State Fish & Wildlife Agency Directors Pass Four Resolutions at AFWA's 2014 Business Meeting

The voting membership of the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies passed four resolutions during its Business Meeting held on September 24, 2014.

> Read the full text of the resolutions

Resolution 2014-1: SUPPORT FOR THE MONARCH BUTTERFLY CONSERVATION

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies supports voluntary and incentive-based efforts to address threats of loss, fragmentation and modification of monarch breeding habitat including a better understanding of monarch host plants and how land use practices affect the distribution and abundance of numerous milkweed species.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that voluntary land use practices that support monarch breeding habitat should be encouraged among State and Provincial members, Federal land managers, private conservation groups, agricultural conservation agencies, and public and private landowners and that a continental approach within the context of the annual life-cycle needs of the monarch butterfly is encouraged, which could take the form of tri-lateral plans or other efforts at a North American continental scale.

Resolution 2014-2: RAISING AWARENESS OF E-15 (ETHANOL FUEL BLEND) AND IMPACTS ON BOATING

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOVED, that the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and its member state agencies recognize the importance of educating boaters to use a maximum of E-10 Ethanol blend fuel in their boat motors while recreating on state waterways. 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that with the ever changing renewable fuel standard being implemented by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide more and diverse blends of ethanol fuel, the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies remains steadfast in mandating that E-10 remain available in the marketplace for recreational boaters.

Resolution 2014-3: ENCOURAGING EXPLORING PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES BETWEEN THE SOUTHERN WINGS PROGRAM AND THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, NATURAL RESOURCES DAMAGE ASSESSMENT AND RESTORATION (NRDAR) PROGRAM

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies encourages the NRDAR Program to collaborate with the Southern Wings Program and include annual life-cycle needs of migratory birds when assessing NRDAR compensation strategies; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies encourages natural resource trustees to include the annual life-cycle needs of migratory birds when assessing NRDAR compensation strategies.


Resolution 2014-4: Resolution in Appreciation of the Missouri Department of Conservation

WHEREAS, the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies held its 104th Annual Meeting in the historic city of Saint Louis on the banks of the mighty Mississippi River in the Show Me state known as Missouri; and

WHEREAS, the elegant Gateway Arch that stands tall as a symbol of westward expansion, served not only as the back drop to the annual meeting, but also as a reminder to all attendees to expand the relevancy of conservation in today’s society by embracing partnerships and by being bold, brave and inspired; and

WHEREAS, Bob Ziehmer, Director of the Missouri Department of Conservation and his first-rate staff soared above and beyond in their roles as conference hosts and showed us the meaning of Midwest hospitality.

NOW BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, the Association extends its sincere gratitude to the Missouri Department of Conservation for hosting an immensely successful, enjoyable and relevant 2014 AFWA Annual Conference.