11-22-2006, 09:10 PM
The future looks bright for landowners and wildlife enthusiasts. Recently, President Bush signed the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Act. The act provides a Congressional authorization for the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, a successful 20-year old private lands conservation program popular with landowners and conservationists alike. Oklahoma Senator James Inhofe and Representative John Sullivan introduced the Act to the legislature and played a key role in its passage.
"This law formalizes a program that exemplifies cooperative conservation," said Department of the Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne. "The program puts financial and technical resources into the hands of willing landowners to help them manage their lands for imperiled plant and animal species. Next year we will celebrate the program's 20th year. The law represents a perfect anniversary gift for this conservation success story."<br />
The law authorizes the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service through the Partners Program, to provide technical and financial assistance to willing private landowners to restore, enhance, and manage private lands in Oklahoma and across the nation. Since 1990, the Partners program has worked with 810 different landowners to restore or enhance more than 238,000 acres of wildlife habitat, including nearly 21,000 acres of wetland habitat. The program has worked with 108 public school districts to establish outdoor classrooms, which are used to teach children about environmental issues in a hands-on format.<br />
"The Partners program has been very popular and beneficial in improving wildlife habitat and it has been a real positive for landowners," said Jontie Aldrich, the Oklahoma Partners program coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "The passage of this act ensures the program will benefit wildlife and landowners for generations to come."<br />
The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation has a long history of working together with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.<br />
"One of the most important things we can do for wildlife is to conserve quality habitat, this program and the other similar state and federal landowner assistance programs helps landowners to restore habitat that will be used by generations of wildlife and sportsman alike," said Mike Sams, private lands senior biologist for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.<br />
In addition, the Wildlife Department employs other biologists and wildlife technicians who provide technical assistance for a multitude of habitat improvement projects on private lands. Quail, deer, turkey and non-game wildlife populations have all benefited from these efforts.<br />
For more information about landowner assistance programs log on to the Wildlife Department's Web site at www.wildlifedepartment.com/laprogrm4.htm.<br />
For more information about the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, call Jontie Aldrich at (918) 581-7458 ext. 231.
"This law formalizes a program that exemplifies cooperative conservation," said Department of the Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne. "The program puts financial and technical resources into the hands of willing landowners to help them manage their lands for imperiled plant and animal species. Next year we will celebrate the program's 20th year. The law represents a perfect anniversary gift for this conservation success story."<br />
The law authorizes the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service through the Partners Program, to provide technical and financial assistance to willing private landowners to restore, enhance, and manage private lands in Oklahoma and across the nation. Since 1990, the Partners program has worked with 810 different landowners to restore or enhance more than 238,000 acres of wildlife habitat, including nearly 21,000 acres of wetland habitat. The program has worked with 108 public school districts to establish outdoor classrooms, which are used to teach children about environmental issues in a hands-on format.<br />
"The Partners program has been very popular and beneficial in improving wildlife habitat and it has been a real positive for landowners," said Jontie Aldrich, the Oklahoma Partners program coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "The passage of this act ensures the program will benefit wildlife and landowners for generations to come."<br />
The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation has a long history of working together with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.<br />
"One of the most important things we can do for wildlife is to conserve quality habitat, this program and the other similar state and federal landowner assistance programs helps landowners to restore habitat that will be used by generations of wildlife and sportsman alike," said Mike Sams, private lands senior biologist for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.<br />
In addition, the Wildlife Department employs other biologists and wildlife technicians who provide technical assistance for a multitude of habitat improvement projects on private lands. Quail, deer, turkey and non-game wildlife populations have all benefited from these efforts.<br />
For more information about landowner assistance programs log on to the Wildlife Department's Web site at www.wildlifedepartment.com/laprogrm4.htm.<br />
For more information about the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, call Jontie Aldrich at (918) 581-7458 ext. 231.