NWTF’s Forests and Flocks Initiative

This country was founded on the belief that hard work, community effort and resourcefulness can yield remarkable results.

Perhaps nothing exemplifies a commitment to those values quite like the earliest roots of colonial America’s Northeast region, where hearty citizens helped shape and define a fledgling nation. Now, the NWTF is launching a new initiative, grounded in similar values, to support wild turkeys and habitat across several of the nation’s oldest states.

The NWTF’s Forests and Flocks Initiative is a scaled-up, cross-boundary approach to bolster the organization’s conservation, policy and education, and outreach efforts in the Northeast. Harnessing the NWTF’s unique dual-mission role, namely wild turkey conservation and the preservation of North America’s rich hunting heritage, this ambitious plan aims to improve 100,000 acres of land over the next decade.

“The wild turkey was virtually nonexistent in the Northeast by the early 1900s, but through a monumental lift, led by agency partners, hunter-conservationists and those that revere the bird, the wild turkey population in the region is largely stable,” NWTF co-CEO Kurt Dyroff said. “Our new Forests and Flocks Initiative builds upon this incredible legacy and will work to prevent a future decline, such as what we have seen in other regions in the country. Similarly, we have seen many state-level bills proposed and passed that are in direct opposition with our mission; Forests and Flocks will energize our hunting heritage efforts in the region to ensure future generations experience the life-changing power of the outdoors.”

As always, partnerships are essential. Doug Little, NWTF director of conservation operations (East), explains that the ideal partners will share the Federation’s commitment to clean water, healthy wildlife habitats, resilient communities, and robust recreational opportunities.

“The timing is critical,” he said. “Our team has identified multiple needs coming together simultaneously in this region. For example, certain states are experiencing population declines, we’ve seen attacks on active forest habitat management, and overall support for hunting is declining. We want to reverse these trends by putting an attainable call to action in place for the betterment of the wild turkey and all who pursue it.”

Ensuring the health and vigor of the Northeast’s wild turkey population is at the heart of the initiative. Needed is landscape-scale conservation work addressing the cyclical needs of wild turkeys — establishing critical nesting habitat in the spring, brood-rearing habitat in the summer, and hard and soft mast-bearing crops that help wild turkeys survive unforgiving winters.

Forests and Flocks squarely addresses the ongoing need for quality research, which improves the return on investment for field work. It also considers the importance of ongoing education and influence on public policy, both of which affect hunter numbers and public support in the Northeast.

“Whether it is ensuring hens are coming out of winter in the best condition possible to help with nest success, or actively fighting the many state-level bills that are in direct opposition with our mission, Forests and Flocks captures the essence of who we are: dedicated to the conservation of the wild turkey and the preservation of our hunting heritage,” NWTF co-CEO Jason Burckhalter said. “Forests and Flocks will rally our membership to address the conservation needs specific to the Northeast. We are excited to see what our volunteers and staff accomplish through this exciting new initiative.”

The initiative has multiple aims. Improving habitat is primary. This includes creating young forests, with early successional stands of timber and grassland habitats that increase nesting and brood cover. Work favoring mast-producing tree species to ensure adequate fall and winter forage will be prioritized, along with revitalizing adjacent spring seeps, where snow depths are limited by the warmer groundwater bubbling to the surface.

The NWTF will form partnerships to improve wild turkey foraging habitat within both forested and agricultural landscapes. The Federation’s seed programs are available to encourage members to plant and manage quality nesting and brood habitat throughout the initiative area.

The NWTF will also address active habitat management by engaging in policy work ― legislation such as the Farm Bill ― that affects long-term public and private land management.

“Quality habitat is paramount for wild turkeys in the Northeast, which is why NWTF has set an aggressive acreage goal with the Forest and Flock initiative,” said Mitchell Blake, NWTF district biologist in the region. “Each state or region has unique challenges regarding forest health and wild turkey needs. Whether it’s perpetuating oak regeneration to ensure valuable mast, like acorns, remain abundant in the turkey woods, or rejuvenating oak woodlands and savannas using prescribed fire to ensure valuable brood habitat is maintained on ridgetops, the need for quality habitat management is evident throughout the Northeast and mid-Atlantic.”

