Team MDF: Building Partnerships and Relationships Can Be A Key Aspect Of MDF’s Success
July/August 2009
By Scott Hampel
It has been nine years now that I have been involved with MDF––first as a volunteer and, more recently, as a MDF Regional Director. Over that time, I have seen literally dozens and dozens and dozens of requests cross my desk, all seeking funds from MDF for specific projects. Through examining many of these project proposals and attending a variety of meetings over the years with representatives from state game and fish agencies, USFS, BLM, Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), MDF volunteers, and members/volunteers/staff members of many other conservation groups, a very clear and strong message can be concluded. These points include:
- The demand for funds nearly always exceeds the supply of available project dollars. Because of this, projects have to be prioritized by agencies and organizations. Subsequently, many projects are declined because funding is just not available.
- Most project proposals submitted by government agencies and other organizations seek partnerships to obtain funding from a variety of sources.
- Matching dollars from these sources are frequently pooled to complete the project that will not only benefit mule deer but a variety of other wildlife species as well as meet agricultural or ranching needs.
- Even though a project has been submitted, it does not necessarily mean that it is a “good” project. In fact, many are declined for a variety of reasons. Many require modification to meet objectives of the species being conserved.
- Not all projects can be fully funded. Many projects take years to secure the funding needed to complete or the agencies conducting the project likely will receive a smaller amount of dollars than what is requested. As a result of this, agencies have to mitigate completing smaller portions than initially planned.
So, where I am going with all of this? State game and fish agencies, USFS, BLM, NRCS each have funds available in their budgets to conduct conservation projects. Where do these funds come from? For state game and fish agencies, sportsman dollars, obtained from the purchase of hunting and fishing license, do provide some funding. In more recent years, many states have implemented a “conservation stamp” or “habitat stamp” which is required along with a hunting/fishing license. These funds are to be dedicated to a state fund and used specifically for habitat or other conservation projects. In addition, many states have implemented the use of “Governor’s Tags” or “Statewide Licenses” which provide the lucky raffle winner or auction buyer with a liberal license which often allows the hunter to hunt a specific species for longer periods of time and in several units or statewide. The state game and fish agencies turn to non-profit organizations such as MDF, RMEF, WSF, SCI, DU, NAMF, or other groups/organizations to raise funds. A significant portion of these funds is then returned to state agencies and the money is allocated to improve habitat or save habitat from development through conservation easements.
Limited funding is also available with state agencies which are funded by American taxpayers or fees obtained by the users of our public land. As we all know, taxes are imposed on our wages through the products we buy, property and so on to fund government services. But with the cost of nearly all aspects of our economy increasing, and the decline of hunting and fishing in our culture, these budgets are quickly tightening. Agencies face budget concerns much like our own households. Fuel costs, transportation costs, administrative costs, salary costs, etc rise for agencies just like they do for all private businesses.
Limited funding from agencies have resulted in partnerships being built over the years to meet the mission of conservation organizations, including MDF. Project proposals received by MDF often include requests for funds or matching dollars from agencies, other conservation groups, agriculture trusts, agricultural or livestock associations, private businesses and private individuals or landowners. The list goes on an on. So, do partnerships with MDF chapters work? Yes, they do. The following are some examples that have recently occurred in which MDF chapters have been able to pool resources to ensure high priority projects receive adequate funding.
Wyoming Chapter Partnerships
Lander Front Habitat Restoration:
In 2007, the WGFD identified the Lander Front Habitat Improvement Project as a “high priority” project. The reasoning was that the mule deer populations have really never recovered from the harsh winter of 1992/1993. The goal of the project was to increase forage in critical winter range. So, in 2007, the Wyoming Governor’s Big Game License Coalition allocated $7,500 to this effort. (The WGBGLC received these funds by MDF chapters and volunteers in California and Wyoming, which hosted events where Wyoming Governor’s licenses were auctioned or raffled. These funds were then returned to the state of Wyoming.)
MDF Wyoming Chapters created a partnership to provide additional funding to this project in 2008 as follows:
Lander Front Habitat Improvement |
|
2007 Wind River Chapter Rewards – Lander/Riverton, WY |
$845 |
2008 Wind River Conservation Partners – Lander/Riverton, WY |
$500 |
2006 Snowy Range Chapter Rewards – Laramie, WY |
$741 |
2007 Snowy Range Conservation Partners – Laramie, WY |
$3,300 |
2007 Central Wyoming Chapter Rewards – Casper, WY |
$1,193 |
2007 Central Wyoming Conservation Partners – Casper, WY |
$7,807 |
2008 National Funding |
$114 |
Total Allocation by MDF |
$14,500 |
Status: In 2009, the WGBGLC added an additional $2,500 and the Wind River Chapter of Lander/Riverton, added an additional $2,470 to this effort. Much of the work is in progress and will be completed in 2009.
