Conservation News

Joint Committee Meeting to be Held at AFWA's Annual Meeting to Discuss the 75th Anniversary of the Wildlife & Sport Fish Restoration Program

2011-08-26T17:28:00.002-04:00

The success of the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Programs and its 75 years of partnership to restore America's fish and wildlife may be the greatest untold conservation story. But, you can help tell the story by celebrating WSFR’s 75th Anniversary with us in 2012.

The Education, Outreach & Diversity Committee of the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies invites members of the Angler/Boater and Hunting and Shooting Sports Participation Committees (and anyone interested) to participate in a joint collaborative session to learn more about the timeline and tools available to promote the anniversary as well as to brainstorm ideas for celebrating 75 years of better hunting, fishing and wildlife-related recreation through WSFR. This joint session will lead off the scheduled EOD Committee meeting on Tuesday, September 13, 2011 from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. at the Omaha Hilton, Murray Room.

> View the meeting agenda

The Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports Names Bill Creighton as Its Inaugural CEO

2011-08-09T11:17:00.002-04:00

WASHINGTON, DC — The Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports, a national coalition focused on the recruitment and retention of hunters and shooters, today announced that Bill Creighton has been selected as the recently formed organization’s first chief executive officer.

Mr. Creighton brings more than 25 years of senior executive leadership experience spanning 76 countries at leading global media, Internet and technology companies. He previously served as the president and CEO of Fotoglif where he successfully repositioned and commercialized the Toronto-based start-up company’s digital media business. He also served as managing director of Newscom, vice president of sales and marketing for United Press International and is an award-winning journalist with two Pulitzer Prize nominations.

“Bill’s creative marketing, partnership-building and fundraising expertise, plus his extensive track record of growing new businesses, are exactly what the Council needs to lead the development of a national strategy for sustaining America’s hunting and shooting sports traditions,” said Ron Regan, the Council’s chairman and executive director of the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies. “As an avid hunter himself, Bill understands that hunting and shooting are cornerstones of wildlife conservation and an important part of our nation’s history and identity.”

With a 28-member board of directors, the Council unites state fish and wildlife agencies, the hunting, shooting sports and greater conservation communities and the archery and firearms industries to focus on the recruitment and retention of hunters and shooters, the development of shooting facilities and the protection and expansion of access for hunting. In the short-term, the Council is focused on developing a national recruitment and retention strategic plan and a sustainable funding model to support its efforts and those of the state agencies.

“I have seen the very positive impact that hunting and shooting have had on me, my family and my friends and this is my opportunity to share the wonderful gift that is hunting with this and future generations,” said Mr. Creighton. “I am honored and humbled to become a part of the Council and look forward to working together to grow the hunting and shooting communities.”

Mr. Creighton earned a Bachelor of Arts from the College of Charleston (SC). As a journalist, he covered four Olympic Games, the Masters, the Soviet Union collapse, the Middle East conflict, G-8 Summits, the U.S. invasion of Grenada, five U.S. presidents and 15 Space Shuttle launches and earned two Pulitzer Prize nominations for photography. He is a native of the South Carolina Lowcountry and was introduced to shooting sports at age nine.

Mr. Creighton begins his tenure as CEO on August 15, 2011. His office will be located in Washington, DC with the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies.

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The Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports is a coalition of state fish and wildlife agencies and hunting and shooting-related companies, organizations and associations that have joined together to focus on the recruitment and retention of hunters and shooters, the development of shooting facilities and the protection and expansion of access for hunting. Established in 2010, the Council is a non-profit, 501(c) 3 tax-exempt, educational organization.

Commissioner of the Kentucky Dept. of Fish & Wildlife Resources Testifies before House Subcommittee on White-Nose Syndrome and Bats

2011-06-29T17:40:00.001-04:00

Dr. Jon Gassett, Commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, testified on June 24, 2011 before a House Natural Resources Subcommittee concerning the incidence and spread of White-Nose Syndrome (WNS) in hibernating bat species, and the development and implementation of a federal-state national response plan.

WNS has devastated populations of several species of hibernating bats since it was first identified in the United States in 2006. State and federal agencies are mobilizing efforts to monitor the disease and hopefully bring it under control.

"During the last several years, my personal involvement with WNS has grown from watching its advance--moving southward and westward--to bearing responsibility in my own state upon confirming WNS in Kentucky this spring," said Gassett. "I am encouraged at the the amount of dedication and commitment by a community of individuals who care deeply about our bat resources. At the same time, I am concerned at the rate of spread, the high suspect ability of certain species and the lack of available treatment options."

Dr. Gassett is the Vice President of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and Chair of AFWA's WNS Working Group.

Read Dr. Jon Gassett's full testimony >

Senator Lieberman Introduces the National Fish Habitat Conservation Act to Protect Fish Habitats, Improve Health of Waterways

2011-06-16T13:50:00.002-04:00

Senator Joe Lieberman (ID-CT) today announced the introduction of the National Fish Habitat Conservation Act to significantly advance ongoing efforts to restore and protect fish habitats by establishing the most comprehensive effort ever attempted to treat the causes of fish habitat decline. This legislation would improve the health of America’s waterways and ensure that the United States has robust fish populations well into the future.

“Healthy waterways and robust fish populations are vital to the well-being of our society and are essential in many communities throughout the United States,” said Lieberman. “This bill will help provide clean water and sustainable fisheries in this country and provide recreational value to those who fish, whether it is in wild waters or canoeing through peaceful streams. I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass this important legislation and reverse the decline of our ailing waterways and fisheries.”  

The National Fish Habitat Conservation Act authorizes assistance grants for fish habitat projects that are supported by pre-existing regional Fish Habitat Partnerships. Based on the highly successful North American Wetlands Conservation Act model, the bill establishes a multi-stakeholder National Fish Habitat Board to recommend science-based conservation projects to the Secretary of Interior for assistance. Regional partners will then work to implement those conservation projects to protect, restore and enhance fish habitats and fish populations.   

The bill is co-sponsored by Senators Mike Crapo (R-ID), Jon Tester (D-MT), Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Mark Begich (D-AK), Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Mark Udall (D-CO). The Bill number is S.1201 and should be available soon at thomas.gov.

For more information about fish habitat conservation, go to www.fishhabitat.org.

2011 State of the Birds Report Assesses Bird Conservation on America’s Publicly Owned Lands and Waters

2011-05-06T19:29:00.004-04:00

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Agriculture Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment Harris Sherman released the 2011 State of the Birds Report this week. The third in the series, this year’s State of the Birds report is the first assessment of the status of and tremendous potential for bird conservation on the more than 850 million acres of land and 3.5 million square miles of ocean that are publicly owned in the Unites States. These habitats support more than 800 bird species, one-third of which are endangered, threatened or of conservation concern.

The report highlighted findings especially relevant to state fish and wildlife agencies. These include:
• State wildlife agencies set regulations and provide management recommendations for all of the nation’s 19 native resident game bird including grouse, ptarmigan, turkey and quail. Many native resident game bird species have a high distribution on state lands such as Spruce Grouse (22%) and Montezuma Quail (14%).

• Funding and capacity are two of the greatest challenges limiting state agencies’ efforts to implement priority resident game bird conservation plans at scales that are relevant on public lands.

• Wild turkey restoration is one of the nation’s greatest conservation success stories—in the 1920s, wild turkey populations hovered around 30,000 birds total, today there are more than 7 million wild turkeys largely due to conservation on public lands.

• State wildlife agencies participate in the stewardship of migratory birds with Canada and Mexico to conserve waterfowl through efforts such as the North American Waterfowl Management Plan and the Flyway Councils. Through the Southern Wings program, many states participate in bird conservation activities with Latin America and the Caribbean and 10 states have developed their own state-specific initiatives to conserve species such as Greater Prairie-Chicken and Upland Sandpiper.

• State lands are home to more boreal forest (34%), marsh (24%) and grassland (4%), more than any single federal entity.

The report concludes that America’s public lands and waters, ranging from national wildlife refuges to national parks to national forests, offer significant opportunities to halt or reverse the decline of many species. The report provides a scientific tool to help public agencies, including state fish and wildlife agencies, identify the most significant conservation opportunities in each habitat.

The 2011 State of the Birds report is a collaborative effort as part of the U.S. North American Bird Conservation Initiative, involving federal and state wildlife agencies, and scientific and conservation organizations. These include the American Bird Conservancy, the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, the Bureau of Land Management, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the Department of Defense, the National Audubon Society, The Nature Conservancy, the National Park Service, the U.S.D.A. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Geological Survey.

The full report is available at www.stateofthebirds.org.

> Learn more about AFWA's bird conservation initiatives.

Montezuma Quail photo by George Andrejko, Arizona Game and Fish Department

First-of-its-kind Status of Fish Habitats Report Gives "Fish Eye View" of National Waters

2011-04-18T14:34:00.004-04:00

The National Fish Habitat Board today released a first-of-its-kind status of fish habitats in the United States report as envisioned in the National Fish Habitat Action Plan, an effort to protect, restore and enhance our nation’s aquatic habitats. The report titled THROUGH A FISH’S EYE: The Status of Fish Habitats In The United States 2010 summarizes the results of an unprecedented, nationwide assessment of the human effects on fish habitat in the rivers and estuaries of the United States.

THROUGH A FISH’S EYE provides an important picture of the challenges and opportunities facing fish and those engaged in fish habitat conservation efforts. Urbanization, agriculture, dams, culverts, pollution and other human impacts have resulted in specific areas of degraded habitat where restoration is most likely needed to bring back the healthy habitats and fishing opportunities that once existed. Addressing degraded habitat also requires reducing or eliminating the sources of degradation mentioned in this report, through best management practices, land use planning, and engaging landowners, businesses and local communities in the effort.

The assessment detailed in the report assigns watersheds and estuaries a risk of current habitat degradation ranging from very low to very high. These results allow comparisons of aquatic habitats across the nation and within 14 sub-regions. The results also identify some of the major sources of habitat degradation that plague waterways across the nation.

Overall, 27 percent of the miles of stream in the lower 48 states are at high or very high risk of current habitat degradation and 44 percent are at low or very low risk. Twenty-nine percent of stream miles in the lower 48 states are at moderate risk of current habitat degradation.

Fifty-three percent of estuaries (by area) are at high or very high risk of current habitat degradation, while 23 percent of estuaries are at low or very low risk of current habitat degradation. Marine habitats of the United States tend to be most degraded near the coast, where they are most affected by human activity.

The goal of the national assessment was to estimate disturbance levels to fish habitats in rivers and estuaries from information about human activities occurring in the watersheds and the local areas affecting each aquatic habitat. This approach is supported by a large body of scientific research showing that human disturbances to the land transfer to receiving waters and contribute to disturbance in downstream fish habitats in rivers, estuaries, and the ocean.

While the specific analytical approaches used to assess habitats in the lower-48 states, Alaska, Hawaii and U.S. estuaries differed slightly, the end product of each analysis was similar—an estimate of the risk that discrete habitat units will be degraded due to current human activities on the landscape.

“This report identifies areas where those efforts are most needed and points to areas where fish habitat is most likely still intact and should be protected to maintain its value for fish and other aquatic organisms. Resources for fish habitat conservation are limited, especially for the next few years,” said Kelly Hepler, Chairman of the National Fish Habitat Board.

“Fish Habitat partnerships ensure coordinated work around specific habitat challenges,” said Eric Schwaab, Assistant Administrator for NOAA Fisheries. “This information will help bring strategic focus to conservation efforts and allow rigorous measurement of results.”

“This report clearly illustrates the need for strategic use of existing resources through partnerships that can identify the most effective use of funds and help the nation as a whole make progress in fish habitat conservation,” said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Acting Director, Rowan Gould. “There are many major threats to the health of fish habitat and the National Fish Habitat Action plan helps to focus and leverage available funds, pool technical expertise and enlist new partners to address the challenges to fish habitat.”

Key findings from the THROUGH A FISH’S EYE: The Status of Fish Habitats In The United States 2010 include:

Habitats with a very high risk of current habitat degradation include those in or near urban development, livestock grazing, agriculture, point source pollution or areas with high numbers of active mines and dams. Specific locations that stand out as regions at high risk of current habitat degradation include: the urban corridor between Boston and Atlanta; the Central Midwestern states of Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio; the Mississippi River Basin, including habitats adjacent to the lower Mississippi River in Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana; habitats in eastern Texas; and habitats in Central California and along the Columbia River in Oregon and Washington.

Areas that stand out as being at very low risk of current habitat degradation include rural areas in New England and the Great Lakes states; many habitats throughout the Mountain, Southwest and Pacific Coast states; and most of Alaska. It should be noted that not all water and land management issues could be addressed in the assessment, so some of the areas mapped as at low risk of current habitat degradation actually may be at higher risk due to disturbance factors not assessed. For example, most arid regions of the western United States were found to be at low risk of current habitat degradation.

Estuaries in the mid-Atlantic have a very high risk of habitat degradation related to polluted run-off and other effects of the intense urbanization and agriculture in this area. The estuaries of Southern California also have a high risk of current habitat degradation for similar reasons. Estuaries in the north Pacific and downeast Maine have a low risk of current habitat degradation.

The release of this report is also accompanied with the release of a map viewer, which offers the maps that are in the report in greater detail. The National Fish Habitat Action Plan map and data web tool (www.nbii.gov/far/nfhap) was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey's Biological Informatics Program under guidance of the National Fish Habitat Action Plan Science and Data Committee. This tool not only enables users to see multiple views depicting the condition of stream and coastal habitats across the country, but also means that users can access more detailed information at finer scales, as well as the option to download data files and map services.

To read the report in its entirety or download a PDF, visit www.fishhabitat.org or go to http://fishhabitat.org/images/documents/fishhabitatreport_012611.pdf.

The National Conservation Leadership Institute Wants You to Nominate Tomorrow’s Conservation Champions for Cohort 6

2011-04-15T11:33:00.003-04:00

April 30 Deadline Approaching to Submit Nominations for the 2011-2012 National Conservation Leadership Institute

Today’s conservation leaders are starting to retire – who will fill their seats? The National Conservation Leadership Institute (NCLI) is calling for state fish and wildlife agencies, federal conservation agencies, Tribes, industry and non-governmental organizations with natural resources to nominate their “rising stars” or individuals with high potential to be considered for acceptance as a Fellow for the 2011-2012 leadership development program.

April 30 is the deadline for submitting a nomination application for the NCLI’s Cohort 6 beginning in September 2011. Applicants must be nominated by their organization's chief executive. To learn more about becoming an NCLI Fellow including application and nomination requirements, tuition costs and scholarship opportunities, go to http://www.conservationleadership.org/.

The NCLI was created to train tomorrow’s conservation leaders in the latest leadership thinking and practice, and each Fellow will focus on a variety of issues, including a specific leadership challenge from each participant’s own agency or organization. Becoming an NCLI Fellow is a major step in career advancement and contributing to the future of conservation. The NCLI is suited for the highest-potential, future leaders.

# # #

The Management Assistance Team (MAT) is the Association's most unique and diverse program. Located at the National Conservation Training Center, MAT is a consulting and training resource for all 50 of the United States’ fish and wildlife agencies. MAT is responsible for program development and administration of the National Conservation Leadership Institute.

AFWA Now Accepting Letters of Intent for 2012 Multistate Conservation Grant Program Cycle

2011-03-23T17:21:00.002-04:00

The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies is now accepting Letters of Intent for the 2012 funding cycle of the Multistate Conservation Grant Program (MSCGP). Up to $6 million dollars is available each calendar year for projects that address regional- or national-level priorities of the state fish and wildlife agencies.

Letters of Intent must address one the six 2012 MSCGP National Conservation Needs:

Subject 1: Improve benefits for fish, wildlife and their habitats as provisions of the 2008 Farm Bill are implemented

Subject 2: Outdoor heritage - participation, recruitment and retention in hunting, fishing, boating and conservation-related recreational activities

Subject 3: Incorporating fish and wildlife considerations into energy development decisions

Subject 4: State Fish and Wildlife Agency Coordination and Administration

Subject 5: Formation and Operations of Fish Habitat Partnerships to Facilitate National Fish Habitat Action Plan Implementation

Subject 6: Multistate Conservation Grant Program Coordination

Letters of Intent are due to the MSCGP Coordinator, Chad Klinkenborg, by Wednesday, May 4, 2011. No federal forms are required for Letters of Intent. The Association’s National Grants Committee will reconvene at the end of May to review and select the most competitive Letters of Intent to invite to submit full grant proposals. Grants are awarded on a calendar-year basis for one, two or three years to eligible recipients.

Please read the full RFP for details or contact the MSCGP Coordinator, Chad Klinkenborg, at cklinkenborg@fishwildlife.org.

2012 MSCGP Request for Letters of Intent

2012 Selected MSCGP National Conservation Needs

Schedule for the 2012 MSCGP Cycle

Learn more about the MSCGP

AFWA Releases its 2010 Annual Report, Names Winner of the “Land the Cover” Photo Contest

2011-03-22T19:27:00.003-04:00

The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies has released its 2010 Annual Report featuring the winning “Land the Cover” contest image, Bob’s Ram, submitted by Bob Grier of NEBRASKAland Magazine.

The 2010 Annual Report represents the views and voices of fish and wildlife agencies as they stand on the frontlines of conservation as stewards for North America’s fish and wildlife and the public’s trust. The report also highlights the outstanding participation of state, provincial, territorial and federal agencies as well as the greater conservation community and sportsmen industries in collaborating to realize the year’s accomplishments.

In 2010, the Association focused on these issues and outcomes:
• Protecting conservation authority through Congressional legislation and international representation;

• Securing conservation funding through the Farm Bill and State and Tribal Wildlife Grants;

• Coordinating science-based conservation on species-based programs and cross-cutting concerns;

• Connecting youth to conservation and enhancing relationships between agencies and the archery, hunting, shooting sports, boating and sportfishing industries through the Industry/Agency Coalition and the new Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports;

• Fostering conservation leadership; and

• Recognizing the recipients of AFWA’s 2010 Annual Awards.

In addition, the report features stunning photography contributed by individuals from state fish and wildlife agencies and regional associations. Jesse Lee Varnado from the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks was the “Land the Cover” Contest Runner-up and George Andrejko of Arizona Game and Fish Department was the President’s Choice Award winner for Best Gray Squirrel photo. An Honorable Mention goes to Larry Kruckenberg of the Western Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies.

Click here to download a PDF copy of AFWA's 2010 Annual Report

To order print copies of the report, contact Laura MacLean at lmaclean@fishwildlife.org.

AFWA Names New Vice Chair and Adds Three Members to its Executive Committee

2011-03-22T17:55:00.002-04:00

The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies’ Executive Committee named Dan Forster, Director of the Georgia Wildlife Resources Division, as the new Vice Chair of its Executive Committee. Forster’s appointment is one of several Executive Committee actions that took place last week at the North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference in Kansas City, Missouri. Forster previously served as an Executive Committee member.

Upon the recommendations of AFWA’s Nominating Committee, the Executive Committee named Carter Smith, Executive Director of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and Nick Wiley, Executive Director of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Committee, as voting members. The Executive Committee also re-elected Ken Mayer, Acting Director of the Nevada Department of Wildlife, to the committee.

AFWA Officers & Executive Committee

OFFICERS
President: Curtis Taylor, WV DNR
Vice President: Jon Gassett, KY DFWR
Secretary/Treasurer: Dave Chanda, NJ DFW
Past President: John Frampton, SC DNR

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Chair: Jeff Vonk, SD GFPD
Vice Chair: Dan Forster, GA WRD

MEMBERS
Wayne MacCallum, MA DFW
Ken Mayer, NV DOW
Paul Peditto, MD DNR
Carter Smith, TX PWD
Larry Voyles, AZ GFD
Nick Wiley, FL FWCC

EX-OFFICIO & REGIONAL ASSOCIATION MEMBERS
Canada: Mike Sullivan, NB DNRE
Midwest: Patricia Boddy, IA DNR
Northeast: Glenn Normandeau, NH GFD
Southeast: Bob Duncan, VA DGIF
Western: Joe Maurier, MT DFWP

Teaming With Wildlife Honors Members of Congress for Helping to Keep Wildlife Off the Endangered Species List

2011-03-03T11:09:00.001-05:00

The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and the Teaming With Wildlife steering committee honored Senators Patrick J. Leahy (VT) and Mike Crapo (ID) and Congressmen Jim Moran (VA) and Frank A. LoBiondo (NJ) last night for their outstanding leadership to advance wildlife conservation at a Congressional Reception “Celebrating Champions of Wildlife & the Environment” held to culminate the 10th Annual Teaming With Wildlife Fly-In.

The Teaming With Wildlife Fly-In is the most important outreach event on Capitol Hill for the 6,300+ member Teaming With Wildlife Coalition to secure dedicated funding to support on-the-ground conservation action in every state and territory to prevent wildlife from becoming endangered through State Wildlife Action Plans.

“In the U.S., fish and wildlife are part of the public trust. This means that it is our collective responsibility to take care of them and the places where they live,” said Ron Regan, Executive Director of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. “We appreciate these champions on Capitol Hill for their support of important legislation that invests in state fish and wildlife conservation to safeguard imperiled species and their habitats.”

Congressional award recipients were recognized for:

Senator Patrick J. Leahy (VT) – his consistent support of increased funding for the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants Program.

Senator Mike Crapo (ID) – his consistent support of increased funding for the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants Program.

Congressman Jim Moran (VA) – his consistent support of increased funding for the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants Program.

Congressman Frank A. LoBiondo (NJ) – his consistent support of funding through the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants program and his leadership in co-leading a Dear Colleague letter in support of increased funding for the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants Program.

“These are difficult fiscal times but this investment in fish and wildlife will help save taxpayer dollars in the future by preventing endangered species,” said Mark Humpert, Teaming With Wildlife Director. “The goal of preventing endangered species listings goes hand-in-hand with job creation and economic sustainability.”

At the “Celebrating Champions of Wildlife & the Environment” Reception, the Association and the Teaming With Wildlife Coalition also presented awards to two partners for their significant efforts to protect critical fish and wildlife populations.

The Teaming With Wildlife Coalition Member Achievement Award was presented to the Texas Teaming With Wildlife Coalition for supporting the Texas Wildlife Action Plan through a scholarship program to support legislative advocacy that was successful in garnering support in the US Congress for the State & Tribal Wildlife Grants Program.

The State Wildlife Action Plan Partnership Award was presented to the Conservation Federation of Missouri and the Missouri Department of Conservation for their collaboration to lead the Missouri Teaming With Wildlife Coalition and implement the Missouri Wildlife Action Plan by managing the Missouri Mini-Grants Program.

This year, Teaming With Wildlife Fly-in participants urged their Members of Congress to help ensure there is sufficient funding in the FY11 and FY12 budgets. HR1 passed by the House of Representatives would eliminate funding for the program in FY11.

Despite historical successes in bringing many wildlife species back from the brink of extinction, other species have continued to decline as evidenced by the staggering numbers listed under the federal Endangered Species Act. State hunting and fishing license dollars, federal excise taxes on hunting and fishing gear and motorboat fuel taxes have provided the backbone for funding the nation’s state wildlife conservation programs over the past century. However, there has always been a gap in funding for species that are not hunted or fished. State Wildlife Grants have provided state fish and wildlife agencies with the resources they critically need to partially fill that gap.

For more information about Teaming With Wildlife, visit www.teaming.com.

AFWA Joins Sportsmen and Conservation Community in Appeals to House Members for Proportional Budget Cuts

2011-02-18T12:38:00.003-05:00

The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies joined with 31 organizations in the hunting, angling and conservation community to urgently appeal to U.S. House Members for fair and proportional cuts to conservation funding proposed in House Continuing Resolution for FY11 (HR1). The CR proposes, among other cuts, to zero-fund the North American Wetlands Conservation Act and the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants programs, which are vital to helping state fish and wildlife agencies meet their conservation objectives. Other programs such as Farm Bill Conservation programs, the Land and Water Conservation Fund, Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund, Forest Legacy and the National Fish Habitat Action Plan would be severely reduced or eliminated.

While the CR cuts spending to many programs valued by Americans, zero-funding fish and wildlife conservation programs is disproportionate to cuts endured by most other programs, and the deep cuts are magnified because these are matching grant programs where state and NGO partner dollars are leveraged with federal dollars to put more conservation on the ground.

The letter to Representatives states:
We, the hunting, fishing and conservation community, are writing you with great urgency to ensure that you understand that various provisions of HR 1 and several amendments to that bill strike directly at America’s longstanding tradition of federal support for conservation and management of fish, wildlife and their habitat. Among these are the elimination of funding for State and Tribal Wildlife Grants, the elimination of funding for the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, significant cuts to Farm Bill Conservation Programs, the drastic reduction or elimination of funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, Forest Legacy, the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund, and the National Fish Habitat Action Plan, and the elimination of federal funding for the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

While we fully acknowledge that conservation programs should shoulder a fair and proportional burden of reductions to the Federal budget as required to address the budget deficit, these provisions of HR 1, in our view, represent a deliberate move away from America’s long conservation tradition and, specifically with respect to the interests of the hunting, fishing and outdoor community. We are very disappointed that the Congress would consider these actions without consultation with the hunting, fishing and conservation community. These vital programs with long-standing track records of success are foundational to fish, wildlife and habitat conservation, good for the economy in creating jobs particularly in rural communities, and critical to providing opportunities for America’s sportsmen and women.

