Wild Turkey Federation to Fund Kansas Habitat Projects

More than $56,000 appropriated for 2012

The Kansas Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) has announced appropriation of $56,200 for Kansas wildlife habitat projects in 2012 through the organization's Super Fund. These projects help fund everything from grassland and forest restoration to education outreach.

"I am pleased to say that, through the hard work of our volunteers, we were able to provide funding to all project requests this year, our largest Super Fund ever," said Jared W. McJunkin, NWTF Western Region conservation field supervisor. "Our members, supporters, and volunteers deserve a lot of credit for their hard work and support to make this happen."

Projects funded by the Kansas Super Fund proposals for 2012 include the following:

♦ Clinton Wildlife Area — $3,000 for Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism (KDWPT) continued grassland restoration efforts;

♦ Kansas public lands forest management — $18,000 to be used to secure outside partner funding match for a Public Lands Forestry Initiative;

♦ Riparian hardwood restoration — $5,000 to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for riparian bottomland restoration on the Flint Hills National Wildlife Refuge;

♦ Walk-In Hunter Access (WIHA) Program enhancement — $5,500 to KDWPT to create a special incentive to increase new enrollment in the spring WIHA program in northcentral Kansas;

♦ Fall River Wildlife Area — $5,700 to KDWPT for a new forest management project on FRWA;

♦ Woodson Wildlife Area — $4,000 to KDWPT for continued restoration of 400 acres of native grass savannah;

♦ Leavenworth State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area — $2,500 to KDWPT for continued removal of eastern redcedar from grasslands;

♦ Douglas State Fishing Lake and Wildlife Area — $3,000 to KDWPT for continued establishment of forest openings;

♦ Pottawatomie State Fishing Lake #1 — $2,000 to KDWPT to create/enhance forest openings;

♦ 1st Pioneer Upland Chapter — $500 to the NWTF Chapter in Iola to conduct a prescribed fire educational day in partnership with KDWPT;

♦ Big Hill WA — $2,000 to KDWPT for grasslands restoration;

♦ Regional Biologist Program — $5,000;

♦ 1st Pioneer Upland Chapter — $1,250 for support of two National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) kits for area schools;

♦ Western Kansas NWTF Chapter — $1,250 for purchasing a NASP kit for the local school; and

♦ 2011 Kansas ECO-Meet — $1,800 for continued support of the Kansas State ECO-Meet.

In addition, funding for 2012 includes $20,000 for the NWTF Juniors Acquiring Knowledge, Ethics, and Sportsmanship (JAKES); Women in the Outdoors and Wheelin' Sportsmen events; local and state scholarship programs; and Wild About Turkeys education boxes for schools and educators across the state.