THE RUFFED GROUSE SOCIETY
Wisconsin Coverts – A Woodland Wildlife Management Program for Private Landowner</5>
Project Overview
Beginning in 2010, the Ruffed Grouse Society received $30,000 over the course of three years to increase the impact of Wisconsin Coverts, A Woodland Wildlife Management Program for Private Landowners in the Great Lakes Region, by holding six Coverts workshops. Coverts participants develop a woodland management plan to increase the diversity and abundance of wildlife on their land; reach out to other woodland owners in their community to join the program; and maintain reference materials to help with outreach efforts.
This project targeted difficult-to-reach, non-industrial private lands and provided professional level training and education. Through the six workshops 126 new Covert Cooperators were trained expanding the amount of forest land influenced by the program by approximately 110,000 acres spanning Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois and Michigan. In addition, the Society conducted a workshop attendee survey to judge the effectiveness of these efforts. The grant also funded a reunion workshop attended by 71 previously enrolled Coverts Cooperators to evaluate the overall program, share success stories and guide future Coverts participants.
Supporting the SFI Standard
The workshops included sessions related to SFI Standard requirements on forest productivity and health, the protection and promotion of biological diversity, and responsible fiber sourcing practices. The project is related to SFI 2010-2014 Standard Objective 8: “To broaden the practice of sustainable forestry by forest landowners through fiber sourcing programs,” as well as Objectives 17 and 18, requiring community involvement and addressing public land management responsibilities.
Project Partners
In addition to the Ruffed Grouse Society, partners included the University of Wisconsin – Extension, the Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology at UW – Madison, and SFI program participant Louisiana-Pacific US.
News
RGS Receives Grant to Expand Forest Landowner Education The Oakland Press – June 2, 2010
Receives Grant to Expand Forest Landowner Education in Great Lakes States
May 20, 2010
SFI Grant Supports Landowner Wildlife Workshops
Press Release – December 14, 2010
Project Resources
About the Ruffed Grouse Society
The Ruffed Grouse Society supports national scientific conservation and management efforts to ensure the future of grouse and woodcock. Its team of wildlife biologists work with private landowners, and government, including local, state and federal, land managers who are interested in improving their land for ruffed grouse, American woodcock and the other songbirds and wildlife that have similar requirements.
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COPY LINK: https://forests.org/grantruffedgrousesociety/