We urge that before acting on HR 1, you alter the deep cuts cited above to reflect a proportional share of the budget reductions you are seeking. Thank you for your sincere consideration of our views.

Intergovernmental Executive Committee Convenes To Lead International White-Nose Syndrome Response

2011-01-14T16:31:00.001-05:00

Members of a new intergovernmental executive committee tasked with implementation of the white-nose syndrome (WNS) national plan met in late December to discuss the coordinated national response to this deadly wildlife disease. WNS has killed more than one million bats in the Northeast, and has spread rapidly across the United States and into Canada since its discovery in 2007.

The White-Nose Syndrome Executive Committee will provide oversight across participating state and federal agencies and tribal governments to ensure consistency and coordination in management action, policy interpretation, communication, and collection of scientific information related to WNS.

Co-chaired by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), the committee also includes representatives from five Native American tribes, four states, and six federal agencies in addition to the Service: U.S. Geologic Survey, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and Department of Defense. The committee will also include representatives from federal wildlife management agencies in Canada and Mexico.

“The Committee will provide the cooperative leadership necessary for the implementation of the national plan, and an opportunity to build on the science and work that has been ongoing since discovery of WNS,” said Dr. Jon Gassett, Commissioner, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources and AFWA co-chair of the WNS Executive Committee.

“The cooperative response to this unprecedented wildlife disease has been tremendous,” said Marvin Moriarty, executive committee co-chair and Northeast Regional Director for the Service. “But as WNS continues to spread, the work of this team to ensure we are working closely to leave no stone unturned will be critical to conserving North American bat species.”

The committee’s work to implement the national plan will include:

Guiding cooperative intergovernmental leadership in response to WNS,
Providing oversight across participating agencies and organizations to ensure consistency in management, science, policy decisions, and funding,
Addressing need for intra-organizational resources, and
Ensuring exceptional scientific and technical expert representation in WNS organizational structure.

The national plan, which was open for public comment from October 27, 2010 through December 26, 2010, will be finalized in early 2011. For more information, visit http://www.fws.gov/WhiteNoseSyndrome/.

Source: USFWS; http://www.fws.gov/whitenosesyndrome/news/011411.html

Announcing AFWA's 3rd Annual "Land the Cover" Photo Contest

2010-12-22T14:39:00.003-05:00

Chad Coppes from South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks landed the cover of the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies’ Annual Report with this photo last year in a tight competition with runners up Ben Davis from Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation and George Andrejko with the Arizona Game and Fish Department. Who will take the spot and get bragging rights this year?

Submit your best hi-resolution photos of fish, wildlife, habitats, state fish and wildlife agency staff at work or people enjoying your state’s natural resources. Images can be from state publications, personal photography or previous Association of Conservation Information (ACI) Awards entries.

New this year is the “President’s Choice” Award (otherwise known as an AFWA coffee mug) for the best photo of the current AFWA President’s favorite critter. President Curtis Taylor (WV) selected the Gray Squirrel as his choice.

Every photo reproduced in the 2010 Annual Report will include a photographer credit. Photos may also be featured on the all-new fishwildlife.org web site and in other materials (such as fact sheets for Congress and the Administration). You retain the rights to your photograph; however, by entering the contest, you grant the Association use of the image. Digital images must be a resolution of at least 300 dpi and 8” x 10.” To look at previous Annual Reports, visit www.fishwildlife.org/index.php?section=publication%20archive.

Deadline to enter the Third Annual “Land the Cover” Contest is January 21, 2011.

Please email entries to lmaclean@fishwildlife.org. Alternatively, you can mail a CD to the address below. Feel free to forward this announcement on or call with questions. Thank you and good luck!

Laura MacLean
Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies
444 North Capitol St., NW
Suite725
WashingtonDC, 20001
202/624-7744

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-21T12:22:00.002-05:00

Dr. Jon Gassett Selected AFWA Vice President

2010-12-17T10:21:00.003-05:00

The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) selected Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources Commissioner Dr. Jon Gassett as its new vice president Monday, Dec.13, at its Washington D.C. headquarters.

AFWA's Executive Committee named Gassett to the vice president position when Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment Director Rebecca Humphries stepped down to accept a position with Ducks Unlimited Inc.

Gassett previously served as AFWA's secretary/treasurer and is currently vice-chair of its executive committee. He is an alumnus of the AFWA-managed National Conservation Leadership Institute, a world-class forum for developing leaders in natural resource conservation.

Over the past century, AFWA has emerged as a powerful, effective and collective voice for fish and wildlife conservation. The association consists of fish and wildlife agencies from all 50 states along with more than 100 other representatives from territorial, provincial and federal fish and wildlife agencies, the conservation community and sportsmen industries.

They work together toward achieving AFWA's vision of healthy fish and wildlife resources throughout North America managed by effective, well-funded fish and wildlife agencies and supported by informed and involved citizens.

"We had a vacancy and Jon was gracious enough to step up and volunteer his help," said AFWA President Curtis Taylor, Chief of West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Section. "He and I will be working closely together over the next several months. Jon has always done an excellent job in everything he's done for us."

Gassett came to Kentucky Fish and Wildlife in 1999 to head the agency's elk restoration program. He was promoted to Wildlife Division Director in 2001. He has served as KDFWR commissioner since 2005.

"AFWA is a strong and unified voice for all 50 states, and I look forward to working with all of them in addressing the various issues that can benefit our fish and wildlife resources," said Gassett.

Gassett's term as AFWA vice president begins Jan. 1, 2011.

Article courtesy of Kentucky Fish & Wildlife Commission
Contact:
Mark Marraccini (800) 858-1549 ext.4425

Statement from AFWA on the Nomination of Dan Ashe as USFWS Director

2010-12-04T17:54:00.001-05:00

The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies congratulates Dan Ashe on his nomination yesterday as the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Association’s membership has worked with Mr. Ashe on many of the pressing issues facing the conservation of our nation’s fish, wildlife and their habitats. We look forward to Mr. Ashe’s continuing support of professional, science-based fish and wildlife management and policy development and look toward strengthening the cooperation between state fish and wildlife agencies and the Service.

AFWA Releases a Literature Review on the Benefits of Outdoor Skills to Health, Learning and Lifestyle

2010-11-30T19:45:00.002-05:00

The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies today released a white paper Benefits of Outdoor Skills to Health, Learning and Lifestyle: A Literature Review documenting the contributions of outdoor skills and wildlife-related outdoor education to health, learning and lifestyle in general and fishing and hunting participation in particular.

Research into the benefits of outdoor skills education highlights the valuable contribution they make to personal health and wellbeing. When young people are able to connect with the outdoors regularly, the positive outcomes are profound. They are happier, healthier from the physical exercise, effects of attention-deficit disorder are reduced and they score higher on standardized tests when natural environments are integrated into school curricula.

Outdoor skills activities such as hunting and fishing provide opportunities for the connection of individuals with nature (the natural environment), direct connection with other people (interpersonal) and with themselves (personal). Specifically, the benefits of these connections lie in the strength and placement of these connections from the leisure context to everyday lives.

This comprehensive report draws on research from adult learning, education (i.e., adventure, boating, conservation, experiential, hunting, fishing, outdoor, physical and wilderness), health, leisure, recreation, sport, therapy, and at-risk-youth to highlight the evidence of the positive contributions of outdoor skills education on hunting, fishing and other outdoor activities. The white paper includes abstracts for 99 documents; highlights some best practice outdoor skills education programs delivered by state fish and wildlife agencies and other partners; and offers recommendations for consideration when developing new or updating existing outdoor skills programs.

Highlighted Research Findings – The Benefits of Taking It Outdoors:

A growing body of studies suggests that contact with nature is as important to children as good nutrition and adequate sleep: time spent outdoors correlates with increased physical activity and fitness in children; exposure to green space reduces crime, increases general wellbeing and ability to focus; children as young as five have shown a significant reduction in the symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) when they are engaged in outdoor activities in natural settings. Research indicates that there could be reductions in crime as a result of outdoor education.

Interpersonal and intrapersonal skills developed through engaging in nature-based activities in meaningful ways represent some of the main benefits of outdoor skills education.

The benefits that result from participating in outdoor activities can be enhanced through appropriate facility provision and access to natural resources as well as the design of outdoor skills education programs that work towards specific objectives.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that children who are more active outdoors and hang out outdoors tend to engage in greater physical activity as youth and later as adults.

Overall, the literature implies the need to adopt a broader-based conception of health from a holistic ecological perspective that moves beyond human physical and mental health to one that includes familial, communal, national, international and global ecological health. Active living is crucial to healthy lifestyles and leads to potentially greater participation in fishing and hunting.

The report was developed by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies’ North American Conservation Education Strategy under contract with Cottrell & Associates: Environmental Consulting. Designed by experts from state fish and wildlife agencies, the North American Conservation Education (CE) Strategy delivers unified, research-based Core Concepts and messages about fish and wildlife conservation, translated into K-12 academic standards to shape students’ environmental literacy, stewardship and outdoor skills. The Core Concepts identify what every citizen should know, feel and do related to fish and wildlife conservation.

Funding for the report was provided by the Multistate Conservation Grant Program, which is supported through special excise taxes on hunting, shooting, archery and angling equipment, a tax on boating fuels and license fees paid by America’s hunters and anglers.

The white paper can be downloaded from http://www.fishwildlife.org/pdfs/BenefitsofOutdoorSkills_WhitePaper_11-2010.pdf.

NFHAP Meets Objectives Set for 2010 & More

2010-11-22T12:12:00.002-05:00

The National Fish Habitat Action Plan (NFHAP) met its ambitious objectives for 2010. When the Action Plan was enacted in 2006, the following four objectives were set to be completed by 2010:

> Conduct a condition analysis of all fish habitats within the United States by 2010.

> Identify priority fish habitats and establish Fish Habitat Partnerships targeting these habitats by 2010.

> Establish 12 or more Fish Habitat Partnerships throughout the United States by 2010.

> Prepare a “Status of Fish Habitats in the United States” report in 2010 and every five years thereafter.

Through a cooperative arrangement with Michigan State University, the NFHAP Science and Data team completed a full habitat condition analysis of all streams in the lower 48 states. The Michigan State University team also completed initial habitat risk assessments for rivers in Hawaii and Alaska.

On the coastal side, scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have completed a complementary habitat risk assessment for coastal waters in the lower 48 states and southeastern AK. These assessments are the first of their kind, portraying the condition of habitat nation-wide and at the individual river level.

> Read More

NFHAP Inducted into Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame
NFAHP has been inducted into the Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame for 2011. The Action Plan joins 41 other groups inducted since 2000 including the other three 2011 inductees Fargo-Moorhead Chapter of Walleyes Unlimited, Kennebec Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited and the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation. The Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame (http://www.freshwater-fishing.org/) is located in Hayward, WI.

2012 Cycle Multistate Conservation Grant NCNs

2010-11-19T12:54:00.002-05:00

The Association is now soliciting National Conservation Needs (NCNs) for the 2012 Multistate Conservation Grant Program (MSCGP). NCNs are the foundation of the MSCGP and establish the states’ priorities for the grant cycle. Each AFWA committee is allowed to submit one NCN. NCNs are due by February 11, 2011. Committees are encouraged to work together and submit joint NCNs.

Before submitting a new NCN, review the selected NCNs for the 2011 MSCGP since these NCNs may still be of highest importance and priority. Typically, if a committee is considering more than one NCN, the Chair asks committee members to vote and/or the Chair makes the final selection. It may be appropriate to refer NCNs to other committees or regional associations for their consideration.

All proposed NCNs from committees and the regional associations will be evaluated by the National Grants Committee, which will select NCNs to recommend for state directors’ approval at the March 2011 North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference. Letters of Intent will be solicited beginning in April to address the NCNs.

The guidelines for submitting 2012 NCNs, last year’s NCNs and a general timeline for the 2012 MSCGP are available online at www.fishwildlife.org/multistate_grants.html or visit AFWA's MSCGP blog to ask questions, http://fishwildlifemscgp.blogspot.com.

John Frampton Receives ASMFC Captain David H. Hart Award

2010-11-16T20:22:00.003-05:00

Charleston, SC – The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission presented John Frampton, Director of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies 2009-2010 President, the David H. Hart Award, its highest annual award, at the Commission’s 69th Annual Meeting in Charleston, South Carolina. Frampton received the award in recognition of his long and distinguished career advocating for the greater good of fish and wildlife management and conservation along the Atlantic coast and throughout the entire nation.

The Commission instituted the “Captain David H. Hart Award” in 1991 to recognize individuals who have made outstanding efforts to improve Atlantic coast marine fisheries. The award is named for one of the Commission’s longest serving members, who dedicated himself to the advancement and protection of marine fishery resources.

Frampton has been an a leader in building strong personal and professional relationships within the natural resource community. His actions reflect his fundamental belief that such relationships lead to cooperation among state and federal natural resource management agencies and conservation and industry stakeholders, resulting in more effective conservation and management. This spirit of cooperation is one of the founding principles of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.

For more than thirty years, Frampton also has been a champion for legislation and funding benefiting state natural resource management activities, securing millions of dollars for the states to restore and sustainably manage their fish and wildlife resources. In his own state, he secured significant state funds to acquire tens of thousands of acres of land for conservation easements and habitat restoration.

He was a guiding force in the development of the National Fish Habitat Initiative, directly benefiting Atlantic coastal states through the significant funding awarded to the Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership (ACFHP). This coast-wide collaborative partnership strives to accelerate the conservation of habitat for Atlantic coastal, estuarine-dependent, and diadromous fish, and has great potential to restore Atlantic waterways and enhance productivity of many marine fisheries.

Frampton’s efforts to elevate the importance of natural resource management have greatly benefitted Atlantic states and have contributed to the betterment of the marine fisheries of the Atlantic coast.

ASMFC Vision: Healthy, self-sustaining populations for all Atlantic coast fish species or successful restoration well in progress by the year 2015.

From left: Vince O’Shea, Michael McShane, Robert Boyles Jr., John Frampton, Caroline Rhodes and Malcolm Rhodes

Assoc. of Fish & Wildlife Agencies HQ (Highlights Quarterly) -- AFWA Activities for July, August & September 2010

2010-11-04T18:41:00.006-04:00

The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies released today its latest issue of the Association HQ (Highlights Quarterly), a summary of what the Association accomplished in the third quarter of 2010.

Leading off this edition of the HQ, Ron Regan discusses the “Making of” AFWA’s Lead Ammunition and Tackle Resolution and why it gets at the heart of what the Association does best—developing policy and applying it at the national level.

Inside the HQ/3Q, we also identify issues and outcomes from AFWA’s recent 100th Annual Meeting in Grand Rapids, Michigan and report on progress achieved to secure conservation funding; advance favorable Congressional legislation; and coordinate cross-cutting member issues and species-based interests through programs, partnerships, outreach and other initiatives.

On behalf of all the staff at the Association, we hope that you continue to find the HQ beneficial. The HQ/3Q 2010 can be found online at:
http://www.fishwildlife.org/pdfs/StaffReports/AssociationHQ_3Q-2010.pdf

AFWA is Hiring - Two Job Openings!

2010-10-21T14:40:00.003-04:00

The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies is seeking to fill two positions at its Washington, DC office. If you are interested in applying for a position, please read the full job announcements for qualifications, salary and benefits information and specific application instructions.

Teaming With Wildlife Program Associate
The Teaming With Wildlife Program Associate supports state fish and wildlife agency efforts to implement and revise State Wildlife Action Plans. Responsibilities include assisting and facilitating communication between State Wildlife Action Plan coordinators, conducting outreach and developing partnerships with federal agencies and private conservation organizations to improve support for State Wildlife Action Plans. Other duties include assisting with outreach on the State Wildlife Grants Program and management of the 6,300 member Teaming With Wildlife coalition (www.teaming.com). Candidates must be willing to travel. The application period is open until filled.

Read the full Teaming With Wildlife Program Associate job announcement>

Climate Adaptation Research Assistant/Policy Aid (part-time)
The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies is looking for a talented natural resource professional for a part-time position to assist in developing a National Fish, Wildlife and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy. The Association is working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Marine Fisheries Service, other federal agencies, state fish and wildlife agencies, tribal agencies and other conservation partnership to develop this strategy. This challenging position will include researching and assembling background information to develop the strategy; communicating with conservation partners; and drafting sections of the strategy in collaboration with other participants. Deadline to apply for this position is November 15, 2010.

Read the full Climate Adaptation Research Assistant/Policy Aid job announcement>

Dr. Sally Guynn Receives Prestigious Paul C. Weikel Award

2010-10-15T17:43:00.005-04:00

Dr. Sally Guynn, Project Leader for the Management Assistance Team and Executive Director of the National Conservation Leadership Institute, was presented with the prestigious Paul C. Weikel Award by the Organization of Wildlife Planners (OWP) on September 27, 2010.

The Paul C. Weikel Award recognizes individuals for their outstanding or distinctive contributions to improved agency management, on a national or international level. It was established in 1992 in memory of Paul C. Weikel, whose personal history of innovative management, and desire to improve agency performance, inspired the creation of the award.

Coincidentally, on the same day that she was presented with the Weikel Award, Guynn received one of the Association’s Special Recognition Awards at AFWA’s Annual Awards ceremony.

The Organization of Wildlife Planners is a professional organization concerned with the management and future of government agencies that manage fish and wildlife populations and habitat. It is an Affiliate member of the Association.

Congratulations Sally!

photo (r-l): Dr. Sally Guynn and Verdie Abel, OWP President

AFWA Honors Recipients of the 2010 Annual Awards

2010-10-06T13:09:00.002-04:00

The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies honored nine individuals and two entities for their outstanding and longstanding commitment to conservation stewardship at the Association’s Annual Awards Ceremony held on September 28, 2010 in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

John Frampton, Director of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and AFWA’s 2009-2010 President received the top honor, the Seth Gordon Award. Wyoming Game and Fish Department and its Deputy Director, John Emmerich, took home the Ernest Thompson Seton Award for leadership in scientific wildlife management.

Cristy Gayle Burch, GIS Specialist with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department was recognized as an outstanding young wildlife management professional with the Mark Reeff Memorial Award and the Bamberger Ranch in Texas received the National Private Lands Fish and Wildlife Stewardship Award.

Lt. Richard Thomas and Investigator Dan Sullivan of the New York Department of Conservation Law Enforcement Division received the Conservation Law Enforcement Award for “Operation Shellshock,” a multi-year undercover operation to stop the illegal reptiles and amphibians.

In addition, special recognition awards were presented to Christopher Estes, Chief of Alaska Fish and Game’s Aquatic Resources Coordination Unit; Dr. Robert Blohm, Chief of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Division of Migratory Bird Management; Dr. Sally Guynn AFWA’s Management Assistance Team Project Leader; and Jay McAninch, President and CEO of the Archery Trade Association.

Congratulations to all of the honorees!

> Read a full description of the achievements of the 2010 Annual Awards recipients

West Virginia’s Curtis I. Taylor Elected AFWA's 2010-2011 President

2010-10-05T17:19:00.007-04:00

The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies elected West Virginia Division of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Section Chief, Curtis I. Taylor, its new president on Spetember 29, 2010 during the Association’s 100th Annual Meeting in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He is tasked to lead AFWA’s national agenda for sound, science-based fish and wildlife management through September 2011.

Taylor has more than 31 years of experience with DNR, where prior to becoming Chief in 2001, he was the Federal Aid Coordinator and worked on various turkey research projects and other fish and wildlife management programs including serving as co-project leader on the Wild Turkey Population Dynamics Study. He directed the first radio telemetry study of ocellated turkeys in Guatemala for Wildlife Conservation International and Hornocker Wildlife Institute and has served on the National Wild Turkey Federation Technical Committee since 1985, receiving the organization’s highly coveted Henry S. Mosby Award in 2005. Taylor also serves on the Steering Committee for the West Virginia University Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit.

“There is nothing like a 100th Annual Meeting to think about what we’ve done and where we will be going,” said Taylor, the first AFWA President to hail from West Virginia. “We still believe in a cooperative, scientifically sound and legally firm approach to protect and enhance the North American Model of fish and wildlife management that is unique to the United States and the envy of other countries that have tried to duplicate it. Our partnership with industry through the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration and Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Acts is the cornerstone for funding conservation."

During his tenure as president, Taylor plans to focus the work of the Association membership on fostering better relationships with the angling, hunting and shooting sports industries; recruitment and retention of license-buying hunters and anglers; and the impacts of energy development on fish and wildlife resources.

“Energy does not come without a price,” said Taylor. “We need to make sure that wildlife is not stuck with the bill.”

In addition to his responsibilities as President, Taylor also serves as the Co-Chair of AFWA’s International Relations Committee. In this role, he represented the United States at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species in Qatar in early 2010 to advance state and federal statutory partnerships and work cooperatively on international fish and wildlife policy.

“I appreciate the trust [the Association members] have put in me,” concluded Taylor.

Taylor has served as Treasurer and President of the Northeast Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and is currently on its Executive Committee. He is also on the Executive Committee of the Southeast Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.

Photo (l-r): The passing of the President's gavel from John Frampton (SC) to Curtis Taylor (WV)

Just Announced... Plenary Session Speakers at AFWA's Annual Meeting

2010-09-16T18:13:00.006-04:00

100th Annual Meeting Plenary Session
Milestones in American Conservation—Learning from the Past, Envisioning our Future

SPEAKERS:
Tom Strickland, Assistant Secretary of Interior for Fish & Wildlife and Parks
Douglas Brinkley, Acclaimed Author & Historian

In honor of the 100th meeting of the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies, join us for a special Plenary Session on Monday, September 27 from 8:00 am to 10:00 am in Grand Rapids, MI that will challenge you to consider whether the future of American conservation and its challenges are not so different from the past.

Tom Strickland, Assistant Secretary of Interior for Fish & Wildlife and Parks and Chief of Staff to Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, will discuss the accomplishments of the U.S. Department of the Interior during this current Administration and share the federal vision for natural resource management and the importance of North America’s fish and wildlife agencies to its success.

Acclaimed historian Dr. Douglas Brinkley, author of The Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America and professor of history at Rice University, will offer his insights about the “naturalist president” and how Roosevelt’s achievements can inspire the legacy we promote as today’s caretakers of America’s fish and wildlife and their habitats.

Following the Plenary, Mr. Brinkley will sign copies of his book.

AFWA Welcomes Matt Menashes as Director of Operations

2010-09-14T20:12:00.003-04:00

The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies is pleased to welcome Matt Menashes as the new Director of Operations. Matt brings 10 years of association management and a background in coastal and marine policy to the position. Matt will focus on the Association’s internal business operations and fisheries and aquatic resources issues, and will staff the Fisheries and Water Resources Policy and Ocean Resources Policy committees.

Prior to coming to the Association, Matt was the Executive Director of the National Estuarine Research Reserve Association (NERRA) for two years. NERRA represents the state agencies and universities that operate the nation’s 27 estuarine research reserves in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

“A good part of my career has been working with state agencies to support their resource and program needs,” said Matt. “One of my proudest career accomplishments was collaborating with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to establish the Kachemak Bay research reserve in the late 1990s. And for the past two years, I was honored to represent the state agencies that operate the research reserves in their dealings here in Washington, DC. I am looking forward to continuing to support the states while assisting Ron (Regan) and the rest of the AFWA staff in day-to-day operations"

From 2000 through 2008, Matt was President/CEO of the Paddlesports Industry Association, a trade association representing the manufacturers, retailers and outfitters of canoes, kayaks and rafts. His sdditional experience includes nearly seven years with NOAA and two years on Capitol Hill. He has served on the boards of the American Canoe Association, Paddler Magazine and the International Whitewater Hall of Fame.

Matt holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in marine policy from the University of Delaware.

You can contact Matt at 202/624-3602; mattm@fishwildlife.org

Teaming With Wildlife Week Celebrates the 10-year Anniversary of the State Wildlife Grants Program

2010-09-09T10:16:00.004-04:00

Through September 11, Teaming With Wildlife Week will celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the State Wildlife Grant program, which funds state-based conservation efforts to prevent wildlife from becoming endangered.

The State Wildlife Grants (SWG) Program provides federal grant dollars to every U.S. state and territory to support the development and implementation of their unique State Wildlife Action Plans. Wildlife Action Plans assess the health of each state’s wildlife and habitats; identify the problems they face; and outline the actions needed to conserve them over the long term.
For more than a decade, the SWG Program has served as a stable federal funding source for state fish and wildlife agencies in excess of $600 million. This stability has been critical to the recovery and conservation of many species in greatest need of conservation.

