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MDF Blog

09.22.14

 

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: September 19, 2014

Contact: Miles Moretti, miles@muledeer.org or (801) 973-3940

                Marshall Johnson, marshall@muledeer.org or (406) 850-8785

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Mule Deer Foundation Volunteer Ryan Krapp Wins Field & Stream Magazine 2014 Hero of Conservation Award

 

Washington, DC: This week, during a gala gathering of the nation’s top conservation organizations, Field & Stream magazine announced Ryan Krapp as the winner of its 2014 Heroes of Conservation Award. Ryan is the North Dakota state chair for the Mule Deer Foundation and was chosen due to his years of work to support mule deer during North Dakota’s energy boom, his efforts to secure public access to private lands, and for playing a pivotal role in creating MDF’s M.U.L.E.Y. program. Ryan received the honor during the 2014 Heroes of Conservation Gala event in Washington, DC, on September 17 and received the keys to a brand new Toyota Tundra, courtesy of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., and a grant of $5,000 that he says he’ll apply to MDF’s habitat restoration work in the state. The October issue of the magazine that hit the newsstands this week includes photos and interviews with Ryan and the other five finalists who were also honored this week.

 

“I’m speechless and honored,” Krapp stated after receiving the award. “The work that all six of us have done was never done with the intention of getting recognized for it – we do it because it’s the right thing to do for conservation and to promote and protect our hunting heritage. The fact that Field & Stream and Toyota are honoring the conservation heroes in this country will hopefully encourage other sportsmen and women to get their boots on the ground and their hands dirty.”

 

Krapp, MDF’s North Dakota state chair, received the organization’s Maggie Justice Award as the national volunteer of the year at the convention in February. He has been active in working with private landowners to improve their mule deer habitat and public access through the North Dakota PLOTS (Private Land Open to Sportsmen) program. In addition, Krapp also chairs MDF’s national Volunteer Leadership Team and contributed to starting the MDF MULEY (Mindful, Understanding, Legal, Ethical Youth) program. In July, he coordinated an event that introduced another 225 children to hunting, shooting and conservation.

 

Krapp spent Thursday, the day after the gala, on Capitol Hill meeting with his members of Congress to talk about the need to conserve mule deer habitats that are increasingly being fragmented by the oil and gas boom in western North Dakota.

 

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About MDF 
The Mule Deer Foundation is the only conservation group in North America dedicated to restoring, improving and protecting mule deer and black-tailed deer and their habitat, with a focus on science and program efficiency. MDF is a strong voice for hunters in access, wildlife management and conservation policy issues. MDF acknowledges regulated hunting as a viable management component and is committed to recruitment and retention of youth into the shooting sports and conservation. Get involved at www.muledeer.org or call 1-888-375-3337.

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08.28.14

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: August 28, 2014

 

Contact: Terry Herndon, therndon@muledeer.org or 623-696-579

                Jon Zinnel, jonz@muledeer.org or (801) 973-3940

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Arizona Mule Deer Foundation Volunteer Named Youth Hero of Conservation by Field & Stream

 

Salt Lake City, Utah: Mule Deer Foundation (MDF) teen volunteer, Carter Lawrence of Phoenix, Ariz. was selected as a Youth Hero of Conservation by Field & Stream in the September issue of the magazine. Sixteen-year-old Carter has been active in MDF’s North Valley Chapter as a committee leader coordinating the chapter’s involvement in the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s Adopt-A-Ranch program. Under Carter’s leadership, the chapter has logged over 1,300 volunteer hours on the Horseshoe Ranch in Central Arizona. In addition, Carter has served as a peer mentor at MDF’s M.U.L.E.Y. (Mindful, Understanding, Legal, Ethical Youth) program where he assists with shooting clinics, archery events and M.U.L.E.Y. hunting seminars and deer camps.

