Did you ever wonder what comes from the organizations that the local community supports?

I would like to tell readers where they can actually go and see the results — in this case, the work done by the Shade Mountain Chapter of the National Wild Tutkey Federation, which serves Mifflin and Juniata counties.

Conservation is very important to the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) and should be at least a concern of many others.

The NWTF’s mission statement is, “The conservation of the wild turkey and the preservation of our hunting heritage.” Conservation work, while focusing on turkeys and turkey habitat, benefits other wildlife species and their required habitats. For instance, the Pennsylvania state chapter of the NWTF spends approximately $130,000 annually on habitat projects on public land and other lands open to public hunting across the state. Mitchell Blake, district biologist in Pennsylvania, advises the funding of these projects and has stated, “While our habitat projects are turkey centric and largely focused on creating brooding and nesting habitat, turkey habitat management acts as an umbrella for other wildlife species.”

Five major factors impact wild turkey populations: habitat, disease, weather, predation, and hunting. Habitat management and hunting season length and bag limits are two factors that can be influenced by people, while predation, disease and weather are either uncontrollable or simply not feasible to control for a multitude of reasons. NWTF not only focuses large amount of resources toward habitat management, but also attends Pennsylvania Game Commission Board of Commissioner meetings and regularly reviews and comments on season lengths and bag limit proposals.

At the Shade Mountain Chapter’s monthly meeting on Jan. 2, Blake was in attendance and provided an update on the local conservation projects sponsored by the chapter.

Slated for funding in 2018 is a project in Juniata County on the Tuscarora State Forest. The project is in partnership with the Shermans Valley Strutters chapter of NWTF located in Perry County. The old Steltzer property, located off Black Logging Rd 4005, will tentatively undergo restoration work this spring. The reverting farmstead will be thinned to create savanna-like conditions for nesting and brood-rearing hens and the invasive species will be controlled to make way for native herbaceous vegetation. Warm season grasses, forbs and wild flowers will also be planted to provide vegetative diversity and nesting habitat for years to come.

Much of the farmstead is gone, but cultural relics like building foundations and a small apple orchard will still remain and likely will become more visible after the management has been implemented. The footprint of the Steltzer homestead is more than 100 acres and will provide much needed open space and herbaceous vegetation to the highly forested landscape. The 2017 habitat project sitting on the Perry/Juniata county line on State Game Lands 88 has been moving along as well. Timber operations have completed and the prescribed fire line is ready for implementation in late winter and will encompass more than 500 acres. Prescribed fire is anticipated to hit the ground within the year.

All in all, our local chapter will have a visible impact on more than 600 acres of public ground and habitat enhancement in just over a two year period. I encourage all that can stop by either or both of these projects both before and after to get a look and watch the impacts of these conservation efforts. By partnering with our fellow chapter from Perry County the Shade Mountain Chapter is very proud of the projects and will continue to seek other projects to support. This is only possible because the support we receive from the local community and our other partners, the PGC, DCNR, State Forestry, and the state and national chapters of the NWTF.

This habitat project and more than 40 other habitat projects across the state are funded through the NWTF banquet system. The Shade Mountain chapter is hosting its 2018 banquet at the Reedsville firehouse on March 2. Funds raised at the banquet directly support habitat conservation, youth field days, and other worthy investments in wild turkey conservation or preservation of our hunting heritage. To attend or provide sponsorship for the banquet check out the Shade Mountain Chapter Facebook page, www.facebook.com/ShadeMountainChapterNWTF, or register on-line for the banquet at https://events.nwtf.org/3801710-2018/tickets. All are welcome to attend one of monthly meeting, normally at 7 p.m. on the first Tuesday of the month at the Reedsville firehouse.

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Michael “Ted” Carothers is president of the Shade Mountain Chapter.