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Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Game and Fish seeks input on 2025 wildlife conservation plan
May 30—BISMARCK — The North Dakota Game and Fish Department is taking public comment on the revision of its 2015 State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP), a process it is required to undertake every 10 years as part of an effort to conserve wildlife and habitats across the state. According to Patrick Isakson, conservation supervisor for Game and Fish in Bismarck, the department developed its first SWAP document in 2005 to shed light on at-risk and potential at-risk species in North Dakota. While SWAP includes a "handful" of game species, including sharp-tailed grouse, canvasback, lesser scaup and northern pintail, "the vast majority are those nongame species that we don't hunt or fish in the state," Isakson said. That includes grassland birds, shorebirds, terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates, insects, freshwater mussels, mammals, reptiles and amphibians that may be under threat. The ultimate goal of the plan is to prevent species from being listed for federal protection under the Endangered Species Act. "The State Wildlife Action Plan is really a guiding document for our agency and our partners to identify the threats and conservation actions for at-risk species and their habitats," Isakson said. Bruce Kreft, chief of the Game and Fish Department's Conservation and Communications Division, said the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) provides states with money to address rare and declining species, but state agencies in turn must develop a plan to address the species listed in the document. Kreft talked about the required SWAP update on Tuesday, April 22, during the Game and Fish Department's spring Advisory Board meeting. Game and Fish is mandated to hold the meetings twice a year in each of the state's eight advisory board districts, and the meeting for District 7 was livestreamed from Game and Fish headquarters in Bismarck. The FWS recently announced it is distributing more than $55 million to state fish and wildlife agencies through its State Wildlife Grant Program. North Dakota is receiving $552,727 for 2025, according to the FWS. "The State Wildlife Grant Program supports conservation actions aimed at avoiding new federal listings of threatened and endangered species, recovering those species already listed and ensuring healthy populations of each state's top-priority fish and wildlife species for future generations," Paul Souza, acting director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said in a statement. "We are pleased to be working with these partners to protect America's natural resources and wild places." That's where the State Wildlife Action Plan comes into play, Isakson of Game and Fish said. "One of the benefits of the state putting together a State Wildlife Action Plan is then, it's eligible for State Wildlife Grant money" from the FWS, Isakson said. "So, in order for us to spend that money on our species of greatest conservation need, we need to have the State Wildlife Action Plan in place to identify what we're going to do with it." That allocation has ranged from about $450,000 to $550,000 annually over the last decade or so, he said. "It's been a real stable funding source for our nongame species and one that really has done a lot of work in our state and furthered our information and knowledge," Isakson said. "We leverage (funding) with partner dollars, university dollars, NGO (nongovernmental organization) dollars and do research and habitat conservation with it." Examples, he says, include a freshwater mussel study being conducted with Valley City State University, reptile and amphibian surveys underway with a researcher at North Dakota State University and looking at grassland bird habitat and how it relates to some of the at-risk species in the SWAP document. "We've been fortunate over the last decade or so to add some expertise in both terrestrial insects and aquatic insects, so we really lean heavily into this plan on what effects those threats out there have on our invertebrate community," Isakson said. "So, there are a lot of new insects both aquatic and terrestrial, that are in our (updated) plan. "That's where a lot of the species that we see being potentially listed and petitioned for listing under the Endangered Species Act are going — to those invertebrates." As part of its first two State Wildlife Action Plans in 2005 and 2015, Game and Fish ranked "Species of Conservation Priority," Isakson says. Under the SWAP draft now up for public review, species are identified as "Species of Greatest Conservation Need" and "Species of Greatest Information Need," Isakson says. "We don't rank them out anymore," he said. "We just have species that we have an idea of what the threats and actions are that we need to conserve them. And then those Species of Greatest Information Need are those that we really need to do some more investigating on. We have an idea that maybe there's some threats out there or their