Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies 2011 Annual Report

7/31/2019 Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies 2011 Annual Report

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2011 ANNUAL REPORT

ASSOCIATION OF FISH AND WILDLIFE AGENCIES

Proudly celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the

Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program,

Americas most successful partnership for conservation


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I feel that the high tension atwhich the average man has been

living is wrecking entirely toomany nervous systems. Hunting

and fishing is the best nerve

tonic I know, and I believe thata greater opportunity for the

average citizen to engage in thistype of outdoor recreation wouldgreatly promote both the health

and happiness of our people.~ A. Willis Robertson, 1936


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Presidents Message 3 || Executive Directors Message 4 || Advocacy 6 || Authority 9 || Science 10 ||

Stewardship 14 || Leadership 16 || Annual Meeting & Annual Awards 17 || Committees, Subcommittees &Working Groups 18 || Officers & Executive Committee 18 || Members 19 || Financials & Staff 21

CONTENTS


4/24 Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies l 2010 ANNUAL REPORT

The Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act of 1937 is Americas greatestconservation secret. This partnership between industry, state fish andwildlife agencies and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has resulted

in unprecedented conservation success stories that affect, not only wildlife, but

also the generations of hunters to come.

Programs funded by the Wildlife Restoration Act have returned many of

our favorite species from all-time lows and some from the brink of extinction.

When the Act was passed, there were fewer than 500,000 white-tailed deer in

this country. They number nearly 20 million today. In the 1930s, there were

about 30,000 wild turkeys. There are now nearly seven million wild turkeys

nationwide. Pronghorn antelope, elk, wood duck, black bears and many others

have similar success stories.

Each quarter, when the hunting, shooting sports and archery manufacturers make their excise tax

payments under the Act, they help state fish and wildlife agencies improve habitat, restore and managespecies, open seasons, bring kids into the outdoors, build shooting ranges and secure access for every

hunter and shooter across the country. This critical commitment by Americas hunting and shooting sports

industry over the past 75 years ensures that there is money on the ground in states for wildlife conservation

and access that gets hunters, shooters and archers out enjoying the activities they love best.

But wildlife restoration is only half of the story of our partnership with the hunting and shooting

sports industry. With these funds, state agencies have been able to provide hunter education to more than

24 million people; build hundreds of public shooting ranges; develop Walk-In Hunting Access programs;

educate youth in schools about how conservation is funded; and deliver outdoor skills training. These

funds have also helped to acquire and maintain nearly 400 million acres of habitat across the country.

The Wildlife Restoration Program, and the excise tax it generates, is the lifeblood of every state fishand wildlife agency. Since 1937, more than $14 billion dollars have been entrusted to state agencies for

managing and restoring wildlife and their habitats. These funds are protected by law for conservation and

cannot be diverted to other programs.

As we celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the Wildlife Restoration Act, lets celebrate those who had the

wisdom and foresight to create the program that helps keep us all in businessboth industry and the state

fish and wildlife agenciesfor our customers are their customers too. And lets celebrate and recommit to

the partnership between the hunting and shooting sports industry, state fish and wildlife agencies and the

Service that will ensure our great shared legacy passes on to tomorrows sportsmen and women.

Jon Gassett, PhD

President of the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies, 2011-2012

Commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources

PRESIDENTS MESSAGE

Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies 2011 ANNUAL REPORT


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ExEcuTIvE DIREcToRS MESSAGE

When I was much youngeras a young deer biologist, actuallyI cutmy teeth on preparing federal aid reports for white-tailed research andmanagement projects in Vermont. I dont remember learning much about

Wildlife Restoration/Pittman-Robertson funding in a real sense when I

studied at the University of Vermont, but the importance of those funds to

basic wildlife management would become indelibly imprinted on me during a

26-year career with the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department.

When I first began to manage those funds for the deer program, the

Wildlife Restoration program was 46 years old. Now we have reached the

programs 75th anniversary, and I sit in a different place professionally. But I

have not forgotten the importance of such funding to state fish and wildlife

agencies and their applied research and management priorities. Nor, can we

overlook the critical value of the Sport Fish Restoration Act (Dingell-Johnson) and the Boating Trust

Fund amendment (Wallop-Breaux) in protecting fish and their habitat.

The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies works to ensure the continued viability of the Pittman-

Robertson, Dingell-Johnson and Wallop-Breaux programs at every turn in Washington, DC. We celebrate

75 years of fish and wildlife conservation success with our federal and industry partners.

After months of planning in 2011, we recently kicked-off the 75th anniversary at the January 2012

SHOT Show, the nations premier firearms and ammunition trade show, sending a loud and clear message

about the unity of the partnership. AFWA President Jon Gassett and Nevada Wildlife Director Ken

Mayer were on hand to tell their stories about the importance of those funds to their stateside work. The

National Shooting Sports Foundations CEO, Steve Sanetti, made it clear that industry understands the

importance of these funds to both conservation and hunter and shooting sports programs, and Hannibal

Bolton, with the USFWS, reiterated the federal commitment to the oversight and delivery of those fundsconsistent with the purposes of the authorizing legislation.

But this is about more than looking back or simply celebrating success. It is every bit as much about

looking forward, thinking about stronger partnerships and new horizons. We hope you will take every

opportunity to tell the wildlife and sport fish restoration story in the coming year and that it will

become the building block for even greater conservation success in the future.

Ron Regan

Executive Director of the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies

2011 ANNUAL REPORT Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies



TENAcITY

The times were as bleak as a nation had ever known.Unemployment and economic stagnation were worseningin post-World War I America and the abundance of wildlife

riches that once graced the landscape were dwindling or disap-

pearing altogether.

Fledgling fish and game agencies were the stewards of their

states natural resources, funded solely through hunting and

fishing license revenues. Ever on guard against threats by cash-

strapped state administrations to divert their meager funding,

the agencies knew the need for action in wildlife restoration

was urgent.

With Theodore Roosevelt, the Conservation President, in

the White House, the members of the International Associa-

tion of Game, Fish and Conservation Commissioners (IAGFCC,

as the Association was known) saw their opportunity.

According to Carl Shoemaker, Secretary of the Senate SpecialCommittee on the Conservation of Wildlife Resources and

former Oregon wildlife chief, interests in wildlife and the out-

of-doors had grown by leaps and bounds. At the IAGFCCs

1936 convention, Shoemaker presented a legislative proposal

to the assembly that leveraged an already existing excise tax.

