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Twain's National Forest $100,000 Improved

(10/1/2002)

Members of the National Wild Turkey Federation and the U.S. Forest Service have once again authored the habitat improvement adventures of Mark Twain's National Forest.

The latest story comes in the amount of $100,000 for land management projects and habitat preservation for the wild turkey and other wildlife in Missouri's only national forest.

When we have a partner like the NWTF, we can bargain for more habitat projects because they are always willing to support our efforts. For years this cooperation has resulted in great things for the Mark Twain National Forest, said Jody Eberly, forest biologist for Mark Twain's National Forest.

Located in south central Missouri, the forest is filled with nearly 1.6 million-acres of mountainous terrain and plush prairie land habitat. Thanks to the NWTF and Forest Service partnership of more than 10 years, their cooperative efforts have served as the catalyst for the states increasing turkey populations and improving habitat.

This partnership strengthens every year and the forest and wildlife benefit because of it, said Mike Hubbard, Missouri's technical committee member for the NWTF. Missouri's NWTF volunteers like to see wildlife habitat and turkey populations flourish, which has been the case in Mark Twain's National Forest.

Of the more than 100 habitat enhancement proposals this past year, forest officials indicate that they will emphasize prescribed burning and forest thinning in the coming months. Deemed one of the worst years in history for rampant wildfires, nationwide concern has forest officials working to reduce the risk of potentially high burning conditions.

With the partnership money we will work to reduce the risk of wildfires in the forest. Through controlled burns, we can help eliminate the risk for optimal wildfire conditions, said Eberly. Savannah restoration, planting food plots and mowing will continue as priorities for the benefit of the forest habitat and wildlife.

Local NWTF chapters raise money for the Wild Turkey Super Fund through banquets, which is then allocated to different local, state and national habitat management projects, education programs, hunter safety materials, outreach, research equipment and wild turkey restoration.

For more information on the National Wild Turkey Federation or to attend an NWTF banquet in your area, please call 1-800-THE-NWTF or visit the Web site at www.nwtf.org