NASHVILLE, Tenn.—The National Wild Turkey Federation presented Black Hills Energy with the prestigious Energy for Wildlife National Achievement Award at the 44th annual Convention and Sport Show.
The NWTF selected Black Hills Energy as this year’s award winner based on how its work strengthens the organization’s Save the Habitat. Save the Hunt. initiative. Black Hills Energy has engaged in several different aspects of NWTF’s Energy for Wildlife program and has helped further the NWTF mission through habitat enhancement along its rights of way within important conservation priority areas of the Black Hills.
The Energy for Wildlife program aims to enhance wildlife habitat on land owned, managed or influenced by energy companies. Black Hills Energy serves 1.27 million natural gas or electric customers in seven states, including South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska, Montana, Iowa, Kansas and Arkansas
In June 2019, Black Hills Energy enrolled 1,000 acres of electric transmission rights of way in the new NWTF Energy for Wildlife Habitat Endorsement Program. Black Hills Energy vegetation management specialists worked with the NWTF to encourage habitat enhancement on energy corridors, including areas within the Black Hills National Forest. Black Hills Energy has made great progress adopting a progressive Integrated Vegetation Management system to both decrease maintenance costs and greatly increase wildlife habitat value.
“We cannot complete our Save the Habitat. Save the Hunt. initiative without great volunteers and great partners like Black Hills Energy,” NWTF CEO Becky Humphries said. “Black Hills Energy’s dedication to conserve and enhance habitat across its service area is the kind of commitment we need to see across the nation. The company’s efforts are truly making a difference.”
About the National Wild Turkey Federation
When the National Wild Turkey Federation was founded in 1973, there were about 1.3 million wild turkeys in North America. After decades of work, that number hit a historic high of almost 7 million turkeys. To succeed, the NWTF stood behind science-based conservation and hunters’ rights. The NWTF Save the Habitat. Save the Hunt. initiative is a charge that mobilizes science, fundraising and devoted volunteers to conserve enhance more than 4 million acres of essential wildlife habitat, recruit at least 1.5 million hunters and open access to 500,000 acres for hunting. For more information, visit NWTF.org.