At the time, Congress was abolishing various excise taxes;

but conservationists unitedcontinue the 10% excise tax on

sporting arms and ammunition and apply the proceeds to

wildlife restoration programs through the states. Ammunition

companies supported the proposal and so did the IAGFCC,

which had a strong hand in its development.

On June 17, 1937, Senator Key Pittman of Nevada intro-duced the Federal Aid to Wildlife Restoration bill. Repre-

sentative A. Willis Robertson of Virginia, former head of the

Virginia Commission of Game and Inland Fisheries, dropped

a companion bill in the House hopper. It was Robertson who

added 29 of the most important words for state directors, ...

and which shall include a prohibition against the diversion of

license fees paid by hunters for any other purpose than the

administration of said state fish and game department.

With little debate, both bills passed quickly and unani-

mously. Roosevelt signed the Pittman-Robertson (P-R) Act

into law on September 2, 1937.Immediately thereafter, the IAGFCC declared itself in

favor of legislation that would provide federal funding to

states for fishing resources. They proposed the money would

come from an excise tax on fishing equipment and lures. This

P-R companion bill would be introduced in 1939 and again

in 1941, only to fail.

It wasnt until after World War II that Congressman John

Dingell from Michigan and Colorados Senator Edwin Johnson

would revive the bill. It passed in 1949, but was vetoed by

President Harry S. Truman, who disapproved of earmarking

funds. Dingell and Johnson tried again in 1950, and President

Truman signed the Sport Fish Restoration Act into law onAugust 9, 1950.

In the late 1970s, D-J Expansion became the rally cry

for the International Association of Fish & Wildlife Agen-

cies. D-J revenues had proved inadequate to the tasks of

providing sufficient fish habitat and fishing opportunities.

Conservation and sport fishing organizations, and eventually

the boating industry, supported the bill.

The Wallop-Breaux Boating Trust Fund amendment

would pass in 1984, broadening excise taxes on fishing tackle

and capturing a portion of the federal gasoline excise taxes

attributable to motorboatsroughly tripling the amount of

funding for sport fish restoration. Like P-R and D-J, users

would still financially sustain their own recreation as well as

that of others, or simply users pay, everyone benefits.

As we commemorate the 75th anniversary of P-R and the

legislation that followed to sustain the work of state fish and

wildlife agencies, we remember the tipping point supporters

of wildlife were organized and united, their cause, compelling.

Despite decades of disappointment and defeat, it was partner-

ship, perseverance and resolve amongst AFWAs membership,

industry and the greater conservation community that got us

to where we are today.

We are the voice of fish and wildlife agencies that speaks

collectively to advance science-based management and conser-

vation policy; increase funding; uphold states authority; andraise conservations next generation of stewards, sportsmen

and women and leaders. These are the tenacious roots upon

which we still grow.


ThE voIcE of fISh & WIlDlIfE AGENcIES

Living wild species are like a

library of books still unread.

Our heedless destruction of

them is akin to burning the

library without ever having

read its books.

~ John Dingell

Congressman


7/242010 ANNUAL REPORT l Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies

ADvocAcY

Congressional RelationsIn 2011, Congress focused principally on two actions

cutting federal discretionary spending and reducing the

deficit. AFWAs membership and the conservation community

at large urged Senate and House negotiators not to balance

the budget on the back of conservation by disproportionately

cutting natural resources funding more severely than other

federal programs.

By most accounts, the Association succeeded fairly well

as a result of significant effort by state agency directors and

the community, which ultimately grew to a 1,000-member+

coalition of conservation, hunting, angling, recreation and

historic preservation organizations allied around support for

natural resource-agriculture-environment federal spending.

In the spring, Congress finally concluded FY11 spendingwith a year-long Continuing Resolution that restored some

of the severe cuts to conservation programs reflected in the

House-passed bills. Several months later, Congress established

the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction to recom-

mend program savings of $1.2 trillion over 10 years in both

discretionary and non-discretionary spending (Farm Bill

included) in order to avert the kick-in of statutorily imposed

sequestration rescissions.

However, by the November deadline, the Super Committee

acknowledged its inability to arrive at consensus recom-

mendations. Consequently, the bi-partisan Farm Bill recom-

mendations, developed by Senate and House AgricultureCommittees leadership, lost the opportunity to be brought to

floor votes under privileged status, and thus pushed Farm Bill

reauthorization back to regular order.

Since the statutory sequestration triggers dont take effect

until January 2013, Congress has some time to develop an

alternative (to sequestration) legislative strategy, deliberate it

and pass a 10-year package of spending cuts, revenue raisers

and deficit reduction. The challenge with any longer-term,

budget-reduction package will be in getting the votes, espe-

cially in the Senate where this will most decidedly be a 60-vote

bill.

The deficit reduction law already set the FY12 allocation,

which the Senate and House used to close out the FY12

spending bills in two separate packages. Congress enacted

and President Obama signed a minibus in November

that contained Agriculture, Commerce and Transportation

spending. Farm Bill conservation programs endured signifi-

cant cuts, including a provision that prohibits USDA from

spending funds for salaries or other personnel use to administer

the Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program

(VPA-HIP) program.

Congress further passed an Omnibus bill for the remaining

nine Appropriations bills, which was signed into law by the

President in late December. Spending levels for several pass-

through grant programs (State Wildlife Grants, North Amer-

ican Wetlands Conservation Act, Endangered Species Act

Section 6, Land and Water Conservation Fund, Neotropical

Migratory Bird Conservation Act) survived well and concluded

close to the FY11-enacted levels.

As evidenced in 2011, all programs remain under budget-

reduction scrutiny. Congress continues to wrestle with how

to pay for reauthorization of the massive Transportation bill

without raising the federal gas tax. The Association along

with other partners is working to ensure that full funding

from the gas excise tax attributable to outboard motors and

small engines continues to be transferred to the Wallop-

Breaux (W-B) program during the reauthorization. So far,

the community has thwarted several attempts to drastically

reduce funding to the Boating Safety Account of W-B; and,Congressional extensions (as opposed to comprehensive reau-

thorization) of Transportation spending authority are expected

through 2012.


