USDA Pushes Cross-Boundary Habitat Protection

The USDA announced a department-wide effort to support connectivity of wildlife habitat on working landscapes through the management of National forests and voluntary conservation assistance on private agricultural lands. “Many wildlife in the U.S. depend on large landscapes for their conservation. And they don’t care where the fence is between forest service and working lands or tribal lands or other lands,” says Robert Bonnie, Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation. “So we have to work across boundaries.” Bonnie says working collaboratively is vital to ensure an incentive-based approach can happen.