 

“We couldn’t be more proud of Carter receiving this honor from Field & Stream,” stated Jon Zinnel, Youth Programs Coordinator for MDF. “Our M.U.L.E.Y. program is intended to foster the next generation of sportsmen-conservationists and Carter has capably carried this mission forward. He sees his volunteering as a way to pay it forward to the future of wildlife and hunting in Arizona.”

 

Carter has helped to organize a number of habitat improvement projects including renovating or enhancing multiple water sources as well as repairing or removing fence on the 69,000 acre ranch. In addition, Carter has developed a computer database to keep track of their accomplishments, monitoring efforts, and also repairs that are needed at other water developments. During M.U.L.E.Y. camps, Carter has worked to share his passion for conservation and hunting with other youth. Outside of his work with the Mule Deer Foundation, Carter is a Petty Officer 2nd Class with the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet program and volunteers with his local church group twice a month helping the homeless. He plays football, basketball and lacrosse at his local high school and enjoys getting out in the desert and mountains to hunt just as much as he enjoys volunteering.

 

“Carter has been a shining example of how youth can make a difference in conservation, and has given me some comfort knowing that the future of wildlife conservation will have new leaders like Carter to take care of wildlife for many more generations,” commented Troy Christensen, public access coordinator at the Arizona Game and Fish Department. “I can’t thank Carter and the MDF enough for the enormous amount of hard work and dedication they have put towards wildlife conservation.”  

 

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About MDF 
The Mule Deer Foundation is the only conservation group in North America dedicated to restoring, improving and protecting mule deer and black-tailed deer and their habitat, with a focus on science and program efficiency. MDF is a strong voice for hunters in access, wildlife management and conservation policy issues. MDF acknowledges regulated hunting as a viable management component and is committed to recruitment and retention of youth into the shooting sports and conservation. Get involved at www.muledeer.org or call 1-888-375-3337.

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08.26.14

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: August 14, 2014

Contact: Miles Moretti, miles@muledeer.org or (801) 973-3940

                Ray Crow, ray@muledeer.org or (801) 973-3940

 

Cargill Donates $19,725 to West Desert Chapter of Mule Deer Foundation for Habitat Restoration Project

 

Salt Lake City, Utah: Agriculture giant Cargill donated $19,725 to the West Desert Chapter of the Mule Deer Foundation (MDF) in Tooele, Utah to support the third and final stage of the Onaqui East Bench Sagebrush Enhancement project. The donation will support the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) efforts to remove juniper and replant perennial grasses and forbs on more than 1,000 acres of prime sagebrush habitat. The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR) has identified the eastern slopes of the Onaqui Mountains as crucial mule deer habitat making the project a priority for both mule deer and sage-grouse conservation. The West Desert Chapter will be working with the BLM and UDWR to complete the restoration through a stewardship contract later this fall.

 

“We are proud to support this important wildlife habitat project and the quality work of the Mule Deer Foundation and Bureau of Land Management,” commented Matthew Potter, Cargill’s Maintenance Superintendent in Grantsville, Utah. “Taking a proactive approach to sagebrush restoration will reduce the risk of wildfire and invasion by cheatgrass, but it also will make a big difference for Utah’s mule deer populations.”

 

The Onaqui project will focus on the removal of juniper in the project area and then reseeding with native perennial grasses. Junipers have taken over many sagebrush habitats in the West and are outcompeting understory species, eventually resulting in the nearly complete loss of these plants and their native seeds. When this happens the site becomes susceptible to soil erosion and invasion by cheatgrass, and native wildlife species lose important forage. Up to 90 percent of junipers in the project area will be removed by a bullhog to leave a mosaic pattern and travel corridors for wildlife. Areas where there is not enough understory to provide the seed bank for natural revegetation will be reseeded.

 

“Healthy sagebrush ecosystems are essential for healthy mule deer populations, but many of these areas need some help to reestablish good forage and remove the junipers that are outcompeting native vegetation,” said Miles Moretti, president of the Mule Deer Foundation. “We greatly appreciate the support of companies like Cargill that recognize the important work that needs to be done and that the partnerships MDF is involved in can make a difference for sagebrush and mule deer.”

