PLJV Partners Awarded
$1 million in NAWCA Grants
Last month, PLJV partners received $971,250 in North American Wetland Conservation Act (NAWCA) funding to carry out four projects totaling more than $3.1 million to protect 4,400 wetland acres in Nebraska and Texas. In Nebraska, Platte River Basin Environments, Inc. (PRBE), was awarded a NAWCA standard grant of $855,000 for a $2.9 million project to protect in perpetuity more than 3,000 acres along the North Platte River. The other three awards went to Texas partners - Texas Prairie Rivers, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and Pheasants Forever. Texas Prairie Rivers was awarded a $50,000 NAWCA small grant for a $124,167 project to restore riparian habitat along the Canadian River by removing invasive vegetation along 516 acres. Riparian areas at the Gene Howe Wildlife Management Area are also being restored with the help of a $50,000 small grant received by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for a $113,900 project to remove invasive plant species on 600 acres. The other NAWCA small grant of $16,250 went to Pheasants Forever, who will use the funds as match for a $35,809 project to restore 88 acres of playa basins and 75 acres of associated uplands.
The four grants involved more than 20 additional funding partners, including: Ducks Unlimited, National Wild Turkey Federation, Nebraska Environmental Trust Foundation, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Playa Lakes Joint Venture, Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory, The Nature Conservancy, University of Nebraska, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and multiple private landowners. The next deadline for submitting a NAWCA small grant is December 3 and standard grants are due July 30.
PLJV Hires GIS Expert, Coordinates Planning with RBJV and USFWS
The PLJV recently hired a GIS analyst and combined its habitat assessment program with the Rainwater Basin Joint Venture and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Platte/Kansas refuge planning initiative. The move greatly boosts partners' capacity for landscape-scale biological planning.
Karin Callahan, the new PLJV staff member, is working with the PLJV GIS along with other GIS experts in Grand Island, Nebraska, to map and analyze landscape cover for Bird Conservation Regions 18 and 19. Callahan's work will provide crucial information for the PLJV planning process in identifying the location and amount of priority habitats for conservation projects.
"With hiring Karin, I think we now have the core team in place to get the job done," said PLJV Coordinator Mike Carter. "I am especially excited about the cooperative program we are developing with the Rainwater Basin Joint Venture and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service."
Rep. Neugebauer Introduces Playa Protection Bill in House
U.S. Congressman Rep. Randy Neugebauer (R-TX) recently introduced legislation to help farmers conserve playas by amending the Farm Bill to extend protection to these vital wetlands. The proposed legislation, HR 3886 introduced March 3 to the House of Representatives, would allow the enrollment of playas into the Farmable Wetlands provision of the Conservation Reserve Program of the Farm Bill. Specifically, the bill names playas as wetlands, and increases the amount of wetland acres eligible for payment from 5 to 20, and total project area from 10 to 40 acres. Since the average playa size is about 15 acres, more of them would become eligible for enrollment. The bill is similar to legislation proposed by Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS) to the Senate last fall (S. 1877). Rep. Neugebauer, who represents the eastern portion of the Texas Panhandle in Congressional District 19, is currently urging other members of the House representing districts in the High Plains to cosponsor the bill.
$1 million in NAWCA Grants
Last month, PLJV partners received $971,250 in North American Wetland Conservation Act (NAWCA) funding to carry out four projects totaling more than $3.1 million to protect 4,400 wetland acres in Nebraska and Texas. In Nebraska, Platte River Basin Environments, Inc. (PRBE), was awarded a NAWCA standard grant of $855,000 for a $2.9 million project to protect in perpetuity more than 3,000 acres along the North Platte River. The other three awards went to Texas partners - Texas Prairie Rivers, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and Pheasants Forever. Texas Prairie Rivers was awarded a $50,000 NAWCA small grant for a $124,167 project to restore riparian habitat along the Canadian River by removing invasive vegetation along 516 acres. Riparian areas at the Gene Howe Wildlife Management Area are also being restored with the help of a $50,000 small grant received by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for a $113,900 project to remove invasive plant species on 600 acres. The other NAWCA small grant of $16,250 went to Pheasants Forever, who will use the funds as match for a $35,809 project to restore 88 acres of playa basins and 75 acres of associated uplands.
The four grants involved more than 20 additional funding partners, including: Ducks Unlimited, National Wild Turkey Federation, Nebraska Environmental Trust Foundation, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, Playa Lakes Joint Venture, Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory, The Nature Conservancy, University of Nebraska, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and multiple private landowners. The next deadline for submitting a NAWCA small grant is December 3 and standard grants are due July 30.
PLJV Hires GIS Expert, Coordinates Planning with RBJV and USFWS
The PLJV recently hired a GIS analyst and combined its habitat assessment program with the Rainwater Basin Joint Venture and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Platte/Kansas refuge planning initiative. The move greatly boosts partners' capacity for landscape-scale biological planning.
Karin Callahan, the new PLJV staff member, is working with the PLJV GIS along with other GIS experts in Grand Island, Nebraska, to map and analyze landscape cover for Bird Conservation Regions 18 and 19. Callahan's work will provide crucial information for the PLJV planning process in identifying the location and amount of priority habitats for conservation projects.
"With hiring Karin, I think we now have the core team in place to get the job done," said PLJV Coordinator Mike Carter. "I am especially excited about the cooperative program we are developing with the Rainwater Basin Joint Venture and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service."
