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La to host national 4-H Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program July 19-23

La to host national 4-H Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program July 19-23
Louisiana will be the host state for the 2009 national 4-H Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program July 19-23 at the Wildwood Resort on Toledo Bend in Zwolle. The Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program is a 4-H natural resources program that teaches wildlife and fisheries habitat management to youth. Louisiana 4-H’ers placed second out of 18 state teams in 2008. Organizers expect 16 teams of six to attend from as far as Maryland, Wisconsin and Utah. Although evaluation program is a competitive event, its primary function is education, said Paul Morris, LSU AgCenter county agent in Sabine Parish and event co-chair. The major parts of the competition include identifying wildlife animals, management practices and plans, Morris said. Participants are introduced to a tract of land and are asked to determine the practices they would use to manage the tract in the best possible way for a selected set of species. They must write a wildlife management plan taking into account the defined objectives of the landowner while making compromises and concessions in trying to develop the best plan possible for two or three wildlife species. Teams also take a written test and wildlife identification test. The educational aspect of the program includes discussions on fisheries management and wildlife damage control, deer management and bird identification. Morris said sponsors assisting the LSU AgCenter include the Zwolle Tamale Fiesta, Toledo Lake Association, Sabine Parish Chamber of Commerce, Louisiana Farm Bureau, Sabine Farm Bureau, Louisiana County Agents Association, Sabine Parish School Board, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and the Louisiana Cattlemen’s Association. Sponsored by the U.S. Cooperative Extension Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the program began in 1978 in Tennessee as the “wildlife judging” contest. The program soon grew to other southeastern states, and the first regional contest took place in 1987. The program went nationwide in 1989 and was officially named the Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program a year later when the national contest began moving to various regions of the county to present participants with different wildlife habitats and practices. The Wildlife Habitat Evaluation Program has earned a solid reputation for being a 4-H program that fosters relationships between professional wildlife and fisheries biologist, volunteers, parents, youth, teachers, farmers and ranchers, Morris said. National participation currently includes about 10,000 4-H’ers. Contact: Paul Morris at (318) 256-3406, or pmorris@agcenter.lsu.edu , Writer: Mary Ann Van Osdell at (318) 741-7430, ext. 1104, or mvanosdell@agcenter.lsu.edu