Boozman, Daines Introduce Bill to Support Outdoor Recreation, Block Ban of Traditional Ammo & Tackle

WASHINGTON––U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR) and Steve Daines (R-MT) introduced the Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act to prohibit the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) from banning the use of lead ammunition or tackle on public lands unless such action is supported by the best available science.

Pexel Image

“Enjoying the outdoors through hunting and fishing is part of the fabric and culture of The Natural State,” said Boozman. “These cherished pastimes not only help Arkansans connect to the resources we are blessed to enjoy but also play an important role in wildlife management. I am proud to join my colleagues in working to ensure hunting and fishing can continue on public lands without unreasonable, unscientific restrictions.”

“The great outdoors is a staple of our Montana way of life. Montana hunters and anglers play an important role in wildlife management, and a ban on lead ammo and tackle would be unfair to our sportsmen. I’ll keep fighting with my colleagues to make sure decisions impacting outdoor recreation are guided by commonsense science, not anti-hunting groups,” said Daines.

Specifically, the legislation blocks a prohibition on the use of lead ammunition or tackle unless a decline in wildlife population in a specific unit of federal land or water is primarily caused by the use of lead in ammunition or tackle.

The Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act is cosponsored by Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and Senators Jerry Moran (R-KS), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Jim Risch (R-ID), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), John Barrasso (R-WY), Rick Scott (R-FL), James Lankford (R-OK), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Mike Lee (R-UT), Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Tim Sheehy (R-MT), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Katie Britt (R-AL), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Jim Justice (R-WV), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), John Hoeven (R-ND) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS).

Click here for full text of the legislation. 

Little fish, epic journey: Arkansas biologists track 650-mile migration of Alabama shad

BY Sarah Baxter

LITTLE ROCK — Thirty juvenile Alabama shad are striking out on a 650-mile journey from the Ouachita River in southwest Arkansas to the Gulf Coast and beyond, and for the first time in history, biologists with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission will be tagging along.

AGFC biologists hope to track 30 transmitter-equipped Alabama shad from their spawning grounds in Arkansas to the Gulf Coast. AGFC photo by Forrest Talley. 

The Alabama shad is ranked as the fourth-rarest fish in Arkansas and is being considered as a candidate for the Endangered Species Act by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Each year Alabama shad spawned in the Ouachita River embark on a quest to reach salt water of the Gulf Coast. The fish is a mere 7-inch juvenile when it begins this trek, which leads it through many dangerous obstacles, including four locks and dams built for barge traffic.

Biologists know shockingly little about their life cycle aside from the endpoints of this amazing journey. Do they make this journey multiple times? Are there critical areas they visit along the way? How do they get past the dams? The questions surrounding this species are as vast as the waters it travels.

According to Jeff Quinn, AGFC River and Stream Program Supervisor, the Alabama shad is the only anadromous fish species in Arkansas — meaning it spawns in The Natural State and travels to salt water in the ocean as a component of its life cycle. One other species, the American eel, makes a similar migration but in reverse, spawning in the salt water of the ocean and traveling to fresh water in Arkansas during its life before returning to the Sargasso Sea.

Unraveling the secrets of this fish’s life cycle has been the largest obstacle in its conservation. Adult shad are extremely elusive and fragile, thwarting many previous tracking studies.

AGFC biologists have turned their attention to the juveniles through a groundbreaking effort. Last fall, they captured 30 young shad and implanted them with transmitters to track their migration. The transmitters, implanted by AGFC veterinarians, will coordinate with a series of hydrophones to “ping” each shad’s location as it passes nearby.

All 30 shad selected for research survived the implantation of tiny transmitters that will record movement as they pass by established recording units. AGFC photo by Forrest Talley.

This is the first time such a study has been attempted on juvenile Alabama shad. The species is notoriously fragile and prone to stress from temperature changes and handling trauma.

