Celebrating 1 Million Feet of Conservation Fence in West Virginia
Conservation fencing projects provide a “win-win” for farmers, wildlife, and agencies across the landscape.
The USFWS Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program in West Virginia and Trout Unlimited have developed a state-of-the-art conservation fence construction crew, equipped with multiple work vehicles and heavy duty equipment, which installs livestock exclusion fencing in priority conservation areas across the state.
Cleaning up the Chesapeake Bay is a high priority for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, as well as many other wildlife conservation organizations. Livestock exclusion fencing is a conservation tool that helps to keep nutrients on the farm and reduces nutrient input into streams throughout the watershed. This habitat treatment also benefits surrounding forest health, water quality, cattle herd health and helps to keep farmers compliant with best management practices.
“One person out in the field working with a farmer to do a project is what it takes to make good conservation practices," said Warren Mickey from Charles Town, WV, a participant in the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program. "One bad experience not only affects that one farmer, but all of his neighbors that they tell them about. By having a good successful program (such as my fencing project), you get a farmer that is more than happy with the results. For 9 years, I’ve told everyone I know about this project. That’s the way you can have this cooperation between the government agencies and farmers, but it takes that spirit of cooperative effort between the employee and the landowner to accomplish these things.”