The nations struggling economy will compel austerefedera l spending, and thus AFWAs attention, for someyears hence. Outreach to Members of Congress by stateagencies and their constituents at home and on Capitol Hill is

invaluable toward protecting adequate levels of funding that

help create jobs; enhance rural economies; provide afford-

able and environmentally sustainable food and fiber; deliver

ecosystem services like clean water; and open Americas

public lands for hunting, fishing, boating and other outdoor

recreation.

From the desk of AFWA

In spite of wars, rumors of

wars, sun spots, elections and

politics, the trend in fish and

game legislation was upward.

~ Talbott Denmead, 1940

IAGFCC General Counsel



Farm BillLandscape conservation initiatives

Never before in its 75-year history has the

Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)invested more on landscape-level, special initia-

tives targeting fish and wildlife issues. In FY11,

NRCS allocated $330 million (about 30% of its

budget) to programs delivered through the Land-

scape Conservation Initiatives that improve habitat

conditions for populations managed by state agen-

cies. In putting money on the ground, NRCS also

demonstrated to the agriculture industry that

conservation actions and production agriculture

can work together to deliver great success.

To date, NRCS has implemented 15 landscape conserva-

tion initiatives, which deliver customized conservation prac-

tices to important agricultural lands within geographic focusareas. Through these initiatives, NRCS seeks to accomplish

landscape-scale conservation using a science-based and

results-oriented approach that builds on existing locally led

efforts and partnerships; provides dedicated funding; and in

some instances, provides regulatory certainty for agriculture

through voluntary conservation practices.

acres & Grants

The Farm Services Agency (FSA) had a banner year for

enrollment in State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE)

practices in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). On top

of enrolling 2.6 million acres through the General Sign-up fora year-end total of 29.7 million acres, states are approaching

the full SAFE allocation by enrolling over 613,000 acres

through 90 SAFE projects across 37 states.

Additionally, 2011 was the second opportunity for states

to apply for a grant through the VPA-HIP to launch or

expand their state public access programs. FSA awarded 12

new grants totaling approximately $4.6 million to California,

Georgia, Hawaii, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota,

Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wyoming

along with the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama

Nation. Over two years, VPA-HIP has distributed grants to29 states and one tribe totaling about $16.6 million.

2012 Farm BiLL reauthorization

The numerous working groups of AFWAs Agricultural

Conservation Committee spent the year preparing for reautho-

rization of the 2012 Farm Bill while negotiating the political

climate on the Hill pushing for cuts. Many in the conservation

community believe, the longer Congress waits to reauthorize

the bill, the worse the budget situation will be for the Conser-

vation Title and other provisions of the law.

Throughout 2011, the Association continued to host

conference calls and state workshops to evaluate conservationprogram implementation and update associated white papers.

In June, AFWA membership adopted its 2012 Farm Bill

Policy Priorities, which will guide actions and positions going

forward during the reauthorization process.

Teaming With Willifestate WiLdLiFe Grants proGram

The State and Tribal Wildlife Grants Programthe nations

most cost-effective program for preventing all wildlife from

declining to the point of being endangeredfaced the battle

for its own survival when Congress focused on deficit reductionin 2011. The House attempted to eliminate FY11 program

funding and reduce FY12 funding by 64%. State agencies,

AFWA staff and partners worked with Congress to ultimately

reduce the size of cuts to the program. Efforts to maintain the

65:35 match rate and reduce the percentage of funds going to

state apportionments also succeeded.

CommuniCatingthe SuCCeSSof State Wildlife grantS

To demonstrate the benefits of the State Wildlife Grants

program to lawmakers, the Association produced a 36-page

Success Stories Report. The report includes examples from every

state highlighting how the program is preventing endangeredspecies listings. The Association distributed copies to Congres-

sional offices and the Office of Management and Budget

(OMB). It is available for download atwww.teaming.com.



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A working group under AFWAs Teaming With Wildlife

Committee completed an Effectiveness Measures Framework

for State Wildlife Grants. The framework, outlined in a 180-

page report released in April 2011, will help demonstrate

outcomes for conservation actions and improve adaptivemanagement. The effectiveness measures will be embedded

into the new Wildlife TRACS reporting and tracking tool

that currently is under development by the USFWS and

state agencies. Appropriations committee staff and OMB

were briefed on the framework.

teaminG With WiLdLiFe

The Teaming With Wildlife coalition reached 6,348 orga-

nizations in 2011 and grew the number of users on its Wild-

life Facebook page to nearly 1,000 with an average of 335

visits per week. Teaming Facebook status updates played

a key role in keeping the coalition informed and engagedas part of the campaign to stop cuts to the State Wildlife

Grants program.

Teaming With Wildlife also launched the first phase of its

redesigned coalition website at www.teaming.com to better

integrate the former Teaming With Wildlife and State Wild-

life Action Plan sites into one system.

taskForceon WiLdLiFe diversityFundinG

AFWAs 2010-2011 President, Curtis Taylor (WV)

established a Presidents Task Force on Wildlife Diversity

Funding to review and assess past work of the Teaming With

Wildlife coalition and give direction for securing dedicatedfunding in the future. Seven state agency directors and five

agency staff comprised the Task Force that developed 10

recommendations and an accompanying report.

Recommendations range from facilitating director-

driven state communications and education targeting

Congressional delegations to maintaining the Teaming

coalition; seeking Congressional action to move State and

Tribal Wildlife Grant funding to the Wildlife Conserva-

tion and Restoration Program sub-account under P-R; and

pursuing federal legislation to provide dedicated wildlife

diversity conservation funding. Directors at AFWAs 2011

Annual Meeting approved the final report. It is available

atwww.teaming.com .

tWW FLy-in

The Association and the national Teaming With Wildlife

steering committee held its annual Teaming With Wild-

life Fly-in in March 2011. A reception co-hosted with theNational Invasive Species Awareness Week attracted more

than 300 individuals to the U.S. Botanic Gardens where

Senators Patrick Leahy (VT) and Mike Crapo (ID) and

Congressmen Jim Moran (VA) and Frank LoBiondo (NJ)

were recognized for their support of the State Wildlife

Grants Program. The Missouri Dept. of Conservation and

Conservation Federation of Missouri received the Wildlife

Action Plan Partnership Award and the Texas Teaming With

Wildlife Coalition was presented with the Teaming With

Wildlife Coalition Member Achievement Award. A total of

93 members (80 democrats, 12 republicans, 1 independent)

signed on to Dear Colleague letters supporting funding for

State Wildlife Grants for FY12.

state WiLdLiFe action pLans

More than 70 individuals from state and federal fish and

wildlife agencies and private NGOs attended AFWAs

national meeting of State Wildlife Action Plan coordinators in

January 2011. The meeting provided a much-needed oppor-

tunity for coordinators from different regions to come together

and consider common goals and challenges to help increase

capacity through idea sharing and problem solving. Partici-

pants discussed integrating State Wildlife Action Plans into

landscape-scale conservation; funding challenges; reporting

and tracking effectiveness; operationalizing and evaluating

Plans; and conceptualizing the next generation of Plans. The

Association was able to provide travel assistance to states using

funding from a Doris Duke Charitable Trust grant.


www.teaming.com

We owe it to the resources we manage

and the public that pays our bills to not

relent until we solve the fiscal predica-ment that looms if we dont find a more

equitable funding model for fish and

wildlife conservation.

