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

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

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

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!

Dr. Jon Gassett Selected AFWA Vice President

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

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

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.