populations may be declining, but we need to lean into some of the research to identify those." The 2025 SWAP draft includes 134 species of Greatest Conservation Need and 98 Species of Greatest Information Need in North Dakota, Isakson said. The first SWAP in 2005 identified about 100 species of concern, a number that increased to 115 species in the 2015 SWAP update, Kreft said during the April Advisory Board livestream. "So, we're seeing that increase in the number of species that are rare and declining either regionally — throughout different states — or within the states," Kreft said. The 152-page SWAP draft has eight elements, he said, including abundance, distribution, some of the threats and potential actions. While the list of at-risk species has grown, species occasionally come off the list, as well, Isakson said. The river otter and the American marten, both of which were listed in the 2015 plan, are two examples, he said; the bald eagle also was removed from the list. "Ultimately, we found out enough information to feel like they're not really at risk in our state," Isakson said. In revising the 2025 SWAP as required, Game and Fish last September hosted a "SWAP Summit," which included about 60 members from the public and various conservation partners. North Dakota's SWAP is a collaborative effort between Game and Fish staff, species experts, partner conservation groups, and state, federal and local agencies. "That's the second time we brought all of our partners and stakeholders together," Isakson said. "We gave them an update on some of our thoughts from our internal work and then broke them out into groups based on the habitats they were interested in — or that they had experience in — and really dove into what those threats are." Habitat loss is a concern, Isakson says; what benefits game species also benefits nongame species. "That is the beauty of our plan, being habitat-based and habitat conservation-based, is if you keep it 'green side up,' if you keep the grass out there and keep the trees out there, it benefits all species in the state," Isakson said. "Both hunted (species) and those nongame species that we talk about more readily in this plan. "Our plan focuses a lot on conserving native habitat — the native grass that's out there — and in some cases trying to rebuild some of that habitat." Getting people to recognize the importance of all wildlife — and not just species targeted by hunters and anglers — can be a challenge, Isakson concedes. "We always have work to do when it comes to talking about the importance of all wildlife in the state," he said. "The department is in charge of managing all wildlife in the state. A lot of people think about those game species and those species that they catch out there, but we've done work over the years to try and educate the public on the importance of all species and their habitats — and that is part of our plan here." Game and Fish will take comments on the 2025 SWAP draft through June 30. After that, the department will develop a final draft for the Fish and Wildlife Service to approve. "Once it's signed off on, we're good to go for another 10 years," Isakson said. * To comment: A draft of the 2025 State Wildlife Action Plan update is available on the Game and Fish website at Public comments are accepted through June 30.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong brings a hunter's mindset to the governor's office
May 23—When it comes to hunting, North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong leaves no doubt about his passion for the pursuit. "My wife would use the word 'addiction,' " Armstrong said. "And my favorite thing to hunt is ... 'What season is next?' " A first-term governor who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2019 until last year, Armstrong stopped by the Grand Forks Herald office Thursday, May 15. While the purpose of the visit was to talk about the recently wrapped-up session of the Legislature, the governor also discussed hunting, fishing and some of the challenges and opportunities the outdoors faces in North Dakota. "I always say we're not the best at anything, but we're the best at everything," Armstrong said, referring to North Dakota's abundance of outdoors opportunities. "There's still not a lot of places that you can go shoot a limit of pheasant, grouse, partridge, mallards, geese, whitetail, mule deer — all of the above. You can do it 100 miles from the governor's residence." One of the most publicized outdoors-related bills during the legislative session was SB 2137, which prohibits the Game and Fish Department from restricting the practice of baiting for big game hunting on private land in hunting units with confirmed cases of chronic wasting disease. Game and Fish historically has banned baiting for deer on private land in hunting units within 25 miles of a confirmed positive CWD case. The highly contagious brain disease is fatal to deer, elk and moose, and minimizing the chances of bringing animals into close contact has been a standard practice wildlife managers use to mitigate the risk. The "baiting bill," as it was commonly