The Georgia State Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation recently met to allocate funding for 2024 mission-delivery projects in the Peach State. After the reviewing and ranking process, the NWTF Georgia State Chapter budgeted $162,883 for 18 wild turkey habitat projects, $33,815 for wildlife law enforcement equipment, $43,000 for outreach and education programs and $67,275 for conservation land acquisition, along with a $10,000 commitment to be used across the 18-state region for the NWTF’s new Habitat for the Hatch Initiative.

“We are incredibly thankful for the hardworking volunteers in Georgia that generate Super Fund dollars year after year to accomplish our mission in Georgia,” said Ricky Lacky, NWTF district biologist for Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. “Their passion to conserve the wild turkey and preserve our hunting heritage never falters, and we are looking toward a year packed full of conservation success in 2024.”

Each year, the Georgia NWTF State Chapter allocates funds for a variety of conservation and education and outreach events, as well as other mission-related activities. Funding for these projects is provided through the NWTF Super Fund, a funding model where NWTF volunteers raise money at banquets and other types of fundraisers and then allocate a significant portion of those funds back into meaningful conservation and outreach projects the state board of directors approves.

For 2024, over 22,000 acres of habitat improvement in Georgia is expected to contribute to the NWTF’s new Habitat for the Hatch Initiative, with 18 new projects in Georgia providing nesting, brood-rearing and foraging habitats critical to wild turkey nest success and brood survival. In addition to the habitat projects in Georgia, the state chapter is allocating $10,000 to Habitat for the Hatch to be used across the initiative’s 18-state region.

Launched earlier this year, the NWTF’s Habitat for the Hatch Initiative is laser-focused on creating essential nesting habitat in close proximity to quality brood range. This new initiative seeks to create 1 million acres that fit these specific criteria in the next 10 years.