Wyoming Range Mule Deer Habitat Assessment:
The Wyoming Range Mule Deer Habitat Assessment is a multi-year, significant, and strategically important, project to the long-term management of mule deer in Wyoming. In short, the project is being done to evaluate the habitat conditions in this area so that long-term planning, strategies, implementations, and mitigation steps can be taken for the habitat restoration and improvement. This is the first step in developing a plan for improving habitat for mule deer. This is, perhaps, the largest mule deer herd in the state of Wyoming.
The overall project cost in the first year (2008) was $70,000 for the WRMDHA. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) sought $30,000 from MDF with $40,000 matching dollars from the WGFD Trust Fund. The amount of funds provided by MDF would have a direct impact on the number of acres in which the assessment would be conducted. The target area in the first year was 175,000 acres.
The Wyoming Range is that area of land beginning near Big Piney, Wyoming extending southeasterly towards Rock Springs. It is home to approximately 27,000 mule deer. The assessment in the first year included areas near Big Piney in Sublet and Lincoln counties and focused on transitional and winter ranges. The goal of the assessment and study was to: 1) Identify potential treatments through vegetative manipulations, grazing, or other options, which will enhance and develop mule deer transitional winter ranges; 2) Ground truth existing winter range, transitional range, and migration corridors to document habitat conditions, and; 3) Compile all data––mapping, photos, monitoring in GIS based dataset for long-term, future vegetation management decisions by WGFD.
MDF WY Chapters created a partnership to provide funding to this project in 2008 as follows:
Wyoming Range Mule Deer Habitat Assessment |
|
2007 Muley Fanatic Conservation Partners – Rock Springs, WY |
$2,000 |
2008 Muley Fanatic Conservation Partners – Rock Springs, WY |
$12,325 |
2008 Kemmerer Conservation Partners – Kemmerer, WY |
$8,000 |
2008 Wind River Chapter Rewards – Lander/Riverton, WY |
$1,247 |
2008 Wind River Conservation Partners – Lander/Riverton, WY |
$1,000 |
2008 Central WY Conservation Partners – Casper, WY |
$5,000 |
2008 National Funding |
$428 |
Total Allocation by MDF |
$30,000 |
Status: Work is in progress. In addition to the funding and efforts made in 2008 for the WRMDHA, the Kemmerer Chapter of Kemmerer, Wyoming and the Muley Fanatic Chapter of Rock Springs, will be making additional contributions to phase 2 of this project in 2009.
Platte Valley Mule Deer Habitat Assessment:
Like the Wyoming Range Mule Deer Habitat Assessment described above, the Platte Valley Mule Deer Habitat Assessment is another multi-year, significant, and strategically important, project to the long-term management of mule deer in Wyoming. This is another area in Wyoming, which also supports a large mule deer herd.
The overall project cost in the first year (2008) was $45,000 for the PVMDHA. The Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) sought $20,000 from MDF with $25,000 matching dollars from the WGFD Trust Fund. The amount of funds provided by MDF would have a direct impact on the number of acres in which the assessment would be conducted. The target area in the first year is 120,000 acres.
The Platte Valley begins at Fort Steele Breaks (east of Rawlins) extending southeasterly towards Saratoga and the Colorado state line and is home to approximately 20,000 mule deer. The assessment in the first year will include areas in Carbon County. Like the Wyoming Range Mule Deer Habitat Assessment described above, the first year of the project will focus on transitional and winter range plant communities. The goal of the assessment and study is to address: 1) Habitat assessment to improve knowledge of the distribution, condition and needs of the winter range plant communities important to the survival of the Platte Valley mule deer, and; (2) Incorporate the information from the habitat surveys into an outreach program designed to inform the public of the need for improved population management that will allow recovery on damaged areas of shrub winter ranges.