called, passed the House by a 56-34 vote, and Armstrong signed it Thursday, April 17. Baiting remains illegal for hunting on public land. "I think one of the things North Dakota always has to be conscious of is we don't have a lot of public land," Armstrong said. "I always viewed (baiting) as a private property right." Considering only about 9% of North Dakota land is public land, support from private landowners is crucial to the future of hunting and access in the state, he said. That's why he signed the bill. All the "habitat in the world" doesn't mean much without access to private land, Armstrong said. The legislation sunsets in 2029. "We don't have outdoor heritage if we don't have buy-in from landowners because we don't have a lot of federal land, we don't have a lot of state land," Armstrong said. "We'll monitor and watch it. If we start seeing a spike (in CWD), we'll have to sit down and look at it. Game and Fish tested 1,456 animals for CWD during the 2024 sampling season, and 17 tested positive — 15 taken by hunters and two "clinical deer" that were confirmed through diagnostic examination. That brings the total of positive cases to 122 since 2009, when CWD was first detected in North Dakota. In December, the North Dakota Game and Fish Department hosted a Habitat and Hunting Access Summit in Bismarck. Armstrong, just days into his first term as governor, spoke at the summit. Gone are the days when North Dakota had more than 3 million acres of land enrolled in the federal Conservation Reserve Program. As CRP contracts expire, wildlife habitat is less abundant, and wildlife populations — especially white-tailed deer — are struggling and less resilient to severe winters and diseases such as the EHD (epizootic hemorrhagic disease) outbreak that decimated deer numbers in some areas in 2021. North Dakota today has less than 1 million acres of land enrolled in CRP, and 85% of the acreage enrolled during the peak in 2007 could be gone by 2026 if contracts continue to expire at their current rate, Game and Fish biologist Doug Leier reported this week in his weekly "North Dakota Outdoors" column. The summit was the first step in what promises to be a slow, challenging process to address access and the loss of habitat. Whatever direction any potential solutions ultimately take, farmers and ranchers must be on board, Armstrong says. There are no easy answers. "If you don't start with the ag groups and the actual farmers and ranchers about what works for them ... what works for sportsmen and what works for the guy making a living off that land every day of the week aren't always the same thing," Armstrong said. "I think the low-hanging fruit, me personally — youth deer, youth pheasant, youth duck — I think you have to be a pretty (difficult) guy to say no to a 14-year-old kid who wants to shoot his first whitetail doe or her first pheasant or first duck. I think there are opportunities to do this." Game and Fish recently announced it will offer 42,300 licenses for this fall's deer gun season — a near 50-year low — down from more than 100,000 for several years during the peak of CRP. In some ways, North Dakota is losing its "deer camp culture," Armstrong says. CWD and baiting isn't the issue, he says, it's EHD and two bad winters. "We have way too many people chasing inches instead of chasing experience," he said, referring to the size of a buck's rack. "I can tell you, looking back on all of my favorite deer hunts, I don't care how big the deer was. I don't look back 20 years ago and have a more fond experience because it was a 156-inch deer vs. a 142-inch deer." Trapshooting has become one of the fastest-growing high school sports in North Dakota and nationwide, but "less and less" of the kids shooting trap are actually hunting, Armstrong says, a trend that presents both a challenge and an opportunity. "How we can figure out how to (get kids hunting) also happens to be a pretty good workforce recruitment and retention tool," Armstrong said. "If you're 17 years old and love to hunt and fish, the chances of you staying in North Dakota at 35 are higher than if you don't" hunt and fish. While Armstrong says he's not an avid angler, the quality of fishing available in North Dakota is another piece of "low-hanging fruit," in terms of outdoors opportunities. "For as much criticism as Game and Fish gets — and a lot of it isn't deserved — we spend a lot of time talking about Devils Lake, Sakakawea and the Missouri River, but there are tons of the little fisheries out there that are (anglers') secret spots," he said. As for hunting, Armstrong says he looks forward to spending more time in the field as governor than he did as North Dakota's representative in Congress. Regardless, he says, it won't be enough. "No hunter on his deathbed ever said, 'Man, I really wish I would have hunted less,' " Armstrong said.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Yahoo
Speed unknown factor in death of Grizzly 1058, one of 399's offspring