“The SWG program is part of the Department of the Interior’s ongoing commitment to the essential conservation efforts of states,” said Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar. “In our challenging economic climate, the program ensures that states will have the necessary resources to help conserve their highest priority wildlife, plants, and habitats – an investment that will pay dividends for years to come.”

“The SWG Program was created to meet a long-standing need for funding the conservation of fish and wildlife species that are typically neither hunted nor fished,” said Ron Regan, Executive Director at the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. “The program has been an important source of funds to help keep America’s common species common and to conserve wildlife before they become too rare and costly to protect them.”

States and their partners have used funding from the SWG Program to combat invasive species, protect natural areas, restore habitat, conduct research and implement monitoring programs that will provide better data on imperiled species and their habitats. Priority for use of grant funds is placed on those species and habitats with the greatest conservation need.

Teaming With Wildlife Week is sponsored by the national, bipartisan Teaming With Wildlife coalition, composed of 6,300+ conservation organizations and nature-based businesses including state fish and wildlife agencies, wildlife biologists, hunters and anglers, birdwatchers, hikers and other conservationists. The Teaming With Wildlife coalition is working to prevent wildlife from becoming endangered by supporting increased funding for wildlife conservation, education and nature-based recreation.

Across the country, state fish and wildlife agencies are hosting Teaming With Wildlife Week events. For more information, visit http://www.teaming.com/.

To learn more about funding allocations through the State Wildlife Grants Program for state, commonwealth, territories, and the District of Columbia visit the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program Web site at http://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/.

AFWA’s President John Frampton Appointed to New Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Council

2010-07-23T15:45:00.002-04:00

John Frampton, the President of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and Director of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, was appointed to the new Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council (WHHCC) today by Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. The announcement was made at a joint federal agency press conference to name the 18 Council members who will serve two-year terms on the official advisory group which was chartered to provide advice to the government on wildlife conservation and hunting issues and on carrying forward the nation’s hunting tradition.

“It is an honor to be appointed to the Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Council and represent state fish and wildlife agencies to advance one of our most important agency functions—hunting and shooting sports,” said Frampton. “More effective cooperation between the states, federal agencies, Native American Tribes and our wildlife conservation and archery, shooting and hunting sports industry colleagues is the key to success to ensure Americans have enhanced opportunities to enjoy the benefits of our great outdoors.”

The Executive Director of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, Ron Regan, will serve as an ex officio member of the Council. The WHHCC will meet twice yearly.

Barham Testifies on Impacts of Gulf Oil Spill on Fish, Wildlife and Habitats

2010-06-10T16:38:00.002-04:00

Robert Barham, Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries delivered testimony today before the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife regarding the impacts of the Gulf oil spill on fish, wildlife and their habitats.

“The economy and culture of coastal Louisiana is a unique blend of many things similar to the unique blends prepared by our great chef’s in New Orleans when they prepare that succulent dish of gumbo,” said Barham. “In the case of coastal Louisiana our coastal ecology and fishing is and always has been the main ingredient. At this point the main ingredient is threatened and the future is anything but certain.”

Secretary Barham’s full testimony can be viewed at http://resourcescommittee.house.gov/images/Documents/testimony_barham.pdf

Association Testifies on Sikes Act Amendment

2010-06-10T16:23:00.001-04:00

The Association testified on May 25 in support of an amendment to the Sikes Act, which would clarify its application to Army National Guard (ANG) bases. Where title to the land is held by the state and not the federal government, these ANG bases—if they have significant natural resources subject to the requirements of an Integrated Natural Resource Management Plan jointly concluded by the DoD installation, the state fish and wildlife agency, and the USFWS—would be eligible for funding under the Sikes Act.

State fish and wildlife agencies have long enjoyed a good relationship with military installations, and the Sikes Act Improvement Act of 1997 directed the preparation, development and implementation of INRMPs, and with respect to the fish and wildlife conservation provisions, requires that they be mutually agreed to by the DoD installation, state fish and wildlife agency and USFWS.

“We can all be proud of the conservation benefits achieved from this often unknown and unheralded success story of public lands management on approximately 30 million acres,” observed Gary Taylor, AFWA's Legislative Director, in the Association's testimony. “Our successes have certainly substantiated that not only is achievement of the military preparedness mission and sound stewardship of the land and its fish and wildlife resources not mutually exclusive, they are indeed mutually necessary and beneficial.”

Six State Fish and Wildlife Agencies to Receive Nearly $5 Million in State Wildlife Grants

2010-05-21T15:40:00.002-04:00

Approximately $5 million will be distributed to state wildlife agencies in Arkansas, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Nebraska and Washington through the State Wildlife Grants Competitive Program to support cost-effective conservation aimed at preventing wildlife from becoming endangered, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced yesterday.

The State Wildlife Grants Competitive Program provides federal dollars to support the development and implementation of each state’s unique State Wildlife Action Plan, which assesses the health of wildlife and habitats, identifies the problems they face and outlines the actions needed to conserve and recover imperiled fish and wildlife species over the long term.

“Across the country, conserving high quality habitat, restoring degraded lands and waters and removing invasive species are among the top priorities for conservation,” said Ron Regan, Executive Director of the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies. “Though the challenges to keeping wildlife from becoming endangered are greater than ever before, State Wildlife Action Plans present a national action agenda for the conservation of wildlife species that have not benefited from conservation attention due to lack of funding.”

Priority for State Wildlife Competitive Grant funding is placed on multistate, cooperative conservation projects focused on species and habitats with the greatest conservation need. States and their partners will match the federal funding by more than $2 million in non-federal funds.

“We can wait for wildlife to decline and react to problems with expensive, last-ditch efforts or we can take proactive, cost-effective steps to prevent wildlife from becoming endangered before it is too late,” said Mark Humpert, Teaming With Wildlife Director at the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. The 6,300-member Teaming With Wildlife coalition, made up of organizations and businesses, strongly supports increased State Wildlife Grant funding for wildlife conservation, education and nature-based recreation. “The State Wildlife Grants Program helps states turn the trend around and reduce the need for listing many species and costly recovery efforts,” added Humpert.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has awarded State Wildlife Competitive Grants to the following projects:

Arkansas Game and Fish Commission: Coordinated Multi-State Response to a Deadly, Emerging Threat – White-Nose Syndrome in Bats—to support a multi-regional coordinated response to white-nose syndrome (WNS), an emerging threat to cave-dwelling bats. State partners include Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia and Wisconsin as well as Bat Conservation International (Austin, TX). Federal funds awarded: $998,834; non-federal match: $450,797

Iowa Department of Natural Resources: The Use of Fire and Grazing to Improve Grassland Habitats for Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN)—to support the development of an effective management framework for increasing the diversity of grasslands in working landscapes, thereby increasing the capacity of these areas to support viable populations of SGCN. Project activities will take place on both public and private lands. Iowa DNR will partner with the Missouri Department of Conservation as well as personnel from Illinois and Oklahoma to accomplish project goals. Federal funds awarded: $732,904; non-federal match: $317,113

Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife: The Conservation of Marsh Tidal Birds: Guiding Action at the Intersection of Our Changing Landscape—to provide information for the New England and Mid-Atlantic coast states to protect regionally important habitats for tidal marsh birds (including 26 species of greatest conservation need) and to provide a regionally consistent platform for tidal marsh monitoring in anticipation of sea-level rise and upland/watershed development. Primary state partners include Connecticut, Delaware and Maryland with work also occurring in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Virginia. Federal funds awarded: $760,202; non-federal match: $412,159

Michigan Department of Natural Resources: Oak Savanna, Pine Barrens and Jack Pine Restoration in Michigan and Ohio for Species of Greatest Conservation Need—to restore and enhance 600 acres of oak savanna in Michigan and Ohio for the recovery and benefit of the Karner blue butterfly and restore 400 acres of pine barrens and jack pine forest in Michigan for the recovery and benefit of Kirtland’s warbler. The project also will potentially benefit 188 species of greatest conservation need. Forty-five percent (or 450 acres) of the project lands fall under private ownership. Federal funds awarded: $852,484; non-federal match: $383,000

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: Nebraska Natural Legacy Project: Phase III—to implement conservation partnerships and actions on private and public lands in Nebraska and South Dakota to enhance and improve native prairies, wetlands and woodlands for the benefit of SGCN in both states. This project will benefit Bell’s vireo, greater prairie chicken, ottoe skipper, swift fox and the Northern red belly dace. Federal funds awarded: $1,000,000; non-federal match: $333,333

Washington Department of Game and Fish: State Wildlife Grants Effectiveness Monitoring—to implement the third phase of development of a spatially enabled decision support system, which allows states to share common data with their conservation partners and strategically prioritize actions across multiple states. The system will facilitate strategic implementation of State Wildlife Grant program funds across multiple states including Washington, Idaho, Montana and Oregon. Federal funds awarded: $514,059; non-federal match: $171,353

Congress created the State Wildlife Grants Program in FY2002, funded from the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Funds appropriated under the program are allocated to each state and other eligible jurisdictions according to a formula based on land area and population. Since the program’s inception, Congress has distributed more than $500 million for conservation work on state and private lands.

To view the State Wildlife Grant allocations for each state, go to http://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/Subpages/GrantPrograms/SWG/SWG09Apportionment.pdf.

For more information about State Wildlife Action Plans and to read an accomplishments report, visit www.wildlifeactionplans.org.

Ron Regan Elected to TRCP Board

2010-05-19T14:44:00.002-04:00

The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP) announced today that Ron Regan, Executive Director of the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies, has been elected to its board of directors.

“Ron Regan’s breadth of experience in fish and wildlife management – as evidenced by his current role as leader of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies – will enable the TRCP to take great strides in matters of importance to sportsmen on both state and federal levels,” said Jim Martin, chairman of the TRCP board of directors.

Regan was elected at the TRCP spring board meeting, which took place in Nashville, Tenn., earlier this month.

About TRCP
Inspired by the legacy of Theodore Roosevelt, the TRCP is a coalition of organizations and grassroots partners working together to preserve the traditions of hunting and fishing.

Statement from the Association about the American Power Act

2010-05-13T10:57:00.002-04:00

The Association appreciates the release of draft bill language of the American Power Act from Senators Kerry (MA) and Lieberman (CT), which also reflects the work of Senator Graham (SC), as a solid starting point for further development of comprehensive clean energy-climate change policy.

Our initial analysis suggests that the draft retains the agreed-to (by the conservation community) policy architecture of state and federal natural resource adaptation programs, which will enable appropriate responses to the effects of climate change on fish, wildlife and their habitats.

It is not entirely evident if funding is dedicated or subject to appropriations; dedicated funding is essential to the success of natural resource adaptation programs. It is clear that funding for these programs is not available until year seven forward; earlier availability of funding for natural resource adaptation programs is likewise essential to success.

We look forward to continuing to work with Congress as the bill matures through the legislative process to clarify and improve these provisions.

National Conservation Leadership Institute Completes Fourth Successful Year!

2010-05-12T13:23:00.006-04:00

The National Conservation Leadership Institute (NCLI) has just graduated its fourth yearly class — a cohort of 36 Fellows. This group of Fellows included 25 state fish and wildlife leaders, six from federal agencies such as USGS, USFWS, and NPS and four from NGOs (NWTF, NFWS, and RMEF) as well as one tribal leader from the Navajo nation.

The culminating event for this fourth cohort was held at Big Cedar Lodge in Missouri and Fellows made presentations regarding their individual leadership projects. These presentations focused on what leadership learning from the NCLI the Fellows applied and what practical lessons were gleaned from applying leadership concepts from the Institute. It was a very informative three-day event with time out for an evening steak fry and graduation ceremony.

The journey to Big Cedar Lodge marked the completion of the NCLI seven-month program during which Fellows completed pre-work online learning sessions from last September; then a 10-day residency in October where classroom and experiential learning about leadership was the focus; followed by a six-month effort where each Fellow worked on his/her individual leadership project and received coaching from peers. Graduation from the NCLI has been described by many Fellows as “life-changing!”

The NCLI is staffed by the AFWA Management Assistance Team and is governed by a board with representatives from the USFWS, AFWA, NFWF, WMI, TCF, Kentucky Dept. of Fish and Wildlife Resources, Patagonia’s Freedom to Roam, Resource Management Services LLC, Greener Options Inc., Watershed Results LLC and Boone and Crockett Club.

The NCLI is now accepting online applications for cohort five which will begin in September 2010. Applications are due by May 15, 2010. To apply go to: conservationleadership.org

Thank You Senator Thune for Supporting State Wildlife Grants

2010-05-05T15:46:00.007-04:00

The Teaming With Wildlife Coalition presented Senator John Thune (SD) with an award today in recognition of his long-standing support of the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants Program and for being an original co-sponsor of the Teaming With Wildlife Act (S655). The Teaming With Wildlife Award featured a framed photo of a burrowing owl, a bird species found in South Dakota.

From left to right in the picture: Mark Humpert, Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies; Senator Thune; Naomi Edelson, National Wildlife Federation; and Peter Gudritz, Wildlife Conservation Society

Wisconsin Protects Migratory Birds through Costa Rican Conservation Investment/Southern Wings

2010-05-04T13:13:00.004-04:00

(Madison, WI) This spring, millions of birds are returning to Wisconsin from distant winter haunts. Hungry and tired from thousands of miles of perilous travel, birds can count on Wisconsin to provide the habitat they need. But that is not always the case south of the border, where more than half of Wisconsin’s 238 breeding bird species spend the winter. Throughout Latin America, deforestation and incompatible development are squeezing Wisconsin’s birds into ever smaller wintering grounds, threatening their long-term survival.

Recognizing the need to act internationally on behalf of Wisconsin’s birds, the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin joined public and private partners at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Neenah Paper to safeguard important migratory bird wintering habitat on Costa Rica’s Osa peninsula. The three partners recently made a combined contribution of more than $60,000 to the non-profit Friends of the Osa.

According to Craig Thompson, regional land leader at the Wisconsin DNR, his state’s commitment to safeguarding the Osa peninsula was inspired by a national movement called Southern Wings — a partnership of conservation agencies that supports funding for projects to protect migratory bird habitat beyond state borders in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Southern Wings was launched in 2008 by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies to conserve priority migratory bird species by monitoring the status of populations; restoring and managing migrant bird habitats; acquiring lands in critical core habitats; educating the public; and more. In addition to Wisconsin, Arizona, Arkansas, Iowa, Missouri, Oklahoma and South Dakota are active contributors.

“Within the next 20 years, more than 80 percent of land and its wildlife in Latin America and the Caribbean could be adversely impacted by development, putting critical habitat for migrant birds at risk,” Ron Regan, Executive Director of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, said. “Southern Wings provides state fish and wildlife agencies with a funding mechanism to help conserve priority migratory bird species throughout their lifecycle.”

Thompson, who coordinates Wisconsin’s participation in Southern Wings, said a precedent helped his state decide to join the initiative. “While this is the first time we’ve supported wintering habitat protection in Latin America for our declining songbird populations, the DNR has supported waterfowl breeding habitat conservation projects in Canada for nearly two decades.”

According to Charlie Luthin, executive director of the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin, the combination of corporate dollars, individual gifts, and contributions from the DNR demonstrates a new commitment to protecting Wisconsin’s migratory birds. “No matter how much good work we do for birds in the state, we can’t keep them here year-round.” Luthin hopes this project will encourage others to get involved. “People now understand that the habitat loss is real and that we can’t really protect our birds without protecting their winter homes as well,” he added. “The threats are sobering, but the collective response has been inspiring, both here in Wisconsin and in other states.”

To read the full story, go to www.fishwildlife.org/press_5.4.10.html.

To learn more about the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin and how it promotes the protection and enjoyment of Wisconsin’s public lands, waters and wildlife, visit www.wisconservation.org.

To learn about International Migratory Bird Day on May 8, 2010, go to: http://www.blogger.com/www.birdday.org

Keep Your Eyes on These "10 Waters to Watch" in 2010

2010-04-22T15:56:00.005-04:00

The National Fish Habitat Action Plan today announced its “10 Waters to Watch” for 2010 at the Jim Range National Casting Call event in Washington, DC.

The annual “10 Waters to Watch” list, assembled by the nation’s leading authorities on aquatic conservation, is a collection of rivers, streams and shores that will be cleaner and healthier habitats for the many fish and wildlife species and people who call these areas home. They are representative of freshwater to marine waters across the country including lakes and reservoirs that are improving through the conservation efforts of the National Fish Habitat Action Plan — a bold initiative to reverse persistent declines in aquatic habitat.

The Action Plan’s “10 Waters to Watch” Initiative was first unveiled in 2007 through its Fish Habitat Partnerships. Since 2006, the Fish and Wildlife Service has provided $8.5 million to support 188 on-the-ground projects in 36 states, leveraging $20 million in partner match, to address the priorities of the Fish Habitat Partnerships, along with funding from several other state and federal agencies and NGO’s.

“Our approach—teaming federal, state and local partners—is helping to bring these waters back to life in most cases…in a faster more strategic way,” said Kelly Hepler, Chairman of the National Fish Habitat Board. “By watching these 10 models of our nation’s aquatic conservation efforts, we can see real progress in treating the causes of fish habitat decline, not just the symptoms. Through sound science and on-the-ground partnerships, these select projects can be held high as a vision of what quality habitat should be, which affects all people throughout the United States.”

The 10 Waters to Watch in 2010

Bobs Creek, Pennsylvania
(National Fish Habitat Partnership – Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture)
This project will benefit brook trout populations in Wallack’s Branch of Bobs Creek, PA by removing fish barriers and creating in-stream habitat. Modifications to five small structures (including small dams), which currently reduce free movement of trout within the stream in Wallack’s Branch, will allow fish to move without impediment through the stream.

Diamond Lake, Iowa
(National Fish Habitat Partnership – Midwest Glacial Lakes Partnership)
This project focuses on improving water quality by shifting the lake to a clear water state using water-level management to consolidate bottom sediments, re-establish aquatic plants, and control common carp populations. The restoration of Diamond Lake is Iowa’s inaugural shallow lake restoration project providing resource management professionals with experience and expertise for managing shallow lakes. The project also provides stakeholders a demonstration of the restoration potential for other shallow lakes.

Fairbanks and Soda Springs, Nevada
(National Fish Habitat Partnership – Desert Fish Habitat Partnership)
Anthropogenic landscape alteration has resulted in the loss of habitats vital to Ash Meadows speckled dace and Ash Meadows pupfish and has resulted in the alteration of hydrologic processes that create and maintain those aquatic habitats. This project supports the restoration of Fairbanks and Soda Springs as a component of the larger Upper Carson Slough restoration across the northern extent of Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge.

Georgetown Creek, Idaho
(National Fish Habitat Partnership – Western Native Trout Initiative)
The Georgetown Road Relocation Project is a multi-year project to remove approximately two miles of road from the bottom of Georgetown Creek (including three impassable culverts) to improve aquatic and riparian habitat, water quality, and fish passage in the canyon. The project will restore water quality and riparian and in-stream habitat through the removal of the old road and the building of a fish ladder.

Green River Basin, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming
(National Fish Habitat Partnership(s) –
Desert Fish Habitat Partnership and Western Native Trout Initiative)
Both the Desert Fish Habitat Partnership and the Western Native Trout Initiative have recognized the outstanding aquatic resources of the Green River Basin. Both partnerships support projects, directly and indirectly, that benefit fish populations and habitat in ways that place local projects within a larger basin-wide perspective.

Koktuli River, Alaska
(National Fish Habitat Partnership – Southwest Alaska Salmon Habitat Partnership)
This fish habitat partnership conservation project was initiated through voluntary actions to ensure public protection of important and intact fisheries. The work on the Koktuli River project will be adequately balanced with considerations of other natural resource uses including uses of land and water resources associated with improved access and human population growth and other future actions that might be considered, for enhancing socioeconomic conditions for local residents and others.

Lake Vermilion, Minnesota
(National Fish Habitat Partnership – Midwest Glacial Lakes Partnership)
The purpose of this project is to protect undeveloped shoreline and provide public access to the land and water via a state park, scheduled to open in 2010. The state of Minnesota will acquire 3,000 acres and 4.93 miles of undeveloped shoreline on Lake Vermilion in St. Louis County. Minnesota state parks allow visitors to fish for free. It is expected that this park will quickly become one of the most visited parks in the state, with an estimated 500,000 visitors per year.

Mackeys Creek, Mississippi
(National Fish Habitat Partnership – Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership)
The focus of the Mackeys Creek project involves restoration of a Gulf Coast Strain (GCS) of walleye in a headwater stream of the Tombigbee River. An 80-ft long rock dike was constructed in 2009 with fill material backfilled behind it to restore the natural slope. The bank was seeded, and willow tree shoots were planted to restore riparian habitat. Washed gravel was placed in the adjacent shoal to create a potential GCS walleye spawning site. Plans for 2010 include creating or enhancing additional GCS walleye spawning habitat and stocking hatchery-reared fish.

Wasilla Creek, Alaska
(National Fish Habitat Partnership – Mat-Su Basin Salmon Habitat Partnership)
Wasilla Creek is one of three main creeks draining the core area of the Matanuska-Susitna Valley and is home to five species of Pacific salmon. Many partner organizations are working on projects to assure sufficient amounts of clean water, continuous fish passage and overall healthy fish habitats will be maintained within the Wasilla Creek drainage. Significant efforts have been completed and others are in progress to protect and restore salmon habitat in Wasilla Creek.

West Branch, Machias River, Maine
(National Fish Habitat Partnership – Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture)
With stream connectivity functionally restored to the main-stem of the Machias River, current restoration needs are focused predominately in its major headwater tributaries including the West Branch. A range-wide Conservation Success Index indicates that the West Branch Machias River sub-watershed ranks very high in terms of both habitat quality for native Eastern brook trout and future security from anthropogenic threats such as urbanization.

“Whether you measure the effect of these 10 success stories in feet or miles of fish and wildlife habitat conserved, these kinds of concerted actions are what it is going to take to get our nation’s waters back into shape,” said Hepler. “We believe the Waters recognized today will be the impetus for thousands of projects accomplished in the future.”

For more information about the National Fish Habitat Action Plan and Fish Habitat Partnerships, visit www.fishhabitat.org.

State Fish and Wildlife Agency Representatives Attend White House Conference on America’s Great Outdoors

2010-04-16T18:55:00.001-04:00

Rebecca Humphries (MI), Jon Gassett (KY), Matt Frank (WI), Nick Wiley (FL), Marc Miller (IL), Ken Elowe (ME), Greg Wathen (TN), Joe Maurier (MT), Bob Broscheid (AZ), Lauren Martinson (MN) and John Griffen (MD) represented state fish and wildlife agencies at today’s White House Conference on America’s Great Outdoors. At the event, President Obama signed a Memorandum of Understanding launching the “America’s Great Outdoors Initiative,” which is intended to promote community-level conservation efforts and encourage families to spend more time outside.

“This was a very encouraging day—one that’s rooted in the 102nd anniversary of Theodore Roosevelt first convening a national conservation forum and the 40th anniversary of Earth Day,” said Rebecca Humphries, Director of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment and Chair of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies’ Executive Committee. “I hope the energy from today combined with the apparent commitment of many government agencies and non-governmental entities produces great results for the future of conserving America’s outdoor spaces and connecting more people to nature.”

“The White House Conference on the Great Outdoors was an invigorating opportunity to participate in a national forum with strong representation from state fish and wildlife agencies to help shape a 21st century conservation agenda,” said Ron Regan, AFWA Executive Director. “I was pleased to hear President Obama convey that ‘America’s Great Outdoors Initiative’ will build on the successful conservation efforts of state governments. The Association looks forward to engaging with the President’s administration officials leading the effort to promote sound resource management and conservation in the public interest.”

To read Presidential Memorandum – America’s Great Outdoors, go to http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/presidential-memorandum-americas-great-outdoors

Boone & Crockett Club Honors AFWA with the Theodore Roosevelt Legacy Award

2010-04-12T11:36:00.003-04:00

The Boone and Crockett Club on March 24 presented the Association with its prestigious Theodore Roosevelt Legacy Award in honor of AFWA’s dedication and commitment to the success of the National Conservation Leadership Institute since its establishment in 2004.

The National Conservation Leadership Institute (NCLI) was conceived during an early AWCP meeting at the Boone and Crockett Club headquarters in Missoula, MT. The Association then took the lead to create and maintain the NCLI’s operations.

Said Lowell Baier, President of the Boone and Crockett Club, “The National Conservation Leadership Institute, while born in the rich dialogue and minds of Boone and Crockett Club Professional Members, could never have been a success nor realized without the cooperation, input, support and facilitation of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.”

The inscription on the Legacy Award reads:

“Celebrating Cooperative Conservation Partnerships – Presented to the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies – For their collaborative role and extraordinary championship, facilitation and training of America’s future conservation leaders through the National Conservation Leadership Institute – 2010 North American Wildlife Conference.”

The Theodore Roosevelt Legacy Award was created in the year 2007 to celebrate and recognize successful cooperative conservation partnerships and partners of the Boone and Crockett Club.