State Wildlife Veterinarian Dr. Jenn Ballard and AGFC Fish Pathologist Kelly Winningham worked in tandem to research and formulate a plan for the implantation procedure. The transmitter, roughly the size and shape of a piece of drinking straw as long as a penny is wide, had to be inserted in the body cavity of these extremely slender fish in a way that would not hinder their movement.

“We came up with some innovative solutions to overcome the fragile nature of the species,” Ballard said. “We even had fresh water flowing over the gills during the procedure through an IV setup instead of a water pump to ensure a constant but gentle flow of oxygenated water to the fish while the surgery was conducted.”

AGFC Wildlife Health Biologist AJ Riggs, AGFC Veterinary Trainee Robert Edwards and AGFC Conservation Program Technician Christina Little assisted with the surgeries, while Jeff Newman, AGFC Hatchery Manager of the Andrew Hulsey State Fish Hatchery, coordinated with Quinn and AGFC Rivers Biologist Chelsea Gilliland to collect, monitor, transport and release the shad.

Biologists employed many creative solutions to successfully implant transmitters in diminutive Alabama shad. The gloves seen in this image produce a light electrical current to immobilize fish for surgery, avoiding chemicals. AGFC photo by Jeff Quinn.

Thanks to the creative solutions by the capture and implantation teams, all 30 of the shad selected for the study survived the procedure and showed no serious effects from the transmitter’s size during post-surgery observation.

“This project is really cutting-edge science,” Quinn said. “We didn’t even think this project was possible earlier this year. Our success is because we assembled a highly skilled and dedicated team, studied successes with other species, and were willing to take chances and fail.”

The data gleaned from this study will be crucial in understanding the Alabama shad’s migratory patterns, habitat use and the challenges they face. This knowledge is vital for effective conservation management and could be the key to preventing this remarkable species from disappearing altogether.

Quinn recently joined Trey Reid for an episode of the Arkansas Wildlife Podcast to talk about this exciting research project. Watch the show on the AGFC YouTube channel or find the podcast on your favorite platform.

Eagles inspire awe, appreciation for conservation efforts

BY Randy Zellers

LITTLE ROCK — When America’s founding fathers affixed a bald eagle to the Great Seal of the United States in 1782, they likely had no idea they were highlighting what would become one of the greatest wildlife comeback stories of all time.

America’s symbol stood on the brink of extinction in the 1960s, when it was placed on the federal Endangered Species list. At that time, less than 500 nesting pairs of bald eagles were documented throughout the entire United States with no nesting pairs observed in Arkansas. Two of the primary culprits for their decline were the pesticide DDT, causing eggshell thinning in birds that ate DDT-contaminated fish, and lead poisoning as a result of lead shotgun pellets ingested when eagles preyed upon crippled and dead waterfowl. Thanks to tighter regulations on pesticide use and a ban on lead shot in waterfowl hunting, scientists and conservationists have been able to turn the tide on the eagles’ plight, with more than 13,000 breeding pairs estimated in 2007 when the species was officially “delisted” from the Endangered Species Act.

The bald eagle’s recovery hit a major milestone at a local level in 1983, when the first eagle nest since the 1950s was documented on Dale Bumpers White River National Wildlife Refuge. Since that time, the number of nests have gradually increased. Although the AGFC no longer has a formal survey for breeding pairs of eagles in the state, Karen Rowe, AGFC Nongame Bird Program Coordinator, estimates the number to be between 150 and 160.

“It could be higher, but once bald eagles were taken off the federal Endangered and Threatened Species list, the funding devoted to their monitoring had to be shifted to focus on recovering other species of birds that were still experiencing steep declines in the state,” Rowe said. “According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which monitors their numbers in the continental U.S., breeding bald eagle populations have only continued to increase since their delisting, so it’s likely that the Arkansas population has followed suit. Considering the original goal for recovery in Arkansas was only 10 breeding pairs of nesting bald eagles, we’re in phenomenal shape.”

