NWTF’s Energy for Wildlife Program Certifies Partners

The National Wild Turkey Federation’s Energy for Wildlife program recently reached another milestone that will improve wildlife habitat on up to 100,000 acres of in five states.

EnergyUnited, Georgia Transmission Corporation and CNX Land Resources Inc., were certified during the NWTF’s 29th annual Convention and Sport Show, Feb. 18-20 in Nashville, Tenn. To become certified --— the program’s highest level of membership — members must write and implement a vegetation and wildlife management plan.

Corporate partners are very important to the NWTF, and some have gone the extra mile to provide habitat for the wild turkey and many other species of wildlife.

“These companies went to great lengths make their management plans work for wildlife and become certified members,” said Jay Jordan, NWTF’s Energy for Wildlife coordinator. “Their commitment shows they are willing to make great efforts to benefit wildlife while providing safe, reliable and affordable energy to their customers.”

EnergyUnited, the program’s charter member, is headquartered in Statesville, N.C., and provides electricity to more than 110,000 members in parts of 19 North Carolina counties. The electric utility manages more than 11,500 miles of rights of way and has altered its mowing routine for rare plants including Joe Pye weed, Georgia Aster and Rattlesnake Master.

Georgia Transmission became a member of Energy for Wildlife in June 2003. The electric utility, located in Tucker, Ga., delivers power to 39 electric cooperatives, providing electricity transmission service to more than 3.8 million people, or about half of Georgia’s population. The company manages nearly 2,700 miles of rights of way, and takes a special interest in managing areas around streams to control runoff and erosion.

CNX Land Resources Inc., based out of Pittsburgh, Pa., has more than 28,000 acres of property in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio. The company is a subsidiary of Consol Energy that coordinates timber, farming and commercial development ventures. Since joining Energy for Wildlife in December 2002, CNX has worked to improve wildlife habitat by controlling erosion, improving water quality and managing timber with wildlife in mind. During the past 10 years, CNX has donated more than 10,000 acres of property to public ownership.

Energy for Wildlife is a membership-based certification program for energy companies with the goal of enhancing wildlife habitat on company managed, owned or influenced lands, including power line and gas rights of ways, plant sites, forestlands and other properties.

Energy for Wildlife was created by the NWTF in response to the utility industry's need for assistance in managing the millions of acres of rights of way and other land that could provide ideal habitat for wildlife. Several species currently at risk due to loss of open habitat could also benefit from the program.

To integrate wildlife into their land management programs, NWTF's Energy for Wildlife staff worked directly with these energy companies to revise existing plans. Any company that is involved in the production, transmission, or distribution of energy is eligible to become a member of the Energy for Wildlife program.

For more information about the NWTF's Energy for Wildlife program or other NWTF programs, call 803-637-3106, or e-mail Jay Jordan at jjordan@nwtf.net.

About the NWTF: In 1973, when the National Wild Turkey Federation was founded, there were an estimated 1.3 million wild turkeys and 1.5 million turkey hunters. Thanks to the work of wildlife agencies and the NWTF’s many volunteers and partners, today there are 6.8 million wild turkeys and nearly three million turkey hunters. Since 1985, more than $193 million NWTF and cooperator dollars have been spent on over 29,000 projects benefiting wild turkeys throughout North America.

The NWTF is a nonprofit organization with nearly 525,000 members in 50 states and 12 foreign countries. It supports scientific wildlife management on public, private and corporate lands as well as wild turkey hunting as a traditional North American sport.
For more information on the National Wild Turkey Federation, call (803) 637-3106, check out our web site at www.nwtf.org or e-mail questions to nwtf@nwtf.net.

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