 

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About MDF 
The Mule Deer Foundation is the only conservation group in North America dedicated to restoring, improving and protecting mule deer and black-tailed deer and their habitat, with a focus on science and program efficiency. MDF is a strong voice for hunters in access, wildlife management and conservation policy issues. MDF acknowledges regulated hunting as a viable management component and is committed to recruitment and retention of youth into the shooting sports and conservation. Get involved at www.muledeer.org or call 1-888-375-3337.

 

About Cargill

 

Cargill is an international producer and marketer of food, agricultural, financial and industrial products and services. Founded in 1865, the privately held company employs 143,000 people in 67 countries. Cargill helps customers succeed through collaboration and innovation, and is committed to applying its global knowledge and experience to help meet economic, environmental and social challenges wherever it does business. For more information, visit Cargill.com and its news center.

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07.29.14

 

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: July 29, 2014

 

Contact: Terry Herndon, therndon@muledeer.org or 623-696-579

                Miles Moretti, miles@muledeer.org or 801-973-3940

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MDF Phoenix Chapter Holds Work Project

on “Adopted” Gold Bar Ranch

 

Arizona chapters have adopted four ranches in

“Adopt-A-Ranch” program

 

Phoenix, AZ: Volunteers from the Phoenix Chapter of the Mule Deer Foundation (MDF) spent 20 hours this weekend at the Gold Bar Ranch cleaning out and repairing a 100-year old irrigation canal to improve wildlife habitat. The ditch feeds water from the Hassayampa River through the ranch and back in to the river. When the project is complete, more than 2 miles of the ditch will have been repaired allowing the creek to flow again and feed the small lake where many desert wildlife species drink. The project is part of the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s (AGFD) “Adopt-A-Ranch” program and MDF’s Arizona chapters have adopted a total of four ranches in the state. The program allows volunteers to help ranchers with work projects to improve their ranch management and support wildlife populations; in addition ranchers are often willing to allow public access across their properties to public lands beyond.

 

“Working with ranchers like we have this past weekend gives the entire Mule Deer Foundation a sense of pride,” commented Josiah Richards, chapter chair of the Phoenix Chapter. “It helps us keep an open dialogue with these ranchers and it also helps keep our mule deer healthy by supplying water throughout the year instead of only part of the year.”

 

The work project on the Gold Bar Ranch is just one of the many volunteer projects that Arizona’s MDF chapters have coordinated on the four ranches that they have adopted. The North Valley Chapter adopted the AGFD’s Horseshoe Ranch in 2013 and so far has dedicated 1,500 volunteer hours and $5,000 of Chapter Rewards money to repair or replace water tanks, wells and windmills. On the Yavapai Ranch, the Prescott Chapter is keeping gates and fences repaired, water holes cleaned out and catchments working. And on the Mogollon Rim near Payson, the Pinal Mountain Chapter will be having their first project weekend on the Bar X Ranch in August.

 

“The AGFD’s Landowner Relations Program includes various programs for working cooperatively with landowners to maintain public access and improve wildlife habitat on ranch lands. One of those programs, Adopt-A-Ranch, builds good working relationships by creating win-win-win partnerships between the AGFD, landowners, and groups of sportsmen or recreational users,” said AGFD’s public access coordinator Troy Christensen. “The four chapters of the MDF, which recently joined the program, have been doing a fantastic job working together with ranchers and the AGFD to address issues with public access and complete mutually-beneficial ranch improvements. Many of these projects would never have been completed without the help of the MDF volunteers.”

 

“Our ‘Adopt-A-Ranch’ efforts have been one of our most successful ways to contribute volunteer hours to improve mule deer habitat and to build relationships with private land owners,” commented Terry Herndon, MDF’s regional director for Arizona. “With all four ranches that MDF chapters have adopted here in Arizona, we have not only enhanced wildlife habitat and improved relationships with ranchers, but we’ve also generated increased volunteer interest and a sense of pride in doing a good thing for our wildlife.”

