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State wildlife action plan approved |
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March 13, 2017 |
By Roger Phillips
IDFG Public Information Specialist
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently
approved Idaho’s State Wildlife Action Plan,
which renews the plan for about a decade and
means the Idaho Department of Fish and Game will
continue to get about $550,000 annually in
federal money.
The State Wildlife Action Plan is for conserving
and managing Idaho’s diverse fish and wildlife
and the habitats on which they depend. The plan
was developed using input from Idahoans
including sportsmen and women, conservationists,
landowners and community leaders, as well as
state and federal agency representatives.
The plan was originally completed in 2005, and
“we did a complete overhaul from top to bottom,”
said Wildlife Action Plan Coordinator Rita
Dixon.
Dixon explained that while Fish and Game has
numerous plans for managing wildlife, this plan
focuses on “species of greatest conservation
need,” which can be game or nongame species, and
the habitat they require.
“We tried to take a look at the system as a
whole and not just focus on individual species,”
Dixon said.
She explained the plan addresses key threats to
wildlife and habitat, such as fires and
nonnative invasive species, among others, and
prioritizes actions that should be done for
conservation.
The plan also helps federal agencies, such as
Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management,
when they update their land management plans by
providing important information about at-risk
species.
Dixon added the plan is designed to incorporate
new information as it becomes available so it
can be revised at any time rather than waiting
for the congressionally mandated update every 10
years. The plan will also ensure steady funding
for Fish and Game’s wildlife diversity program.
“It’s good for sportsmen and women, and good for
others who care about wildlife and wild places,”
Dixon said.
To learn more about the Idaho State Wildlife
Action Plan,
click here. |
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