- Dan Forster, Georgia Wildlife Resources

Division Director; Presidents Task Force

on Wildlife Diversity Funding Chair



To allow fur harvested in the U.S. to continue to be

imported into the European Union (EU), a U.S. delegation

attended the Third Annual Joint Management Committee for

the Agreement on International Humane Trapping Standards

in October 2011. The delegation successfully maintained its

present Memorandum of Understanding with the EU.

Four delegates from the Association attended the meeting

to share research on trapping furbearers in the U.S. and todiscuss a possible new proposal on trapping standards that

would set animal welfare standards and best practices

guidelines for the use of traps within EU member countries.

Any new standards, if adopted by the Parliament, will be

solely applicable to the EU.

internationaL Forums

The Association holds a seat on the Western Hemisphere

Shorebird Reserve Networks (WHSRN) Hemispheric

Council, which met in New Jersey in May 2011 to celebrate

the 25th anniversary of the Delaware Bay WHSRN designa-

tion. The 25th anniversary event recognized the vision anddedication of the founders and early conservationists involved

in WHSRN, widely recognized as the most effective flyway-

scale shorebird network in the world.

The Ramsar Convention celebrated its 40th anniversary

in 2011. On behalf of state agencies, the Association has a

seat on the U.S. Ramsar Committee, which nominated four

new sites to the Ramsars list of wetlands of international

importance in the United States.

The Association also represents state agencies interests in

the Western Hemisphere Migratory Species Initiative; the

International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN);

the Convention on Migratory Species; the Trilateral Committeefor Wildlife and Ecosystem Conservation and Management;

and the Convention on Biological Diversity.


Conserving wildlife has

become a serious public busi-

ness, actively supported by

high government officials fromPresident Roosevelt down. It has

also attracted to the sidelines

the greatest body of friends and

advisors on record; all of them

seeking to influence the running

of the business.

~ Seth Gordon, 1937

Executive Director,

Pennsylvania Game Commission

AuThoRITY

International Relationsconvention on internationaL trade inendanGered speciesoF WiLd FLoraand Fauna(cites)

Numerous international forums discuss and make decisions

on wildlife management issues that can significantly impact

state agency programs. This is especially true of CITES, one

of the worlds major conservation endeavors.

CITES is a treaty between countries to ensure that inter-

national trade in wild animals and plants is not detrimental

to their survival. CITES listings regulate and restrict trade

into and from the United States. In turn, these restrictions

impact hunting; the import and export of harvested wildlife;

and other sustainable use practices.

In 2011, at the Animals and Standing Committees,AFWAs CITES Technical Work Group advocated states

interests on numerous issues and prepared Interventions for

each of the U.S. native species listed in Appendix II in the

event a species was nominated for a significant trade or peri-

odic review. In the end, only one U.S. species was included in

the reviews, much to the credit of the work groups efforts.

Joint manaGement committee meetinGoninternationaL humane trappinG standards

The nearly 150,000 state-licensed trappers and 250,000

employees in the pest and nuisance control industries save

state agencies potentially millions of dollars in furbearer

management costs. But, if trappers cant sell fur abroad,

many are not going to trap.


11/242010 ANNUAL REPORT l Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies 10

Legal CounselAFWAs legal office monitors and analyzes litigation that

may affect member agencies and provides recommendations

for the Associations participation in litigation of national

significance that may impact the states authority to conservefish and wildlife and their habitats.

AFWAs in-house counsel also provides legal support to

state representatives on the Joint Task Force on Federal Aid,

which provides a process for the USFWS and state agencies

to cooperatively identify program issues of national signifi-

cance and jointly develop recommendations concerning

those issues.

In addition, legal guidance is available to AFWA state

agency members, staff, regional associations, flyway councils

and other state agency-related entitiesincluding the Council

to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sportson contract

and nonprofit governance matters.

ScIENcE

Amphibians & ReptilesreGuLatoryGuidance

Most Asian turtle species in the wild have been consumed

to ecological extinction, driving Asian markets to turn to

other countries to outsource this growing demand, espe-

cially for wild-caught turtles. The U.S. has the highest

turtle diversity in the world. In March, AFWAs Amphibian

& Reptile Subcommittee and International Relations

Committee, with the USFWS International Affairs

Program, held a special event on the international trade

in turtles. Nearly 50 attendees participated representing

15 states, including seven state directors, USFWS Director

Dan Ashe and nine members of the Services directorate.

Guest speaker Dr. Anders Rhodin, a medical doctor and

turtle conservation expert, asked, Is America Next? and

offered suggestions to prevent overseas market demands

from harming U.S. turtle populations.

In December, AFWAs Amphibian & Reptile

Subcommittee members and state partners updated their

national report, State of the Union: Legal Authority over the

Use of Native Amphibians and Reptiles in the United States.

Slated for early 2012 release, it features accounts for each

of the 49 continental states and the District of Columbia.

Draft recommendations for model regulatory approaches

for amphibians and reptiles in the context of the North

American Model of Wildlife Conservation were produced

and reviewed by AFWA leadership and will be finalizedin 2012.

partnersin amphiBian & reptiLeconservation

In 2011, turtle conservation

groups and PARC celebrated

the Year of the Turtle. Monthly

newsletters, including one

issue featuring the work of

state agencies, were produced along with other outreach

materials and more than 13,500 visitors checked out the

www.yearoftheturtle.orgwebsite. State agencies in Arizona,Connecticut, Georgia, Massachusetts and New York joined

in as partners in the celebration.