Rowe says winter is one of the best times to view bald eagles if one is willing to bundle up and brave the chilly weather. Concentrations of eagles and other raptors travel south just like ducks, shorebirds and other migrating species. As lakes and rivers freeze in the northern states, it cuts off the supply of fish and other marine animals the eagles prey upon. Their other major food source, birds like waterfowl, head south for winter, and the eagles follow the food.

“Anywhere you find flocks of migrating waterfowl, you’re likely to come across bald eagles in winter,” Rowe said. “But the best locations are tied to our large rivers, Army Corps of Engineers reservoirs and seasonally flooded rice fields. As duck seasons wind down, you’ll find quite a few birders take more trips to some of the AGFC’s waterfowl-focused wildlife management areas to enjoy watching the many other species the habitat on these areas attracts, eagles included.”

For folks wanting to get out and take in the sight of eagles perched over the wetlands, Rowe suggests keeping an eye out for superdominant trees along the shorelines or field edges.

“Holla Bend National Wildlife Refuge and DeGray Lake on the west side of the state are two of Arkansas’s most well-known eagle-watching locations, but the Delta hosts hundreds of birds each year, especially along the White and Cache rivers.”

How do you tell an eagle from a hawk or a vulture (incorrectly called a “buzzard” by some Arkansans)? First of all, size is a major factor. An eagle’s wingspan is nearly twice as wide as most hawks and owls, often reaching 7 to 8 feet. Black vultures and turkey vultures have similarly sized wingspans, but they have different flight characteristics than raptors.

“Eagles and hawks soar with their wings extended on a flat horizontal plane,” Rowe said. “Vultures hold their wings in a ‘V’ shape. And the white head and tail of both male and female adult bald eagles is a striking contrast from its brown body that will give it away.”

Rowe says golden eagles, which are similarly sized but not as common as bald eagles in Arkansas, have brown heads and tails and legs covered with feathers down to the feet. Another, often more obvious difference is their beak; the bald eagle has a very large, bright yellow beak, while the golden eagle’s is small and black. Immature bald eagles that have not attained their adult plumage also are predominantly brown with white mottling and are often confused for this lesser-known species.

“Juvenile bald eagles gradually shift toward their adult plumage as they get older and usually have the species’ trademark look by year five,” Rowe said.

Rowe said birders who wish to help track eagle nests can email her at karen.rowe@agfc.ar.gov. Please be prepared to give exact GPS coordinates for the nest to help biologists make the best use of their follow-up time.

“It’s always great to hear the excitement in someone’s voice when they see an eagle or a nest, but we really need people to make sure that the nest is active with a breeding pair and we really need exact locations to help our monitoring efforts,” Rowe said. “We get hundreds of reports each year, but many can’t be used because we don’t have an exact location of an active nest to document.”

Arkansas Game and Fish Commission receives grant to help protect endangered species

KUAR | By Maggie Ryan

Arkansas is the recipient of new funding from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has received nearly $2.2 million in a grant to purchase land where three endangered species live.

The grant, announced Monday in a press release, will be used to purchase just under 1,100 acres around the Upper Little Red River Watershed.

The area is inhabited by the yellowcheek darter, the speckled pocketbook mussel, and the northern long-eared bat, all of which are endangered species.

Arkansas Game and Fish Commission receives grant to help protect endangered species

Pedro Ardapple-Kindberg/U.S. Fish And Wildlife Service

A male yellowcheek darter on South Fork of upper Little Red River.

Boozman, Cardin Laud Congressional Passage of Legislation Protecting Migratory Birds

Photo by Steve Smith

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR) and Ben Cardin (D-MD), senior members of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, applauded passage of bipartisan legislation that will enable the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to support conservation partners along migratory flyways throughout the Western Hemisphere. The Senate approved the bill Wednesday and it now heads to the president’s desk to be signed into law. 

“I applaud Senate passage of legislation to protect migratory birds. This will allow us to build on the success we’ve seen from this program and provide certainty for vulnerable bird populations for generations to come,” said Boozman, a Migratory Bird Conservation Co-Chair.

