August 24, 2016
Pennsylvania Wildlife Reclamation, Elk Monitoring, Hunting Heritage Projects Receive RMEF Funding
MISSOULA, Mont.—The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation awarded $62,143 in grant funding to assist with 24 projects across the state of Pennsylvania.
“Pennsylvania has some impressive elk habitat thanks to extensive habitat stewardship and reclamation work on what used to be former coal mining land. Some of this funding will continue that work,” said Blake Henning, RMEF vice president of Lands and Conservation. “We are also excited to distribute funds to an array of organizations to help youth learn more about our hunting heritage and the vital link between hunting and conservation.”
The grants will directly benefit Armstrong, Bedford, Berks, Blair, Bucks, Cameron, Centre, Chester, Clearfield, Clinton, Crawford, Dauphin, Elk, Fayette, Forest, Greene, Jefferson, Lancaster, Lycoming, Philadelphia, Potter, Sullivan, Westmoreland and Washington Counties. There is also one project of statewide interest.
RMEF volunteers and members in Pennsylvania generated the funding through banquets, membership drives and other events, which is placed on the ground to benefit conservation and hunting heritage in their home state.
Since 1991, RMEF and its partners have completed 397 different conservation and hunting heritage outreach projects in Pennsylvania with a combined value of more than $23.5 million. These projects have protected or enhanced more than 20,000 acres of wildlife habitat and opened or secured public access to more than 8,500 acres.
Here is a sampling of the Pennsylvania projects, listed by county:
Centre County—Fund reclamation work on 10.5 acres of wildlife habitat on State Game Lands #100, adding to an approximate 260 acres of recent or ongoing reclamation projects in the same area which is home to an expanding elk herd.
Dauphin County—Provide funding for the annual Capital Area Sportsmen Youth Field Day that offers youth education in a wide variety of outdoor activities including archery, fishing, shooting, fly tying, boating safety, canoeing and a Cherokee Run obstacle course. RMEF's volunteers staff a wildlife tracking and sign learning station using a program developed by the Pennsylvania Game Commission and items from RMEF's Elk Education Kit.
Elk County—Provide funding to purchase of 12 GPS collars which offer more accurate data on elk use of habitat as well as reduce staff time and fuel commitments while standardizing locational data collection to better determine annual survival estimates, habitat selection and population estimation (also benefits Cameron, Clearfield, Centre, Clinton and Potter Counties).
Go here to see a complete list of the projects.
Partners for the Pennsylvania projects include the Pennsylvania Game Commission and various sportsmen, civic and other groups.