2011 ANNUAL REPORT Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies 10

Like the resource it seeks to

protect, wildlife conservation

must be dynamic. Changing as

conditions change, seeking always

to become more effective.

~ Rachel CarsonSilent Spring


12/2411 Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies 2011 ANNUAL REPORT

The National Military Fish & Wildlife Association (NMFWA)

presented its 2011 Award for Military Natural Resource

Conservation Research to Dr. Robert Lovich, Chris Petersen,

Dr. Mike Lannoo, Priya Nanjappa (AFWAs Amphibian &

Reptile Coordinator) and Ernesto Garcia for their roles in the

Department of Defense (DoD) Legacy-funded, transconti-

nental study of amphibians and infection by the amphibian

chytrid fungus, which has devastated amphibian populations

worldwide. The NMFWA award selection committee agreed

that this DoD-PARC project enhanced the militarys mission

by providing DoD with a better picture of the health of its

amphibian populations.

PARC presented its first-ever Allison Haskell Excellence

in Herpetofaunal Conservation award to Alvin R. Breisch,

former New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation

herpetologist, and its first-ever Visionary Leader Award to

PARC co-founder, Dr. J. Whitfield Gibbons of the University

of Georgias Savannah River Ecology Lab.

Bir Conservationnorth american Bird conservationinitiative

The Association continues to play a key role in the lead-

ership and coordination of the U.S. North American Bird

Conservation Initiative (NABCI) Committee. In 2011,

NABCI published the third U.S. State of the Birds Report

focused on Public Lands and Waters. The role of public

lands is underscored by the more than 300 species that have

at least half of their U.S distribution on publicly owned

lands. NABCI partners are using the reports findings to

better target bird conservation efforts on public lands.

north american WaterFoWLmanaGement pLan

The North AmericanWaterfowl Management

Plan (NAWMP) was

established in 1986 to return critically reduced waterfowl

populations to average 1970s levels. The Plan was updated

in 1998 and 2004 and the latest version will be released

in 2012. States, provinces and federal agencies in Mexico,

Canada and the U.S., along with conservation organizations

from across the continent, have been engaged in the devel-

opment of the new NAWMP.

The NAWMP has a long history of success and has

resulted in the securement of millions of acres of wetlands

and wetland-associated habitats that support not only water-fowl but a host of other species. The scale of the program is

enormous, not just in acreage, but in the level of ongoing

funding support and in the wide array of partners involved.

The North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA),

the legislation that enables and directs funding for wetland

conservation and the implementation of the NAWMP, has

provided funding since 1991 along with matching funds by

U.S. non-federal sources and Canadian sources.

State funding of Canadian breeding ground projects is

an important element in AFWAs strategy for achieving

NAWMP goals. As NAWMP partners, states initiate many

projects, including projects in Canada. State contributions

provide non-federal monies, which are matched by Ducks

Unlimited and the NAWCA. Canadian partners, in turn,

contribute. However, it all starts with state contributions.


13/242011 ANNUAL REPORT Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies 12

In September 2011, the Association reconfirmed its goal

for states to collectively contribute up to $10 million per

year to NAWMP projects in Canada. The need is critically

important because of continued habitat loss, drainage of

wetlands and other pressures. The Association, through

its Bird Conservation Committee and Waterfowl Working

Group, is developing an Action Plan that will help states to

move toward achieving that funding goal.

southern WinGs

State wildlife agencies spend

considerable time, money and effort

ensuring good bird habitat exists

within their states. The Southern

Wings Program protects their

investments by supporting the

conservation of state-priority migra-

tory bird species throughout their

annual cycle on wintering grounds.

Each year since its 2009 launch, Southern Wings has grown.

To date, 12 state wildlife agencies (AR, AZ, IA, MO, MN, NE,

OK, PA, SD, TN, TX, WI) and NEAFWA and their in-state

partners have contributed more than $440,000 to critical

conservation projects in the Western Hemisphere for state

priority migratory birds. The funds have been matched by at

least one to one (1:1).

Projects include conservation and management of Cerulean

Warbler habitat in South America; management and protec-

tion of Bicknells Thrush habitat in the Dominican Republic;

management of grasslands habitat in Northern Mexico forhighly imperiled grasslands species; and conservation action

to improve the status of Golden-winged Warblers.

Climate ChangenationaL Fish, WiLdLiFeand pLants cLimate

adaptation strateGy

In 2010, Congress called for a government-wide strategy to

help decision-makers and resource managers prepare for and

help reduce the impacts of climate change on fish, wildlife and

plants, ecosystems and the people and economies that depend

on them.

Since then, the Association (represented by the New York

Division of Fish, Wildlife and Marine Resources) has partnered

with the USFWS and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration (NOAA) to create the National Fish, Wildlifeand Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy.

The science-based Strategy represents a draft framework for

unified action to safeguard species and their associated habi-

tats that also considers the important benefits and services

they provide such as jobs, food, clean water, clean air, building

materials, storm protection and recreation.

A steering committee of representatives from 16 federal

agencies, five state fish and wildlife agencies and two inter-

tribal commissions is leading the Strategy development,

including agency representatives from California, Washington,

Wisconsin, New York and North Carolina to ensure that all 50

states fish and wildlife concerns are voiced. The Association isproviding staff support.

Last year, the committee recruited more than 100 natural

resource profess ionals and scientists from all levels of govern-

ment nationwide to become Technical Team Members and

write the Strategys source material. The material was

synthesized into a draft document and then released for

public comment in January 2012. The committee plans to

publish the final Strategy in print and online by summer

2012. More information about the Strategy is available at

www.wildl ifeadaptationstrategy.gov.

Furbearer ResourcesBest manaGement practices

Trapping is a strictly regulated, law-enforced activity that

helps state agencies collect information about wildlife and

sustain healthy and diverse populations. To improve the

welfare of captured animals and modernize trapping tech-

nology, AFWAs furbearer resources program has developed

20 Best Management Practices (BMPs) for Trapping in the

U.S. over the past eight years.

These BMPs for furbearers such as American Badger,

Canada Lynx, Raccoon, Bobcat and Weasels are widely used

among state agency trapper education programs and recog-

nized international assemblies. Last year, the Association

began testing protocols to release up to two more BMPs for

Ringtail and possibly Gray Wolf in 2012.Golden-wingedWarbler


14/241 Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies l 2010 ANNUAL REPORT1 Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies 2011 ANNUAL REPORT

nationaL FurBearer harvest statisticsdataBase

Available on www.fishwildlife.org, the U.S. Furbearer

Conservation Technical Work Group produced a database that

reports statistics for furbearer species harvested via trappingin the U.S. from 1970 to the present. This database will be

updated yearly and will be expanded to include statistics on

harvest of furbearers in Canada.

