Want to know what National Wildlife Federation was up to this week? Here is a recap of the week’s NWF news:
Ranger Rick’s Tree House App Takes Home the Gold
June 7-National Wildlife Federation is pleased to announce that its Ranger Rick’s Tree House app for the iPad has won the award for best Mobile/Wireless Learning Tool and the Gold Award for the Best Educational Innovation of the Year from the Association of Educational Publishers (AEP).
“National Wildlife Federation has a proud history of entertaining and educating children about the wonders of animals and nature,” said Mary Dalheim, Editorial Director of Children’s Publications for National Wildlife Federation. “From our beloved children’s magazines like Ranger Rick to our new apps, our products make reading and learning about wildlife fun for kids of all ages. We are thrilled to be recognized by AEP for our achievements in educational publishing.”
To learn more visit nwf.org/treehouse.
Gray Wolves Not Ready to Come Off Endangered Species Act List
June 7-The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today proposed to remove all gray wolves outside of New Mexico and Arizona from the list of threatened and endangered species. The National Wildlife Federation opposes the proposed rule.
John Kostyack, vice president for wildlife conservation, had this to say:
“NWF has long supported Endangered Species Act de-listings when supported by the science, and we believe that the recovery of two gray wolf populations in the Western Great Lakes and Northern Rockies are historic ESA success stories,” said John Kostyack, Vice President Wildlife Conservation. “However, the job of wolf recovery in the U.S. is not yet complete.”
Learn more about Gray Wolves.
Turn the Family Cookout into a Campout for this Year’s Great American Backyard Campout
- June 6-As the summer season kicks off, what better way to enjoy the great outdoors and family time than cooking and camping out in the backyard? As part of National Wildlife Federation’s Be Out There movement, the 9th annual Great American Backyard Campout on June 22, 2013 is the perfect opportunity to head outside for some great food and family fun this summer.From cookout recipes to campfire songs to games to wildlife watching tips, NWF gives families the resources they need to take the summer cookout to the next level by making it a summer campout. No yard or grill? No problem. NWF has everything to have a memorable night.
For more information on the Great American Backyard Campout, check out the website www.backyardcampout.org
Crop Insurance Accountability Act Closes Loophole in House Farm Bill
June 5-The National Wildlife Federation commends Congressmen Mike Thompson (D-CA) and Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) for their leadership in introducing The Crop Insurance Accountability Act today in the House of Representatives.
This important legislation would ensure the continuation of a “conservation compact” between taxpayers and farmers that has been in place for decades, whereby producers protect wetlands and reduce soil erosion on their land in exchange for taxpayer subsidies. The bill mirrors a provision in the Senate Agriculture Committee’s version of the Farm Bill, which makes producers ineligible for crop insurance premium subsidies if they drain wetlands or fail to use a conservation plan on vulnerable land. This commonsense measure is supported by the major conservation, commodity, and crop insurance groups. Unfortunately, the House Agriculture Committee failed to include this important link between wetland and soil conservation and crop insurance subsidies in their version of the bill, despite overwhelming support.
“Taxpayer dollars should not be used to underwrite the risk of draining wetlands or foregoing good conservation practices” said Larry Schweiger, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation. “We are at risk of repeating the mistakes leading to the Dust Bowl, if we do not close the loophole that would allow farmers to receive crop insurance premium subsidies without being held accountable for practicing good stewardship on the land.”
For more information visit our Farm Bill webpage.
Great Lakes Coalition Names Todd Ambs as Director
June 3-The Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition today named Todd Ambs as its new director. Ambs previously served as president of the national conservation group River Network, a job he assumed after serving as chief of the water division for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
“Todd Ambs is a champion of the Great Lakes and will help keep restoration efforts on track,” said Lynn McClure, Midwest Regional Director at the National Parks Conservation Association and co-chair of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. “The Coalition will be in good hands under his leadership.”
And now here are highlights from NWF in the news:
- Arkansas Democrat-Gazette: Oil firm still in no rush to reopen Pegasus line
- Kiwi Magazine: Sleep Under the Stars
- Working Mother magazine: Take Back Family Time
- FamilyFun Magazine: Get Outdoors: Rediscovering Nature with Your Family
- E&E ClimateWire: Coastal lawmakers, fearing rate hikes, cross party lines to keep flood insurance subsidies
- Poughkeepsie Journal: Environmentalists say BP oil spill impacts still unfolding
- Pioneer Press: Major prairie, wetland conservation summit starts Friday in Bismark
- Florida Today: Campus Charter School’s habitat, garden reaps national honor
For more visit www.nwf.org/news