Thousands of landowners throughout the United States have learned about managing their property for wildlife through the National Wild Turkey Federation's Wild Turkey Woodlands field days and workshops. However, the Woodlands program has undergone a facelift, changed names to the Hunting Heritage Landowner Program and now offers more to its members.

"We ran into a lot of landowners who didn't participate in the Woodlands program because they thought it was designed to manage only for wild turkeys," said Mark Hatfield, NWTF wildlife biologist. "By changing the name to the Hunting Heritage Landowner Program, we've let them know the program is designed to help them manage for all wildlife while helping support our hunting heritage."

The Hunting Heritage Landowner Program is designed to inform individual and corporate landowners who actively manage for wild turkeys and other wildlife on their property. The program also promotes hunting as part of our North American heritage and encourages landowners to have a written management plan for their property.

For only $10 annually, NWTF Hunting Heritage Landowner Program members receive window decal, a membership card and a one-year subscription to the NWTF's Get in the Game magazine, published twice a year. Members can also take advantage of a 10 percent discount on select seeds through the NWTF's Project HELP (Habitat Enhancement Landowner Program).

The program is divided into two membership levels--associate membership and certified membership. Associate members are landowners who do not have a management plan completed for their property. Landowners who submit a land management plan and get their property certified through the program will also receive a Hunting Heritage Landowner Program sign and certificate.

Why manage for wildlife?

Wildlife species depend on good habitat for their survival, especially on private property. Private land management plays a critical role on the influence of wildlife populations across the country. According to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, nearly 50 percent of the U.S. (more than 900 million acres) is privately owned cropland, pastureland and rangeland, managed by approximately 4.7 million individuals.

What do the numbers mean? The bottom line is that the future of half of the wildlife habitat in the U.S. is in the hands of only 2 percent of its citizens. Trends in crop prices, the demands of a growing human population and land values are factors that will continue to impact how land is managed.

"Landowners should take advantage of the NWTF's Hunting Heritage Landowner Program to help establish quality habitat," says Bryan Burhans, NWTF director of land management programs. "The NWTF's Hunting Heritage Landowner Program was designed with the private landowner in mind and is a great tool for helping land managers make sure their efforts really benefit wildlife."

For more information about the Hunting Heritage Landowner Program call 800-THE-NWTF.