Invasive SpeciesBurmese pythons in Florida and Asian carp in the upper

Midwest may have become the poster creatures for nonnative

species, but many different types of fish, wildlife and plant

invaders directly and

indirectly threaten

all states capacity

to manage resources.Invasive species are

found in every region

of the U.S. and can

cause significant

and costly damage

to the environment,

the economy and

human health.

In the spring of 2011, AFWAs Invasive Species Committee

helped plan and coordinate a panel on Aquatic Invasive Species

during National Invasive Species Awareness Week. In addition,

committee representative Tim Schaeffer (PA) participated in aspecial training session for Attorneys General at the National

Attorneys General Training and Research Institute (NAGTRI)

on Invasive Species in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Last year, the Invasive Species Committee furthered its

collaboration with AFWAs Biofuels Working Group on the

impacts of bioenergy feedstocks, with attention to related

provisions in the Farm Bill and it continued to watch ballast

water and recreational boating discharge legislation, regula-

tions and best practices. The committee also engaged with the

USFWS and the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC)

to begin discussing collaborative, non-regulatory approaches

to nonnative, invasive species management.

National Fish HabitatPartnershipFish haBitat status report

The NationalFish Habitat Action

Plannow, The

National Fish

Habitat Partnership

(NFHP)released

Through A Fishs

Eye: The Status of

Fish Habitats In The

United States 2010

report in April

2011. The report summarizes the results of an unprecedented,

nationwide assessment of the human effects on fish habitat inthe rivers and estuaries of the United States.

Through a Fishs 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 restora-

tion is most likely needed to bring back healthy habitats and

fishing opportunities that once existed.

10 Watersto Watchin 2011

The National Fish Habitat Partnership announced its 50th Water

to Watch in 2011 as par t of its annua l top 10 li st of freshwater,

estuarine and marine habitats that are dramatically improving

through voluntary habitat conservation.

Alewife Brook/Scoy Pond, NY

Au Sable River, MI

Barrataria Bay, LA

Batten Kill River, NY

Cottonwood Creek, AK

Duchesne River, UT

Llano River, TX

Manistee River, MI

St. Charles Creek, ID

Waipa Stream, HIBattenKillRiver,NY


15/242010 ANNUAL REPORT l Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies 12011 ANNUAL REPORT Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies 1

nationaL Fish haBitat Board

With a focus on the future, the National Fish Habitat

Board began updating the National Fish Habitat Action

Plans 2006 objectives. The Board plans to issue the revi-

sion in 2012. The Board also continues to advocate for

the National Fish Habitat Conservation Act, which was

introduced in the Senate in the current 112th Congress. If

passed, the Act would authorize the Action Plan and fund

fish habitat conservation projects.

nationaL Fish haBitat aWards

In April 2011, NFHP presented its annual awards to

recognize the nations fish habitat conservation champions:

Jim Range Conservation Vision AwardMaureen Gallagher,

Midwest National Fish Habitat Partnership Coordinator

for USFWS; Extraordinary Action AwardMark Johnson,

Coos Bay (Bureau of Land Management (BLM)); ScientificAchievement AwardDr. Dana Infante, Assistant Professor,

Dept. of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University

and Dr. Stephen Brown, Chief, Assessment and Monitoring

Division (NOAA/National Marine Fisheries Service) for their

work on the National Status of Fish Habitats 2010 Report;

Outreach and Educational Achievement AwardAndy

DuPont, President, Glen Lake Association.

Win Energy & TransmissionManaging wildlife resources and balancing the nations

growing energy requirements, that includes wind power, isntan easy task. As a board member of the American Wind Wild-

life Institute and participant in the National Wildlife Coordi-

nating Collaborative, the Association aims to facilitate timely

and responsible wind energy production while protecting

wildlife and wildlife habitat.

Last year, the Association also played a key role in the

development of the USFWS land-based wind siting guide-

lines. Upon the release of the guidelines in 2012, AFWA

plans to work closely with the USFWS wind energy office

to provide training opportunities for state agency staff on

implementation.

In addition, the Association assisted states in transmission

planning efforts nationwide, especially concerning the incor-

poration of state wildlife agency data into the Eastern Inter-

connection Planning Collaboratives planning process to guide

transmission development on a 30-year time horizon.

STEWARDShIP

Conservation EucationResearch shows when youth experience direct, active

contact with the outdoors, they are far more likely to grow

into adults who value nature; make informed decisions to

sustain it; and accept/participate in resource-related recre-

ation like hunting, shooting sports, fishing and boating.

This is the foundation of AFWAs North American Conser-

vation Education (CE) Strategy.

In 2011, the CE Strategy added seven, research-based

products to its popular educational toolkit: Fostering

Outdoor Observation Skills; Landscape Investigation

Guidelines; Sustainable Tomorrow: A Teachers Guide-

book for Applying Systems Thinking to Environmental

Education Curricula; Schoolyard Biodiversity Investigation

Educator Guide; Project-Based Learning Model; Bench-marks for Conservation Literacy; and the Outdoor Skills

Education Handbook. These new tools further connect

states CE programs to national K-12 standards for science,

math, social science, physical education and more.

The CE Strategy culminated the year by hosting a

Symposium on Conservation and the Environment: Essential

Components of the New Science Framework and STEM with

the USFWS National Conservation Training Center and

the National Environmental Education Foundation. More

than 60 top educators from 35 state and federal agencies,

NGOs and other organizations, including National

Geographic and the National Science Foundation, spent aday discussing how the outdoor environment offers real-

world opportunities to engage students in science learning

and exploration. Attendees also identified next steps for

continuing the dialogue.

Babes do not tremble when

they are shown a golf ball, but

I should not like to own the

boy whose hair does not lift hishat when he sees his first deer.

~ Aldo Leopold, 1949

A Sand County Almanac

The North American ConservationEducation Strategy Toolkit



Inustry/Agency CoalitionFive years ago, leaders from state agencies; the Association;

the hunting, shooting sports, archery, boating and sport fishing

industries; and the USFWS convened the Industry/Agency

Coalition to strengthen their partnership and commitment tofish and wildlife conservation and how it is funded, and to

advance increased participation goals.