MDF WY Chapters created a partnership to provide funding to this project in 2008 as follows:
Platte Valley Mule Deer Habitat Assessment |
|
2006 Ha Ha Tonka Conservation Partnerships – Osage Beach, MO |
$500 |
2008 Ha Ha Tonka Conservation Partnerships – Osage Beach, MO |
$750 |
2007 Snowy Range Chapter Rewards – Laramie, WY |
$4041 |
2008 Central Wyoming Conservation Partners – Casper, WY |
$10,000 |
2008 National Funding |
$4709 |
Total Allocation by MDF |
$20,000 |
Status: Work is in progress. Additional funding is being sought in 2009 from MDF for PVMDHA project.
Colorado Chapter Partnerships
Prescribed Burn of Oak Ridge State Wildlife Area:
In 2007, the Colorado Division of Wildlife, US Forest Service, US Bureau of Land Management sought additional funding from conservation organizations for a prescribed burn on 766 acres of public land near Meeker, CO. This is an area with high populations of mule deer, elk, and other wildlife. RMEF committed $10,000. MDF chapters combined resources and were able to add $9000 to this effort as follows:
Prescribed Burn of Oak Ridge State Wildlife Area |
|
2006 Pass The Buck Chapter Rewards – Silt/Rifle, CO |
$4000 |
2007 Mile High Chapter Rewards – Denver, CO |
$2000 |
2007 Mile High Conservation Partners – Denver, CO |
$450 |
2007 Buckhorn Chapter Rewards – Eagle, CO |
$1000 |
2006 Pikes Peak Chapter Rewards – Colorado Springs, CO |
$500 |
2007 Northern Front Range Chapter Rewards – Greeley, CO |
$1050 |
Total Allocation by MDF |
$9,000 |
Status: In the Fall of 2008, the controlled burn was started. Weather conditions only allowed approximately 300 acres of the burn to take place with MDF cost of $3,956.48. An extension of the remaining funds has been granted through the end of 2009 with work scheduled to take place later this year.
Multi-State Chapter Partnership Example
In 2007, the Frenchman Chapter of the McCook, Nebraska area hosted their first fundraiser and received $2,427 for local project dollars. Like every state, Nebraska’s need for project dollars far exceeds available dollars. Since this is the only chapter in Nebraska at the present time, creating a partnership with other chapters is more difficult. However, it can be accomplished. The following is how chapters from other states have agreed to help get additional funding for projects in southwest Nebraska.
Available project dollars for Nebraska |
|
2007 Frenchman Chapter Rewards – McCook, NE |
$1352 |
2007 Frenchman Conservation Partners – McCook, NE |
$1075 |
2007 Ha Ha Tonka Chapter Rewards – Osage Beach, MO |
$1921 |
2008 Midwest Chapter Rewards – Northern IL/Southern WI |
$500 |
2008 Mile High Conservation Partners – Denver, CO |
$500 |
Total |
$5,348 |
Nebraska Project Dollar Allocation |
|
Pumper Unit Sponsorship |
$1000 |
Red Willow Wildlife Management Area Windmill/Water Development |
$1500 |
Nebraska Habitat Guide |
$1000 |
Robotic Deer Decoy |
$1848 |
Total Allocation by MDF Chapters |
$5,348 |
Status: To date, the “pumper unit sponsorship” has been completed with additional partnerships with National Wild Turkey Federation and Pheasants Forever. The other projects remain in progress. In addition, the Ha Ha Tonka Chapter of Osage Beach, Missouri and the Mile High Chapter of Denver, Colorado have both made commitments for additional funding to Nebraska in 2009.
Benefits of Chapter Partnerships
As shown in the examples above, creating partnerships with other MDF Chapters can provide solutions for our federal and state agencies that are much more informed with specific project needs and goals. Creating these partnerships can provide many benefits to MDF chapters including:
- Meeting overall needs of agencies seeking MDF help with high profile, high priority, and critical projects
- Allowing all chapters (regardless of how large or small) to assist with these type of projects
- Building working relationships with other chapters that may be used for future projects that may occur in “your neck of the woods”.
- Allowing the financial burden to be “spread out” amount chapters thereby giving chapters the ability to assist in funding several projects as opposed to funding a “single” project in their area because of limited funding.
- Allowing chapters to maximize and leverage available dollars to impact the greatest amount of acreage
- Allowing chapters to assist in the funding of projects, which will have the greatest benefit to our resource…our mule deer.
If you’re interested in learning more about creating a partnership for a project in your state, contact your local Regional Director. Good luck and remember that YOUR efforts do count!