EDGEFIELD, SC — Sarah Johnson of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service accepted the NWTF’s NRCS Making Tracks Award during her 50th anniversary celebration at the 47th National Wild Turkey Federation Sports Convention & Expo, sponsored by Mossy Oak.
“Words can’t explain it,” Johnson said at the NWTF Golden Awards Gala. “Having a partnership with the NWTF has been fantastic and to be able to be a part of that is amazing. Sometimes you just love your job and get the job done; You don’t realize they’re looking at you, so it took me by surprise. I had no idea I was going to receive the award.”
The Making Tracks with the NRCS Awards recognize individuals or projects that best incorporate conservation education, partnerships, and wild turkey management to support NWTF’s conservation delivery.
Johnson’s introduction to the Idaho NRCS was through his tenure as a cooperative forester between the NWTF and NRCS through the National Forestry Initiative, a program dedicated to assisting private landowners across the country and encouraging greater stewardship of forests. natural resources of the United States.
Through the NFI deal, Johnson was trusted to represent NRCS and exercise his forestry expertise by educating landowners through one-on-one forest walk-throughs, writing forest management plans, recommending silvicultural treatments that meet homeowners and how NRCS programs can offer financial incentives. . His approachable manner and his ability to communicate technical forestry concepts in an easy-to-understand manner accelerated the scope and scale of the fieldwork. Johnson is also an avid hunter and understands the importance of wildlife habitat management.
“Our partnerships are part of what makes the NWTF so successful in fulfilling our mission,” said NWTF Co-Executive Director Kurt Dyroff. “Through the Natural Resources Conservation Service, we have impacted hundreds of thousands of acres of private land; Sarah’s work is an extension of this. We are proud to recognize her commitment to making an impact on Idaho’s private lands with the NRCS Making Tracks Award.”
About the National Wild Turkey Federation
Since 1973, the National Wild Turkey Federation has invested more than half a billion dollars in wildlife conservation and has conserved or improved more than 22 million acres of critical wildlife habitat. The organization continues to advance wildlife conservation, forest resiliency, and robust recreational opportunities across the US by working beyond borders at the landscape scale.
2023 is the 50th of the NWTFhe anniversary and an opportunity to push the organization’s mission into the future while honoring its rich history. for his 50he anniversary, the NWTF has set six ambitious goals: positively impact 1 million acres of wildlife habitat; raise $500,000 for wild turkey research; increase membership to 250,000 members; dedicate $1 million to education and outreach programs; raise $5 million to invest in technology and the people of NWTF; and raise $5 million to build a $50 million endowment for the future. Find out how you can help us achieve these lofty goals.