Outdoor News Daily

Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced today that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will distribute more than $76.5 million to the fish and wildlife agencies of the 50 states, commonwealths, the District of Columbia, and territories to help conserve and recover imperiled fish and wildlife through the State Wildlife Grant Program. The $76.5 million dollar figure represents a significant increase in funding over the 2009 levels. Since the program’s inception, Congress has provided over $573 million for conservation work on state and private lands.

“The State Wildlife Grant program is part of the Department of the Interior’s ongoing commitment to the essential conservation efforts of states,” said Salazar. “In our challenging economic climate, the program ensures that states will have the necessary resources to help conserve their highest priority wildlife, plants, and habitat–an investment that will pay dividends for years to come.”
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The Department of the Interior will expand efforts with state, local and tribal partners to map lands that are vital to the survival of the greater sage-grouse, a ground-dwelling bird that inhabits much of the West, while guiding and managing new conventional and renewable energy projects to reduce impacts on the species, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced today.

Salazar made the announcement in conjunction with a finding by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that, based on accumulated scientific data and new peer-reviewed information and analysis, the greater sage-grouse warrants the protection of the Endangered Species Act but that listing the species at this time is precluded by the need to address higher priority species first. The greater sage-grouse will be placed on the candidate list for future action, meaning the species would not receive statutory protection under the ESA and states would continue to be responsible for managing the bird.
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Wildlife conservation projects in 17 Washington counties have been selected to receive grants from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation in 2010.

The new RMEF funding, totaling $186,270, will affect Asotin, Chelan, Columbia, Ferry, Garfield, Jefferson, King, Kittitas, Lincoln, Pacific, Pierce, Pend Oreille, Skamania, Spokane, Stevens, Whitman and Yakima counties.

“These grants are possible because of the successful banquets and fundraisers staged over the past year by our Washington volunteers—most of whom are elk hunters as well as devoted conservationists,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “Since 1984, our annual grants have helped complete 433 different projects in Washington with a combined value of more than $101 million.”
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Wildlife conservation projects in 12 Oregon counties have been selected to receive grants from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation in 2010.

The new RMEF funding, totaling $153,500, will affect Benton, Crook, Curry, Deschutes, Douglas, Grant, Harney, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Union and Wallowa counties.

“These grants are possible because of the successful banquets and fundraisers staged over the past year by our Oregon volunteers—most of whom are elk hunters as well as devoted conservationists,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “Since 1984, our annual grants have helped complete 633 different projects in Oregon with a combined value of more than $36 million.”
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