Since then, the coalition has met annually at its Industry/

Agency Summit to identify recruitment and retention, outreach

and funding priorities for the coming year. Members now attend

each others trade shows and annual conferences and have rallied

on issues such as public access, lead and support for shooting

ranges that affect their mutual constituenciesthe recreational

users of the vast resources entrusted to state agencies.

In addition, the coalition has come together to raise aware-

ness of the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program

(WSFR) and the excise tax-paying industries more than $14billion dollar contribution to conservation since 1937.

To honor that partnership

success, coalition members began

planning a year-long WSFR

75th Anniversary celebration of

events and promotions to kick-

off at the 2012 SHOT Show and

culminate on National Hunting

and Fishing Day. The coalition

also endorsed an educational

curriculum Americas Wildlife:

Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

developed by the Arizona

Game and Fish Dept. to teach

high-schoolers about the North

American Model of Wildlife Conservation. The department

created a companion unit of activities especially for the 75th

Anniversary for use by zoos, museums, summer camps and

other informal academic settings.

counciLto advance huntinGandtheshootinG sports

The Industry/Agency Coalition created and provided the

initial funding for the Council to Advance Hunting andthe Shooting Sports, a national organization focused on the

recruitment and retention of hunters and shooters. Coalition

members also are represented on the Councils 28-person

Board of Directors, which hired Bill Creighton as its first chief

executive officer in August. The Council will release its stra-

tegic plan in early 2012.

Multistate Conservation GrantProgram

Since 2000, the Multistate Conservation Grant Program

(MSCGP)co-administered by the Association and theUSFWShas disbursed more than $75 million in Pittman-

Robertson/Dingell-Johnson federal aid funding for national

and regional priority conservation projects of state fish and

wildlife agencies.

Over the next year, the MSCGP will provide just over

$2.6 million to the 12 projects selected by AFWAs state

membership and recommended to the Service for funding

during the 2012 cycle. Grant recipients include AFWA

for coordination of Farm Bill implementation to optimize

benefits to state agencies; the National Fish Habitat Action

Plan Board for organizational development training for

Fish Habitat Partnerships; and the National Wild Turkey

Federation for a longitudinal evaluation of hunting, fishing,

and shooting recruitment/retention programs.

celebratingthe 75th anniversaryofthe

Wildlifeand sportfish restoration program

In 2012, federal and state

natural resource agen-

cies, the excise-tax paying

industries and the greater

conservation community will

proudly observe the Wildlife

and Sport Fish Restoration

Programs anniversary and the partnership success

that has led to 75 years of quality hunt ing, fishing,

shooting, boating and wildlife-related recreation.

Visit www.wsfr75.com to join the celebration, read

success stories and download a communications

toolkit. Get socia l on Facebook and YouTube at

/WSFR75 and Twitter @WSFR75, #WSFR75.



lEADERShIP

Management Assistance TeamAFWAs Management Assistance Team

(MAT) provides consulting and training

services to help state agencies increase

their organizational effectiveness and

leadership capacity. Training is offered

through face-to-face workshops, webi-

nars, online courses and certification in a

conservation leadership program of study.

In 2011, MAT staff conducted 91 consultations with 20

state agencies and regional associations, commissions and

others on subjects ranging from reviewing state leader-

ship programs and comprehensive agency effectiveness

to training needs assessments and/or senior management

change initiatives. MAT led 10 in-person workshops forfive states and the Association on topics such as Mastering

Agency Change, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

and Team Leader Skills. MAT also coached and certified

five state agency employees through its Conservation Lead-

ership Program of Study (CLPS) and began crafting

three new educational offerings.

In addition, MAT conducted 20 online

courses and created and delivered 11

webinars on such topics as creative and

critical thinking, decision-making and

leadership perseverance. MAT main-

tained three web sites and also completeda paper on how to improve assessing

MATs effectiveness; developed a white

paper: Rethinking Strategic Planning;

helped develop and co-facilitated a special

session on agency transformation; and

delivered formal presentations/plenaries

about leading agencies into the future at

one state agency and NEAFWAs annual

conference.

In utilizing and conserving

the natural resources of the

Nation, the one characteristic

more essential than any otheris foresight.

~ Theodore D. Roosevelt

U.S. President

National ConservationLeaership Institute

The National Conservation Leadership Institute (NCLI) is

conservations premier world-class experience for developingtomorrows natural resource management leaders. The NCLI

is staffed by MAT and participants (Fellows) are selected

through a rigorous evaluation of nominations submitted by

agency, NGO and industry directors/CEOs. In May 2011,

the 36 Fellows of Cohort 5 graduated and joined

NCLIs Alumni organization, a platform for

Fellows to continue their professional develop-

ment. Five months later, the 36 Fellows of Cohort

6 completed their 11-day residency training at

the National Conservation Training Center and

began peer consulting with one another about

their individual adaptive leadership challengeprojects. Instructors from Harvards Kennedy

School of Government and other interna-

tionally renowned leadership experts helped

provide an incomparable program.

The NCLI encourages agencies to add the

NCLI to their states annual charitable giving

campaign lists since the NCLI is a 501(c)3

organization and direct donations are fully

tax-deductible.

National Conservation Leadership Institute Cohort 5 2010 - 2011



Seth gordon aWard

Recognizing lifetime achievement, the Associations highest honor

Rebecca Humphries,Regional Director, Ducks Unlimited;Former Director, Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Ernest Thompson Seton Award

Honoring an agency and team leader for leadership in scientific

wildlife management

Group: South Dakota Department of Game, Fish & Parks

Individual:John Kanta, Wildlife Program Manager

markJ. reeff memorial aWard

Recognizing distinguished, young wildlife management professionals

Kellie Tharp, Education Branch Chief,

Arizona Game & Fish Department

Boone & Crockett Club AwardRecognizing outstanding achievement in promoting and encouraging

outdoor ethics

Group:Arizona Game & Fish Department

Individual: Craig McMullen,

Wildlife Recreation Branch Chief

2011 ANNUAL AWARdSThe Association honored 12 individuals and two state

agencies for their outstanding and longstanding commit-

ment to conservation stewardship at its Annual Awards

Ceremony.

