U.S. Secretary of the Interior David L. Bernhardt announced 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). 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.
A total of $1.3 million of the grant total is being awarded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Partners for Fish and Wildlife program to support 20 habitat conservation and improvement projects on private land. Private landowners play a vital role in conservation by providing quality habitat that supports migration corridors and winter range for big game species. Every funded project required the signature of the landowner/manager to ensure each project was voluntary and met mutual objectives.
Projects were funded across eight western states including Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming. All conservation projects are within state-defined priority migration corridors or winter range areas, and the range of activities included invasive species control and management, fencing removal or improvement, sagebrush-steppe restoration and fire rehabilitation.
A total of $3.1 million in grants are being awarded through the Improving Habitat Quality in Western Big Game and Migration Corridors Program (Western Big Game Migration Program), a public-private partnership between NFWF and the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S.
Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, ConocoPhillips and BNSF Railways. These funds go to state and local organizations in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
The projects supported by the 15 grants announced today will enhance and improve habitats on winter ranges, stopover areas and migration corridors used by big game species, both on federal lands and private lands whose owners volunteer to participate in conservation efforts. These projects fund state-identified migratory bottlenecks and places that must be secured and improved to ensure healthy populations of these iconic animals.