Interior Announces $24.7 Million In Support For Habitat Conservation In The West. According to Herald and News, “U.S. Secretary of the Interior David L. Bernhardt announced Thursday over $4.4 million in grant funding for habitat conservation projects in 11 western states that conserve migration corridors and winter range for elk, mule deer and pronghorn, including $3.1 million from a public-private partnership with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), according to a news release. These grants will generate an additional $20.3 million in matching contributions to support big game species habitat conservation for a total conservation impact of $24.7 million. ‘As we continue to approach conservation of migration corridors and winter range for mule deer, elk and pronghorn in a non-regulatory and voluntary manner, we are showing how conservation succeeds in the 21st century,’ said Secretary Bernhardt. ‘Working together with government and non-government partners, along with private landowners, we are protecting, enhancing and restoring habitat for big game and countless other species of wildlife.’ ‘Elk, mule deer and pronghorn face increasing obstacles from highway traffic, development, and habitat degradation as they navigate migration corridors that connect vast stretches of our western landscapes,’ said NFWF Executive Director and CEO Jeff Trandahl. ‘Working with the Department of the Interior, and other partners, such as ConocoPhillips and BNSF Railways, these NFWF awards support the work of local organizations as they implement projects that will reduce vehicle collisions and help to ensure healthy populations of these iconic animals.’ The grants are a part of the Department’s ongoing efforts to implement Secretary’s Order 3362, ‘Improving Habitat Quality in Western Big-Game Winter Range and Migration Corridors.’ These recent grants bring the Department’s and other stakeholders’ support of big game species habitat conservation to nearly $36 million.” [Herald and News, 4/30/20 (=)]

 

 

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