The Berggren Plan Nebraska s Plan to Improve Pheasant Hunting. John Laux, NGPC RWBJV Informational Seminar February 2, 2017

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "The Berggren Plan Nebraska s Plan to Improve Pheasant Hunting. John Laux, NGPC RWBJV Informational Seminar February 2, 2017"

Alfred Gregory
5 years ago
Views:

1 The Berggren Plan Nebraska s Plan to Improve Pheasant Hunting John Laux, NGPC RWBJV Informational Seminar February 2, 2017

3 Long-Term Pheasant Decline in Nebraska

control (herbicides) -Row crops > small grains -Fewer idle areas Pheasants are no longer a reliable

5 Changes in Agricultural Land-Use *Source: Hiller et al. (2009) -Larger farms/fields -Less diverse crop rotations -Fewer grasslands -More effective weed control (herbicides) -Row crops > small grains -Fewer idle areas Pheasants are no longer a reliable by-product of agriculture and their numbers have predictably declined Habitat Loss and Fragmentation Production Predation Impacts from weather extremes

7 $848 Million 8,856 jobs $562 Million Retail

8 $502 million/year for pheasant hunting nationally Economic Impact per Rooster Harvested: $68/rooster (R) $118/rooster (NR) Avg. = $83/rooster *SOURCE: National Wild Pheasant Conservation Plan (2013) *Photo Credit: 8

9 Focus On Pheasants The Focus on Pheasants initiative began in 2002 as a partnership among Nebraska Game & Parks Commission (NGPC), Pheasants Forever, and the Nebraska office of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The Focus on Pheasants initiative was in response to continued statewide declines in pheasant abundance.

11 Habitat Tours Early-Successional Habitat Initiatives (CRP, Public Lands) Pheasant Research

12 Nebraska s Berggren Plan Produce the best pheasant hunting experiences for the most people over the next five years. Driving Factors: 1) Increase pheasant abundance 2) Increase hunter access to land holding pheasants 3) Increase the pool of potential pheasant hunters 4) Manage hunter expectations appropriately

13 Nebraska s Berggren Plan Produce the best pheasant hunting experiences for the most people over the next five years. Consider all manageable aspects of the pheasant hunting experience, with habitat and access (particularly for youth) as cornerstone activities Guiding Principles Concentrate work where it will be most effective (i.e., where habitat, hunter access, and community support come together) based on sound science Set realistic management targets and expectations, and use financial and human resources as efficiently as possible to meet them Foster strong partnerships with other public entities, private conservation organizations, and local communities in reaching shared goals

14 Elements of Nebraska s Berggren Plan Funding and Policy Environment Manageable Factors Affecting Pheasant Abundance NGPC Private Lands Programs Partnership Assistance with USDA and NGO Conservation Program Delivery Acquisition and Management of NGPC Public Lands Pheasant Releases, Population Genetics Statutes and Regulations Affecting Hunting and Predator Populations Experiences and Education Influencing Landowner Values Manageable Factors Affecting Hunter Access to Land Public and NGO Lands Open to Hunting Open Fields and Waters (OFW) Program Increasing Hunter Access to Private Lands Statutes and Regulations Affecting Controlled Shooting Areas (CSAs) Manageable Factors Affecting Potential Pheasant Hunter Numbers RDR Programs and Partnerships Statutes and Regulations Manageable Factors Affecting Hunter Expectations NGPC Hunting Forecasts, Media, Marketing and Advertising

15 Nebraska Pheasant Habitat Suitability Model and New Focus and Opportunity Areas

continue to provide additional hunting access opportunities

16 Southwest and South-Central Focus on Pheasants (FOP) Areas Maintain high-quality grassland and cropland habitats and continue to provide additional hunting access opportunities Also locations of ongoing pheasant (SWFOP) and bobwhite quail (SCFOP) research

17 Northern and Southern Panhandle Pheasant Opportunity Areas Increase hunting access on small grain and high-quality CRP fields Explore new partnerships with local economic development/tourism groups

offering and explore potential avenues to increase scale This location includes

18 Northeast Pheasant Opportunity Area Establish new grassland habitat and increase hunting access opportunities Continue short-term set-aside (STSA) offering and explore potential avenues to increase scale This location includes several demonstration sites used to showcase CRP practices and associated pheasant management

Central Pheasant Opportunity Area Continue

to enhance existing grasslands for pheasants and

placed on creating a corridor of suitable

19 Central Pheasant Opportunity Area Continue long-term partnership with Nebraska One Box group to enhance existing grasslands for pheasants and increase hunting access on private lands Emphasis placed on creating a corridor of suitable grassland habitat between Sherman Reservoir and Davis Creek WMAs

partnerships with various NGO landowners to maintain high-quality

20 Central Platte Pheasant and Quail Opportunity Area Continue improving upland gamebird habitat on state-owned lands Expand on existing partnerships with various NGO landowners to maintain high-quality grassland habitat and increase hunting access Photo Credits: Chris Helzer/The Nature Conservancy

