MDWFP TECHNICAL GUIDANCE EFFORTS ON PRIVATE LANDS

“TO UNDERSTAND THE WORLD, YOU MUST FIRST UNDERSTAND A PLACE LIKE MISSISSIPPI.” -WILLIAM FAULKNER MS GAME AND FISH ORIGIN

AGE OF EXPLOITATION

RECOVERY EFFORT IS BORN

RESTOCKING

 >3,200 deer  Sources include:  Alabama: ?  Kentucky: 31  Louisiana: >35  Mexico: >195  North Carolina: 35  Wisconsin: 358  Within-state: 2,554

“WE ALL LOVE MISSISSIPPI, BUT IT DOESN'T ALWAYS LOVE US BACK. ” -WILLIE MORRIS MS GAME AND FISH

CHANGING RESOURCE

WILDLIFE BUREAU

STRIKES AND GUTTERS  Gutters  Forest Stewardship  Farm Bill  Strikes  Fed-Aid Technical Guidance  Partners for Fish and Wildlife  MSU/MDWFP Research DMAP Cooperators

“I THINK THERE’S MORE DEER HERE THAN I THINK THERE ARE?” -JIM LIPE MS DEPT OF WILDLIFE FISHERIES AND PARKS PRESENT

 Public Lands  52 WMA’s = 830,000 ac (75% staff)  Private Lands Technical Guidance  Species Programs + Private Lands Habitat  WF, SG, Turkey (5) = >100 SV, 60,000 ac  PLHP (4) = >200 SV, >100,000 ac  DMAP (4) = >600 clubs, 1.3 million ac  Private Lands Habitat Program  Technical Guidance  Management Plans  Information& Education  Initiatives and Strategic Conservation WILDLIFE BUREAU V2.0

“I CAN’T BELIEVE Y’ALL ARE TALK’N ABOUT GET’N A CHANDELIER, WHEN WHAT WE REALLY NEED IN HERE IS SOME LIGHTS?” -UNCLE VERSEY (VIA JERRY CLOWER) PLANNING AND PRIORITIZATION OF EFFORTS

PLANNING AND PRIORITIZATION  Range-Wide Conservation Plans  NAWMP, America’s Longleaf, NBCI  Endangered Species Recovery Plans  State-Wide Conservation Plans  SWAP, Nutrient Reduction  MDWFP Priorities  Landowner Goals & Objectives  All partners active in planning!

HABITAT & WORKING LANDS Work with multiple partners and funding sources Grain Prices = new CRP & WRP Grain Prices = field buffers, winter water, CRP/WRP rehab Cattle inputs rain = Native forages Pine Sawtimber = Longleaf reforestation Pulpwood = Timber stand improvement Mixed HW ST = HW management Best Management Practices Prescribed Fire! Natural Disasters

BLACK BELT PRAIRIE RESTORATION INITIATIVE  Restore Black Belt Prairie  Started by partners in 2005 (LIP)  Plant new grasslands (CP38)  Renovate existing CRP grasslands  Potential for native grass forages  Monitoring grassland bird response  MSU conducts monitoring (MDWFP/SWG)  Significant response from Dicksissel  Bobwhite response less distinct  Need winter and spring stop-over data?  Funding has been a problem  No T&E species  Poorly understood linkages with aquatics  BBPRI initiative with Alabama partners

FIRE ON THE FORTY  Increase Burning in focal areas on PL  Cost-share burning in focal areas  Hands-on burning field days  Targeted effort from partners  Cost-share >23,000 ac + 5,000 ac  Seven field days, >20 presentations

WINTER WATER FOR WILDLIFE  Continue MBHI success  Targeted rice, aquaculture, WRP  Incentives for early/late water  Gain cultural acceptance for WW

QUESTIONS?