 

The 15 volunteers from the Phoenix Chapter who worked on the Gold Bar ranch were able to complete half of the project on their first work weekend and are already planning phase two of the project.

 

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About MDF 
The Mule Deer Foundation is the only conservation group in North America dedicated to restoring, improving and protecting mule deer and black-tailed deer and their habitat, with a focus on science and program efficiency. MDF is a strong voice for hunters in access, wildlife management and conservation policy issues. MDF acknowledges regulated hunting as a viable management component and is committed to recruitment and retention of youth into the shooting sports and conservation. Get involved at www.muledeer.org or call 1-888-375-3337.

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07.24.14

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: July 23, 2014

 

Contact: Marshall Johnson, marshall@muledeer.org or (406) 850-8785

                Miles Moretti, miles@muledeer.org or 801-973-3940

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Revenues from Montana’s Mule Deer Foundation License Plates Help Acquire Critical Sportsmen’s Access in Montana

 

Salt Lake City, Utah: The Mule Deer Foundation (MDF) and like-minded conservation partners in Montana recently secured access to York Gulch by acquiring 262 acres of private inholdings on the western side of the Helena National Forest. MDF’s Montana chapters worked together to dedicate $25,000 for the project from funding generated by sales of MDF license plates in the state, the revenues from which are dedicated for sportsmen’s access projects. The partners in the project worked together to acquire the only road into the forest along the York Drainage, which was surrounded by national forest on three sides putting it at risk for residential development had it been sold on the open real estate market.

 

“The York Gulch acquisition will be a remarkable benefit to the outdoors enthusiast in the area because it ensures that we all will have access to some incredible Forest Service land that otherwise could be closed up and untouchable for us,” commented Steve Miller, current MDF Montana state chair and Lewis & Clark chapter chair. “The fact that this is lands that not only benefits those of us that love mule deer but also many other outdoor recreationists makes it an added benefit. This land is in the heart of prime Forest Service land that will be cherished by all who now have access to it through this fabulous acquisition.”

 

The York Gulch property provides an important connection to the adjacent national forest lands for wildlife including mule deer, elk, bear, mountain lion and moose. In addition, the property has two on-site ponds and wetlands, which are fed by year-round seeps providing important water access for wildlife. The property has experienced a significant increase in use by wildlife since illegal off-road use in the forest has been reduced.

 

In 2007, the three active MDF chapters in Montana at the time worked together to pool their chapter reward dollars to front the $4,000 cost of establishing a license plate and fulfilling the process set out by Montana’s Department of Transportation. Ray Rugg, past MDF board member who was Western Montana MDF Chapter chair in 2007, along with Dan Dellinger, who was the Montana state chair that year, worked closely with Jennifer Cote, current chair of the Western Montana MDF Chapter, to file the appropriate paperwork and accreditation for the state. All of the chapters agreed that revenues from the sale of the plate would be dedicated for land acquisition or access easements. The York Gulch acquisition was the first property to benefit from the funds.

 

“When our state chairs worked together to create the MDF license plate here in Montana, we knew that we needed to dedicate money from the sale of the plates for one of the biggest issues facing Montana hunters – access to federal public lands,” said Marshall Johnson, MDF’s regional director in Montana and North Dakota. “The York Gulch project is a perfect example of a project where committed partners worked together to make great things happen. Montanans now have permanent access to the Helena National Forest on a road that could easily have been gated off at any time.”

 

 

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About MDF 
The Mule Deer Foundation is the only conservation group in North America dedicated to restoring, improving and protecting mule deer and black-tailed deer and their habitat, with a focus on science and program efficiency. MDF is a strong voice for hunters in access, wildlife management and conservation policy issues. MDF acknowledges regulated hunting as a viable management component and is committed to recruitment and retention of youth into the shooting sports and conservation. Get involved at www.muledeer.org or call 1-888-375-3337.

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