EDGEFIELD, S.C. — The NWTF’s Waterways for Wildlife Initiative continues to rally partners, build support and deliver essential water-related conservation projects across the Great Plains of America. Through this year’s investment, the NWTF and its partners are set to provide over $2.7 million to 14 conservation projects across seven states within the next year, bringing the total investment among the NWTF and its partners for the Waterways for Wildlife Initiative to over $27 million since 2022.
“We want to recognize our astounding partners for continuing to help us grow our Waterways for Wildlife Initiative and make our impact on the right projects at the right time,” said Annie Farrell, NWTF district biologist and Waterways for Wildlife Initiative point of contact. “This year, the Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund contributed significantly to our initiative, and through their support, we have allocated funding to 14 new projects with many excited and diverse partners.”
The Waterways for Wildlife Initiative set its ambitious 10-year goals in 2022: enhance 1,500 stream miles of critical waterways and improve 75,000 acres of riparian-related habitat within 10 Great Plains states. In its fourth year, the initiative and its partners are making significant progress toward the goal, enhancing 211 stream miles of waterways and impacting over 45,000 acres of adjacent habitat between completed and ongoing projects.
Waterways for Wildlife projects vary in their benefits to water conservation and wildlife. Projects include a variety of management practices, such as removing invasive species, reestablishing native vegetation, streambank restoration and reconnecting floodplains, among others. This work improves the health and strength of streambanks, enhances water quality and availability, provides essential habitat to wildlife and overall has a multi-ecosystem-level impact. Riparian areas are a natural magnet for wild turkeys and hundreds of other species of wildlife, and these efforts are helping the array of wildlife that depend on these critical areas.
View 2025 Project Summaries.
Learn more about riparian ecosystems and the NWTF’s Waterways for Wildlife Initiative projects.
“The Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund has been an incredible partner of the NWTF for many years,” said Jared McJunkin, NWTF director of conservation operations for the central region. “We welcome them on this journey with us to conserve these important habitats so vital to wildlife, ecosystems, biodiversity and rural economies.”
In addition to the NWTF state chapters within the initiative’s 10-state region and the Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s Outdoor Fund, partners for the initiative’s 2025 projects include the American Foundation for Wildlife; Big Hole Watershed Committee; Black Hills Fly Fishers; Bureau of Land Management; Colorado Parks and Wildlife; Crook County Conservation District; Ducks Unlimited; Environmental Protection Agency; Greater Yellowstone Coalition; Kansas Alliance for Wetlands and Streams; Kansas Department of Health and Environment; Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks; Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks; Mule Deer Foundation; North Dakota Game and Fish Department; North Dakota Natural Resources Trust; North Dakota Outdoor Heritage Fund; Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation; One Valley Community Foundation; Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation; Sagebrush Partnership; Sheridan Community Land Trust; South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Department; South Dakota State University; Steele-Reese Foundation; The Conservation Alliance; The Nature Conservancy; Trout Unlimited; USDA Forest Service; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, among others.
About the National Wild Turkey Federation
Since 1973, the National Wild Turkey Federation has invested over half a billion dollars into wildlife conservation and has positively impacted over 24 million acres of critical wildlife habitat. The NWTF has also invested over $10 million into wild turkey research to guide the management of the wild turkey population and to ensure sustainable populations into perpetuity. The organization continues to deliver its mission by working across boundaries on a landscape scale through its Four Shared Values: clean and abundant water, healthy forests and wildlife habitat, resilient communities, and robust recreational opportunities. With the help of its dedicated members, partners and staff, the NWTF continues its work to provide Healthy Habitats. and Healthy Harvests. for future generations.
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