A sign that informs passersby about grizzlies stands along Highway 89 in the Snake River Canyon near Jackson Hole, Wyoming. (Angus M. Thuermer Jr./WyoFile) This story was first published by WyoFile on May 7, 2025. A grizzly death attributed to a fatal vehicle strike has triggered an outpouring of rage on social media about people driving too fast, but law enforcement could not determine whether speed was a factor in the collision. The bear that died, Grizzly 1058, is one of the famous 'quads' of their even more famous mom, Grizzly 399, who died last year after being fatally struck by a vehicle on a highway south of Jackson. Grizzly Bear 399 lived to old age because we made room for her. She died because we're in her wilds In the death of Grizzly 399, authorities ruled that the driver was not speeding. As for Grizzly 1058, 'law enforcement rangers were not able to determine if speed was a factor' in the collision, Grand Teton National Park spokeswoman Emily Davis said in an email Wednesday. Nonetheless, park officials asked people to slow down and be vigilant for wildlife in a Tuesday news release confirming the bear's death. While reducing speeds can help protect wildlife along Wyoming highways, it's not the only factor setting the stage for fatal collisions. 'It's terribly unfortunate that this happened,' said Brian DeBolt, large carnivore conflict coordinator with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. 'But it's becoming all too common with these bears that spend so much time roadside.' The more time bears hang out near roads, the higher the probability that they're going to be struck and killed by a vehicle, DeBolt said. Game and Fish is finding that younger bears, like the 5-year-old subadult found Tuesday, are being forced to make a living in more marginal habitat along roadsides because more prime habitat is already occupied. What park officials have confirmed so far is that Grizzly 1058 had been spotted in the park since he and his three siblings split from their mom in 2022. But there were no confirmed sightings of him this spring, the park release said. Park law enforcement found the bear's remains Tuesday in a patch of willows about 125 yards from the highway, within park boundaries east of the Buffalo Fork River. The Jackson Hole News&Guide reported that a law enforcement ranger found the dead bear after spotting ravens and eagles scavenging along the highway and stopping to investigate. The park bear biologist told the News&Guide the animal had likely been there for several days. The park relied on ear tags and a 'PIT' tag to identify the 5-year-old bear, which the park release said 'appeared to be in good condition for his age and the time of year.' The outer park highway sees more diverse traffic — including commuters and semis — and higher speed limits than the inner park road. Just up the highway on Togwotee Pass, where vehicles have struck roadside grizzlies, wildlife managers and law enforcement have struggled to manage traffic jams created by bear watchers. As more bears live roadside, and get habituated to people, the more risk of collisions, DeBolt said Wednesday. 'We don't want bears to be so comfortable roadside,' he added. The speed limit on Togwotee Pass is 55 miles per hour, but once drivers cross into Grand Teton National Park, there is a nighttime speed limit of 45 mph on that same highway. Safety concerns along that highway, where it crosses through the Bridger-Teton National Forest, prompted one retired U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service special agent to propose a 'grizzly bear speed limit,' using variable speed limits similar to how the state handles blizzards on the interstate. 'Maybe we ought to consider having a grizzly bear speed limit, you know, when the bears are around the highway,' said Steve Stoinski, a retired Fish and Wildlife Service agent who spent a summer managing bear traffic jams on Togwotee Pass. But that speed limit would only work with regular enforcement, Stoinski told WyoFile. DeBolt said he'd be open to reducing speed limits if it would reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions and was reasonable and logistically possible. But setting speed limits is not Game and Fish's call to make. DeBolt also sees larger factors at play. 'Although it seems like maybe a simple fix,' DeBolt said. 'It's not that simple.' Inside Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks where reduced speed limits are enforced, wildlife still die in vehicle strikes, DeBolt said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Game and Fish announces reduction in North Dakota deer gun licenses
