The Pennsylvania National Wild Turkey Federation Board of Directors recently approved more than $190,000 in Super Fund money for habitat projects for 2004.
This work will be in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Game Commission, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the U.S. Forest Service.
The Habitat Super Fund Committee of the Pennsylvania Chapter of NWTF approved the funding for the Allegheny National Forest, Pennsylvania Game Commission game lands, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, state parks and private land open to public hunting.
The projects include providing lime, fertilizer, seed, tree seedlings and tree tubes, mowing, creating herbaceous openings and planting oak, conifer and crabapple trees.
"The wild turkey population in Pennsylvania has been increasing since the early 1980s," said Bob Eriksen, National Wild Turkey Federation regional biologist. "That is a result of trap and transfer efforts by the Pennsylvania Game Commission along with their work of improving wild turkey habitat. The Pennsylvania Chapter [of the NWTF] has been a partner with the Game Commission in these projects since the 1970's."
Eriksen said the Pennsylvania turkey hunter has made a difference for wildlife.
"The state has many new wildlife openings and previously existing openings have been maintained and improved," Eriksen said. "[The Super Fund money] certainly leads to better turkey hunting, but that's a side benefit to the real objective. The real objective is to enhance brood cover for wild turkeys and field nesting birds and establish good fawning areas for deer. Many species benefit from the work our chapters do for the wild turkey."
Last year, the Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation surpassed the $3 million mark last year in total money spent for the benefit of the wild turkey and other wildlife.
More than 72 local chapters across the state host banquets to raise money for the NWTF’s Wild Turkey Super Fund. These funds are used for projects such as habitat improvement, wild turkey restoration and sharing the outdoors with women, children and disabled people.
"Our 72 local chapters do a fantastic job raising the money at their Super Fund Banquets,’’ said Carl Mowry, Pennsylvania NWTF Board of Directors chairman and Pennsylvania chapter president. "These projects not only benefit turkeys, but all wildlife across the state."
Thanks in part to the work of wildlife agencies and the NWTF’s many volunteers and partners, today there are more than 6.4 million wild turkeys and approximately 2.6 million turkey hunters. Since 1985, more than $183 million NWTF and cooperator dollars have been spent on over 26,000 projects benefiting wild turkeys throughout North America.
For more information about the Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, visit the web site at www.panwtf.com