To learn more about the National Conservation Leadership Institute, go to www.conservationleadership.org

For more information about the Boone and Crockett Club, visit www.boone-crockett.org

Photo (l-r): Lowell Baier, Boone and Crockett Club President; Ron Regan, AFWA Executive Director; John Frampton, AFWA President

Wildlife Viewing Network Kick-off Meeting

2010-04-07T11:31:00.002-04:00

The Wildlife Viewing Network national kick-off meeting starts tonight thru Friday in Montpelier, VA to help develop a charter and campaign to more clearly define the discipline of Wildlife Viewing and identify stable funding sources for state wildlife viewing programs.

This meeting will organize state wildlife viewing programs into a focused national organization to provide leadership in assisting state fish and wildlife agencies through the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and as a national source for information sharing among state wildlife viewing programs.

The meeting is being hosted by Wildlife Viewing Program Coordinators and AFWA’s Wildlife Viewing and Nature Tourism Working Group.

Did you know… more than 35 states have identified Wildlife Viewing or Watchable Wildlife Programs.

Did you also know… there are birding trail efforts in nearly all 50 states.

Photo by George Andrejko, AZGFD

Third Annual National Fish Habitat Award Winners Announced

2010-03-17T13:40:00.002-04:00

Award ceremony to be held at the Jim Range National Casting Call on April 22, 2010

The National Fish Habitat Board, a group of the nation’s leading authorities on aquatic conservation, will honor exceptional organizations and individuals who are leaders in aquatic resources conservation at the Third Annual National Fish Habitat Awards ceremony on April 22, 2010 at the Jim Range National Casting Call, hosted by the American Fly Fishing Trade Association.

From the nominations submitted by the hundreds of organizations that comprise the National Fish Habitat Partners Coalition and Fish Habitat Partnerships under the National Fish Habitat Action Plan (NFHAP) (http://www.blogger.com/www.fishhabitat.org), the awardees have demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to fish habitat conservation, science and education. They are leading by example, through on the ground achievement, to help resolve the nation’s most significant fisheries problems.

The NFHAP Awards will be presented in short program, along with the unveiling of the 2010 NFHAP 10 “Waters To Watch.”

The Winners of the 2010 National Fish Habitat Awards:

Jim Range Conservation Vision Award in support of Fish Habitat Conservation:
Scott Robinson – Coordinator, Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership (SARP)
Aquatic resource conservation in the Southeastern U.S. has been improved through the leadership of Scott Robinson, coordinator of the Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership (SARP). Scott spearheaded the development of the Southeast Aquatic Habitat Plan (The Plan) in order to directly and indirectly improve the quality and quantity of fish habitats in the region.

Directly, Scott’s leadership has resulted in local fish habitat improvement in each of the 14 SARP states through 30 on-the-ground projects between 2006 and 2009. These have impacted stream, river, reservoir, and coastal habitats as well as recreational, sensitive and imperiled species. Indirectly, Scott’s leadership trickles down to in-state research and conservation projects that utilize The Plan. Regionally, Scott is coordinating a systematic regional habitat assessment with the NFHAP Science and Data Committee's habitat assessment, and participates in relevant regional and national aquatic conservation issues such as the Black Bass Initiative and the Reservoir Fish Habitat Partnership. Scott’s work and coordination with other Fish Habitat Partnerships, has been exceptional in regards to the fostering of newly formed partnerships.

Southeast Aquatics Resources Partnership - http://southeastaquatics.net/

Extraordinary Action in support of Fish Habitat Conservation:
Lower Bourbeuse Landowner Committee/Missouri Department of Conservation
Efforts to improve aquatic habitat in the Meramec – Lower Bourbeuse watershed, make for a unique partnership that is rarely found on the landscape. The uniqueness of the partnership comes from the sheer fact that landowners, mostly farmers, drive the aquatic restoration process. A well documented history of established landowner participation in the Meramec Basin-Lower Bourbeuse watershed has proven successful in ensuring healthy streams and healthy farms within the watershed.

A six-member landowner committee governs and guides restoration efforts in the Lower Bourbeuse Conservation Opportunity Area. The committee leads by example, contributing their time and expertise and choosing funding sources for proposal competitions. They host farm tours to encourage neighbor participation. There has been continuous demand for best management practices for agriculture, fisheries, forestry and wildlife to protect, enhance and restore natural resources. Installation of fencing, alternative water systems, and secured cattle crossings keep cattle out of streams, addressing root causes of habitat deterioration. Landowners appreciate what these projects mean for their watersheds and cattle.

Supporting document: US FWS Fish Lines Newsletter (May 2009) Pg. 20
http://www.fws.gov/Midwest/Fisheries/library/R3-Fishlines/2009-may.pdf.

About the Jim Range National Casting Call—Hosted by the American Fly Fishing Trade Association, the Jim Range National Casting Call is an annual two-day event providing a unique opportunity for families, youth, the fly fishing industry and their partners to spend time on the water experiencing first-hand the benefits of collaboration in fisheries management. For more information, visit http://www.blogger.com/www.nationalcastingcall.com.

Climate Change Could Threaten Hundreds of Bird Species Warns New State of the Birds Report

2010-03-12T10:39:00.004-05:00

Oceanic and Hawaiian birds are in greatest peril from the effects of climate change according to the new State of the Birds: 2010 Report on Climate Change released yesterday by the Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, on behalf of the partnership of federal and state wildlife agencies, scientific and conservation organizations that collaborated on the research.

The State of the Birds: 2010 Report on Climate Change is the nation's first assessment of migratory birds' vulnerability to climate change. The report indicates that climate change could have an increasingly disruptive effect on bird species in all habitats, although the way lands are managed can mitigate climate change impacts and help birds adapt to changing conditions.

Key findings in the 2010 report:

• Oceanic birds are among the most vulnerable species because they don't raise many young each year; they rely on a rapidly changing marine ecosystem; and they nest on islands that may be flooded as sea levels rise.

• Hawaiian birds such as endangered species Puaiohi and 'Akiapola'au already face multiple threats and are increasingly challenged by mosquito-borne diseases and invasive species as climate change alters their native habitats.

• Birds in coastal, arctic/alpine and grassland habitats as well as those on Caribbean and other Pacific Islands show intermediate levels of vulnerability; most birds in aridlands, wetlands and forests show relatively low vulnerability to climate change.

• For bird species that are already of conservation concern such as the Golden-cheeked Warbler, Whooping Crane and Spectacled Eider, the added vulnerability to climate change may hasten declines or prevent recovery.

• The report identified common bird species such as the American Oystercatcher, Common Nighthawk and Northern Pintail, that are likely to become species of conservation concern as a result of climate change.

"This 2010 report outlines many conservation actions that will be important as biological planning and design of large-scale conservation efforts are advanced," said John Hoskins, Chair of the U.S. NABCI Committee and recently retired Director of the Missouri Department of Conservation. "The proven delivery models exhibited by the Migratory Bird Joint Ventures and the actions outlined in the State Wildlife Action Plans in addition to new partnerships will be important as we tackle the additional threats climate change will place on the birds of our nation."

"While the specific implications of climate change on wildlife, including birds, are uncertain and vary on a regional and state basis, the 2010 State of the Birds Report only emphasizes how important the need is for increased conservation and science-based management," said Ron Regan, Executive Director of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. "State fish and wildlife agencies recognize that climate change is a large-scale issue and are working together and with the greater conservation community to develop landscape-scale responses that support managing robust populations and healthy habitats - the best insurance in an uncertain future."

The 2010 State of the Birds Report is the follow-up to a comprehensive report released a year ago showing that that nearly a third of the nation's 800 bird species are endangered, threatened or in significant decline.

The U.S. North American Bird Conservation Initiative--which is chaired by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and includes partners from the American Bird Conservancy, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Klamath Bird Observatory, National Audubon Society, The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, USDA Forest Service and the U.S. Geological Survey--produced the report. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service coordinated its development.

For more information visit www.stateofthebirds.org.

Decision Making in the Face of Scientific Uncertainty: Adaptive Management for Climate Change

2010-03-08T12:39:00.002-05:00

An Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies Workshop
2010 North American Wildlife & Natural Resources Conference
March 22, 2010
8am-12pm

Resource managers are often required to make tough decisions, especially when the science is uncertain. However, these decisions must be defensible if called into question. It is often unclear what the full impact of an environmental problem will be and what kind of impacts (both intended and unintended) the solution may have. Adaptation to climate change will be an especially challenging issue for management agencies because decisions will be made, in many cases, based on an incomplete understanding of climate change impacts, particularly at the local level.

Adaptive management and structured decision making are critical tools for making management decisions with incomplete information and high levels of uncertainty. Structured decision making is a decision analysis process that can help overcome challenges by breaking down difficult decisions such that a decision can be acceptable to a broad range of stakeholders. Adaptive management allows decision making to proceed even in the face of profound uncertainty about outcomes by treating management decisions as testable hypotheses.

Recognizing the importance of adaptive management and structured decision making, the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies’ Science & Research Committee is developing a series of workshops for state fish and wildlife agencies to provide them with the tools for making decisions in a scientifically defensible manner.

The first workshop at the 2009 North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference focused on using adaptive management and structured decision making for invasive species management. For the second workshop, the Science & Research Committee, in collaboration with the Association’s Climate Change Committee, will present how adaptive management and the structured decision making process can be used to address climate change adaptation issues and can also be built into State Wildlife Action Plans revisions, as well as revisions for other plans.

Workshop Presentations:

Introduction to Adaptive Management & Structured Decision Making
Ken Williams (USGS)

Wise Decision Making for Climate Change Adaptation
Jim Nichols (USGS)

Integration of SDM into the State Wildlife Action Plans
TJ Fontaine (USGS)

Integration of Climate Change into Adaptive Management:
Adjustments in North American Waterfowl Harvest Management
Mark Koneff (USFWS)

Climate Change as an Adaptive Management Issue: Terrestrial Songbirds in Southern Appalachian
Mike Conroy (Univ. of GA)

Climate Change Effects within an Aquatic Ecosystem and Social and Economic Costs toward Mitigation in the Yakima River Basin
Alec Maule (USGS-Western Fisheries) & Lynne Koontz (USGS)

Preparing for Changes in Aquatic Resources due to Climate Change in Light of the Uncertainties of Tomorrow
Rolf Olsen (USACE)

A State Perspective: Wisconsin DNR
Jack Sullivan (WI DNR)

Opportunities for State Training
Jay Slack (USFWS) & Ken Williams (USGS)

For more information, contact Dr. Arpita Choudhury, AFWA's Science and Research Liasion at achoudhury@fishwildlife.org

Teaming With Wildlife Honors Members of Congress for Helping to Keep Wildlife Off the Endangered Species List

2010-02-26T11:33:00.003-05:00

Washington, DC (February 24) -- The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and the Teaming With Wildlife steering committee honored Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (RI), and John Thune (SD), and Congressmen Mike Simpson (ID) and John Dingell (MI) for their outstanding leadership to advance wildlife conservation at a Congressional Reception “Celebrating America’s Wildlife” held today to culminate the annual Teaming With Wildlife Fly-In.

The Teaming With Wildlife Fly-In is the most important outreach event on Capitol Hill for the 6,200+ member Teaming With Wildlife Coalition to secure dedicated funding to support on-the-ground conservation action in every state and territory through State Wildlife Action Plans to prevent wildlife from becoming endangered.

“In the U.S., fish and wildlife are part of the public trust. This means that it is our collective responsibility to take care of them and the places where they live,” said Ron Regan, Executive Director of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. “We appreciate these champions on Capitol Hill for their support of important legislation that invests in state fish and wildlife conservation to safeguard imperiled species and their habitats.”

Congressional award recipients were recognized for:

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (RI) – for consistent support of increased funding for the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants Program and for being a key champion in the Senate to secure funding for natural resource adaptation in comprehensive climate change legislation.

Senator John Thune (SD) – for consistent support of increased funding for the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants program and for being an original co-sponsor of the Teaming With Wildlife Act.

Congressman Mike Simpson (ID) – for his leadership in supporting funding for the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants program as the ranking member of the Interior Appropriations subcommittee.

Congressman John Dingell (MI) – for consistent support of funding through the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants program and for being a key proponent of natural resource adaptation funding in climate change legislation.

“Working in Congress can be a thankless job, but the wildlife community is grateful for those members who demonstrate leadership in helping states and their partners safeguard wildlife by supporting the implementation of State Wildlife Action Plans,” said Mark Humpert, Teaming With Wildlife Director. “Even in these difficult financial times, we need to ensure wildlife and vital habitats are conserved for future generations. This goal can go hand-in-hand with job creation and economic sustainability.”

At the “Celebrating America’s Wildlife” Reception, the Association and the Teaming With Wildlife Coalition also presented awards to two partners and a state fish and wildlife agency for their significant efforts to protect critical fish and wildlife populations.

The Teaming With Wildlife Coalition Member Achievement Award was presented to the Washington Wildlife Federation for adding more than 50 organizations to its coalition and for forging a partnership with the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition, a coalition organized around habitat acquisition and restoration.

The State Wildlife Action Plan Partnership Award was presented to the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department and the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension for a growing list of shared projects including their collaboration to integrate data and develop maps to facilitate the use of the New Hampshire Wildlife Action Plan for regional and local conservation planning; outreach to the public; and for a habitat management guide for private landowners to conserve the New England Cottontail.

This year, Teaming With Wildlife Fly-in participants urged their Members of Congress to sign on to a letter of support for $100 million appropriations for the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants program; co-sponsor the Teaming With Wildlife Act to provide increased and dedicated funding for wildlife conservation; and support wildlife adaptation funding in climate change legislation.

Despite historical successes in bringing many wildlife species back from the brink of extinction, other species have continued to decline as evidenced by the staggering numbers listed under the federal Endangered Species Act. State hunting and fishing license dollars, federal excise taxes on hunting and fishing gear and motorboat fuel taxes have provided the backbone for funding the nation’s state wildlife conservation programs over the past century. However, there has always been a gap in funding for species that are not hunted or fished. State and Tribal Wildlife Grants have provided state fish and wildlife agencies with the resources they critically need to partially fill that gap.

Photo (l-r): Mark Humpert, Teaming With Wildlife Director; Senator Sheldon Whitehouse; and David Whitehurst, Director, Bureau of Wildlife Resources for the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries

# # #

Teaming With Wildlife, a national coalition of more than 6,200 conservation organizations and nature-based businesses—including state fish and wildlife agencies, wildlife biologists, hunters and anglers, birdwatchers, hikers and other conservationists—is working to prevent wildlife from becoming endangered by supporting increased state, federal and private funding for wildlife conservation. Found on the web at http://www.teaming.com/

Latest Issue of the Association HQ (Highlights Quarterly) Available

2010-02-26T11:22:00.004-05:00

The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies released its fourth quarter 2009 issue of the Association HQ (Highlights Quarterly), a summary of what the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies accomplished in October, November and December.

Inside, we report on the activities of the 111th Congress relevant to fish and wildlife funding and legislation; delivery of Farm Bill conservation title dollars; the release of Voluntary Guidance for States to Incorporate Climate Change into State Wildlife Action Plans and Other Management Plans; outdoor skills and the North American Strategy for Conservation Education; leadership development services and agency effectiveness reviews by the Management Assistance Team; and more.

Read the HQ/4Q

The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Selects Ron Regan as Executive Director

2010-02-19T10:08:00.005-05:00

The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies is pleased to announce that Ron Regan has been selected as the Executive Director of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.

Regan, currently AFWA’s Acting Executive Director and Resource Director, fills the position vacated in January when Matt Hogan became the Assistant Regional Director for Migratory Birds and State Programs with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Since joining the Association in April 2007, Regan has staffed the Association’s Angler and Boater, Fisheries and Water Resources Policy, Wildlife Resource and Ocean Resource Policy Committees. He has represented state fish and wildlife agencies to help ensure the Reauthorization of the Sportfish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund and secure passage in support of the National Fish Habitat Action Plan. Regan is coordinating state interests for the 2011 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation and he oversees the Management Assistance Team.

Previously, Regan served for more than 25 years working in wildlife management and conservation in the state of Vermont. In 1999, he was appointed Commissioner of the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department a position he held for four years, and he also served as Director of Operations and Director of Wildlife for that Department.

“As a former state agency director combined with his exemplary performance as AFWA’s Resource Director, Ron understands the significant fish and wildlife management and economic challenges facing the Association’s membership today,” said John Frampton, President of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and Director of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. “We see a smooth transition and look forward to Ron’s leadership in advancing the Association’s vision of healthy fish and wildlife resources throughout North America, managed by effective, well-funded agencies.”

“I am tremendously grateful for this new leadership opportunity,” said Regan. “State fish and wildlife agencies are on the cutting edge of the foremost fish and wildlife conservation issues of our day, and it will be a privilege to represent their interests at the national level in partnership with federal agencies and the broader conservation community. I look forward to moving the Association forward with the help of a tremendously talented and dedicated professional staff.”

AFWA Supports Creation of New Wildlife & Hunting Heritage Conservation Council

2010-02-04T18:19:00.002-05:00

The Council Will Help Strengthen Cooperation in Conserving Wildlife and Nurturing Future Generations of Sportsmen and Women

WASHINGTON, DC -- Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer today at a joint press conference held at the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial announced the creation of the Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council (WHHCC), an official advisory group chartered to provide advice to the government on wildlife conservation and hunting issues and on carrying forward the nation’s hunting tradition.

The WHCC replaces and improves upon the previously existing Sporting Conservation Council by bringing together state fish and wildlife agencies; Native American tribes; the sporting conservation community; the archery, shooting and hunting sports industries; and wildlife conservation organizations to provide a forum for sportsmen and women to discuss policies that benefit wildlife resources and recreational hunting.

The executive director of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) will serve as an ex officio member of the council, representing the voice of state wildlife agencies.

"Hunters are some of our nation's most influential conservationists, and through their license and equipment purchases, they are foremost funders of state fish and wildlife agencies' programs to restore and safeguard wildlife and their habitats," said Ron Regan, AFWA’s Acting Director. "The Association looks forward to serving on the new Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council and helping to ensure that the next generations of sportsmen and women enjoy the benefits of our great outdoors."

National Conservation Leadership Institute Now Accepting Nominations for Cohort 5

2010-02-03T16:21:00.002-05:00

May 15, 2010 is the deadline for submitting an application for the National Conservation Leadership Institute (NCLI) Cohort beginning in September 2010. Applicants must be nominated by their organization's chief executive. Individuals from state fish and wildlife agencies, federal conservation agency employees, tribal members, industry employees and NGO agency employees are encouraged to apply.

The NCLI was created to train tomorrow’s conservation leaders in the latest leadership thinking and practice, and each Fellow will focus on a variety of issues, including a specific leadership challenge from each participant’s own agency or organization. Becoming an NCLI Fellow is a major step in career advancement and contributing to the future of conservation. The NCLI is suited for the highest-potential, future leaders.

>Learn more at www.conservationleadership.org about becoming an NCLI Fellow including application and nomination requirements, tuition costs and scholarship opportunities.

AFWA Releases Voluntary Guidance for Climate Change

2010-01-13T11:19:00.003-05:00

The Voluntary Guidance for States to Incorporate Climate Change into State Wildlife Action Plans & Other Management Plans provides voluntary guidance for state fish and wildlife agencies wanting to better incorporate the impacts of climate change on wildlife and their habitats into Wildlife Action Plans.

The 42-page document includes sections on wildlife adaptation, vulnerability assessment, monitoring and the planning process and it provides an overview of the information currently available on climate change, tools that can be used to plan for and implement climate change adaptation, voluntary guidance and case studies. The approaches and techniques described in the document will also be useful in modifying other wildlife plans (e.g. big game/upland game/migratory bird plans, joint venture implementation plans, national fish habitat action plan, etc.) to address climate change.

The Climate Change Wildlife Action Plan Guidance document was developed by Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies’ Climate Change and Teaming With Wildlife Committees.

The PDF of this document is available on the Association’s website and on the Wildlife Action Plan Resource page (www.wildlfeactionplan.org. If you would like to request a hard copy of the document, contact: Terra Rentz at trentz@fishwildlife.org.

Matt Hogan Accepts Position with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

2009-12-22T14:46:00.002-05:00

On Thursday, December 17, Matt Hogan announced he has accepted a position with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as the new Assistant Regional Director for Migratory Birds and State Programs in Denver, Colorado.

“Making the decision to leave the Association is certainly a difficult one. However, after working in Washington, DC for 20 years, I am looking forward to the change,” said Hogan. “In my new position, I hope to continue working closely with state agencies in the Mountain Prairie region and continuing to strengthen the working relationship between the Service and state fish and wildlife agencies to elevate sound, science-based conservation of America’s fish and wildlife resources.”

Upon Hogan’s departure, Ron Regan, the Association’s Resource Director, will serve as the Acting Executive Director until a new Executive Director is selected. A job announcement will be released in early January 2010.

“We are a stronger Association because of Matt’s leadership, insight and expertise in advancing fish and wildlife issues on a national scale over the past three and half years,” said John Frampton, President of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and Director of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. “We wish him continued success as he begins this next chapter in his already exceptional career.”

AFWA's 2nd Annual “Land the Cover” Photo Contest

2009-12-15T17:02:00.002-05:00

Arizona Game and Fish Department landed the cover of last year’s AFWA Annual Report with this stunning photo by George Andrejko. Who will take the spot and get bragging rights this year?

Submit your best hi-resolution photos of fish, wildlife, habitats, fish and wildlife agency staff at work or people enjoying your state’s natural resources. Images can be from state, territorial or provincial publications or personal photography. The entrant must be connected to a state, territorial or provincial fish and wildlife agencies to be eligible for the cover.

Every photo reproduced in the 2009 Annual Report will include a photographer credit. Photos may also be featured on the new fishwildlife.org web site. Of course, you retain the rights to your photograph; however, by entering the contest, you grant the Association use of the image. Digital images must be a resolution of at least 300 dpi and 8” x 10.” To look at previous Annual Report covers, visit www.fishwildlife.org/press_pubs.

Deadline to enter the 2nd Annual “Land the Cover” Contest is January 15, 2010.
Please email entries to lmaclean@fishwildlife.org.

Alternatively, you can mail a CD to the address below. Feel free to forward this announcement or call Laura with questions.

Laura MacLean
Communications Director
Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies
444 North Capitol St., NW
Suite 725
Washington DC, 20001
202/624-7744

Maryland DNR Deputy Secretary Testifies for AFWA Before Senate Subcommittee on Water and Wildlife

2009-12-03T19:00:00.001-05:00

WASHINGTON, DC — Eric Schwaab, Deputy Secretary, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, today testified at a Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee hearing on the National Fish Habitat Conservation Act (S1214); the Joint Ventures for Bird Conservation Act (HR2188); a technical fix to NAWCA (HR3433); reauthorizing a Nutria eradication and control program (S1519); and in support of Reauthorization of the Junior Duck Stamp Conservation and Design Program Act (HR 3537); Listing Asian Carp as Injurious (S1421); and the Marine Turtle Conservation Reauthorization Act (HR509).

On the National Fish Habitat Conservation Act
"The message is clear. The National Fish Habitat Action Plan and this legislation represent a thoughtful, planned, and strategic endeavor with the organization, science, and collaboration mechanisms to make it work. Indeed, the Plan is working and the Association supports all elements of the National Fish Habitat Conservation Act without exception or hesitation to assure its continued future success. Absent the funding contemplated in the Act, it will be difficult to sustain the existing momentum and voluntary coordination of federal and state agencies in progress."

On the Joint Ventures for Bird Conservation Act
"The future of many of the 1,400 bird species that occur in North America is in jeopardy. Many populations are in decline, some moderately, some precipitously, as habitats continue to be degraded or lost throughout their ranges which can span countries, continents — even hemispheres.

It is imperative, especially in light of future impacts of climate change, that we maintain enough high quality habitats across the hemisphere to sustain viable populations of migratory birds. This is why the Joint Ventures for Bird Habitat Conservation (HR2188) Act which emphasizes habitat conservation and management across the hemisphere, are so critical."

Read Eric Schwaab's full testimony >

State and Tribal Wildlife Grants Program Receive a Crucial Funding Boost from Congress

2009-10-30T14:58:00.003-04:00

Increase will help state fish and wildlife agencies address environmental threats to some of the nation’s most imperiled species

Washington, D.C. – This week, Congress approved $90 million for the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants Program as part of the $32.2 billion Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriation Act for 2010. The increase is $15 million over last year’s level and also includes a change in the nonfederal match requirement from 50% to 35%.

The State and Tribal Wildlife Grants program, now in its 10th year, is a principal source of funding for implementation of congressionally required State Wildlife Action Plans in every state and territory. The Plans assess the health of each state’s wildlife and habitats, identify the problems they face and outline the actions needed to conserve them over the long term to prevent wildlife from becoming endangered.

The increase in federal dollars comes at a time when state fish and wildlife agencies are increasingly challenged to address the impacts of invasive species, habitat loss and degradation and the exacerbating affects of climate change.