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways May 7—BISMARCK — The North Dakota Game and Fish Department is offering 42,300 licenses for the 2025 deer gun season, down 7,800 from last year. In addition, muzzleloader licenses decreased by 150 and restricted youth antlered mule deer licenses remained the same. Game and Fish announced the license reduction — which wasn't unexpected — Wednesday, May 7, in a news release. According to Casey Anderson, wildlife division chief for Game and Fish in Bismarck, population, harvest and survey data indicate the state's deer population is stable to decreasing throughout the state. "The state's deer population continues to recover from the 2021 EHD (epizootic hemorrhagic disease) outbreak and the severe winter of 2022-23, which limited population growth despite reduced gun licenses during 2023 and 2024 hunting seasons," Anderson said. "Modest license allocations are intended to maintain hunting opportunities while encouraging population growth in the state." High-quality deer habitat is not abundant, which has limited the potential for population recovery. If contracts for land enrolled in the federal Conservation Reserve Program continue to expire, Anderson said 85% of the once-3.4 million acres present in 2007 will be lost by 2026. The spring mule deer survey showed western North Dakota's mulie population is 14% lower than last year, despite a reduced harvest and consecutive mild winters. North Dakota's 2025 deer gun season opens at noon Nov. 7 and continues through Nov. 23. Applicants for regular deer gun, gratis, youth and muzzleloader can apply online through the Game and Fish Department's website at . The deadline for applying is midnight June 4. Those who didn't apply last year will lose accrued points by not applying or purchasing a point this year, the department said. State law allows residents ages 11, 12 and 13 to obtain any antlerless licenses, except in units 3B1, 3B2 and 4A through 4F, where mule deer doe licenses are restricted. Total deer licenses are determined by harvest rates, aerial surveys, depredation reports, hunter observations, input at advisory board meetings and comments from the public, landowners and department field staff. Game and Fish reported in March that hunters shot approximately 23,300 deer during the 2024 gun season. Hunter success for antlered white-tailed deer was 49% and 44% for antlerless whitetails. Mule deer success was 80% for bucks and 78% for antlerless mule deer. Game and Fish offered 50,100 licenses for the 2024 deer gun season.
Forbes
22-04-2025
- Automotive
- Forbes
Arizona Wildlife Crossing To Make Travel Safer On Grand Canyon Route
A black bear in Arizona tries to cross the road near the Grand Canyon. Arizona is investing $15.8 million to create an Interstate 17 wildlife crossing near Flagstaff to improve traveling safety in an area of frequent vehicle crashes with elk, deer and black bears. A partnership between Arizona's Transportation and Game and Fish departments aims to deter traffic accidents in one of the state's wildlife-vehicle collision hot spots by creating the Willard Springs Wildlife Overpass. This section of I-17 is the primary transportation route linking northern Arizona to Phoenix that handles 31,544 vehicles per day. Travelers also use the I-17 route to drive to the Grand Canyon. It was identified as the state's 7th highest hotspot for vehicle crashes with wildlife in a 'Arizona Statewide Wildlife-Vehicle Conflict Study' issued in July 2021. The crossing not only will lower the likelihood of vehicle-wildlife collisions, but also increase connectivity between wildlife populations. 'This stretch currently has no bridges and only one road culvert suitable for use by elk and deer,' ADOT stated in its recent announcement about the start of the project. It noted that the plan includes adding 8-foot-tall wildlife fencing as a barrier for nearly 10 miles on I-17. When the wildlife crossing is complete, scheduled for next fall, animals such as black bears, mule deer and elk are expected to use the overpass to cross I-17 some 12 miles south of Flagstaff. The Arizona Department of Transportation is starting to work on an interconnected transportation deterrence system to guide wildlife to use an overpass instead of walking over the interstate. Project map for the I-17 Willard Springs Wildlife Overpass. The project includes swapping existing right-of-way fencing for new wildlife fencing with gates, building box culverts, devising wildlife escape ramps and placing traffic signs to warn of wildlife in the area. Interstate concrete barriers, guardrails and cattleguards also will be removed and replaced as necessary. Native seeds will be planted to replace disturbed vegetation in the project area. 'The area that involves the new overpass and fencing construction accounted for 58% of crashes involving wildlife from Stoneman Lake Road to Flagstaff between 2018 and 2022. And within that longer 32-mile stretch, about 75% of all crashes with wildlife involve elk, which can weigh up to 1,100 pounds,' ADOT stated. Arizona I-17 Hotspot No. 7 for frequent wildlife-vehicle collision locations over four years (ending ... More in 2018). The larger the star, the greater number of vehicle crashes with wildlife. More vehicles collide with wildlife in the area of I-17 there in two peak periods: from May to August (when nearly 60% of all collisions happen there) and between December and March (which experiences about 12% of all the wildlife-vehicle accidents). Travelers are urged to drive carefully through the construction site and enable extra time passing through I-17 during the duration of the project. I-17 will be narrowed to a single lane during construction of the wildlife crossing overpass.
