MDWFP TECHNICAL GUIDANCE EFFORTS ON PRIVATE LANDS

“TO UNDERSTAND THE WORLD, YOU MUST FIRST

UNDERSTAND A PLACE LIKE MISSISSIPPI.”

-WILLIAM FAULKNER

MS GAME AND FISHORIGIN - 1980

AGE OF EXPLOITATION

RECOVERY EFFORT IS BORN

RESTOCKING

RESTOCKING

>3,200 deer 1931-1965 Sources include:

Alabama: ? Kentucky: 31 Louisiana: >35 Mexico: >195 North Carolina: 35 Wisconsin: 358 Within-state: 2,554

1930

1940

1950

1960

1970

1980

1990

0

500,000

1,000,000

1,500,000

2,000,000

Estimated Deer Population

“WE ALL LOVE MISSISSIPPI, BUT IT DOESN'T ALWAYS

LOVE US BACK. ”-WILLIE MORRIS

MS GAME AND FISH1975 - 2005

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

0

1

2

3

84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99

Mill

ion

Acr

es

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

Coo

per

ator

s

Acreage Cooperators

DMAP Cooperators

“I THINK THERE’S MORE DEER HERE THAN I THINK THERE ARE?”

- JIM LIPE

MS DEPT OF WILDLIFE FISHERIES AND PARKS

2005 - 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 reforestationPulpwood = Timber stand improvement

Mixed HW ST = HW management

Best Management PracticesPrescribed 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 eff ort 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?