Joint Venture, and the Sandstone Prairie Biologically Unique Landscape [under

21 Southeast Pheasant and Quail Opportunity Area Photo Credit: RWBJV Complement existing conservation initiatives (Meridian Quail Initiative, Rainwater Basin Joint Venture, and the Sandstone Prairie Biologically Unique Landscape [under NNLP] )to enhance existing grasslands and wetlands and increase hunting access

22 Featured Wildlife Management Areas within Pheasant Focus and Opportunity Areas 17

Collectively, our objective is to positively impact

Obviously this is no small task and will necessitate

partnerships to meet overall objectives 805,000 acres

23 Collectively, our objective is to positively impact one million acres of habitat over the next five years Obviously this is no small task and will necessitate the development and expansion of new and existing partnerships to meet overall objectives 805,000 acres of habitat improvements 122,000 acres of hunting access/year

26 Nesting (Apr-July)

27 Brood-Rearing (May-Sept) Photo Credit: Pheasants Forever

28 Fall/Winter (Oct-Mar)

35 Pheasant Hunting in the Rainwater Basin

36 UNL Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit Hunter Survey Project Focal Regions N. Panhandle S. Panhandle Platte River Southwest Harlan Rainwater Basin Southeast

37 Target Species by Region (From Interview Data) *SOURCE: Messinger, L.N. & Fontaine, J.J., unpublished data

38 Residency of Hunters in the Rainwater Basins Omaha Lincoln Grand Island Clay Center Fall 2014 Nebraska *SOURCE: Messinger, L.N. & Fontaine, J.J., unpublished data

39 >34,000 acres

Southeast Pheasant Opportunity Area (POA)

41 Southeast Pheasant Opportunity Area (POA) Wetland Restoration/Management Incentives Up to 100% of project costs Sediment removal Pit fills Tree Removal Grass Seeding Control of Invasive Vegetation (chemical, disking, etc.) Photo Credit: Tim Horst (DU)

42 Southeast Pheasant Opportunity Area (POA) Wetland Restoration/Management Incentives Pivot Crossing Systems tires, tracks, VRI Only for restored wetlands Requires 15% landowner contribution

Infrastructure Boundary fence/well development Only

43 Southeast Pheasant Opportunity Area (POA) Wetland Restoration/Management Incentives Rx Grazing Infrastructure Boundary fence/well development Only for restored wetlands Up to $2.25/LF Requires 15% LO contribution

Southeast Pheasant Opportunity Area (POA) Grassland Restoration/Management Incentives Prescribed Fire $10/ac not to exceed 160 acres Invasive Tree Removal Up to $300/ac Requires 25% LO contribution

44 Southeast Pheasant Opportunity Area (POA) Grassland Restoration/Management Incentives Prescribed Fire $10/ac not to exceed 160 acres Invasive Tree Removal Up to $300/ac Requires 25% LO contribution and use of Rx fire Fire-Driven Grazing $10/ac to burn 1/3 of pasture annually and $15/ac to ~1AU/ac (up to 3 years) Grazing Infrastructure Up to $2.25/LF on fencing/well development to facilitate patch-burn or rest-rotation grazing systems Requires 25% landowner contribution Grassland Renovation (re-seeding) Up to $125/ac not to exceed 160 acres

Southeast Pheasant Opportunity Area (POA) Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Incentives New CRP/CCRP Seeding and Re-enrollment Upgrades Up to $20-80/acre (max rate for access) Applies to both

45 Southeast Pheasant Opportunity Area (POA) Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) Incentives New CRP/CCRP Seeding and Re-enrollment Upgrades Up to $20-80/acre (max rate for access) Applies to both grassland (e.g., CP38, CP33, CP42) and wetland practices (e.g., CP23, CP27, CP38B) Hunting Access: $50/ac Signup Bonus on new seedings enrolled in Open Fields and Waters (plus per-acre payments) CRP Mid-Contract Management Up to $20-80/acre (max rate for access)

46 (CP38B: 10K acres)

47 Questions?

49 PATH WANAHOO PHEASANT RELEASES 80% OF YOUTH PHEASANT HUNTERS WERE IN SE HOSTED 30 TH ANNIVERSARY OF CRP PHEASANTS IN SE ARE TEID TO AVAILABILITY OF CRP ACRES

Hunter use of public-access lands in the Rainwater Basin and beyond

Hunter use of public-access lands in the Rainwater Basin and beyond Lindsey N. Messinger and Joseph J. Fontaine Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit School of Natural Resources University