During the 73rd North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference held last month in Phoenix, Arizona, the Wildlife Management Institute (WMI) honored one of the longest-serving leaders of a state conservation organization in U.S. history, Gary T. Myers, with the 2008 George Bird Grinnell Memorial Award for Distinguished Service to Natural Resource Conservation. The Grinnell Award salutes a person whose career has been exemplified by integrity, leadership, foresight and achievement and has invariably made decisions in the interest of progressive resource management.
"Gary has been doing just that for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and the citizens and natural resources of Tennessee for more than 30 years," said Steve Williams, WMI President. "As remarkable as the length of Gary’s tenure as executive director for the Tennessee agency is the leadership he has shown for progressive conservation throughout North America."
Myers many credits include serving a key role in the annual expansion of Dingell-Johnson funds; direct involvement in the national and international implementation of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan; and securing funds for the first waterfowl joint venture. Myers has served on the North American Wetlands Conservation Council; been actively involved with the North American Bird Conservation Initiative; and is a staunch supporter of the Southeastern Aquatic Resources Partnership Initiative. He is former president of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.
WMI also recognized Bob Carmichael as the recipient of the Institute’s 2008 Presidents Award. The WMI Presidents Award recognizes ingenuity, tenacity and accomplishment in the interest of advancing natural resource management and stewardship, in the tradition of WMI’s former presidents.Carmichael is a wildlife biologist with a career spanning six decades. He began as a field worker, recently retiring after more than 20 years as a wildlife agency administrator. Among the most distinguishing qualities of the recipient," said Williams, have been Bob’s "undaunted willingness to take on some of the most onerous and sensitive issues facing natural resource management and his remarkable ability to deal with them effectively."During Carmichael’s tenure with the Manitoba Wildlife Branch, from 1974 to 2005, including in the capacities as Chief of Commercial Wildlife Management and as Chief of Game, Fur and Problem Wildlife Management, he tackled humane-trapping protocols, animal rights issues, agriculture-wildlife conflicts, aboriginal interests and interprovincial relations, among others. He also advocated for cooperative Canadian-U.S. wildlife policies, practices and science-based conservation. Currently residing in Keewatin, Ontario, Carmichael now serves as Senior Advisor of Operations and International Programs for the Delta Waterfowl Foundation.
For more information, visit www.wildlifemanagementinstitute.org