Rep. Neugebauer Introduces Playa Protection Bill in House
U.S. Congressman Rep. Randy Neugebauer (R-TX) recently introduced legislation to help farmers conserve playas by amending the Farm Bill to extend protection to these vital wetlands. The proposed legislation, HR 3886 introduced March 3 to the House of Representatives, would allow the enrollment of playas into the Farmable Wetlands provision of the Conservation Reserve Program of the Farm Bill. Specifically, the bill names playas as wetlands, and increases the amount of wetland acres eligible for payment from 5 to 20, and total project area from 10 to 40 acres. Since the average playa size is about 15 acres, more of them would become eligible for enrollment. The bill is similar to legislation proposed by Sen. Pat Roberts (R-KS) to the Senate last fall (S. 1877). Rep. Neugebauer, who represents the eastern portion of the Texas Panhandle in Congressional District 19, is currently urging other members of the House representing districts in the High Plains to cosponsor the bill.
Waterfowl Research Gaining Ground in Texas
Two West Texas A&M University undergrads have recently embarked on a multi-year research project to study waterfowl migration chronology and use of playas. Wildlife biology students Laura Baar and Trey Barron are working under the direction of Professor Ray Matlack, director of West Texas A&M's Wildlife Department, and Bill Johnson, waterfowl and wetlands biologist for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. In February, Baar and Barron started counts on playas in Oldham, Potter, Deaf Smith and Randall Counties. Baar reported that at the end of February they counted more than 10,000 birds comprising 11 species, including 8,000 pintails on seven playas. By mid-march numbers of pintails had dropped to 112 as they moved to different wetlands or began migrating north.
"It's remarkable," said Baar. "I had no idea of the number of birds on playas." While counting birds, researchers are also keeping track of the condition of playas and how land-use changes such as planting and grazing affects bird use. Counts will be conducted twice per month until April, then start again in late August. The project will continue for several more years, depending on funding. Results of this study will give biologists an idea of relative numbers of different species using playas at different times, information not captured by current surveys, but important for conservation planning in the region.
Another student studying waterfowl on playas was recently honored with the Texas Wildlife Society's Cottam Award February 20 at the Society's 39th Annual Meeting. Award recipient Jena Moon, a Texas Tech master's student working under the direction of Drs. David Haukos, Loren Smith and Bobby Cox, is currently researching the survival, movement and body condition of Northern Pintails in the Texas playa lakes region. The study was funded in part by the PLJV.
Focus Areas Active Across PLJV Region
PLJV focus area committees are hosting a variety of landowner outreach events and meetings this month. In Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Wildlife and Prairie Heritage Alliance will be hosting a landowner workshop April 5 in Freedom about how to eradicate invasive red cedar; contact Trapper Heglin for information. Nebraska will be hosting its first landowner workshop focused on playa conservation in the western portion of the state April 6 in Kimball; contact Cris Carnine for information. The Southeast Colorado Focus Area Committee will also be hosting landowner workshops on economic diversification in Kim and Burlington April 14 and 30, respectively; contact Tammy Vercauteren for information. The Mid-Plains chapter of the Kansas Alliance for Wetlands and Streams, which focuses on counties in central southwest Kansas, will meet April 28 in Dodge City; contact Linda Henderson for information.
Focus areas are local partnerships supported by the PLJV to carry out conservation projects that address the Joint Venture's mission. To get involved in a focus area in your neck of the prairie, visit the PLJV web site for contact information for each state.
"It's remarkable," said Baar. "I had no idea of the number of birds on playas." While counting birds, researchers are also keeping track of the condition of playas and how land-use changes such as planting and grazing affects bird use. Counts will be conducted twice per month until April, then start again in late August. The project will continue for several more years, depending on funding. Results of this study will give biologists an idea of relative numbers of different species using playas at different times, information not captured by current surveys, but important for conservation planning in the region.
Another student studying waterfowl on playas was recently honored with the Texas Wildlife Society's Cottam Award February 20 at the Society's 39th Annual Meeting. Award recipient Jena Moon, a Texas Tech master's student working under the direction of Drs. David Haukos, Loren Smith and Bobby Cox, is currently researching the survival, movement and body condition of Northern Pintails in the Texas playa lakes region. The study was funded in part by the PLJV.
Focus Areas Active Across PLJV Region
PLJV focus area committees are hosting a variety of landowner outreach events and meetings this month. In Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Wildlife and Prairie Heritage Alliance will be hosting a landowner workshop April 5 in Freedom about how to eradicate invasive red cedar; contact Trapper Heglin for information. Nebraska will be hosting its first landowner workshop focused on playa conservation in the western portion of the state April 6 in Kimball; contact Cris Carnine for information. The Southeast Colorado Focus Area Committee will also be hosting landowner workshops on economic diversification in Kim and Burlington April 14 and 30, respectively; contact Tammy Vercauteren for information. The Mid-Plains chapter of the Kansas Alliance for Wetlands and Streams, which focuses on counties in central southwest Kansas, will meet April 28 in Dodge City; contact Linda Henderson for information.
Focus areas are local partnerships supported by the PLJV to carry out conservation projects that address the Joint Venture's mission. To get involved in a focus area in your neck of the prairie, visit the PLJV web site for contact information for each state.
Playa Post ©2003 Playa Lakes Joint Venture. Submission deadlines are the 15th of each month for publication the following month. Send press releases, comments and subscription inquiries to Debbie F. Slobe.