Forests and Flocks also looks to establish an endowed wild turkey professorship position in the Northeast, following the acclaimed creation of a first-of-its-kind position in the Southeast.

“Our organization recently unveiled the NWTF Distinguished Professor position at the University of Georgia,” Little explained. “While that was an excellent step forward to ensure wild turkey research is funded and remains in perpetuity, we acknowledge there are unique habitat and population needs in different regions. We want wild turkey research in the northeast to be a priority. State agencies rely on the latest and greatest research to make management decisions, and this serves as an excellent way to recruit and attract graduate-level students with vested interests in ongoing studies of our beloved bird. Allocating research funding will help identify limiting factors and provide a better understanding of habitat use well into the future.”

Achieving the initiative’s conservation goals requires a landscape-scale approach. Projects at local and state levels will provide significant cumulative impact, with the NWTF state and local chapters significantly influencing matters by prioritizing dollars available for local and state habitat and research efforts.

The NWTF is a recognized champion of hunters, from its on-the-ground local and state chapter events through policy efforts at state and federal levels. NWTF education and outreach work is making a difference in recruiting, retaining and reactivating hunters.

“In the past 10 years, the NWTF has placed a large investment and value on R3,” said Morgan Evans, NWTF National R3 and Relevancy coordinator. “This stems from our dual mission, with preserving hunting heritage serving as half of our purpose since the NWTF was founded. However, R3 far exceeds just our mission perspective.”

Evans cited a 2022 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service survey showing that just 6% of U.S. citizens take part in hunting, with the Northeast falling into the lowest geographical region of hunters within that reported 6%. Hunters and shooting sports participants play a vital role in conservation, one that transcends wildlife population management. The North American Conservation Model hinges on funding derived from the contribution coming from taxes on hunting and shooting gear and equipment.

Research also shows a trend of decreased public opinion of hunting, Evans said, noting that investing in R3 efforts is essential to combating this declining support and shoring up future conservation funding and, ultimately, securing our hunting heritage.

Forests and Flocks’ main hunting heritage objectives include addressing the factors that are limiting our outdoor lifestyle, increasing support for hunting with an emphasis on retention events, and engaging in policy efforts that reduce minimum age and hunter education barriers for hunters regardless of age.

It also calls for supporting the Voluntary Public Access-Habitat Incentive Program, and enhancing public land access and acquisition efforts, and increasing hunting and shooting sports opportunities across the region through the strategic use of the Hunt for Good campaign, a collaboration of NWTF and the Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports.

NWTF estimates Forests and Flocks will need $30 million, which includes partner collaboration, by the year 2034 to improve more than 100,000 acres of habitat on public and private lands. To do this work, plus address research and hunting heritage needs, the NWTF has a fundraising goal of $10 million. This is in addition to the projected $4 million of Super Fund dollars raised for conservation work during the course of the initiative.

“The Forest and Flocks Initiative has created excitement within our volunteer and staff ranks,” said Phil Ferrare, NWTF director of field operations in the Northeast. “It is an added opportunity to surgically fundraise for our mission at the NWTF. This initiative will bring all three legs of the organization together – conservation, field operations and development – with laser-focused volunteers to meet the goals in the region. We are motivated to surpass every milestone set, using the latest scientific data and research. This effort is a shining example of our vision to unite a nation through the life-changing power of the outdoors.”

NWTF has matched funds at an impressive rate of 5:1 in the region. The 10-year timeline will allow the tracking and reporting of measurable goals over time, motivating prospective donors and further incentivizing chapter fundraising efforts with a new level of urgency for this important work.

Private Landowner Involvement

Landowners can obtain NWTF district biologist contact information by visiting www.nwtf.org/who-we-are/our-people and clicking on the appropriate state. District biologists can connect landowners with private lands foresters in their area. If an NWTF forester is unavailable, NWTF will provide contact information for a partner agency office best suited to assist with habitat management goals.