“I am glad to see the Senate take swift action to pass Migratory Birds of the Americas Conservation Enhancement Act. This bill makes thoughtful improvements to a critical bird habitat conservation program at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The unique program helps to ensure that in the backyard birds we know and love in Maryland like the Baltimore Oriole have places to nest and winter along their full migratory journey,” Cardin said. “Support for this important conservation program has been a cornerstone of my environmental work in the Senate, but I am not done yet. I will continue to work with my colleagues to ensure the program’s funding levels continue to keep pace with its important work.” 

The Migratory Birds of the Americas Conservation Act, formerly the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act, has a proven track record of reversing habitat loss and advancing conservation strategies for the hundreds of species of birds considered neotropical migrants—birds that spend summers in North America and winter in Central and South America and the Caribbean. Since 2002, the program has provided more than $89 million in grants to support 717 projects across five million acres of bird habitat in 43 countries. The federal investment in this program is leveraged to spur significant private partner funding.

Boozman, Cardin Introduce Bill to Safeguard Migratory Bird Habitats

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR) and Ben Cardin (D-MD), senior members of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, introduced legislation to reauthorize the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act which enables the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to support conservation partners along migratory flyways throughout the Western Hemisphere. This is the only federal grant program that ensures the links in the full migratory chain have the conservation support they need. It promotes the long-term conservation, education, research, monitoring and habitat protection for more than 380 species of migratory birds along their full migratory pathway.

Photo by Robert Gramner

The legislation makes key improvements to the program, most notably lowering the required cost-sharing requirement for grant recipients from 3:1 to 2:1, which will make it more accessible to smaller organizations. The new legislation provides $6.5 million over five years. These and other strategic improvements will allow the program to better respond to the demonstrated need for funding and grow the local partner base.

 “As a Migratory Bird Conservation Co-Chair, protecting and improving migratory bird habitat is a priority for me. The Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act will continue to build on the success we’ve seen from this program and provide certainty for vulnerable bird populations for generations to come,” said Boozman, a member of the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission.

“Neotropical migratory birds, like our beloved Baltimore Oriole, take tremendous journeys,” said Cardin, “Their migratory paths require ‘habitat anchors’ that the species have relied on for tens of thousands of years. The wetlands of the Chesapeake Bay watershed provide one such critical stopover for hundreds of species traveling along the Atlantic Flyway each year. However, it is just one of many habitats that link together the full migratory chain. The Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act program supports habitat conservation along their entire flight path. It is a proven success story, and I am proud of the improvements this bill makes.” 

“At a time when we are losing billions of birds, the legislation led by Senators Cardin and Boozman is critical to ensuring the survival of migratory birds all along their hemispheric routes, and to help communities conserve their own natural landscapes," said Felice Stadler, vice president of government affairs, National Audubon Society. “We thank Senators Cardin and Boozman for their leadership in conserving migratory species, who delight 96 million birdwatching Americans every year.”

“Public-private partnerships are essential to effective conservation efforts in the U.S. and globally. I applaud Senator Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Cardin and International Conservation Caucus Co-Chair Senator Boozman on their leadership promoting sound policy solutions regarding migratory birds as well as resource management issues around the world,” said David Barron, Chairman, International Conservation Caucus Foundation.

“Projects funded through the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act help conserve vulnerable bird populations while strengthening our ecosystems across the Americas,” said Karen Waldrop, Ducks Unlimited Chief Conservation Officer. “From Canada to the Bahamas – and everywhere in between – migratory birds know no boundaries, and the habitat investments of this bipartisan program reflect that. We applaud Senators Cardin and Boozman for their leadership.”

Since 2002, the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act program has provided more than $89 million in grants to support 717 projects across five million acres of bird habitat in 43 countries. The federal dollars invested in this program are leveraged to spur significant private partner funding. 

Boozman, Heinrich, Kennedy Lead Introduction of Bipartisan Legislation to Restore Wetlands and Migratory Bird Habitat

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM), members of the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission, along with Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) lead their colleagues in introducing bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) through 2028. The legislation would also increase authorized annual funding for the program to $65 million. 

