U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Monitoring

The Partners for Fish and Wildlife Act authorizes the Secretary of Interior to provide technical and financial assistance through the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program to private landowners interested in restoring, enhancing, and managing fish and wildlife habitats on their own lands. Funds are available for habitat restoration projects that address high priority wetland, upland, or riparian habitats in selected geographic areas. Projects must provide direct benefits to Federal Trust species (i.e., migratory birds, threatened and endangered species, inter-jurisdictional fish, certain marine mammals, and species of international concern). The wetlands monitoring program is done through OSU for the US Fish & Wildlife Service.
It is a neat project if you enjoy visiting wetland spots all over Oklahoma some of which are rather remote. Landowners apply for grants through the USF&W Service to develop wetlands to attract waterfowl and other wildlife. Once the projects are completed a Master Naturalist (after some training) is assigned a project to visit & survey. They note the completion of said project as the contract is designed. Some projects are right in the middle of a city and others are very remote. It is a great way to see Oklahoma and meet new people.

Contributed by Lynn Allen