 2024 was the approval of numerous new projects on national forests nationwide. These projects span diverse landscapes and conservation goals, also focusing on large-scale restoration efforts tied to the Forest Service’s Wildfire Crisis Strategy. To learn more about completed and ongoing projects in specific regions, visit the NWTF pages for the Rocky Mountain Restoration Initiative (Forest Service Region 2), Habitat for the Hatch (Forest Service Regions 8 and 9), Waterways for Wildlife (Forest Service Regions 1, 2, 3, and 8), Forests and Flocks (Forest Service Region 9) and the Wildfire Crisis Strategy.
The meeting also included special recognition for Molly Pitts, who was honored for her outstanding achievements as the NWTF Wildfire Crisis Coordinator. Pitts has played a crucial role in the NWTF’s collaboration with the Forest Service on the Wildfire Crisis Strategy, working to address wildfire threats in the West while promoting healthy, resilient forests across the nation.
As the NWTF and the Forest Service look ahead, the Making Tracks program remains a cornerstone of their shared mission to conserve wildlife habitat and enhance public lands. With continued collaboration and innovation, the program is poised to drive even greater conservation successes in 2025 and beyond.