The Back 40

Next year, the passenger pigeon will have been extinct for 100 years. This is significant for a number of reasons, including recent thoughts of whether or not the species could be brought back through the process of “de-extinction.” The passenger pigeon and the wooly mammoth are top of mind for scientists who are interested in [...]

In celebration of Earth Day, Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman announced the Beel family  as the recipient of the 2013 Leopold Conservation Award, the state’s premier award for private lands conservation, during a ceremony at the State Capitol on Friday. The award, which is presented by Nebraska Cattlemen, Cargill, and Wisconsin-based Sand County Foundation, recognizes outstanding, [...]

Soil conservation experts in Maryland recently discovered that the level of conservation practices on farmland in their state has been underestimated by as much as 40 to 50 percent. A major reason for the discrepancy is some farmers are engaging in efforts to enhance soil, water, wildlife habitat, and vegetation without assistance from state and [...]

According to the article linked below, the amount of plastic produced worldwide has increased 500 percent in the last 30 years, and a lot of it is ending up in waterways. Plastic is now responsible for 80 to 90 percent of ocean pollution, and the Great Lakes are experiencing similar pollution issues. The problem comes [...]

A private-public partnership is working to improve rice productivity, as well as enhance waterbird habitat in California. Montna Farms, owned by Al and Gail Montna enrolled in the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s (NRCS) Waterbird Habitat Enhancement Program (WHEP), which pays incentives to landowners who implement pro-wildlife habitat practices on their land. The rice belt, where Montna Farms [...]

Wildlife habitat across the United States is being adversely affected by climate change, so the federal government has introduced a plan that includes the development of “corridors” to help wildlife migrate to more hospitable habitat. Called the “National Fish, Wildlife and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy,” the strategy aims to roll out several tactics, the corridors [...]