The Dakotan: This is Outdoor Issues with Neil Roberts and North Dakota Game and Fish outreach biologist Greg Gullickson. Neil Roberts: The recent storm was a reminder. Greg that good habitat is something we can't take for granted. I'm guessing April has been a tough month for wildlife. Greg Gullickson: You know, it certainly has, and we don't know the full effects of it. Yet, but one of the species that I noticed locally was Robin's, the American Robin. Boy, those birds certainly took a hit, you know, actually seeing dead birds immediately after the storm. Even our waterfall in north central North Dakota. I noticed we had a lot of nesting pairs that are already starting to made up and trying to find those open wetlands. And that storm has now forced a lot of those species on to some of our major water bodies that are open. And one thing, habitat is certainly important. The effects of this storm, there's not good winter cover out there. Cattails sluice, multi-layered tree rose. It's just hard for those wild critters to find shelter out there. Neil Roberts: All right. Interesting stuff, Greg. And hey, we'll talk more about Habitat when we come back. The Dakotan: You're listening to Outdoor Issues with Neil Roberts on the Dakotan Network. Neil Roberts: Talking Habitat in North Dakota today on Outdoor Issues. And Greg, your department offers several programs to assist. Tell us more about them. Greg Gullickson: Yeah, we actually have our PLOTS program, which is a series of biologists throughout the state that can work with you on opening up land to sportsmen. And there is some financial compensation. There is also programs to develop different water features, water implements out there, tree plantings, a lot of programs working with grasslands. So contact one of our private lands biologists in North Dakota is over 90% privately owned so we really rely on those farmers and ranchers and landowners out there to open up their land and to provide some of that habitat for our state's wildlife. Neil Roberts: Absolutely. And that'll bring this report to a close. If you missed some pictures on the website, outdoorissues.com. Till next time. I'm Neal Roberts. The Dakotan: You're listening to the Dakotan Network. Real, Honest, Local News.
