NONGAME WILDLIFE PROGRAM AND LCCMR OVERVIEW, 1983-2018 Page 1 1. NONGAME WILDLIFE PROGRAM LCMR OVERVIEW, 1983- 2010 From 1983 through 2010 I provided semiannual work plan updates for the Nongame Wildlife Program to the LCCMR which had overview authority for reviewing and approving our workplans and budgets from the Nongame Wildlife Checkoff. Below is a photo of our first nongame staff members from 1984-myself, Joan Galli, Katie Haws, Jack Mooty, Pam Perry, and John Schladweiler. Page 2 2. LCMR NATURE TOURISM INITIATIVE, 1998-2000, $250,000. A. 19 Community Nature Tourism Workshops, 286 participants a. How to do a Nature Tourism Resource Assessment b. Enhancing Nature Tourism Experiences B. Seven field trips for doing a resource assessment Wildlife Tourism Workshop sites, 1999-2000 Page 3 3. LCMR LAKESCAPING FOR WILDLIFE AND WATER QUALITY, 1998-2009 A. Lakescaping for Wildlife and Water Quality - 26,472 copies sold. B. 67 lakescaping demonstration sites planned and developed. C. 43 targeted workshops for 1482 participants: homeowners, nursery owners, DNR staff, realtors, and local units of government. Page 4 4. DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY BRIDGE TO NATURE, 2010-2013 $160,000 A. 76 teacher workshops on how to lead student photo safaris. 1. 1099 teacher participants; reaching about 66,000 Minnesota youths. B. Presentation to Caribbean teachers at Birds-Caribbean Conference in the Bahamas, 2010. Page 5 5. ASSESSMENT OF CONTAMINANTS IN MINNESOTA LOONS AND WHITE PELICANS RESULTING FROM THE DEEPWATER HORIZON OIL SPILL. 2011-2017. $641,000. A. Determining migratory routes, wintering areas, and feeding behavior for common loons and white pelicans with use of satellite transmitters and geolocators. Page 6 6. Assessment of contaminant levels of PAH and DOSS in loons and pelicans in blood, feathers, fatty tissues, and unhatched eggs in loons and in bill knobs and eggs from white pelicans. Page 7 7. Project Currently Underway. ASSESSMENT OF HEMP AS A WILD BIRD FOOD AS PART OF AN MN DEPT OF AGRICULTURE PILOT PROGRAM FOR HEMP IN MINNESOTA. A. Bird food preference testing at three sites in MN B. Supplemental statewide field testing of hemp by citizen volunteers. C. Collaboration with the MN Dept of Agriculture to field test hemp as bird food. Page 8 8. ADVOCACY FOR USE OF COPPER/NONTOXIC AMMUNITION FOR DEER HUNTING IN MINNESOTA A. An industry in transition: full page ads in fall, 2018, by ammo manufacturers promoting copper ammo for big game hunting: Federal, Winchester, Remington. B. Dara Grumdahl, WCCO-AM radio interview. Saturday, Sept 29, 2018 C. Javier Serna, Outdoor News, feature story, Oct 25, 2018 D. John Myers, Duluth News Tribune, feature story. Nov 10, 2018 NATURE TOURISM: a modest proposal to accommodate a dramatic change in outdoor recreation trends. Page 9 9. ADDRESSING THE GREAT MISSING LINK IN OUTDOOR RECREATION TRENDS IN MINNESOTA-WILDLIFE VIEWING!!! NEW RESULTS--USFWS SURVEY OF HUNTING, FISHING, AND WILDLIFE-ASSOCIATED RECREATION, 2016. WILDLIFE-ASSOCIATED RECREATION = WILDLIFE WATCHING, BIRD WATCHING, BIRD FEEDING, GARDENING FOR WILDLIFE (ATTRACTING POLLINATORS) AND NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY. Since the 1930s, hunters paid for wildlife conservation through license fees and excise taxes on guns and ammunition. Citizens in general were generally ignored relating to wildlife management and conservation participation in natural resource agencies because they "did not pay their way" like hunters did. That was then, and this is now. Now, all Minnesota citizens need to be considered important partners in conservation since they contribute to the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund when they buy lottery tickets and to state legacy funds when they pay sales taxes. We need to help enhance their outdoor opportunities and experiences and increase their awareness, support, and advocacy for conserving our natural resources. They are our conservation partners of the future along with hunters and anglers! NATIONAL NATURE TOURISM TRENDS 2011 2016 # participants 71.8 million* 86.0 million + 20.0% # days afield 336 million 386 million + 14.9% Total expenditures $54.7 billion $75.9 billion + 38.7% *23.6 million (away from home) NATIONAL HUNTING TRENDS 2011 2016 # participants 13.7 million 11.5 million - 16% # days afield 282 million 184 million - 35% Total expenditures $35.3 billion $26.0 billion - 26% MINNESOTA TOURISM & HUNTING STATISTICS-2011 Nature Tourism Hunting # participants 1,600,000* 477,000 # days afield 7 million 5.6 million Total expenditures $621 million $725 million *509,000 (away from home) A. Birds of Minnesota State Parks by Robert Janssen, 2015. B. www.wildlifeviewing areas.com 120 of the best wildlife viewing sites in Minnesota. Updated in November 2018. C. Pine to Prairie Birding Trail and Pine to Prairie Birding Trail International in Manitoba. D. HEART OF THE BOG BIRDING TRAIL Duluth to Bemidji and Warroad.