Environmental & Wildlife Reporting from the Tri-State Region
Evidence-based reporting on wildlife, habitat, restoration, invasive species, rivers, land use, and environmental management across southwestern Indiana, southern Illinois, and western Kentucky.
This is the complete reporting index for Land & Wildlife Report. Browse the newest work below or go directly to one of LWR’s six main topic areas for deeper regional coverage.
Follow the part of the story that matters to you.
The six LWR topic hubs organize individual reports around the larger ecological and management questions shaping the region.
Mine Lands & Restoration
Reclamation, ecological recovery, habitat, and the legacy of mining.
Explore topicInvasive Species
Introduced plants and other species changing forests, fields, and wetlands.
Explore topicRivers & Wetlands
Rivers, floodplains, wetlands, bottomland forests, and connected habitat.
Explore topicWildlife
Wildlife habitat, behavior, conflict, populations, and management.
Explore topicLand Use & Access
Public access, private land, recreation, agriculture, development, and fragmentation.
Explore topicPolicy & Management
Agency decisions, environmental policy, management programs, economics, and regulation.
Explore topicNew from Land & Wildlife Report
The newest reporting appears first. Use the topic hubs above when you want to follow one subject in greater depth.
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NEPA Reform (2020–2026): Streamlining Gains, 2025 Overhauls, and Implications Ahead
This analysis examines how NEPA reforms from 2020 through early 2026 reshaped environmental review timelines, scope, litigation dynamics, and conservation outcomes—and what those changes mean for land and wildlife management going forward.
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USDA Land Protection Grants: January 15 Deadline and What Applicants Need for 2026
USDA land protection grants for 2026 enter a critical phase with the January 15 NRCS batching deadline. This article explains what’s confirmed, what’s changed in recent funding cycles, and how landowners and conservation sponsors can prepare competitive applications.
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Acoustic Monitoring for Nocturnal and Elusive Wildlife: Setup, Interpretation, and Applications
Acoustic monitoring is widely used to detect nocturnal and elusive wildlife, but it is often misunderstood. This article explains how passive acoustic monitoring works, where it succeeds, its limitations, and how it fits into modern wildlife management decisions.
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AI Can Count Animals. Can It Protect Them?
AI-powered wildlife monitoring is transforming how camera-trap data are processed, cutting review time from months to hours. But evidence shows that while machine learning improves detection speed and scale, it also introduces bias, domain-shift risks, and ethical challenges. This article examines what AI actually does well, where it falls short, and why human oversight remains…
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Thermal Imaging and eDNA for Conflict Species
Thermal imaging and environmental DNA are increasingly used in wildlife conflict management, but they solve different problems. This article examines real-world performance, costs, limitations, and use cases to help wildlife agencies choose monitoring tools that support defensible decisions.
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New Tools in Wildlife Management: What Drones, Thermal Imaging, eDNA, and Deterrent Research Actually Deliver
Drones, thermal imaging, and eDNA are reshaping wildlife monitoring—but do these tools actually improve management decisions? This article examines the evidence behind wildlife monitoring technology, its limits, and how agencies integrate new tools into real-world practice.
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What Actually Works for Feral Hog Control (And What Fails Repeatedly)
Feral hog control fails when effort is inconsistent or incomplete. Learn what methods actually work, why partial removal backfires, and what realistic success looks like using evidence-backed strategies trusted by wildlife agencies.
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How to Stop Coyotes From Killing Chickens: 8 Methods Ranchers Actually Use
Coyotes are intelligent, persistent predators that quickly exploit weak poultry setups. This guide explains how to stop coyotes from killing chickens using eight proven, rancher-tested deterrents—covering electric fencing, secure night coops, attractant removal, and practical troubleshooting for real-world conditions.
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Coyotes Near Homes: What Actually Works (and What Doesn’t)
A practical field guide for coyotes near homes—what reliably reduces risk, what usually fails, and when to escalate.
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