Forestry Commission’s Post

It's #NationalOwlAwarenessDay! One owl we are particularly aware of is the burrowing owl. The western species of burrowing owl is currently protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and listed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a National Bird of Conservation Concern. Burrowing owl populations are decreasing in size due to loss of nesting habitat from increasing human development. But we are on it! Read about what we're doing to recover this species at https://bit.ly/3y2s1kF.

Great to see that human-wildlife conflicts are discussed both on the highest level of international conservation policy and with considerations of on-the-ground activities with local impact.

UK seas are being bulldozed by intense bottom trawling, and much of the destruction is done by only a handful of big industrial boats. We analysed satellite tracks from Global Fishing Watch to determine that just 10 fishing vessels carry out one quarter of all suspected bottom trawling in UK offshore marine ‘protected’ areas. Over 33,000 hours of suspected bottom trawling wrecked our offshore marine ’protected’ areas in 2023 alone! That's nearly four years' worth. How is this allowed? These are supposed to be safe havens, providing sanctuary to marine life, from sharks to starfish, coral to crabs. We need urgent political action to ban bottom trawling across all marine protected areas. Help us save our seas: https://lnkd.in/euvxFHZf #BanBottomTrawling 🚫 Oceana Oceana in Europe Hugo Tagholm Amy Hammond Alyx Elliott Daisy Brickhill Sophie Fresson Open Seas Marine Conservation Society Inka Cresswell Blue Marine Foundation Wildlife and Countryside Link Crustacean Compassion

The top story for the Bureau of Land Management in 2023? The draft Public Lands Rule, a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make land and water conservation, tribal stewardship, and wildlife a priority! “In March, BLM proposed a draft rule aimed at helping safeguard the health of our public lands for current and future generations. The Public Lands Rule would put conservation on equal footing with other uses of our public lands. It would protect our clean water and wildlife habitat, restore lands and waters, and inform wise management decisions based on the best available science, data, and indigenous knowledge.” Read more about this landmark proposed rule as well as the other top BLM stories from 2023: https://lnkd.in/e5-M3Atq #BLMWild #ActNowForPublicLands

Thanks to restoration efforts from NFWF grantee Island Conservation, rare Peruvian diving-petrels have returned to nest on Pajaros Uno Island in Chile. These diving-petrels haven’t been seen on the island in decades, but following Island Conservation’s work to remove invasive predators and employ social attraction techniques, these vital seabirds are back! This milestone not only ensures the survival of these birds, but also revitalizes the island’s entire ecosystem. Our Seabirds Program is soliciting proposals to improve populations of focal seabird species and other species like the Peruvian diving petrel through actions that increase survival and reproduction. Learn more >> https://loom.ly/EqPiZ0Y Funding support for this initiative comes from the United States Marine Corps, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and private funding sources. #conservation #wildlife #seabird #grantopportunity

SWAN is a member of the Irish Sea Network (ISN), a group of 13 conservation bodies across all the Irish Sea nations. Today the ISN launched a report calling for planners in all 6 nations of the sea to work together to ensure nature is protected. 🌊 Management of the Irish Sea is complex, with each nation managing the sea in its own way. But marine wildlife doesn’t see the lines we draw on maps and the wonderful habitats and species that live in the Irish Sea are connected. Because of this connectivity, management of the marine environment in one nation may impact wildlife beyond its borders in another. We therefore need marine plans to be aligned, and decision makers to consider the cumulative impacts of all activities on the Irish Sea as a whole. Read the report here: https://lnkd.in/ewAuX2cc #IrishSeaNetwork #30x30 #marine #connected #OneIrishSea

🪸 Marine protected areas and other conservation measures are essential to the recovery of fragile ecosystems and fish stocks globally. 🌊 Over the last 10 years, there has been a significant increase in the coverage of protections across the Mediterranean Sea — including more than 350 areas where bottom trawling is banned. 🔎 Find out how Global Fishing Watch teamed up with members of the Med Sea Alliance to launch an interactive online atlas that maps #MPAs and helps shed light on activities that continue to undermine recovery in these areas. 🌐 bit.ly/3TIJd5E

As Washington treaty tribes mark the 50th anniversary next week of the Boldt Decision, challenges to a sustainable salmon population remain. Habitat restoration is challenged by time and other forces, even while Treaty Tribes of Washington invest millions of dollars each year in restoration and — working in cooperation with state and federal fish and wildlife agencies, conservation and habitat enhancement groups and public utilities — annually release about 32 million chinook, coho, chum, sockeye and steelhead from hatcheries. How to keep salmon recovery and habitat restoration moving forward will be part of a discussion Feb. 6 and 7. Richard Arlin Walker reports: https://ow.ly/UXS050Qxzce

🌍 **International TIGER Day: A Call to Action** 🐅 A world without tigers is a world we can’t afford to imagine. These majestic creatures are not only vital to their ecosystems but also symbolize the wild beauty of our planet. On this International Tiger Day, let’s unite to protect them from extinction. Support conservation efforts, raise awareness, and advocate for stricter anti-poaching measures. Every action counts in preserving the future of these magnificent animals. Together, we can ensure that tigers continue to roam our world for generations to come. Act now—because their survival depends on us. #InternationalTigerDay #SaveTheTigers #WildlifeConservation

🌍 International TIGER Day: A Call to Action 🐅 A world without tigers is a world we can’t afford to imagine. These majestic creatures are not only vital to their ecosystems but also symbolize the wild beauty of our planet. On this International Tiger Day, let’s unite to protect them from extinction. Support conservation efforts, raise awareness, and advocate for stricter anti-poaching measures. Every action counts in preserving the future of these magnificent animals. Together, we can ensure that tigers continue to roam our world for generations to come. Act now—because their survival depends on us. #InternationalTigerDay #SaveTheTigers #WildlifeConservation