NAWCA was originally enacted in 1989 to provide federal matching grants —in partnership with funding from state and local governments, private industry and non-profit organizations—to projects that conserve North America’s wetlands, waterfowl and wildlife.  

“Tens of thousands of acres of wildlife habitat have been conserved in Arkansas thanks to NAWCA, which helps promote and maintain wetlands that serve as a world-class duck hunting environment. Ensuring we continue to protect and preserve it and other outdoor recreation sites not only benefits migratory bird populations and other species, it is also a sound economic investment. I’m proud to join Sen. Heinrich and our colleagues to introduce legislation reauthorizing this important program,” said Boozman.

“We owe it to our kids and grandkids to ensure they can inherit the full breadth of American wildlife and the wetlands that sustain them,” said Heinrich. “I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation to bolster our nation’s most successful wetlands restoration program. By reauthorizing the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, this legislation will improve access to clean drinking water, invest in our thriving multi-billion-dollar outdoor recreation economy and conserve New Mexico’s wildlife and the habitats they depend on for future generations.” 

“Louisiana’s wetlands are a big part of our state’s outdoor sportsman culture and geographical beauty. The North American Wetlands Conservation Act is an important step to preserve our wildlife and protect our environment’s natural defense system,” said Kennedy. 

Wetlands secure freshwater supplies, recharge aquifers, and mitigate soil erosion and flooding. In addition, waterfowl, migratory birds, fish and other wildlife that depend on wetlands support multibillion-dollar outdoor recreation activities such as hunting, fishing, wildlife viewing, and photography. NAWCA funding has been critical to acquiring, restoring and enhancing this habitat in all 50 states, Canada and Mexico. In total, more than 3,300 NAWCA projects have contributed to the conservation and restoration of more than 32 million acres of habitat all across North America. 

NAWCA has provided a great return on investment, generating on average two additional dollars for every federal dollar. Over the program’s history, federal grants totaling more than $2.1 billion have spurred $4.3 billion for NAWCA projects through matching funds. NAWCA funds have also supported an average of 7,500 jobs each year and more than $5 billion in annual economic activity. 

The legislation was cosponsored by U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-DE), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Susan Collins (R-ME), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Tina Smith (D-MN), Jon Tester (D-MT) and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD). 

The North American Wetlands Conservation Act is endorsed by Delta Waterfowl, Boone and Crockett, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, Audubon, Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, Outdoor Industry Association, Chesapeake Bay Foundation and Restore America’s Estuaries. 

“NAWCA is a foundational pillar of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation,” said Ducks Unlimited CEO Adam Putnam. “The voluntary, incentive-based approach has conserved millions of acres of habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife while helping improve water quality and quantity and making our communities more resilient.”  

“The North American Wetlands Conservation Act is one of the most cost-effective conservation investments we can make. Often matched at a rate of 3:1, this important program is a great example of how federal investments into conservation can be leveraged with private contributions to secure a significant return on investment to bolster on-the-ground conservation,” said Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation President and CEO Jeff Crane.

“Wetlands shield against floods, help clean our drinking water and provide habitat for diverse plant and animal life. Reauthorizing the North American Wetlands Conservation Act is an opportunity for Congress to continue America's conservation legacy while sparking job creation and outdoor recreation opportunities.” said Tom Cors, Senior Legislative Director, The Nature Conservancy.  

“North America’s wetlands demonstrate what is possible for people, wildlife and clean water when we make strategic, concerted investments in conserving and restoring vital habitat,” said Andrew Wilkins, Land Conservation Policy Director, National Wildlife Federation. “This reauthorization bill will help keep our commitment to wetlands conservation strong and ensure that the people and wildlife whose work, water and way of life can endure for future generations. Congress should ensure the North American Wetlands Conservation Act remains one of America’s most successful conservation programs since it first passed in 1989.”  

The text of the bill is here.