“We appreciate the work of the administration and Congress to secure increased funding for the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants Program,” said Matt Hogan, Executive Director of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. “These additional funds will help states tackle the backlog of conservation projects to address the threats of some of the nation’s most imperiled fish and wildlife and they will also maintain existing and create new jobs across the country.”

The State and Tribal Wildlife Grants Program was started in 2000 to meet a longstanding need for funding of fish and wildlife species that are typically not hunted or fished.

“We appreciate the work of Norm Dicks, Chairman of the House Interior, Environment and Related Appropriations subcommittee, Ranking Member Simpson and the entire committee for helping to secure the additional funding,” said Phil Anderson, Director of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. “The State and Tribal Wildlife Grants Program is essential to the successful implementation of the Washington State Wildlife Action Plan and the additional funding will allow us to step up our efforts to address climate change.”

The apportionment of funding through the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants Program is based on one third of land area and two thirds on population. For example, for fiscal year 2010, the state of Washington will receive about $1.5 million in apportionment funds. The program also will provide tribes with $7 million for a competitive grants program. An additional $5 million will be made available to states for a competitive grants program.

“The State and Tribal Wildlife Grants Program provides the only source of federal funding directed at preventing wildlife from becoming endangered and is that much more urgent now because of the impacts to wildlife from global warming,” said Naomi Edelson, Senior Manager, State Wildlife Programs for the National Wildlife Federation and member of the Teaming With Wildlife steering committee. “This increase is a natural investment toward protecting fish and wildlife and the natural lands and waters they depend on for survival.”

Increased funding for the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants program is supported by the 6,200 member Teaming With Wildlife coalition made up of wildlife conservation groups, nature centers, hunting and fishing organizations and businesses.

For more information about Teaming With Wildlife and State Wildlife Action Plans, go to www.teaming.com.

Sportsmen and Women Thank Senators Bingaman, Baucus and Whitehouse for Introducing Legislation to Safeguard Fish and Wildlife from Climate Change

2009-10-27T12:07:00.001-04:00

Natural Resources Adaptation bill helps ensure the long-term survival of fish and wildlife while providing Americans with a healthier environment and jobs

Fish and wildlife conservationists today lauded Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) and his co-sponsors Senators Max Baucus (D-MT) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) for introducing the “Natural Resources Climate Adaptation Act” (S.1933). The bill would provide for dedicated funding to federal and state natural resource agencies to plan and implement science-informed, on-the-ground projects to help fish and wildlife adapt and respond to the impacts of climate change and to foster resilient habitats.

“We applaud and appreciate the leadership of Senators Bingaman, Baucus and Whitehouse in crafting a bill that addresses the unprecedented effects climate change will have on natural systems and for recognizing the important role state and federal natural resource agencies play in ensuring that these systems continue to function,” said Matt Hogan, Executive Director of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. “Functioning ecosystems are not only vital to the health of fish and wildlife resources, they are critical to the quality of life for Americans because they provide cleaner air and water, flood attenuation, carbon sequestration and recreation.”

“Fish and wildlife populations should be considered a barometer of a healthy human environment. Our strategy for successfully adapting to climate change must include sustaining the natural diversity, distribution and abundance of fish and wildlife populations,” said George Cooper, President and CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “This bill goes a long way toward including the resources necessary to protect and restore habitat affected by climate change to assure American sportsmen and women that hunting and fishing will remain sustainable for this and future generations.”

A century of fish and wildlife conservation work is in danger from a changing climate. For more than 100 years, federal and state natural resources agencies—funded to a great extent by hunters and anglers—have invested billions of dollars in land and water conservation. However, climate change is jeopardizing this investment by escalating and accelerating threats such as the spread of invasive species and catastrophic fires, which put many fish and wildlife species at risk.

“For decades, federal and state fish and wildlife agencies, together with hunters and anglers, have invested the financial resources to develop the most successful fish and wildlife conservation programs in the world,” said Steve Williams, President of the Wildlife Management, Inc. “This bill promises to provide the additional funding necessary to adapt to climate change impacts, secure our past investments, and assure that future generations will continue to enjoy and enhance our nation’s fish and wildlife resources.”

Funding for adaptation programs would provide important new resources to agencies in partnership with the private conservation community to undertake the conservation work necessary to help fish and wildlife survive.

“As I head into the field this fall, I'm reminded of why we have the opportunities we have today,” said Land Tawney, National Wildlife Federation Senior Manager for Sportsmen Leadership. “For generations, sportsmen and women have been at the vanguard of this nation's conservation victories. Senators Baucus, Bingaman and Whitehouse deserve credit for taking the next step to ensure future generations have bountiful fish and wildlife populations and healthy natural resources to enjoy.”

In addition, the economic contributions accrued from hunters and anglers and the goods and services they purchase support millions of jobs and generate $76 billion in financial benefit annually. Conserving natural resources helps ensure the survival of countless businesses and communities nationwide.

“Paired with strong efforts to reduce carbon emissions and stop the worst impacts of climate change in the long run, this bill will provide the investments in our nation's natural resources necessary to sustain fish and wildlife populations in the coming decades,” said Steve Moyer, Vice President for Government Affairs at Trout Unlimited. “Hunters, anglers, wildlife watchers, outdoor enthusiasts, and anyone who cares about and depends on our natural resources will benefit from this bill.”

# # #

Contact:
Laura MacLean, Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies, (202) 624-7744

Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies Announces 2009 Annual Award Recipients for Exemplary Commitment to Conservation Stewardship

2009-09-24T10:15:00.007-04:00

The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies honored 12 individuals and two entities for their outstanding and longstanding commitment to conservation stewardship at the Association’s Annual Awards Ceremony held on September 15, 2009 in Austin, Texas.

2009 Annual Awards Recipients:

Seth Gordon Award
Recognizing lifetime achievement, the Association’s highest honor

David Erickson
Assistant Director, Missouri Department of Conservation

David Erickson’s career spans more than 30 years and is marked by his national and international leadership, innovation, enthusiasm, dedication and adherence to the public trust responsibilities of state and federal wildlife administrators. He has been actively involved in the Association’s work, serving on more than a dozen committees, subcommittees and working groups, which ran the gamut from bird conservation and Teaming With Wildlife to hunting/shooting sports participation and wildlife resources policy.

Erickson also is an advocate for all bird management including migratory waterfowl, game and nongame birds and has been a member of three joint venture management boards, the Mississippi Flyway Council and served on the National Flyway Council strategy team to develop a national waterfowl hunters recruitment strategy. As the Chair for state agencies on the Southern Wings Task Force, Erickson was instrumental in creating a simple infrastructure for state fish and wildlife agencies to participate in the conservation of wintering habitat in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Despite his many commitments, Erickson took on the responsibilities of chairing the Association’s new Amphibian and Reptile Subcommittee to provide a forum for conservation and policy issues and he made it possible for 14 state agencies to receive funding from the Competitive State Wildlife Grants Program. In addition, he serves as AFWA’s advisory board member to Partners in Amphibian & Reptile Conservation (PARC) and holds a seat on the PARC Joint National Steering Committee.

The Association is proud to present David Erickson with the Seth Gordon Award in recognition of his life-long career in natural resources, dedication to professional, science-based wildlife management and leadership in achieving conservation goals.

Boone & Crockett Award
Honoring an agency and team leader for outstanding achievement in promoting and encouraging programs in outdoor ethics

Group: Wyoming Game and Fish Department
Individual: Mark Bruscino, Bear Management Officer

Human-bear conflicts have become increasingly common as the grizzly bear populations grow and expand. In response to this problem, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department developed a community-based efforts focusing on living, working and recreating safely and ethically in bear country. Called Bear Wise, the program was developed under the leadership of Mark Bruscino, Wyoming’s bear management officer. The program evolved for a citizen work group that Bruscino formed in 2006 and since then has helped significantly reduce state bear conflicts and mortalities as well as possible injuries to humans. Relying on local governments and individuals, Bear Wise programs provide specific methods for managing potential bear attractants; permanent and portable fencing to help outfitters and homeowners keep bears away from attractants; and livestock carcass removal service. Bear Wise also encourages people to appreciate and tolerate bears in their communities.

Mark J. Reeff Memorial Award
Recognizing distinguished, young wildlife management professionals

Shannon Hanna
Privately Owned Cervidae Specialist, Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Wildlife Division

Confronted with a number of outstanding noncompliance issues indentified in a Michigan-wide audit, Shannon Hanna took immediate steps to get privately own cervid facilities compliant, which required extensive coordination between the Wildlife Division, the Department of Agriculture Animal Industry Division and the deer-farming community. She rewrote a Memorandum of Understanding between DNR and the Agriculture Department governing the rules and regulations of Michigan deer farming. She also developed a comprehensive database on all privately owned cervid facilities that is now accessible by both agencies, saving countless hours and greatly improving the state’s efforts to contain and manage chronic wasting disease (CWD). On her own initiative, Hanna developed a web page for the privately owned cervids industry to obtain information on laws, regulations and accepted manages pertinent to CWD and established herself as a go-to personfor straight answers concerning facility deficiencies. Her expertise proved invaluable when surveillance testing in 2008 detected a positive CWD deer on a facility.

National Private Lands Fish and Wildlife Stewardship Award
Honoring an individual- or family-run farm, ranch or forest operation that has incorporated proactive conservation and environmental protection measures

Col. Wallace N. Weber of Dorrance, Kansas

A retired U.S. Army Colonel with 31 years of service, Wallace Weber is the third generation to run his family’s 1783-acre farm in Dorrance, Kansas. A lifelong sportsman and conservationist, Col. Weber assembled a Conservation Management Team with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks to advise and assist him in the development of conservation practices. He is currently implementing the plan with his sister, Cheryl, and permanently dedicating the farm as a demonstration area for farming and wildlife to advance agronomy and conservation-minded rangeland management practices and as a field laboratory to test new conservation ideas as well as to promote the shooting sports, upland hunting and proper hunting ethics. To accomplish his vision, Col. Weber is donating portions of the property to Pheasant’s Forever over the next five years and he established a charitable remainder trust for management expenses upon his passing. In its entirety, the donation is expected to be valued at more than a million dollars and when completed, it will be the largest land donation in Pheasant’s Forever history.

Conservation Law Enforcement Award
Recognizing exceptional achievement is fish and wildlife resource enforcement

Brad M. Hadley
Missouri Department of Conservation

Agent Brad Hadley has employed substantive and innovative means to enforce Missouri fish and wildlife conservation laws. He’s made numerous arrests for serious violations relying heavily on his proficient technological skills using GPS, aircraft and watercraft. Hadley proactively instituted partnership and public relations programs with other agencies including Missouri Highway Patrol, local Sheriff’s department, water patrol, National Park Service and the Forest Service. As the head of a large neighborhood watch program, Hadley built a network of private citizen cooperators to provide enforcement information. His efforts to further inform and educate the public about conservation enforcement include writing newspaper articles, speaking at events and writing for the Missouri Conservationist magazine. Hadley also engaged with the state’s Youth Conservation Corps to develop a program to remove trash from conservation areas and he helped education the public about ATV regulations and trail closures.

Special Recognition Awards
Recognizing individuals who have distinguished themselves with an outstanding commitment to the work of the Association

Michael Berger
(Retired) Director of the Division of Wildlife, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD)

Mike Berger has had a long and distinguished wildlife conservation career. Before he retired as the Director of Wildlife, some of his most outstanding accomplishments were the development and implementation of the state’s Wildlife Conservation Plan, the addition of more than seven million acres to the state’s approved wildlife management plans and the development of a proactive partnership with The Nature Conservancy in the conservation of key prairie chicken grassland habitats. As a very engaged co-chair of AFWA’s International Relations Committee, Berger built upon the relationships that he had developed as the U.S. Chair of the Wildlife Table of the Border Governor’s Conference, a bi-national forum to coordinate the work of U.S. and Mexican states to facilitate the Mexican states working with AFWA on North American wildlife conservation issues.

Dr. Michael Fall
Biologist, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

A nationally prominent research scientist and research leader, Dr. Michael Fall has been the federal liaison within the Association for the development of Best Management Practices (BMPs) for trapping animals. He served as the project leader for the ground-breaking research that lead to the development of BMPs and has been exceptionally effective at maintaining the federal support of the research needed to develop them. Fall also has been the federal official responsible for implementing the U.S. commitments stemming from the Agreed Minute with the European Union addressing BMPs and fur trade. As head of the U.S. delegation, he consistently has made it clear that state fish and wildlife agencies are responsible for wildlife management in the U.S., thereby protecting the interests of states and the integrity of state-based wildlife management.

Glen Salmon
(Former) Director, Indiana Division of Fish and Wildlife
Deputy Assistant Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Federal Aid (USFWS)

As soon as Glen Salmon was appointed the Director of the Indiana Division of Fish and Wildlife, he became actively engaged in the work of the Association and the Midwestern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. Salmon made significant contributions to furthering the states’ wildlife conservation agenda and programs as the Chair of the Fish and Wildlife Trust Funds Committee, co-Chair of the Agency/Industry Summit; working member of the National Grants and Annual Meeting Committees; and a champion for conservation education. Salmon recently accepted a position with USFWS Federal Aid.

Virgil Moore
Director, Idaho Department of Fish and Game

Over the course of his 29-year career with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Virgil Moore has championed the cause for the conservation of native fish and through his advocacy and leadership has made a lasting impact on the fisheries resources of the Western United States. As President of the American Fisheries Society Administration Section, Moore played a key role in the development of the Western Trout Initiative, one of the most successful National Fish Habitat Initiative Partnerships. Similarly, his work on the Forest Service Fishing Review Panel helped support the continuation of Forest Service western fish programs. Nationally, Moore’s leadership on AFWA’s Fisheries and Water Policy Committee and the American Sportfishing Association’s Government Affairs Committee has been key on behalf of state agencies in the last two reauthorizations of the Sportfish Restoration Act.

Ken Haddad
Director, Executive Director, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Retiring at the end of the year after 30 years of service, Ken Haddad’s body of work as a research and natural resource administrative professional is truly substantial. He has authored or co-authored more than 35 publications in applied research and management including fisheries and fish habitat, red tide, remote sensing and geographic information systems. In the past eight years serving as the Executive Director, Haddad innovatively has set Florida’s course for the 21st century, which is serving as a model for other state agencies. He has served on AFWA’s Executive Committee and was engaged in the work of the Resource Policy and Angler Boater Participation Committees abd chaired the Leadership and Professional Development Committee to address the growing gap facing states as the baby boom generation retires. Haddad’s contributions have been a clear vision of the future with a commitment for working on the front end of issues with all stakeholders whether they be public or private partners or resource professionals.

Mark Shaffer
Director, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Environment Program

Mark Shaffer and the Doris Charitable Foundation have been tireless supporters of state wildlife action plans, contributing nearly $90 million over the past decade towards their development and implementation in order to accelerate the conservation of identified essential habitats. The Foundation also has actively encouraged other private foundations to link their conservation spending the plans.

Fallen Heroes
Remembering those wildlife professionals who lost their lives while carrying out their duties the previous year

Nathan Mims
Officer, Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries

Photos by Chase Fountain, Texas Parks and Wildlife Dpeartment

Bottom row (l-r): Ken Haddad, Shannon Hanna, Dr. Michael Fall, Glen Salmon, Dave Erickson Top row (l-r): Cheryl Weber, Wallace Weber, Virgil Moore, Mark Shaffer, Mark Bruscino, Brad Hadley, Mike Berger

South Carolina’s John Frampton Elected 2009-2010 President of the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies

2009-09-21T17:30:00.002-04:00

The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) elected South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Director, John Frampton, its new president during the Association’s 99th Annual Meeting in Austin, Texas on September 16, 2009. Frampton has more than 35 years of experience with DNR, where he started his career as a field biologist.

“I attended my first Annual Meeting in 1981 and I don’t think I have missed a meeting since then,” Frampton said. “I would not be the Director of the South Carolina DNR if it weren’t for this Association.”

Frampton currently serves on the Association’s Executive, Fish and Wildlife Trust, Fisheries and Water Resources Policy and Legislative/Federal Budget Committees and the Federal Assistance Policy Task Force. During his one-year tenure as president, he plans to pay particular attention to the work of the Association membership on the issues of climate change and energy development; lead; Teaming With Wildlife and State Wildlife Action Plans; Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund reauthorization; and bridging the gap between state agencies and the fishing, hunting and shooting sports industry.

“As an Association, we can accomplish things that as a single entity we could not accomplish or even envision alone,” said Frampton. “I am extremely proud to help enhance the collective voice we have around this country.”

The Washington, DC-based Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies is the collective voice of North America’s fish and wildlife agencies at every level of government. The Association provides its member agencies and their senior staff with coordination services that range from migratory birds, fish habitat, and invasive species, to conservation education, leadership development, and international relations. The Association represents its state agency members on Capitol Hill and before the Administration on key conservation and management policies, and works to ensure that all fish and wildlife entities work collaboratively on the most important issues.

Frampton will serve as president through September 2010.

Watch the Association's 2009 Annual Meeting Plenary Session LIVE!

2009-09-11T10:17:00.005-04:00

"It's Clean, But is It Green? How Compatible is Renewable Energy Development and Fish and Wildlife Management?"

Monday, September 14, 2009

9:00 am - 10:45 am EST

Check out our live webcast by clicking here on Monday morning!

As our nation struggles to find alternative energy sources to both reduce greenhouse gases as well as minimize our dependence on foreign oil, many fish and managers and others involved in renewable energy are struggling to ensure that “clean energy” is “green energy” and that the environmental benefits are not lost by negatively impacting fish and wildlife and the habitats on which they depend.

Join us for a special Plenary Session and hear perspectives from three individuals on the front lines of this issue. Whether you have extensive experience in this issue or are trying to learn all you can, this plenary session will no doubt better inform you on what is one of the most pressing issues facing our nation, our environment and our fish and wildlife resources today.

Guest speakers:
Tom Strickland, Assistant Secretary of Interior for Fish & Wildlife and Parks and Chief of Staff to Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar. The Department of the Interior will play a key role on the future of renewable energy and fish and wildlife conservation.

Jack Hunt, CEO and President of the King Ranch, Inc in South Texas., who overseas operations on one of the worlds largest ranches. The King Ranch is a diverse operation and includes a very active fish and wildlife management and ecotourism operation.

T. Boone Pickens, founder and chairman of BP Capital Management and proponent of his national Pickens Plan promoting alternatives to oil

Link to 2009 Annual Meeting Plenary Session:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/tpwd-show

Webcast Production Provided by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

NEW Quarterly Newsletter: The Invasive Species Bulletin

2009-08-07T10:20:00.002-04:00

The Association’s Invasive Species Committee released its first Invasive Species Bulletin this week. It is a quarterly e-publication focusing on state invasive species actions. The Bulletin is populated with reports written by state invasive species coordinators on efforts to manage invasive species through outreach, collaboration, legislation and control techniques. The next issue is expected to be released this fall with more state reports. The Invasive Species Committee hopes to use the bulletin as a communication platform between states as well as the greater conservation community.

Check out the Summer 2009 issue of the Invasive Species Bulletin

Senator Johnson Awarded for His Leadership in Helping to Prevent Wildlife from Becoming Endangered

2009-08-04T16:52:00.003-04:00

The Teaming With Wildlife Coalition and the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies honored Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) today for championing federal funding for state-based wildlife conservation as part of the Teaming With Wildlife Act, which he introduced in March 2009.

The award recognizes the Senator’s leadership in supporting legislation to establish a first-of-its-kind funding program to help state fish and wildlife agencies further move their State Wildlife Action Plans into on-the-ground action to prevent at risk wildlife from becoming endangered nationwide.

“I am honored to receive this award from the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies,” Johnson said. “South Dakota has a deep history of appreciation for the outdoors and that’s why I introduced important legislation that will help preserve our wildlife.”

As introduced by Senator Johnson, the Teaming With Wildlife Act would provide $350 million annually over five years through a portion of the royalties collected from Outer Continental Shelf drilling and mineral development on federal land to help state agencies carry out their State Wildlife Action Plans, the primary, comprehensive conservation tool adopted in every state and territory to keep fish and wildlife healthy and off the list of threatened and endangered species.

“We are grateful to Senator Johnson for recognizing that taking action to conserve wildlife before it becomes endangered is environmentally sound and fiscally responsible to taxpayers, said Matt Hogan, Executive Director of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. “Once a species declines to the point of potential extinction, recovery efforts become risky and expensive. The Teaming With Wildlife Act is a major milestone in the effort to secure dedicated funding essential for state agencies’ fish and wildlife conservation efforts.”

In addition to state fish and wildlife agencies, the Teaming With Wildlife Act has the active support of the 6,100-member Teaming With Wildlife Coalition, which is the largest and most diverse wildlife conservation alliance ever assembled in the U.S. representing millions of birdwatchers, hikers, anglers, hunters, outdoor enthusiasts and conservation professionals.

To lean more about Teaming With Wildlife and State Wildlife Action Plans, visit http://www.teaming.com/ and http://www.wildlifeactionplans.org/.

Photo (l-r): Mark Humpert, AFWA Wildlife Diversity Director; Matt Hogan, AFWA Executive Director; Senator Tim Johnson; representing the Teaming With Wildlife Coalition --Laura Bies, Director of Government Affairs, The Wildlife Society; Derek Brockbank, Conservation Funding Campaign Director, National Wildlife Federation

Michigan DNR Director Testifies at Senate Hearing on Threats to Fish and Wildlife from Diseases

2009-07-09T14:37:00.001-04:00

Rebecca Humphries, Director of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Chair of the Association’s Fish and Wildlife Health Committee, testified yesterday on behalf of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on the issue of threats to fish and wildlife sustainability from diseases and pathogens.

Director Humphries reflected on the utility of the Association-developed “National Fish and Wildlife Health Initiative” as an approach to addressing this national issue; and addressed the state-federal collaboration on the management of Chronic Wasting Disease as a model to approaching animal diseases that affect both free-ranging fish and wildlife, and domestic animals. Humphries also shared her experiences of managing CWD, Bovine Tuberculosis and Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia in Michigan.

“The dramatically growing importance of fish and wildlife health issues in natural resource management makes it imperative that more human, financial and technological resources can be directed toward them in the future,” said Humphries.

To learn more about the National Fish and Wildlife Health Initiative, go to http://www.fishwildlife.org/about_comm_fwhealth.html.

Read Humphries full testimony >

State Fish & Wildlife Agencies Support Restoration of Previous Clean Water Act Jurisdiction

2009-06-18T10:59:00.003-04:00

The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies appreciates the action of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee in reporting the Clean Water Restoration Act out of committee today with a favorable substitute amendment to tightly restore previous jurisdiction.

The amendment to the bill would restore Clean Water Act jurisdiction over isolated, intrastate wetlands and intermittent streams, which are vital habitats for fish and wildlife, to the jurisdictional application that existed prior to two recent Supreme Court decisions (SWANCC,2001; and Carabell-Rapanos,2006). The substitute language is very tightly drafted to only restore previous jurisdiction and not expand jurisdiction. It also imports into statute the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule defining "waters of the United States.”

In support of the favored amendment to the bill, the Association joined with five other state executive branch organizations -- the Environmental Council of the States, the Association of State Wetland Managers, the Association of State and Interstate Water Pollution Control Administrators, the Association of State Floodplain Managers and the Coastal States Organization -- in sending a letter to the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and its Chairman Senator Barbara Boxer (CA), on June 10, 2009.

The letter states:

“We have reviewed the compromise language for the Clean Water Restoration Act that your staff and the offices of Senators Baucus and Klobuchar reached as of June 10, 2009. We endorse this approach to solving the nation's Clean Water Act jurisdictional issues.

We believe that the clarified definition of “waters of the United States” will achieve a definitive return to the Act as it was without increasing or reducing the scope of its jurisdiction. The exemptions for agriculture, silviculture and other activities would remain in place. Further, we believe that the compromise language's reliance on the previous regulatory definition and interpretations of it neither broadens or lessens federal authority, nor causes a loss of states’ rights. We note that the compromise language makes findings that assert that “ground waters” and certain manmade artificial waters are not included in the jurisdiction of the Act. Also, the compromise language explicitly grounds these Clean Water Act protections within the scope of Congress' constitutional authorities.

We strongly encourage Congress and the Administration to continue to work together to make State Assumption of Section 404 a viable option, as it is for other sections of the Act. Primarily, a new authority is needed that authorizes EPA to provide states with grants to implement wetlands protection programs.

We are hopeful that the bill will pass out of committee and be enacted by the Senate at its earliest opportunity. Thank you for considering our views.”

View the letter >

MD DNR Deputy Secretary Delivers Congressional Testimony on behalf of Assoc. of Fish & Wildlife Agencies in Strong Support of Fish Habitat Legislation

2009-06-16T16:33:00.005-04:00

On behalf of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, Eric Schwaab, Deputy Secretary, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, today testified at a House Natural Resources Subcommittee hearing in support of the National Fish Habitat Conservation Act (NFHCA) (HR2565) and the Pacific Salmon Stronghold Conservation Act (PSSCA) (HR2055).

Introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congressman Ron Kind (WI) on May 21, 2009, the NFHCA is a high priority for the Association. The bill would create an architecture for the National Fish Habitat Action Plan; authorize and define the National Fish Habitat Board; identify terms for Fish Habitat Partnerships and standards for projects to be submitted for funding consideration; establish a National Fish Habitat Partnership office under the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; authorize the program at $75M; and other provisions.

“The Plan offers an investment strategy to support and formalize a fledgling infrastructure already working hard unto that end,” said Schwaab. “The investment will pay rich dividends — clean water, healthy ecosystems, abundant fish, fewer ESA listings, and quality water-based places to recreate, which will also support our economy. Absent the funding contemplated in the Act, it will be difficult to sustain the existing momentum and voluntary coordination of federal and state agencies in progress.”

The PSSCA, introduced by Rep. Mike Thompson (CA), seeks to focus Pacific salmon conservation efforts on high priority conservation areas.

“The PSSCA will build the third leg of the stool to complement the NFHCA and existing salmon habitat conservation programs by focusing on public/private efforts to identify and protect a range-wide network of strongholds, facilitating a holistic and balanced approach to wild salmon conservation,” added Schwaab. “This added element is essential for helping the National Fish Habitat Board achieve its national goals by contributing to regional and international coordinated conservation actions specific to Pacific salmon.”

For more information about the National Fish Habitat Action Plan, the most comprehensive, science-based effort ever attempted to treat the causes of aquatic habitat decline and the fix the nation’s most pressing fisheries problems, visit www.fishhabitat.org.

Read the full testimony >

Landmark Fish Habitat Bill Introduced in U.S. Senate

2009-06-11T19:32:00.002-04:00

Legislation offers grassroots, tanglible solutions to restore America's waterways

Senators Joe Lieberman (ID-CT), Christopher Bond (R-MO), Robert Casey (D-PA), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Bernie Sanders (ID-VT) on June 9 introduced the National Fish Habitat Conservation Act of 2009, a comprehensive strategy to support and fund for effective conservation of our national waterways and the fisheries associated with them.

“The National Fish Habitat Conservation Act, which I introduced today along with Senators Bond, Casey, Stabenow, Cardin, Whitehouse, Crapo and Sanders, will revolutionize how we as a nation approach fish habitat conservation issues,” said Senator Lieberman. “With 40 percent of our fish populations in decline and half of our nation’s fresh waters already impaired, the current fragmented approach to fish habitat protection has clearly not worked and in turn put aquatic resources preservation in a race against time.”

“This bill encourages collaborative regional conservation efforts that bring together federal government agencies, state and local governments, non-governmental organizations, fishing industry groups, private land owners, stakeholders and businesses,” he added. “I look forward to working with my colleagues in Congress to enact this critical legislation to help conserve fish stocks and habitat across the country.”

The National Fish Habitat Conservation Act addresses a continuing and alarming downward trend in our nation’s fish species resulting from loss in the amount and quality of our nation’s most important freshwater, estuarine and marine habitats.

Under this legislation, federal and state governments, the recreational and commercial fishing industries, the conservation community and businesses will work together collectively to voluntarily conserve (protect, restore and enhance) America’s aquatic habitats. The legislation will ensure that science-based conservation approaches that focus on the causes of habitat degradation and not on the symptoms of the many problems our waters face are utilized to change the trajectory of our nation’s waters.

The National Fish Habitat Conservation Act also leverages existing and critical, new federal, state and private funds to build voluntary regional partnerships equipped to use science based strategies and actions to solve the nation’s biggest fisheries problems associated with habitat loss and degradation.

The bill is supported by numerous leading conservation organizations including the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies, the American Sportfishing Association, The Nature Conservancy, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, Trout Unlimited, American Fly Fishing Trade Association and several federal and state agencies and non-governmental organizations and other trade organizations, all of which share a common interest in the success of the National Fish Habitat Action Plan.

“I would first like to express my sincere gratitude to the sponsors of the bill and their commitment to improving the quality of life in this country,” said Kelly Hepler, of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and Chairman of the National Fish Habitat Board. “The waterways in our country are the true lifeblood of our nation. The National Fish Habitat Conservation Act will not only provide additional fishing opportunities but will also improve the overall health of our fresh and marine waters and therefore the health of our families.”

Legislation that mirrors the National Fish Habitat Conservation Act introduced in the Senate was also introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives (HR2565) by Representative Ron Kind (WI) on May 21, 2009.

Read full story

National Fish Habitat Conservation Act (Senate Bill - PDF)

America’s Wildlife Heritage Act will Level the Playing Field for Fish and Wildlife

2009-06-11T11:04:00.003-04:00

WASHINGTON—Representatives Ron Kind (WI) and Walter Jones (NC) introduced a bill in the House of Representatives yesterday that will help improve populations of fish and wildlife on America’s National Forests and BLM lands.

The America’s Wildlife Heritage Act would end years of litigation and uncertainty surrounding the fish and wildlife planning protocols for federal lands by providing the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) with clear directives and science-based tools to sustain and monitor healthy populations of fish and wildlife and their lands. The bill further would require improved coordination between federal and state agencies to achieve their mutual objectives.

“In addition to creating standards for establishing fish and wildlife population objectives to which BLM and FS land management plans are to aspire, the bill significantly directs and facilitates that these population objectives be achieved based on an evaluation and monitoring program that is designed and implemented in cooperation with the state fish and wildlife agencies,” said Gary Taylor, Legislative Director of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.

“States have principal authorities and responsibilities for managing fish and wildlife within their borders, including on most federal lands, and it is vitally important that the states and federal land managers work closely together to enhance the sustainability of fish, wildlife and their habitats on these important multiple-use public lands,” added Taylor.

Forest Service and BLM lands hold some of the best remaining lands for big game and sport fish species, provide habitat for countless other species, both imperiled and common, and protect some 3,400 public water supplies. But they are also under increasing pressure oil and gas planned development and the serious changes wrought by global warming.

“The America’s Wildlife Heritage Act is a bill that is good for America’s sportsmen and women because it will compel the federal land management agencies to do a much better job of prioritizing the needs of fish and wildlife populations in their planning processes,” said Steve Williams, President of the Wildlife Management Institute. “Fish and wildlife have taken a back seat to oil and gas leasing and other uses of federal lands for too long, and this bill will level the playing field as our nation’s multiple use laws have always intended,” said Williams.

“Hunters and anglers are do-ers, and we are sometimes skeptical of planning and monitoring,” said Steve Moyer, Vice President of Government Affairs at Trout Unlimited. But we know that with the many forces of habitat destruction on our public lands, especially the adverse affects of climate change, our federal land managers must plan and monitor better if we are to enjoy hunting and fishing in coming generations,” concluded Moyer.

$61 Million in State Wildlife Grants Will Help State Fish and Wildlife Agencies Conserve Species and Habitats at Greatest Risk of Becoming Endangered

2009-05-20T15:57:00.001-04:00

More than $61 million will be distributed to the fish and wildlife agencies of the 50 states, commonwealths, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories to help conserve and recover imperiled fish and wildlife species through the State Wildlife Grants (SWG) Competitive Program, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced yesterday.

The State Wildlife Grants Program provides federal dollars to every state and territory to support the development and implementation of their unique State Wildlife Action Plans, which assess the health of each state’s wildlife and habitats, identify the problems they face and outline the actions needed to conserve them over the long term to prevent wildlife from becoming endangered.

“The State Wildlife Grant program exemplifies the Department of the Interior’s strong support for conservation efforts by the states,” said Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar. “Along with President Obama’s commitment to the Land and Water Conservation Fund, the State Wildlife Grants will provide states critical funding to help conserve their highest priority wildlife, plants and habitat.”

“State and territorial fish and wildlife agencies have a long history of success in conserving game species, thanks to the support of hunter and angler license fees and federal excise taxes; but 90 percent of our nation’s wildlife—tens of thousands of species—is neither hunted nor fished,” said Matt Hogan, Executive Director of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. “State Wildlife Grants help to partially fill the gap in conservation funding by supporting projects that prevent all wildlife from declining to the point of being endangered.”

Projects supported by State Wildlife Grants protect and restore important lands and waters; collect information on what kinds of wildlife are in trouble; and facilitate partnerships with landowners to protect declining species and habitats on public and private lands. Priority for use of grant funds is placed on those species and habitats with the greatest conservation need.

“By emphasizing a proactive approach, the State Wildlife Grants Program supports states and territories in their efforts to conserve wildlife and habitats before they become more rare, risky and costly to protect,” said Mark Humpert, Teaming With Wildlife Director at the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. The 6,000-member Teaming With Wildlife coalition, made up of organizations and businesses, strongly supports increased State Wildlife Grant funding for wildlife conservation, education and nature-based recreation.

Congress created the State Wildlife Grants Program in FY2002, funded from the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Funds appropriated under the program are allocated to each state and other eligible jurisdictions according to a formula based on land area and population. Since the program’s inception, Congress has distributed more than $500 million for conservation work on state and private lands.

For more information about State Wildlife Action Plans and to read an accomplishments report, visit www.wildlifeactionplans.org.

To view the State Wildlife Grant allocations for each state, go to http://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/Subpages/GrantPrograms/SWG/SWG09Apportionment.pdf.

“The American Clean Energy and Security Act” Introduced Today – Could Be Best Insurance for Natural Resources in Uncertain Changing Climate

2009-05-15T17:02:00.003-04:00

Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Henry Waxman (CA) and Energy and Environment Subcommittee Chairman, Edward Markey (MA), introduced the “The American Clean Energy and Security Act” this afternoon. The 932-page bill (HR 2454) proposes policy for a cleaner, energy-independent America that considers the impacts of climate change on fish and wildlife and their habitats and promises dedicated funding to state and federal natural resource agencies to safeguard our nation’s natural resources.

The Energy and Commerce Committee will begin markup of the bill on Monday, May 18 at 1:00 p.m., which is anticipated to win approval before the Memorial Day recess.

Earlier today, the Association issued a joint statement with the National Wildlife Federation, Pheasants Forever, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Trout Unlimited and the Izaak Walton League thanking Chairmen Dingell, Waxman and Markey on behalf of sportsmen and women for championing the bill's adaptation funding.

State Fish & Wildlife Agencies Praise Waxman-Markey Allocation Plan Champions for Dedicating Funds to Safeguard Natural Resources from Climate Change

2009-05-15T13:59:00.003-04:00

Chairmen helping to ensure the future of fish and wildlife conservation in the face of climate change while providing Americans with a healthier environment

The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies applauds Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Henry Waxman (CA); Chairman Emeritus, John Dingell (MI); and Edward Markey (MA), Energy and Environment Subcommittee Chairman, for their leadership in dedicating funding for wildlife and natural resources protection in their proposed Waxman-Markey Allowance Allocation released today for the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009.

Starting at one percent of the total allowance value in 2012 and increasing to four percent by 2027, the portion of climate-derived revenue from the auction of carbon credits allocated to state and federal natural resource adaptation programs would help to remediate the effects of a changing climate on fish, wildlife and their habitats.

"We appreciate the work of Chairmen Waxman, Dingell and Markey and all of the conservation champions who drafted the emissions allowance allocations to be included in the bill,” said Matt Hogan, Executive Director of the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies. “Pressures on fish and wildlife and their habitats caused by climate change emphasize the need for increased conservation and science-based management and the appropriate, dedicated funding to do so.”

For more than 100 years, state fish and wildlife agencies have been addressing threats to fish and wildlife including altered habitat, invasive species, the spread of diseases and population changes; however, climate change is escalating and accelerating these threats, making it much more difficult and costly for agencies to manage.

Funded, adaptation programs that are delivered by state and federal agencies in partnership with the private conservation community are not only vital to the health of fish and wildlife resources; but also to the quality of life for Americans that functioning ecosystems likewise provide.

Functioning habitats provide cleaner air and water and flood attenuation as well as carbon capture through sequestration. The economic contributions accrued from the recreational use of natural resources support millions of jobs nationwide and stimulate nearly ten percent of all consumer spending.

“The Chairmen have laid a strong and broad foundation for critical natural resources adaptation programs that will help ensure the sustainability of fish and wildlife, provide Americans with healthier environments and deliver economic benefits to communities nationwide,” added Hogan. “We look forward to continuing to work with them to report the bill out of the Energy and Commerce Committee, and on subsequent passage by the House."

Association Testifies Concerning Migratory Bird Joint Ventures and Duck Stamp Fee

2009-05-14T15:10:00.006-04:00

On behalf of the Association, Kristin Saunders Evans, Assistant Secretary for Land Resources of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, testified yesterday before the House Natural Resources Subcommittee in strong support of the Joint Ventures Burd Conservation Act of 2009 (HR2188) from Congressman Frank Kratovil (MD) that would provide express authority for the migratory bird Joint Ventures (JVs); and in support of a bill from Congressman John Dingell the Migratory Bird Habitat Investment and Enhancement Act (HR1916), that would incrementally increase the federal duck stamp fee.

The Association worked closely with the Subcommittee staff and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) staff in drafting the JVs bill to ensure that the bill reflects the success of the existing JVs as being grounded in a federal-state-private partnership; gives statutory deference to existing JVs; and establishes guidance for USFWS consideration of new JVs.

"The conservation of migratory birds is essential not only to the mission of the state fish and wildlife agencies, but to the core values of American society," said Saunders Evans. "Only through multi-scale partnerships that embrace an integrated, science-based approach to migratory bird conservation can we hope to achieve our common goals for the conservation of migratory birds and other wildlife."

The Association also has supported for several years an increase to the federal duck stamp, which has remained at $15 since 1991. HR1916 would raise the fee starting in 2010 to $25 until 2020 and to $35 thereafter.

"It is imperative, especially in light of future impacts of climate change, that we maintain enough high quality habitats across the hemisphere to sustain viable populations of migratory birds," added Saunders Evans. "This is why the Joint Ventures for Bird Habitat Conservation (HR2188) and the Migratory Bird Habitat Investment and Enhancement Act (H.R. 1916), programs that emphasize habitat conservation and management across the hemisphere, are so critical.

Read full testimony

Association HQ Highlighting 2009 First Quarter Progress Now Available

2009-05-08T11:22:00.006-04:00

The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies today released its second issue of the Association HQ—Highlights Quarterly, which summarizes what the Association accomplished in the first quarter of 2009.

Leading off the HQ-1Q 2009, Matt Hogan, the Association’s Executive Director, considers the question, “Are we relevant?” followed by an overview of some of the major issues and actions that the Association committees addressed at the North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference in March and the impact of those issues on the work of state fish and wildlife agencies.

This edition also provides a report on the activities of the 111th Congress between January and March relevant to fish and wildlife funding and legislation as well as progress achieved in advancing cross-cutting member issues and species-based interests through programs, partnerships, outreach and other initiatives.

Read Association HQ-1Q highlighting activities of the Association from January, February and March 2009.

Congress Identifies State Natural Resource Agencies in the No Child Left Inside Act of 2009

2009-05-01T18:47:00.006-04:00

Senator Jack Reed (RI) and Representative John Sarbanes (MD) introduced Senate and House versions of the “No Child Left Inside Act” legislation on Earth Day, April 22.

“Climate change, conservation of precious natural resources, maintaining clean air and water and other environmental challenges are pressing and complex issues that influence human health, economic development, and national security,” said Senator Reed in his introductory comments. “Environmental education will help ensure that our nation's children have the knowledge and skills necessary to address these critical issues. In short, the environment should be an important part of the curriculum in our schools.”

The legislation will authorize $100 million over each of the next five years for developing school curricula for outdoor learning activities, teacher professional development and the creation of state environmental literacy plans.

“It's great to see that the state environmental literacy plans are to be developed by state education departments in consultation with state environmental agencies and state natural resources agencies, and to see that state natural resources agencies will be eligible to receive sub grants,” observed Dr. Judy Silverberg, chair of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies’ Conservation Education Strategy Working Group and Wildlife Education Programs Supervisor with the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. “The good news for state fish and wildlife agencies is that state natural resource agencies are specifically identified in both House and Senate versions. ”

State natural resource agencies were not included in an earlier version of the bill passed by the House last year.

The 2009 legislation requires state educational agencies to develop environmental literacy plans “in consultation with state environmental agencies and state natural resource agencies.” State natural resource agencies also will be eligible for sub grants to provide professional development to teachers and for environmental education capacity building, in partnership with state educational agencies.

The Association and its member state fish and wildlife agencies are well positioned to take advantage of the new legislation. The Association’s Conservation Education (CE) Strategy has developed the K-12 Conservation Education Scope and Sequence, which outlines a set of expectations of what students should know and be able to do regarding natural resources conservation for grades K-5, 6-8, and 9-12.

The CE Strategy also has developed a Field Investigations Guide, which shows teachers how to conduct field investigations based on the research methods used by fish and wildlife agency biologists. A working session at the Association's recent Conservation Education Conference in Arkansas focused on environmental literacy plans. Future actions of the CE Strategy include coordinating with state education department science supervisors to incorporate core concepts into state science standards and to add social studies, technology and math correlations to the Field Investigations Guide.

The Association is a member of the No Child Left Inside Coalition, a group of about 1,300 organizations to advocate for greater outdoor educational and recreational activity in schools.

National Fish Habitat Action Plan Unveils 10 "waters to Watch" in 2009

2009-04-30T11:40:00.004-04:00

The National Fish Habitat Action Plan today unveiled the 2009 10 "Waters to Watch” list, a collection of rivers, streams, lakes, watershed systems and shores that will benefit from strategic conservation efforts to protect, restore or enhance their current condition. These waters represent a snapshot of current conservation efforts that the Action Plan is undertaking to provide cleaner and healthier habitats for the many fish and wildlife species and people who call these areas home.

Thanks to the combined actions of concerned community groups, non-profit organizations, local watershed groups, Native American tribes and state and federal agencies, these waters are being improved by planting stream-side vegetation, removing structures blocking fish from habitat and protecting bodies of water from the effects of industrial processes, agriculture and livestock.

The 10 “Waters to Watch” are representative of freshwater to marine waters across the country including lakes and reservoirs that are improving through the conservation efforts of the National Fish Habitat Action Plan—a bold initiative to reverse persistent declines in aquatic habitat.

The Action Plan’s 10 “Waters to Watch” Initiative was first unveiled in 2007 through its Fish Habitat Partnerships. Since 2006, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has provided $5.8 million to support 136 on-the-ground projects in 35 states, leveraging $15.1 million in partner match, to address the priorities of the Fish Habitat Partnerships, along with funding from several other state and federal agencies and NGO’s.

“Our approach—teaming federal, state and local partners—is helping to bring these waters back to life in most cases…in a faster more strategic way,” said Kelly Hepler, Chairman of the National Fish Habitat Board. “By watching these 10 models of our nation’s aquatic conservation efforts, we can see real progress in treating the causes of fish habitat decline, not just the symptoms. These specific projects display on the ground work that can be held high as a vision of what quality habitat should be, which affects all people throughout the United States.”

The 10 Waters to Watch in 2009 include:

Agulowak River, Alaska - The Agulowak River is one of the salmon rich jewels of Southwest Alaska. The river provides a robust fishery for sport anglers, subsistence and commercial users. The Conservation Fund and the Nushagak-Mulchatna / Wood-Tikchik Land Trust working together have secured a conservation easement with the major Native corporation landowner on its land within the Wood-Tikchik State Park, including both banks of the Agulowak River and approximately 39 miles of shoreline along Lakes Aleknagik and Nerka—a total of about 20,850 acres of land with high fish and wildlife values.

Jockey’s Ridge State Park, North Carolina - Restoring coastal marsh habitat and protecting shorelines from erosion are the goals of this project in the Outer Banks, one of the nation’s most famous coastal habitats. Oyster reef creation and native cordgrass plantings are already underway.

Lake Houston, Texas – Restoring native aquatic vegetation and reducing sedimentation will improve fish habitat for the entire watershed both upstream and downstream of Lake Houston, as well as within the reservoir, which is an important lifeline both economically and recreationally to the people of Houston.

Lower Flint River, Georgia – Cool water flowing from springs in the Flint River provides critical thermal refuge habitat for Gulf Striped Bass during the warm summer months. Sediment and debris clogs the springs, reducing flow and reducing fish habitat. This project will clean out the springs and enhance flows to provide more habitat for more fish.

Maggie Creek, Nevada – Improvement in agricultural and mining practices is helping to restore habitat in this Humboldt River tributary, helping Lohontan Cutthroat Trout, a federally listed threatened species.

Meramec Watershed Basin, Missouri – This unique project teams agricultural landowners, state and federal agencies, and NGOs to identify shared goals that balance fish habitat with farming needs in the watershed by instilling stream friendly farming practices which ultimately improve fish habitat."

Pine Creek, Wisconsin - Restoring stream banks which reduce sedimentation deposits will ultimately benefit this mid-Western fishery, enhancing a declining population of Eastern Brook Trout.

South Fork Little Conemaugh River, Pennsylvania – Historic acid mine drainage will be mitigated through limestone beds and limestone dosing to resurrect this four mile stretch of Pennsylvania brook trout waters, increasing population in this critical tributary.
Teton Creek, Idaho – Restoring stream channels and eroding stream banks will help reduce sedimentation throughout this Western tributary, the largest of the Teton River, to provide pristine habitat to Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout.

Whitethorn Creek, West Virginia – Riparian restoration and natural stream channel will decrease temperatures and provide cover and holding habitat in this critical wild brook trout system located in the headwaters of the South Branch of the Potomac.

“Whether you measure the effect of these 10 success stories in feet or miles of fish and wildlife habitat conserved, these kinds of concerted actions are what it is going to take to get our nation’s waters back into shape,” said Hepler. “We believe the Waters recognized today will be the impetus for thousands of projects accomplished in the future.”

The National Fish Habitat Action Plan is built on a framework of National Fish Habitat Partnerships. These regional-scale efforts include the Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership, Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture, the Western Native Trout Initiative, the Driftless Area Restoration Effort, the Matanuska-Susitna Basin Salmon Habitat Partnership, the Southwest Alaska Salmon Habitat Partnership, the Midwest Glacial Lakes Partnership, the Desert Fish Habitat Partnership and the Hawaii Fish Habitat Partnership. There are also 11 “Candidate” Fish Habitat Partnerships that have stated their intent to apply for full NFHAP Board recognition. The Action Plan calls for the creation of at least 12 Fish Habitat Partnerships by 2010 to help identify the causes of habitat declines and implement corrective initiatives for aquatic conservation and restoration.

Since its launch three years ago, the Action Plan has received wide public support. To date nearly 1,000 partners have pledged their support including a range of organizations interested in the health of the nation’s fisheries such as fishing clubs, international conservation organizations, federal agencies, angling industries and academia. Complete information on the scope of the plan is available at http://www.fishhabitat.org/.

The Action Plan is complemented by the “More Fish” campaign administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, which is taking the lead in raising funds for these and other projects under the Action Plan. Information about the campaign can be found at http://www.morefish.org/.

$3.6 Million Awarded to Help States Safeguard Nature in an Era of Climate Change

2009-04-29T13:33:00.001-04:00

Grant will enable state fish and wildlife agencies in updating

and implementing their wildlife action plans

NEW YORK —The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (DDCF) announced last week grants totaling nearly $3.6 million over four years to help states account for climate change in their wildlife action plans. The grants were awarded to the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, Defenders of Wildlife, National Wildlife Federation and the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership.

“The challenge that climate change poses to the natural places that people, plants and animals need to survive is something that must be brought into our planning processes,” said Dr. Mark Shaffer, director of DDCF’s Environment Program. “The good news is that in every state, officials already have worked with scientists, conservationists, sportsmen and other concerned citizens to develop what are known as wildlife action plans, so we can focus our efforts on updating these plans to account for climate change, and implementing these plans on an accelerated timeline, rather than starting from scratch.”

“Wildlife action plans have proven to be an effective way for government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and interested individuals to find and focus on a state’s highest conservation priorities, ensuring that we get the most out of every conservation dollar spent,” said Matt Hogan, Executive Director of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. In addition to representing state fish and wildlife agencies, the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies leads Teaming With Wildlife, the national conservation coalition of 6,000 organizations that support the full implementation of the state wildlife action plans to prevent wildlife from becoming endangered.

State wildlife action plans were first conceived in 2000, when Congress mandated that each state develop a comprehensive strategy for conserving its wildlife. The states submitted their plans to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the fall of 2005, and they were all approved by February of 2007. In developing these plans, state wildlife agencies identified species and habitats in greatest need of conservation attention. Additional information about the wildlife action plans can be found at www.wildlifeactionplans.org.

The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies will receive a DDCF grant of $800,000 over four years in support of a set of activities aimed both at updating the action plans to account for climate change and advancing the implementation of the action plans on the ground. Specific activities will include developing guidance to help states incorporate climate change into their action plans, facilitating nationally coordinated conservation of at-risk amphibians and reptiles, and developing national effectiveness measures related to the implementation of the plans.

