USDA Brings Cohesion to Wildlife Conservation on a Landscape Scale
EDGEFIELD, S.C. — Earlier this week, Secretary Tom Vilsack of the United States Department of Agriculture advanced wildlife conservation by issuing a Secretary’s Memorandum that will facilitate a robust, coordinated model of wildlife management and conservation among agencies within the USDA. This new move aligns with the National Wild Turkey Federation’s landscape-scale approach to natural resources conservation. It furthers the potential for heightened collaboration between the NWTF and numerous agencies within the USDA.
“The NWTF partners with multiple USDA agencies to deliver our mission across the country,” said Tom Spezze, NWTF national director of conservation programs. “Secretary Vilsack’s memorandum will unify wildlife conservation management practices and priorities among USDA agencies. While the NWTF and its partners have always sung from the same sheet of music, this new approach will make our tune with the USDA clearer than ever. We value this memorandum and what it can mean for our collaborative efforts, across both public and private lands, if it is eventually codified in departmental regulation.”
The NWTF has a decades-long history partnering with the USDA to impact wild turkey habitat and our nation’s natural resources across the country. Currently, the NWTF has numerous landscape-scale conservation agreements with various USDA agencies to conserve both public and private lands for wildlife, including its National Master Stewardship Agreement with the USDA Forest Service, its National Forestry Initiative with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the NWTF also works in concert with the USDA Farm Service Agency to deliver conservation via the Conservation Reserve Program.
The recently issued memorandum will further align priorities and conservation actions with the NWTF and its numerous USDA agency partners. The new memorandum outlines specific measures to bring increased cross-jurisdictional ability and collaboration among the agencies under the USDA, all for the betterment of wildlife, outdoor recreation, private landowners and overall ecosystem health and viability.
The vision of Vilsack’s memorandum dovetails into the NWTF’s approach to landscape-scale conservation via the organization’s conservation initiatives. For instance, the NWTF’s Habitat for the Hatch, Waterways for Wildlife, and Forests and Flocks initiatives, among others, all work in concert with the USDA on public and private lands. An increased synergy between USDA agencies and an alignment of priorities will bolster the NWTF’s ability to deliver its mission via its landscape-scale conservation initiatives.
“We know that turkeys and many species of wildlife need landscapes that are unfragmented by human development and that provide them the habitats they need for their annual life cycles,” Spezze said. “An increased harmony between USDA agencies will ensure we are doing the right work, in the right place and at the right scale.”
The memorandum is effective immediately and will remain in effect for one year; after which, it must be codified into a department regulation.
About the National Wild Turkey Federation
Since 1973, the National Wild Turkey Federation has invested over half a billion dollars into wildlife conservation and has positively impacted over 23 million acres of critical wildlife habitat. The NWTF has also invested over $10 million into wild turkey research to guide the management of the wild turkey population and to ensure sustainable populations into perpetuity. The organization continues to deliver its mission by working across boundaries on a landscape scale through its Four Shared Values: clean and abundant water, healthy forests and wildlife habitat, resilient communities, and robust recreational opportunities. With the help of its dedicated members, partners and staff, the NWTF continues its work to provide Healthy Habitats. and Healthy Harvests. for future generations.