Conservation Briefs is a compilation of short news stories of interest to Outdoor News Bulletin readers. The stories cover a number of issues that have developed in the past month or provide updates on issues that were featured in previous ONB editions. Each story includes links to online resources for more details on each topic.

This Month:

Administration Unveils FY2016 Budget Request

Imagine you own a business with a flat-to-diminishing customer base. Your operating costs go up every year while market conditions make it increasingly difficult to obtain product to sell. Your customers and critics have a history of reacting poorly to raising prices in an effort to increase your cash flow. This is the business model you are operating in if you work for a state wildlife agency. In a market place wrought with competitors fighting to be the public's passion, isn't it time agencies discussed ideas to increase their market share?

Some of the most contentious issues in fish and wildlife management are the regulatory restrictions that come when a species is listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Stakeholders are increasingly recognizing that the biggest win for people and wildlife is keeping species off the endangered species list in the first place. However, avoiding listing can only be counted as a true success if that decision is the result of effective pre-listing management and a transparent, consistent understanding of meaningful conservation outcomes achieved.

The Gulf Coast Prairie Landscape Conservation Cooperative, along with partners at Texas A&M University, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, and the University of Central Oklahoma, have developed a framework for the conservation of grassland and shrubland habitats throughout central Texas.

Recent announcements from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on their conservation programs bring a mix of good news and bad news. While USDA announced a new opportunity to enroll pivot corners in the Conservation Reserve Program, the administration's proposed budget for 2016 proposes a significant cut for both the Conservation Security Program and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, according to the Wildlife Management Institute.

The National Conservation Leadership Institute (NCLI) recently announced that it is accepting applications for its 10th cohort of future conservation leaders, reports the Wildlife Management Institute. The program trains upper and middle level managers how to address adaptive challenges, lead through change, and other critical leadership skills that are essential for the efficient and effective management of today's fish and wildlife agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and related industries.

Three workshops will be held on Tuesday, March 10 during the 80th North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference in Omaha, Nebraska. All attendees are welcome to participate in the workshops.

• Urban Wildlife Conservation in Cities and Suburbs: Pollinators, Agriculture and the Great Midwest 
• Implementing Landscape-scale Approaches to Mitigation and Renewable Energy: A Roundtable on Lessons Learned
• Recruiting Female Natural Resource Leaders  


 

The Wildlife Management Institute's completely revised and updated Ducks, Geese and Swans of North America received an Honorable Mention PROSE Award in the Multivolume/Science Category. The PROSE Awards are presented each year by the Professional and Scholarly Publishing Division of the Association of American Publishers (AAP) to honor noteworthy and original contributions in scholarly writing.

The Northeast Regional Conservation Needs (RCN) Grants program is currently accepting proposals for the 2015 funding year and will award up to $250,000 in total. Proposals are due March 1, 2015 and require 50 percent non-federal matching funds. The RCN program allows states in the region to leverage limited funds and use the best available science to prioritize shared species and habitats in need of conservation.