The Association held its 101st Annual Meeting, September 11-

14, in Omaha, Nebraska. The 2011 plenary asked attendees

to do a Reality Check and consider whether theyre on target

or falling out of range with todays customers, constituencies

and employees and what they want. AFWA thanks speakers

Allen Beerman, Executive Director of the Nebraska Press

Association; Dave Rozman, Director of Teen Services for the

Boys & Girls Clubs of America; Joe and Mark LaBarbera, media

annual meeting sponsors

Platinum: Bass Pro Shops, NOAA, USFWS, USDA-

APHIS-Wildl ife Services, USDA-APHIS-Veterinary Services,

U.S. Geological Survey /Gold: BLM, Ducks Unlimited,

Kalkomey Enterprises, Inc., National Park Service, NationalWild Turkey Federation /Silver: Boone and Crockett Club,

National Shooting Sports Foundation, Parks by Nature

Network, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, The Wildlife

Society /Bronze: Active Network Outdoors, Archery

Trade Association, D.J. Case & Associates, J.F. Griffin

Publishing, LLC, Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation,

Systems Consultants, TASER International, Inc., The Nature

Conservancy, U.S. Sportsmens All iance, USDA Forest

Service, Wildlife Forever /Hospitality: National Archery

in the Schools Program, Mule Deer Foundation, Wildlife

Management Institute /Plenary Session: U.S. Geological

Survey

Special Thank You: Nebraska Game & Parks Commission

2011 ANNuAl MEETING

1 Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies 2011 ANNUAL REPORT

national Private landS fiShand Wildlife

SteWardShiP aWard

Honoring an individual- or family-run farm, ranch or forest opera-

tion that has incorporated proactive conservation and environmentalprotection measures

Alexander Ranch, Kansas

SPeCial reCognition aWardS

Recognizing individuals who distinguished themselves with an

outstanding commitment to the work of the Association

Jack Buckley, Deputy Director,

Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife

Randy Stark, Chief Conservation Warden,

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

Susan-Marie Stedman,

NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service

Dave White, Chief,

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service

Honorary Lifetime Memberships

Rex Amack, Director,

Nebraska Game & Fish Commission

Terry Johnson, Threatened and Endangered Species

Coordinator, Arizona Game & Fish Department

Corky Pugh (Ret), Director,

Alabama Wildlife & Freshwater Fisheries Division

Tribute to Fallen HeroesRemembering wildlife professionals who lost their lives in the line of

duty the previous year

David L. Groves, Conservation Officer,

Pennsylvania Game Commission

experts; and Carter Smith, Executive Director of Texas Parks

and Wildlife Dept. for their insights on trends, programming

and competition.

Seth Gordon Award Recipient Rebecca Humphries

2011PlenarySpeakers


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21/242010 ANNUAL REPORT l Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies 20

2011 ANNUAL REPORT Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies 20

internationaL memBerForestry Bureau, Council of Agriculture, Republic of China

aFFiLiate memBers

Association for Conservation InformationAtlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission

College of Natural Resources (Univ. of Wisconsin-Stevens Pt.)

The Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes

Great Lakes Fishery Commission

Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission

International Hunter Education Association

National Association of State Boating Law Administrators

North American Wildlife Enforcement Officers Association

Organization of Wildlife Land & Realty Specialists

Organization of Wildlife PlannersPacific States Marine Fisheries Commission

States Organization for Boating Access

Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council

Wildlife Disease Association

contriButinG memBersAmerican Eagle Foundation

American Sportfishing Association

Archery Trade Association

Boone & Crockett ClubCanadian Wildlife Federation

Delta Waterfowl Foundation

Ducks Unlimited Canada

Ducks Unlimited, Inc.

FishAmerica Foundation

Forest Preserve District of DuPage County

Fur Institute of Canada

Fur Takers of America, Inc.

Kalkomey Enterprises, Inc.

National Audubon SocietyNational Bowhunter Education Foundation

National Marine Manufacturers Association

National Rifle Association Conservation, Wildlife & Natural

Resources Division

National Shooting Sports Foundation, Inc.

National Trappers AssociationNational Wild Turkey Federation

National Wildlife Federation

The Nature Conservancy

NatureServe

North American Falconers Association

North American Grouse Partnership

North American Wetlands Conservation Council

North Dakota Natural Resources Trust

Northwest Marine Technology, Inc.

Outdoor RoadmapThe Peregrine Fund

Pheasants Forever

Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation

Resource Management Service, LLC

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation

The Ruffed Grouse Society

Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership

U.S. Sportsmens Alliance

Weatherby Foundation International

Wild Sheep FoundationWildlife Management Institute

The Wildlife Society

PHOTOGRAPHERS:

Thank you to these talented photographers for sharing their incredible

images with AFWA:

Feature Photographer an Cover Photo:

George Andrejko, Arizona Game & Fish Department

Page 3 Photo: Trey Reid, Arkansas Game & Fish Commission

Annual Meeting: Doug Carroll, Nebraska Game & Parks Commission

Insie Back Cover: Tim Daniel, Ohio Division of Wildlife

Aitional images provie by:

John Brunjes, Kentucky Dept. of Fish & Wi ldlife Resource s; Chase Foun-

tain, Texas Parks & Wildlife Dept.; Bill Hubick; Hayley Lynch, Kentucky

Dept. of Fish & Wildlife Resources; National Conservation Leadership

Institute; Nebraska Game & Parks Commission; Shutterstock; Tim Torrell,

Nevada Dept. of Wildlife; and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Graphic design:

Victor Young

Thanks also to Virginia Shepherd and the Virginia

Department of Game and Inland Fisheries for writing

a history of the Federal Aid to Wildlife Restoration

Act and to Dian Ol son Belang er and Adr ian K innane

for their accounts in th e book, Managing American

Wildli fe: A History of the International Associa tion

of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. AFWA



2011 fINANcIAlS

The Association leverages every $1 contributed by state fish and wildlife agencies

with an additional $4 attained from other sources to enrich North Americas legacy

of fish and wildlife conservation in the public interest.

2011 REVEnUE

2011 EXPEnSES

MEMBERSHIP DUES

State 22%

Federal



We need the tonicof wildness.

~ Henry David Thoreau

We need the tonicof wildness.

~ Henry David Thoreau


24/24

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Washington, DC 20001Phone: 202/624-7890

Fax: 202/624-7891

Email: info@fishwildlife org

FOLLOW US:

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Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies 2011 Annual Report

Documents

Transcript of Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies 2011 Annual Report