An update on the efforts of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency’s Bobwhite Quail Plan and recovery efforts was among the topics covered at the Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting on Friday.
The TFWC met for the final time in 2015 in a one day meeting at the TWRA Region II Ray Bell Building.
The quail population in Tennessee and other states has seen a steady decline over the last several years. Mark Gudlin, Chief of the Wildlife and Forestry Division, and Roger Applegate, TWRA Quail Coordinator, discussed the progress thus far at the four quail anchor Wildlife Management Areas that include Wolf River, Bark Camp Barrens, Bridgestone-Firestone, and Lick Creek Bottoms. WMA personnel have incorporated timber harvests, prescribed burning, disking, and herbicide applications to restore and improve habitat for bobwhite quail and other wildlife.
Also discussed were cooperative efforts between the TWRA, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Quail Forever and other partners to work with private landowners to improve quail habitat. Approximately 90 percent of lands in the state are privately owned.
Applegate introduced TWRA Habitat biologist Clint Borum to the commission and presented him with the Firebird Award from the National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative and National Bobwhite Technical Committee. He was honored in recognition for his work to helping improve habitat on private lands and increase the population of quail.
North Cumberland WMA manager Joe Elkins also spoke to the commission about the various habitat improvements for the elk.
Rodney Woodson, a wildlife technician at Old Hickory WMA, was at the meeting to receive the Organization of Fish and Wildlife Information Managers (OWFIM) Innovation Award. OFWIM is a non-profit organization comprised of fish and wildlife information managers to share information technologies, management strategies, and standards. He received the award for developing a technology based system to monitor hog traps via the internet.
John McFadden, chief executive officer of the Tennessee Environmental Council, gave a report about the 50K Tree Day, an annual event where more than 3,000 volunteers participated to plant trees. The TWRA is an annual sponsor and more than 47,000 trees were successfully planted in an hour on March 14, primarily along streams, creeks, and rivers.
In another riparian-theme report, Tim Phelps from the Tennessee Division of Forestry discussed the urban riparian efforts in the Nashville area. There have been a total of 170 projects with more than 30,000 trees planted along streams. He also introduced a new publication, “Tennessee Urban Riparian Buffer Handbook.”
The TFWC wrapped up its 2015 meeting schedule. The commission will hold its first meeting of 2016 on Jan. 21-22 at Bass Pro Shops in Memphis.