Defenders of Wildlife will use its $1.2 million grant to assist states in developing strategies to address the impacts of climate change with a special focus on the issue of corridors and connectivity including the development of a synthesis guide to mapping priority areas in the context of wildlife plans and conducting workshops examining the ways in which the state wildlife action plans can assist in transportation planning.

With a grant of $1.2 million, the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) will assist agencies in pilot states ( NY, NC, OR, VA and WA) with vulnerability assessments, identify and promote best practices in planning for climate change, and track progress in implementing those practices. NWF also will work with Teaming With Wildlife coalitions.

Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP) will receive a grant of approximately $400,000 to create a multimedia public communications campaign to inform sportsmen of the effects of climate change on fish and wildlife, and inspire additional support for integrating and implementing climate change strategies as part of the state wildlife action plans.

Teaming With Wildlife 2.0

2009-04-28T10:21:00.001-04:00

Teaming With Wildlife has gone 2.0!

Join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/Washington-DC/Teaming-with-Wildlife/34784507665. You can find this link on the Teaming With Wildlife Homepage at http://www.teaming.com/.

TWW is also blogging away to help spread the word in gaining support funding dedicated to fish and wildlife conservation, outdoor recreation and conservation education in every state.
You can find the blog at http://teaming-with-wildlife.blogspot.com/ and under the Newsroom Section on the TWW website.

Interior Secretary Salazar Awards More Than $300,000 to Amphibian and Reptile Conservation

2009-04-27T12:19:00.003-04:00

On April 24, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced an award of $319,833 for a national multistate grant, led and coordinated by the Missouri Department of Conservation, for amphibian and reptile conservation and management throughout the continental United States. The federal funding, which is part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s State Wildlife Grants Program, will be matched by $145,585 in non-Federal funds provided by State wildlife agencies and their partners.

The grant is part of nearly $9 million in SWG Competitive Program funds awarded to 12state wildlife agencies across the country to help imperiled fish, wildlife and plant species.

“The projects funded by these grants target some of the most imperiled species and habitats in the United States. They’re also among the most effective, because they are tied to well thought-out conservation plans that identify the highest priorities in each state – as well as the areas where we can make the biggest difference for imperiled species,” said Salazar.

Led by the Missouri Department of Conservation, this project will evaluate amphibian and reptile species of concern for vulnerabilities to climate change, priority habitats, and monitoring needs; and will provide capacity building opportunities for state wildlife agencies with respect to amphibians and reptiles. The project includes partners from 14 states and represents a national cooperative effort to address amphibian and reptile conservation needs.

“There are still so many gaps in our knowledge of amphibians and reptiles,” said Priya Nanjappa, Amphibian and Reptile Coordinator for the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. “This grant will help provide the basic tools and resources necessary at a national scale, which will assist management of these species at a local scale.”

The SWG Competitive Program awards grants to projects that implement strategies and actions to conserve imperiled species contained in approved State Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Plans (also known as State Wildlife Action Plans). Grants are scored using criteria developed by a team of Service and state wildlife agency directors. Funding for the grants comes from Fiscal Year 2008 and 2009 appropriations for the SWG Competitive Program.

All 56 states and territorial wildlife agencies have approved State Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Plans, which collectively provide a nationwide blueprint for actions to conserve imperiled species. The Plans were created through a collaborative effort among state and federal agencies, biologists, conservationists, landowners, sportsmen and the general public. Each Plan was then reviewed and approved by a national team that included members from the USFWA and directors from state fish and wildlife agencies.

Second Annual National Fish Habitat Award Winners Announced

2009-04-07T12:03:00.005-04:00

A group of the nation’s leading authorities on aquatic conservation, the National Fish Habitat Board, will honor two exceptional organizations and two individual champions in aquatic resource conservation at the Second Annual National Fish Habitat Awards ceremony on April 27, 2009 at the Jim Range National Casting Call hosted by the American Fly Fishing Trade Association.

From nominations submitted by the hundreds of organizations that comprise the National Fish Habitat Partners Coalition, the awardees demonstrate an extraordinary commitment to fish habitat conservation, science and education. They are leading by example to help resolve the nation’s most significant fisheries problems.

For 2009, the selection committee added an additional award category, Extraordinary Action category in support of fish habitat, bringing the total number of awards to four. Also, in honor of the recently passed Jim Range, who tragically lost his battle with cancer, the selection committee has re-named the Exceptional Vision Award in Jim’s honor. The award will now be the Jim Range Conservation Vision Award.

“Renaming the Award in honor of Jim, is just a small token to honor all that he has done in Washington to support fish and wildlife conservation. The Board found it fitting to rename the award and there is no better venue to honor Jim than Casting Call.” said Kelly Hepler, National Fish Habitat Board Chairman. “Jim was a true pioneer for conservation and was a true visionary when it came to fish and wildlife related issues.”

The Winners of the 2009 National Fish Habitat Awards are as follows:

Outreach and Education Award: The Lake Leaders Institute, University of Wisconsin-Extension Lakes
The goal of the Wisconsin Lake Leaders Institute is to enhance Wisconsin’s lake resources through education, leadership and citizen action. The Institute assists citizens in developing and improving both their technical and people skills, to enrich their communities and the waters within them. Participants learn in an atmosphere of openness, trust, friendship and camaraderie.

Lake Leaders Institute courses give participants the opportunity to take field trips, enjoy natural beauty, exchange and forge ideas, and develop friendships. More than 200 Lake Leaders Institute graduates have made a personal commitment to engage others in their community to ensure our water resources are preserved for future generations.

The University of Wisconsin-Extension (UWEX) Lakes is part of the College of Natural Resources at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. UWEX Lakes (education) works with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (science) and the Wisconsin Association of Lakes (citizens) to form the Wisconsin Lakes Partnership.

Scientific Achievement Award: Stephen J. Jordan, Lisa M. Smith, Janet A. Nestlerode, Environmental Protection Agency – Office of Research and Development
The team of Jordan, Smith and Nestlerode, have broken new ground in quantifying the value of nursery habitats to a major fishery and ecological resource. In their research article (Cumulative Effects of Habitat Alterations on Fishery Resources: Prediction at Regional Scales) published in Ecology and Society, they have modeled how the detailed spatial extent and distribution of marsh and submerged aquatic vegetation affect blue crab recruitment at the scale of the US Gulf of Mexico, and shown how the model can be used to predict the effects of habitat alteration on the fishery. The novel modeling concepts applied to this research can be used more widely in quantitative analysis of the consequences of fish habitat loss and restoration at spatial and temporal scales.

Article Link:(Cumulative Effects of Habitat Alterations on Fishery Resources: Prediction at Regional Scales) http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol14/iss1/art16/

Jim Range Conservation Vision Award: Yvon Chouinard
Yvon Chouinard, Patagonia's founder, started Patagonia in 1973 to meet the equipment and clothing needs of outdoor enthusiasts, primarily rock climbers, hikers and anglers. From the very beginning, Patagonia devoted time and money to the increasingly apparent national and world-wide environmental crisis. Yvon saw what was happening in the remote corners of the world: creeping pollution and deforestation, the slow, then not so slow, disappearance of fish and wildlife and decided to do something about it. Since then, Patagonia never looked back.

Yvon had the foresight and commitment to have Patagonia become a leader in giving back to natural resources to ensure their future viability and stability. In 1986, Patagonia began a program that makes it unique among corporate entities that care about fisheries habitat. Patagonia committed to donate 10% of profits each year to grassroots environmental groups.
The company later upped the ante to 1% of sales or 10% of profits, whichever was greater.

Patagonia has kept to that commitment every year since and placed a high emphasis on fishery habitat protection over the years as evidenced by the starting of the World Trout Initiative to specifically address trout habitats and populations; the 1% For the Planet program that supports local grassroots projects which include fishery habitat projects; and the Conservation Alliance – a program that enlists other funding sources to participate in wildlife and fisheries habitat projects.

Extraordinary Action Award: Project SHARE
Project SHARE (Salmon Habitat and River Enhancement), a 501(c)3 organization, was created in 1994 through the efforts of concerned landowners, salmon anglers, businesses and various government agencies, to establish a forum to protect and enhance Atlantic salmon habitat in the five Downeast rivers of Maine.

SHARE's mission is to conserve and protect Atlantic salmon habitat in the Dennys, Machias, East Machias, Pleasant and Narraguagus rivers. This is based on the premise of voluntary participation by area landowners, businesses, as well as local, state and federal government, academia, conservation organizations, research and educational interests and any other entity that will enhance the healthy functioning of these riverine ecosystems. Since 2006, Steve Koenig, Project SHARE Executive Director, has completed 22 USDA NRCS/WHIP projects that contributed $930,000 for stream habitat connectivity projects in Downeast Maine. The more impressive figure is the 19 additional WHIP (additional $1,000,000) projects currently under contract.

Combining landowner and other contributions to Project SHARE’s WHIP projects, these 41 stream restoration projects equate to nearly $2.6 million in on-the-ground conservation efforts that benefit Endangered Atlantic Salmon and other Service trust species such as brook trout and American eel.

For more information about the National Fish Habitat Awards, go to www.fishhabitat.org.

For details about the Jim Range National Casting Call, visit www.nationalcastingcall.org.

National Conservation Needs for 2010 Multistate Conservation Grant Cycle

2009-03-31T16:52:00.004-04:00

National Conservation Needs
The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies is pleased to announce the seven National Conservation Needs for the 2010 Multistate Conservation Grant Program (MSCGP) Cycle:

Agricultural Conservation Committee
Subject 1: Integration of Fish and Wildlife Needs as the Conservation Provisions of the 2008 Farm Bill are Implemented

Angler/Boating Participation and Hunting and Shooting Sports Participation Committees
Subject 2: Outdoor Heritage – Participation, Recruitment and Retention in Hunting, Fishing and Conservation-related Recreational Activities

Climate Change Committee and the Midwest Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies
Subject 3: Regional Climate Change Workshops for State Fish & Wildlife Managers on Current Information and Tools for Management of Fish and Wildlife

Executive Committee
Subject 4: State Fish and Wildlife Agency Coordination and Administration

Fish & Wildlife Health Committee
Subject 5: A National Fish and Wildlife Health Initiative

Fisheries/Water Resources Policy Committee
Subject 6: Formation and Operations of Fish Habitat Partnerships to Facilitate National Fish Habitat Action Plan Implementation

International Relations Committee
Subject 7: Protect State Wildlife Agencies’ Authority to Sustainably Manage Wildlife Resources in Concert with Federal Actions Required by International Treaties and Conventions

Letters of Intent
The MSCGP is now soliciting Letters of Intent for the 2010 cycle of this competitive grant program. Letters are due by midnight EDT Wednesday, May 6, 2009.

For more information about applying to the program carefully review the Guidelines below.

2010 MSCGP Letters of Intent Guidelines

2010 National Conservation Needs

Frequently Asked Questions

Additional information about the Program is available at http://www.fishwildlife.org/multistate_grants.html

Contact Christina Zarrella, MSCGP Coordinator at czarrella@fishwildlife.org with questions.

Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Applauds Obama’s Signing Historic Public Lands Bill

2009-03-30T19:08:00.001-04:00

Washington, DC – President Barack Obama today signed into law, the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009. A bundling together of more than 160 individual public lands components, the bill concludes a two-year process through Congress to pass landmark legislation expanding protected wilderness, affirming state fish and wildlife agency authority and bolstering the economy through increased outdoor recreation opportunities.

“Conserving habitats for fish and wildlife is fundamental to ensuring the sustainability of these resources today and for generations to come,” said Matt Hogan, Executive Director of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, who attended this afternoon’s White House bill signing. “The Omnibus Public Lands bill recognizes many significant habitats for fish and wildlife that will be managed for the conservation value of these lands and habitats while allowing appropriate uses such as fishing, hunting and wildlife dependent-recreation for all Americans to enjoy the benefits of our great outdoors.”

Among its provisions, the Omnibus Public Lands bill designates upwards of two million acres of new wilderness areas, more than 1,000 miles of wild and scenic rivers and four new national trails as well as creates three new national parks, 10 new national heritage areas and one National Monument and enlarges more than a dozen existing national park units.

The bill also authorizes the establishment of the National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS) under the Bureau of Land Management and explicitly in the statute affirms the authority of the state fish and wildlife agencies to continue to manage fish and wildlife on these NLCS lands. It also assures continued access to these lands for hunting, fishing, trapping and recreational shooting.

“The Association applauds Congress for passing and the President for enacting into law this legislation, which will yield great returns in preserving America’s treasured places and conserving our rich fish and wildlife legacy,” said Hogan. “In addition to the environmental gains from protecting public lands, the economic results derived from increased hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation opportunities are particularly important. Hunters and anglers nationwide contribute more than $120 billion to our economy each year and support close to three million jobs. ”

Read the President’s statement about what he calls one of the most important pieces of natural resource legislation in decades.

The Association Honors Congressman John Dingell for Lifelong Dedication to Conservation

2009-03-27T12:20:00.003-04:00

On March 18, the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies presented Congressman John Dingell (MI), Chairman Emeritus of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, with a Special Recognition of his commitment to fish and wildlife conservation and the state agencies. There is hardly a single piece of conservation and environmental legislation in the last 60 years that doesn't reflect Chairman Dingell's hand.

The award inscription reads, "To Chairman John Dingell, with our deepest respect and most heartfelt appreciation for your lifelong dedication to fish and wildlife conservation and support of the state fish and wildlife agencies."

Always the humble and gracious statesman, in thanking the Association for the recognition, Chairman Dingell paid tribute to the work of the state agencies and pledged to continue to help states in meeting fish and wildlife conservation objectives.

Photo (L-R): Rex Amack (NE), Gary Taylor (AFWA), Rep. John Dingell, Becky Humphries (MI), James Ziebarth (NE) and John Frampton (SC)

Senators Johnson, Stabenow & Tester Introduce Teaming With Wildlife Act to Protect Wildlife for Next Generation

2009-03-20T12:53:00.002-04:00

U.S. Senators Tim Johnson (SD), Debbie Stabenow (MI) and Jon Tester (MT) introduced yesterday the Teaming With Wildlife Act that would create a first of its kind funding program to help state fish and wildlife agencies further move their State Wildlife Action Plans into on-the-ground action to prevent at risk wildlife from becoming endangered.

“Hunting, fishing and enjoying the outdoors has been engrained in all our lives. This legislation will help ensure that we can pass these South Dakota traditions on to future generations,” said Johnson, a member of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. “I am proud to introduce this bill to help states across the country enhance wildlife conservation.”

The Teaming With Wildlife Act would provide $350 million annually over five years to help states carry out comprehensive wildlife restoration programs consistent with a state wildlife action plan. Since 2001, every state has adopted a state wildlife action plan as its primary conservation tool for keeping fish and wildlife healthy and off the list of threatened and endangered species. The legislation would create a reliable funding source under the Wildlife Conservation and Restoration Program (WCRP) through a portion of the royalties collected from mineral development on federal lands.

“Currently, states receive less than 10% of the funding that is needed to implement their Action Plans, which help manage 90% of the fish and wildlife within their borders including thousands of species known to be declining or are at risk,” said Mark Humpert, Teaming With Wildlife Director. “The introduction of the Teaming With Wildlife Act is the culmination of a more than two-decade-long effort to secure sustainable funding for state-based conservation of species in greatest need.”

The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies thanks Senator Johnson for his leadership in helping to prevent species from becoming endangered and Senators Stabenow and Tester for championing the bill. The Teaming With Wildlife Act also has the active support of the 6,000-member Teaming With Wildlife Coalition, which is the largest and most diverse wildlife conservation alliance ever assembled representing millions of birdwatchers, hikers, anglers, hunters, outdoor enthusiasts and conservation professionals nationwide.

For more information about Teaming With Wildlife and State Action Plans, go to http://www.teaming.com/.

State of the Birds Report Sends Warning Call Concerning Declines in Bird Populations, Highlights Conservation Partnerships

2009-03-20T12:46:00.002-04:00

Many of our nation’s birds are sending us an important and troubling message about the state of our environment, according to an unprecedented report based on 40 years of data analyzed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey, state wildlife agencies and nongovernmental organizations. The report also shows that investment in conservation works, exemplified by the remarkable recoveries of waterfowl after more than 30 million acres of wetlands were restored and managed.

The U.S. State of the Birds report reveals sobering declines of bird populations during the past 40 years--a warning signal of the failing health of our ecosystems. For example:

--Hawaiian Islands: Threatened by habitat destruction, invasive species, and disease, nearly all native Hawaiian bird species are in danger of extinction if urgent conservation measures are not implemented immediately. Since humans colonized the islands in 300 AD, 71 Hawaiian bird species have gone extinct; 10 other birds have not been seen in as long as 40 years.

--Oceans: At least 39% of U.S. bird species restricted to ocean habitats are declining and almost half are of conservation concern, indicating deteriorating ocean conditions. Management policies and sustainable fishing regulations are essential to ensure the health of our oceans.

--Coasts: Half of all coastally migrating shorebirds have declined, indicating stress in coastal habitats besieged by development, disturbance, and dwindling food supplies.

--Aridlands: The aridland birds indicator shows a 30% decline over the past 40 years. Unplanned urban sprawl is by far the greatest threat to aridland birds. A regional system of protected areas can enhance quality of life for people and enable birds to survive.

--Grasslands: The grassland bird indicator shows nearly a 40% decline in the past 40 years, based on birds that breed exclusively in grasslands. Farm conservation programs provide millions of acres of protected grasslands that are essential for the birds in a landscape where little native prairie remains.

The U.S. State of the Birds report offers heartening evidence that strategic land management and conservation action can reverse declines of birds.

--Wetlands: Although many wetland birds show troubling declines, conservation programs have protected millions of acres and contributed to thriving populations of hunted waterfowl, herons, egrets, and other birds. Lesser Scaup, Northern Pintail, and several sea ducks are showing troubling declines, but most geese are increasing dramatically and many ducks have held steady.

--Waterfowl: On the whole, 39 species of hunted waterfowl have increased by more than 100% during the past 40 years. Successful waterfowl conservation is a model for widespread habitat protection.

The United States is home to a tremendous diversity of native birds, with more than 800 species inhabiting terrestrial, coastal, and ocean habitats, including Hawaii. Among these species, 67 are federally listed as endangered or threatened. In addition, more than 184 species are designated as species of conservation concern due to a small distribution, high-level of threats, or declining populations.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service coordinated creation of the new report as part of the U.S. North American Bird Conservation Initiative, which includes partners from American Bird Conservancy, the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Klamath Bird Observatory, National Audubon Society, The Nature Conservancy and the U.S. Geological Survey.

Read the Association's press release

Download the State of the Birds Report

National Fish Habitat Action Plan Board Approves Three Additional Fish Habitat Partnerships

2009-03-11T10:28:00.005-04:00

On March 5, the National Fish Habitat Action Plan (NFHAP) Board approved three "Candidate" Fish Habitat Partnerships for full Board recognition -- the Desert Fish Habitat Partnership, Midwest Glacial Lakes Fish Habitat Partnership and the Hawaii Fish Habitat Partnership -- bringing the total number to nine.

Fish Habitat Partnerships are the primary work units of the Action Plan. These partnerships are formed around important aquatic habitats and distinct geographic areas (e.g., Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership,) “keystone” fish species (e.g., eastern brook trout and western native trout) or system types (e.g., large lakes, impoundments, estuaries).

The Desert Fish, Midwest Glacial Lakes, and Hawaii Fish Habitat Partnerships are the first "Candidate" Fish Habitat Partnerships to gain full recognition by the NFHAP Board in 2009 and the first partnerships to be approved since the Southwest Alaska Salmon Habitat Partnership in May 2008. The Board’s goal is to establish 12 or more Partnerships by 2010.

For more information, please visit the fishhabitat.org partnership page.

Arizona Game and Fish Director Addresses House Panel on Proposed Changes to Free-roaming Horse and Burro Management

2009-03-07T16:15:00.002-05:00

Arizona Game and Fish Department Director Larry Voyles told a congressional committee on March 3 that a proposed bill changing how free-roaming horses and burros are managed could result in adverse impacts to wildlife and habitat, as well as to the horses and burros the legislation seeks to further protect, and he offered several recommendations on ensuring a viable future for each.

Testifying on behalf of the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA), Voyles told the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands that some aspects of the legislation, H.R. 1018, could alter the ecological balance of the habitat on which wildlife and horses and burros depend for their existence.

Acknowledging the challenges the subcommittee faces in considering both the human concerns for free-roaming horses and burros and concerns for healthy wildlife populations and rangelands in the western states, Voyles offered several recommendations:

Continue to limit free-roaming horse and burro herds to the areas where they were found upon enactment of the 1971 act.
Make law and policy drive refinement of methods (such as techniques modeled after wildlife population census studies) to accurately assess free-roaming horse and burro populations and accurately set “appropriate management levels” (AMLs) for horse and burro herds.
Federal agencies should continue to use AMLs as target numbers for managing free-roaming horse and burro herds.
Law and policy should facilitate research into innovative tools for herd management, including feasible and efficient removal and fertility control, as well as continued usage of practical tools such helicopters for inventory, roundup and removal efforts, where dictated by habitat conditions or management targets.
Congress must appropriate funds sufficient for the management of free-roaming horse and burro herds within AMLs and the land’s capacity to support them, as one component of diverse and thriving ecosystems.

“If we fail to manage the balance between free-roaming horses and burros and the capacity of the land to support them and the wildlife that depend on those lands, then the laws of nature will prevail and we will fail as stewards of all three: land, wildlife, and horses and burros,” said Voyles.

H.R. 1018 would amend the 1971 Wild Free-roaming Horses and Burros Act. Among other provisions, it would remove the limitations on areas where horses and burros can roam, require the creation of sanctuaries for these animals, bolster the Bureau of Land Management’s horse and burro adoption program, and change the circumstances and methods by which free-roaming horses and burros could be removed.

Voyles was one of several experts who provided testimony before the subcommittee on the proposed legislation.

Source: Arizona Game and Fish Dept.

Congress Urged to Help Prevent Wildlife from Becoming Endangered

2009-02-26T17:04:00.010-05:00

More than 100 advocates from over 30 states participate in the 8th Annual Teaming With Wildlife Fly-In Day

Washington, DC (February 26, 2008)—As part of the 8th Annual Teaming With Wildlife Fly-In Day, more than 100 conservation leaders from over 30 states met with their lawmakers on Capitol Hill to discuss the importance of new and greater funding to prevent wildlife from becoming endangered through the State Wildlife Grants program.

The Fly-In event, held over three days, is the most important outreach event for the Teaming With Wildlife Coalition, which includes nearly 6,000 conservation groups and businesses. The goal of the Coalition is to secure dedicated funding to support on-the-ground conservation action in every state and territory to prevent wildlife from becoming endangered.

This year, Teaming With Wildlife Fly-in participants urged their Members of Congress to sign on to a letter of support restoring State Wildlife Grant funding to $85 million; co-sponsor the Teaming With Wildlife Act of 2009 to provide increased and dedicated funding for wildlife conservation; and support wildlife adaptation funding in climate change legislation.

“Early, preventive conservation is the most cost-effective use of taxpayer dollars and most efficient way to address the challenges facing all wildlife, including current threats and the predicted impacts of global climate change," said Matt Hogan, Executive Director of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. “Waiting until a species declines to the point of being listed as threatened or endangered requires costly and risky recovery efforts. Especially in today’s economy, the State Wildlife Grants Program represents how limited federal funds can be invested to get the greatest return for Americans and for wildlife.”

At the Fly-In Day’s annual reception, Celebrate America’s Wildlife, the Teaming With Wildlife Coalition presented an award to Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) for supporting dedicated wildlife adaptation funding in climate change legislation introduced last year and one to Representative Todd Tiahrt (R-KS) for championing federal funding of State Wildlife Grants through appropriations. Held in the Rayburn House Office Building, the reception also was attended by other Members of Congress and the Chairman of the Resources Committee. Live wildlife from the Salisbury Zoo gave all attendees an opportunity to interact with animals that could be at risk without help.

Despite historical successes in bringing many wildlife species back from the brink of extinction, other species have continued to decline as evidenced by the staggering numbers listed under the federal Endangered Species Act. State hunting and fishing license dollars, federal excise taxes on hunting and fishing gear and motorboat fuel taxes have provided the backbone for funding the nation’s state wildlife conservation programs over the past century. However, there has always been a gap in funding for species that are not hunted or fished. State Wildlife Grants have provided state fish and wildlife agencies with the resources they critically need to partially fill that gap.

Visit http://www.teaming.com/ to learn more about the Teaming With Wildlife Coalition.

Photos:

(top) Representative Tiahrt with Matt Hogan

(bottom) Representative Doggett addresses attendees at the reception

$740 Million Goes to States for Fish and Wildlife Projects

2009-02-23T16:59:00.001-05:00

Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced today more than $740.9 million will be distributed to the fish and wildlife agencies of the 50 states, commonwealths, the District of Columbia, and territories to fund fish and wildlife conservation, boater access to public waters, and hunter and aquatic education. These Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program funds come from excise taxes and import duties on sporting firearms, ammunition, archery equipment, sportfishing equipment, electric outboard motors, and fuel taxes attributable to motorboats and small engines.

"The funds raised under the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Programs have helped conserve our fish and wildlife resources and provide opportunities for outdoor recreation for more than half a century. These investments, which help create jobs while protecting our nation's natural treasures, are particularly important in these tough economic times,” Salazar said. “All those who pay into this program – the hunting and fishing industries, boaters, hunters, anglers, and recreational shooters – should take pride in helping to conserve our land and its fish and wildlife and provide benefits to all Americans who cherish the natural world and outdoor recreation.”

The Wildlife Restoration apportionment for 2009 totals nearly $336 million, with more than $64.7 million marked for hunter education and firearm and archery range programs. The Sport Fish Restoration apportionment for 2009 totals more than $404 million.

Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act funding is available to states, commonwealths, and territories through a formula based on land area, including inland waters and the number of paid hunting license holders in each state, commonwealth, and territory. State, commonwealth, and territorial fish and wildlife agencies use the money to manage wildlife populations, conduct habitat research, acquire wildlife lands and public access, carry out surveys and inventories, administer hunter education, and construct and maintain shooting ranges.

“State fish and wildlife agencies are proud to be funded by the hunting, fishing and boating community through this American system of conservation funding, which has been a successful model for many years,” said Rex Amack, President of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and Director of the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. “This year’s record Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration apportionment is vital in order for state agencies to continue their work to sustain healthy fish and wildlife populations and provide opportunities for all to connect with nature.”

Sport Fish Restoration is funded by the collection of excise taxes and import duties on sport fishing equipment, motorboat and small engine fuels, and pleasure boats. Sport Fish Restoration funds are apportioned to the states based on a formula that includes the land and water area, inland waters and the Great Lakes and marine coastal areas where applicable, and the number of paid fishing license holders. States, the District of Columbia, commonwealths, and territories use the funds to pay for stocking fish; acquiring and improving sport fish habitat; providing aquatic resource education opportunities; conducting fisheries research; maintaining public access, and the construction at boat ramps, fishing piers, and other facilities for recreational boating access.

More than 62 percent of Wildlife Restoration funds are used to buy, develop, maintain, and operate wildlife management areas. Since the program began, state, commonwealth, and territorial fish and wildlife agencies have acquired 68 million acres through fee simple, leases, or easements, and operated and maintained more than 390 million acres for hunting since the program began. In addition, agencies certified over 9 million participants in hunter education.

“This source of conservation funding is important not only measured by its dollar amount, but also by legislative safeguards preventing its diversion away from state fish and wildlife agencies,” said Rowan Gould, acting Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “For states working to ensure a future for fish and wildlife – and opportunities for people to enjoy them – precious few programs offer this level of support and reliability.”

Numerous species including the wild turkey, white-tailed deer, pronghorn antelope, American elk, and black bears have increased in population due to improved research and habitat management funded by Wildlife Restoration. In the program's history, fish and wildlife agencies have assisted more than 9.2 million landowners on fish and wildlife management. States, commonwealth, and territorial fish and wildlife agencies have improved more than 35 million acres of habitat and developed more than 44,000 acres of waterfowl impoundments.

Since the inception of the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act, states, commonwealth, and territorial fish and wildlife agencies have acquired 360,000 acres through fee simple, leases, or easements. They have operated and maintained more than 1.5 million acres annually and they stocked over 6.8 billion fish and restored more than 1.7 billion fish throughout the country; renovated or improved 6,400-boat access sites; and had over 11.9 million participants in the aquatic resource education program.

Please visit the Service's Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program web site at http://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/ for state, commonwealth, and territory funding allocations.

Source: USFWS

Introducing the Association HQ

2009-01-31T13:17:00.003-05:00

The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies released its first issue of the Association HQ (Highlights Quarterly), which replaces the previous "Staff Report." Now distributed via email and the web, the HQ features work accomplishments from the previous quarter. It is also structured to better align with the Association's strategic plan that was adopted at the annual meeting in September.

The change in reporting is part of the Association's overall effort to communicate more efficiently and effectively with agency heads who have limited time to digest a lot of information.

"The change in title is more than just semantics. Truly the old moniker of staff report did not accurately reflect what the report captured. It was not simply a report from the staff, but rather a summary of all of the work of the Association," said Matt Hogan, Executive Director, Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.

"The work of the Association is a partnership between the many men and women from fish and wildlife agencies who give of their time, talent and expertise coupled with the day to day continuity provided by staff. This team effort has been the hallmark of the successes of the Association for so many years and will be the continued recipe that makes us successful in the future."

The first issue of the HQ features activities of the Association from October, November and December 2008.

Read Association HQ-4Q

Land the Cover Photo Contest - 2008 Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Annual Report

2008-12-05T10:12:00.004-05:00

Attention state, provincial and territorial fish and wildlife agencies... We know you’ve taken some incredible photos of fish, wildlife and habitats for your magazine and other publications. You are invited to enter your best shots and your image could land the cover of the 2008 Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Annual Report! The winning photo will get some nice distribution to other agencies, conservation organizations and more (and bragging rights).

Deadline to enter the Land the Cover Photo Contest is January 9, 2009. Any photograph reproduced in the report will include a photographer credit. Photos may also be showcased in other Association publications and on our soon-to-be redesigned website at www.fishwildlife.org. Of course, you retain the rights to your photograph; however, by entering the contest, you grant the Association use of the image. Digital images must be a resolution of at least 300 dpi and 8” x 10.” To look at previous Annual Report covers, visit www.fishwildlife.org/press_pubs.

Email entries to Laura MacLean at lmaclean@fishwildlife.org.

Alternatively, you can mail a CD to:
Attn: Laura MacLean
Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
444 North Capitol St, NW
Suite 725
Washington, DC 20001

Good luck!

Fish and Wildlife Conservation National Agenda Sent to President-elect Obama

2008-11-25T09:29:00.004-05:00

America’s fish and wildlife belong to all of us as a public trust. For more than a century, state fish and wildlife agencies have upheld the primary responsibility for conserving and preventing the exploitation of natural resources on public and private lands and waters within their borders.

To sustain healthy fish and wildlife populations and provide opportunities for all to connect with nature, state agencies continue to advance what is known as the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, a systematic arrangement of policies and laws to restore and safeguard species and habitats through sound science and active management at the local level via state agency programs. Hunting and angling are the cornerstones of the North American Model with sportsmen and women serving as the foremost funders for conservation efforts through their license and equipment purchases.

However, every state agency today is dealing with rising public demands for resources; the impacts of urban sprawl, habitat loss and other emerging issues like climate change; shrinking hunter and angler constituencies and revenue base; and mounting costs. This shifting environment is a threat to the overall management system, fish and wildlife and the people who value nature. Increasingly, conservation success requires more effective cooperation between state agencies and federal natural resource and land management agencies.

With President-elect Obama's administration, come new opportunities to further support the North American Model through new federal conservation policies that are responsive to today’s challenges while bolstering state and federal agency funding to meet those challenges.

Recently, the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies sent to President-elect Obama a letter, two-page overview entitled “Furthering Conservation in the Public Trust: A National Fish and Wildlife Agenda” and a collection of policy analysis white papers for his transition staff’s use. In the documents, the Association sets forward conservation priorities to help safeguard our nation's rich fish and wildlife legacy and ensure all have opportunities to enjoy the benefits of our great outdoors.

The documents can be downloaded at www.fishwildlife.org/pdfs/A-National-Fish-and-Wildlife-Agenda_AFWA-2008.pdf.

Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Lauds President-Elect Obama’s Commitment to Addressing Climate Change

2008-11-18T17:30:00.003-05:00

“We are appreciative of President-elect Obama’s commitment to taking firm leadership in addressing climate change and its effects on our nation, our economy and our natural resources,” said Matt Hogan, Executive Director, Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA), in response to President-elect Obama’s remarks before a Bi-Partisan Governors Climate Summit today in Los Angeles.

Just a few days earlier, in a letter to President-elect Obama transmitting the Association’s transition recommendations, AFWA President, Rex Amack, and Matt Hogan observed, “We also strongly affiliate ourselves with your commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and dedicating a portion of revenues accrued from the auction of carbon credits through a cap and trade protocol to remediate the effects of climate change on fish, wildlife and their habitats.”

“We look forward to working with the Obama Administration to forge a strong state-federal relationship to address what will likely be the most pervasive effect on fish and wildlife in recent history,” concluded Hogan.

To view the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies' recommendations to President-elect Barack Obama “Furthering Conservation in the Public Interest: A National Fish and Wildlife Agenda” go to www.fishwildlife.org.

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The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies —the organization that represents North America's fish and wildlife agencies—promotes sound management and conservation, and speaks with a unified voice on important fish and wildlife issues. Found on the web at www.fishwildlife.org.

Save the Date for the 2009 Teaming With Wildlife Fly-in Day

2008-11-17T10:05:00.003-05:00

The 2009 Teaming With Wildlife Fly-in Day will take place February 24-25, 2009 in Washington, D.C. This will be the 8th year for the event.

The Fly-in Day is used by states and their Teaming With Wildlife coalitions to advocate for continued funding of the State Wildlife Grants program and dedicated funding to support State Wildlife Action Plan implementation. Changes in the administration, a new Congress and a growing budget deficit will likely make advocacy for wildlife funding more difficult but more important than ever.

Event details and registration information are available at www.teaming.com. Last year, more than 150 individuals from 43 states participated in the Fly-in Day.

If you have questions, contact Mark Humpert, Teaming With Wildlife Director at mhumpert@fishwildlife.org.

2009 National Fish Habitat Annual Awards Guidelines and Nomination Form

2008-11-05T06:23:00.004-05:00

The National Fish Habitat Annual Awards honor exceptional individuals or partner entities who have demonstrated a commitment to fish habitat conservation, science or education. The awards celebrate those who have demonstrated extraordinary dedication, innovation or excellence in aquatic resource conservation. National Fish Habitat Awardees show how individuals can and do make a difference.

The awards are presented annually on the basis of nominations submitted by Fish Habitat Partnerships and the hundreds of organizations that make up the Partners Coalition. From among the nominations submitted by Partnerships and the Coalition, the National Fish Habitat Board selects several of the most meritorious for these nationally recognized awards. Honorable mentions may be made. Deadline to apply is January 16, 2009.

Award Categories
> Exceptional Vision in support of Fish Habitat Conservation
> Extraordinary Action in support of Fish Habitat Conservation
> Scientific Achievement in support of Fish Habitat Conservation
> Outreach and Educational Achievement in support of Fish Habitat Conservation

NFHAP Awards Submission Guidelines

NFHAP Awards Nomination Form

Registration Opens for 2009 Winter Term of MAT Online Leadership Course

2008-11-03T10:18:00.007-05:00

Registration is now open for the Winter Term of The Management Assistance Team’s (MAT) online leadership development courses through December 19, 2008. The courses are designed by fish and wildlife agency professionals for fish and wildlife agency professionals using a state-of-the-art, instructor-led approach.

MAT is offering six courses that will begin on January 12, 2009. If you have not taken a MAT online course before, there is a short Student Online Tutorial that will be available on January 5, 2009.

Online courses offered during the 2009 Winter Term:

> Creative and Critical Thinking
> Going from Good to Great
> Secrets of Agency Assessment and Development
> Power
> Visionary Leadership
> The Adaptive Leader

The courses require that participants have reliable Internet access and basic computer skills to visit websites, create MS Word documents and use email. The courses are challenging and require about five (5) hours of work each week and are either four or six-week courses. The cost is $48 plus materials for four-week offerings and $60 plus materials for six-week offerings. Note, the last day to drop a course without being charged is January 16, 2009.

Courses are available to employees of state fish and wildlife agencies or the US Fish and Wildlife Service, as well as other AFWA member organizations, when space is available. Registration is limited to 15 participants per course and is offered on a first-come, first-served basis. All participants receive a Course Certificate upon successful completion of the course (a certificate can also be sent for your personnel file on request).

To review course offerings and course descriptions and to register go to www.matteam.org.

The Management Assistance Team is a program of the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies.

What's Happening on Williams Run - 10 "Waters to Watch"

2008-10-29T15:05:00.004-04:00

The Williams Run stream restoration project, under the guidance of the National Fish Habitat Action Plan, is underway in Venango County, Pennsylvania. Thanks to the combined actions of concerned community groups, non-profit organizations, local watershed groups and state and federal agencies, these waters are being improved by planting stream-side vegetation, removing impediments blocking fish habitat and protecting waterways from the effects of industrial processes, specifically AMD or Acid Mine Drainage. Williams Run was selected as one of the National Fish Habitat Action Plan’s “10 Waters to Watch” for 2008.

Williams Run represents waterways across the country that are improving through the conservation efforts of the National Fish Habitat Action Plan.

Aquatic habitat in Williams Run has been severely damaged since coal mining activities produced acid mine drainage in the stream. Water conditions were degraded with a very low pH, no alkalinity, and both iron and aluminum present. This point-source pollution left the stream uninhabitable for brook trout and other aquatic life. Williams Run is currently listed on the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s 303d list of impaired streams. With funding provided through the Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture, the South Sandy Creek Watershed Association is working with a host of other public and private partners to bring Williams Run back to life. For more details on the Williams Run restoration project, view the summary below

Williams Run Project Summary (PDF)

SOURCE: National Fish Habitat Action Plan

Take Pride in America Strengthens Public Lands Stewardship

2008-10-29T10:03:00.002-04:00

Secretary of the Interior, Dirk Kempthorne, signed an order yesterday extending the authorization of Take Pride in America within the Department of the Interior through the year 2010. The program, designed to encourage volunteerism on public lands, had been set to expire on November 1, 2008.

The secretarial order further solidifies three strategic Take Pride in America priorities: engaging youth in service, promoting voluntourism and supporting beautification as an economic development strategy.

Secretary Kempthorne signed the order at a ceremony recognizing the volunteer efforts of students from Hyattsville Elementary in Hyattsville, Md., and others from across the country.

“These young people know what it’s like to feel pride in a job well done and just as important, they were outdoors the whole time,” said Secretary Kempthorne of the students from Hyattsville Elementary, a Take Pride in America school. The students recently participated in “Gorgeous Prince George’s Day,” beautifying their school grounds.

Scott Wilson of Big Sky, Mont., who also attended the signing ceremony, recently voluntoured along the Appalachian Trail. While hiking a distance of 2,175 miles, Wilson collected nearly 3,000 scraps of litter, and at times, carried the garbage up to 50 miles before finding a trash receptacle where he could dispose of it properly. Voluntourism is a concept that combines volunteer service into a vacation.

“Scott’s ‘Leave No Trace’ efforts improved more than 2,000 miles of trail, and enriched the experience for those hikers who followed. I am proud to recognize Scott’s meaningful voluntourism,” Kempthorne said.

Two volunteers from Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park were also recognized at the ceremony for calling attention to a pending breach in the canal’s towpath while on bike patrol. Thanks to Barbara Brown and Jane Collins, the area was properly cordoned off just a day before flood waters caused a 100-foot section to crumble, sending water 60 feet below into the Potomac River.

“Here’s an example where volunteers were the eyes and ears of park staff. It just shows how vital volunteers are to our public lands,” Kempthorne said.

Take Pride in America® is a national partnership program authorized by Congress and administered within the Department of the Interior to promote the appreciation and stewardship of public lands, including parks, forests, historic sites, and schools. Take Pride is active in all fifty states, has partnerships with public, private, and nonprofit organizations, and features Clint Eastwood as national spokesman. Citizen stewards know and count on Take Pride for the most comprehensive online portal of public lands volunteer opportunities (www.TakePride.gov) and for showcasing the most outstanding public lands stewardship activities through the annual national award ceremony.

SOURCE: DOI

Go Fishington

2008-10-28T13:03:00.003-04:00

Today, the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation (RBFF) announced an exciting new online community that complements the national Take Me Fishing™ campaign and connects boaters and anglers like never before. It’s Fishington – The Fishing & Boating Capital of the Internet.

Fishington is similar to your favorite social networking platforms on MySpace, Facebook and YouTube, but specifically tailored for boating and fishing enthusiasts. Being part of this community allows members to:

• Create a profile
• Find and add friends
• Create and join groups
• Create and post comments on message boards
• Add and organize photos and videos
• Save favorite hotspots from Fishington's interactive map tool
• Control privacy settings

Agencies, organizations and businesses maintaining a profile have the ability to:
• Connect with other local businesses, clubs and individuals
• Map their location and related bodies of water
• Gather feedback, photos and videos
• Build fans of their facility
• Understand and recruit new members or customers
• Generate increased traffic to their Web sites
• Spark interest in their programs and products
• Invite discussion about their programs or products

Fishington is directly linked to all of the great content that’s on TakeMeFishing.org, including the 12,000 places to boat and fish. Businesses and facilities that currently exist in the TakeMeFishing.org database will already have a profile on Fishington. Stakeholders can request ownership of these profiles if they’re interested in moderating the content. RBFF will review all requests and grant permission to the appropriate contacts.

SPREAD THE WORD!
Fishington can be found in the “Community” section on TakeMeFishing.org or at Fishington.com. Anyone who is 18 years or older can join. RBFF encourages everyone to help spread the word by including information in their newsletters and on their web sites. Web banners are currently in development and will be announced in the next few weeks when they’re available. The very latest news and information about Fishington can be found on RBFF.org.

Create a profile today. Add friends. Add your business or organization and help populate Fishington with boating and fishing information for everyone. Please e-mail webmaster@takemefishing.org with thoughts or comments. RBFF's goal is to grow the boating and fishing community and you can play a huge part by participating.

SOURCE: RBFF

Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies Joins Federal and Nonprofit Conservation Leaders to Urge Children to “Get Outdoors, It’s Yours!”

2008-10-15T13:19:00.002-04:00

BALTIMORE, MD -– Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne, Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer, and Deputy Commanding General of the US Army Corps of Engineers Maj. Gen. Don T. Riley yesterday announced a “Get Outdoors, It’s Yours!” campaign to reconnect children with nature. The event, held at the start of the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) Congress and Exposition at the Hilton Baltimore.

The new campaign, described at the website www.getoutdoorsitsyours.gov, encourages children and their educators and families to experience nature firsthand. Federal leaders from eight agencies and bureaus said that “Get Outdoors, It’s Yours!” will provide more information for America’s young people about opportunities to get outdoors on our national parks, forests, refuges, other public lands and waterways.

“We greatly appreciate this forum provided by NRPA because there is a crisis in America in which our kids are increasingly disconnected from nature,” said Secretary Kempthorne. “We must get children off the couch and outdoors. We must get them to turn off the computers and televisions and turn on to the power of wild places and wild creatures to lift them up – to rejuvenate body, soul and spirit.”

“We want every child in America to experience the great outdoors, whether it is in a remote mountain wilderness or a city park,” said Secretary Schafer. “Children react positively to nature. Working together, the federal agencies can help families foster their curiosity about nature and develop a deeper appreciation of precious natural resources.”

The “Get Outdoors, It’s Yours!” initiative, supported by an interagency Pledge of Cooperation, will unite federal land opportunities under one comprehensive platform and encourage the participation of non-profit land partners to develop a seamless portal for information on destinations, programs, special events and opportunities for educational adventures throughout the year.

The group will promote, and in some cases expand upon, the vast resources and programs that already exist within the Federal land management agencies including the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Bureau of Reclamation, the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

NRPA and other national nonprofit groups pledged to support the campaign today. The groups include American Forests, the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, the City Park Alliance, the National Association of County Park and Recreation Officials, the National Association of State Outdoor Recreation, the National Association of State Park Directors, the National Parks Conservation Association and the National Wildlife Federation.

"Through the spirit of partnerships, collectively we are poised to greatly impact the lives of children and teens. By re-engaging youth in nature, recreation and play, we've helped the next generation discover the rewards of more fulfilling, healthy lifestyles," said NRPA CEO Tulipane.

“The greatest benefit of this initiative is to foster a love of America’s lands and waters in today’s youth because they will be tomorrow’s caretakers of this nation’s cultural and natural resources,” said Maj. Gen. Riley. “That love will grow into awareness of the health and environmental benefits associated with those personal connections with nature.”

For more information on the new program, go to www.getoutdoorsitsyours.gov. The website provides lists of places for all sorts of outdoor activities from biking to wildlife viewing, links to agency websites for youth, games and other useful materials.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of the Interior

National Conservation Leadership Institute Cohort #3 Begins 11-day Residency

2008-10-10T16:03:00.002-04:00

SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV -- Thirty-three “rising stars” in conservation began their 11-day, highly interactive residency at the National Conservation Training Center (NCTC) on Monday, October 6 as the third cohort of National Conservation Leadership Institute (NCLI) Fellows. During their stay, the Fellows will explore adaptive leadership concepts such as distinguishing leadership and authority; the power and purpose of working together; conflict; Emotional Intelligence (EQ); leading in chaos; courage; trust; understanding externals and more.

After returning home, Fellows will work for five months on individual leadership projects focused on a challenge facing their organizations, and the program culminates in the Spring with a long-weekend session at Big Cedar Lodge in Missouri.

NCLI Fellows have become widely regarded as future senior leaders who will help to build a conservation legacy for the next generation. Since 2006, more than 100 individuals have participated in the Institute, selected from state agencies, federal agencies, non-governmental organizations and companies working in the natural resources industry.

For information, visit http://www.fishwildlife.org/www.conservationleadership.org.

Photos from the Cohort's first days at NCTC

Michigan Natural Resources Commission Approves Deer Baiting and Feeding Ban for Lower Peninsula

2008-10-10T12:41:00.005-04:00

The Michigan Natural Resources Commission on Thursday, Oct. 9 voted unanimously to approve a permanent ban on deer and elk baiting and feeding in the Lower Peninsula.

Michigan Department of Natural Resources Director, Rebecca Humphries, issued an interim order placing an immediate ban on baiting and feeding on Aug. 26, after a captive deer from a privately owned facility tested positive for chronic wasting disease. Humphries’ order, as prescribed by the state’s CWD emergency response plan adopted in 2002, would have expired Feb. 26, 2009, but the NRC action removes the expiration date and makes the ban permanent.

Additionally, the NRC approved orders that require hunters who take a deer in the nine townships that comprise the CWD Surveillance Zone in northern Kent County to come to a DNR deer check station. The orders also regulate the movement of carcasses from the Surveillance Zone and give replacement kill tags to any hunter who presents a deer at a check station that shows signs of CWD.

The NRC action is just the latest effort in a campaign designed to prevent the spread of CWD, an always fatal neurological disease of deer, elk and moose.

Since Sept. 1, DNR conservation officers have issued 102 tickets for illegal deer and elk baiting in the Lower Peninsula.

“There has been talk that we weren’t going to be able to enforce this baiting ban in the Lower Peninsula, but the number of tickets we have issued so far shows that we are very serious about enforcement of the ban,” said Humphries. “Our primary goal is to protect the health of our wild white-tailed deer and elk populations. Stopping CWD from becoming established in our wild deer and elk is our top priority.”

“We appreciate the hunters who have abided by the ban and are no longer baiting,” Humphries added. “Protecting the resource -- white-tailed deer and elk -- should be everyone’s priority.”

The DNR’s Law Enforcement Division reported that in a period from Sept. 22 to Oct. 5, 34.6 percent of the calls to the Report All Poaching(RAP) hotline concerned illegal baiting. Last year during a similar time frame, baiting complaints made up only 11.3 percent of the RAP hotline calls. While there was no baiting and feeding ban in 2007, the complaints last year would have related to over-baiting or baiting in the Bovine Tuberculosis zone in northeast Lower Michigan.

“We are encouraged that sportsmen and women are taking part in this initiative,” Humphries said. “We appreciate them taking the health of our deer herd as seriously as we do.”

Since the CWD-positive deer was discovered, the DNR has tested 1,095 deer statewide; of those, 964 tested negative with the remaining 131 tests are pending.

The DNR is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state's natural resources for current and future generations.

SOURCE: Michigan DNR

Dam Removed with a Bang

2008-10-08T16:17:00.005-04:00

On October 1, the NOAA Restoration Center, the California Department of Fish and Game and other partners removed the Whites Gulch Dam using powerful explosives, and the removal was captured on video. The video is now available online.

The Whites Gulch River was once home to such a large population of salmon that citizens claimed they could walk across the river on their backs. But in the late 1800s, a dam was built on the river that blocked salmon from reaching their upstream spawning habitat, and populations are dwindling.

The removal of this and another nearby dam, in combination with the removal of a barrier downstream later this year, will open up 1.5 miles of spawning and rearing habitat for spring Chinook salmon and threatened coho salmon and steelhead trout. The project will provide benefits to native riverine fish and wildlife, and improve safety for nearby communities.

To view the video of the removal, click here.

SOURCE: NOAA Restoration Center