The voting membership of the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) passed seven resolutions during its Business Meeting held on September 18, 2026, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

RESOLUTION 2026-01-07: Strengthening State Involvement in the National Fish Habitat Partnership (NFHP) and Recognizing NFHP’s 20th Anniversary

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (“Association”) recognizes and encourages state fish and wildlife agencies to continue to support and participate in NFHP through involvement in NFHP nationally, the individual FHPs, and/or contributions to on-the-ground conservation projects; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Association celebrates the 20th Anniversary of NFHP and encourages implementation of the recommendations laid out in the 2026 AFWA President’s Task Force Report on NFHP.

RESOLUTION 2026-02-07 : Support for the Adoption of Best Management Practices for the Harvest Information Program

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (“Association”) supports the adoption and use of Best Management Practices for the HIP to improve consistency, data quality, and overall program effectiveness across jurisdictions; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Association encourages state fish and wildlife agencies to consider and implement these Best Management Practices, as appropriate, within their jurisdictions; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Association supports continued collaboration among state agencies, the Service, Flyway Councils, and industry partners to evaluate and refine HIP implementation over time.

RESOLUTION 2026-03-07: Fostering a Strategic Partnership with the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and the Nature and Health Alliance Through Shared Nature and Health Principles

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Association supports establishing a partnership with the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and the Nature and Health Alliance to promote the health and well-being benefits of nature to the public and the public’s responsibility to take care of nature by engaging the healthcare and research sectors to increase conservation relevancy and achieve shared outcomes.

RESOLUTION 2026-04-07:  Encouraging State Fish and Wildlife Agencies to Use the Collaboratively Developed National Utility-Scale Solar Wildlife Guidelines

NOW BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that the Association encourages its member state fish and wildlife agencies to use the National Utility-Scale Solar Wildlife Guidelines as a voluntary framework for identifying, avoiding, and minimizing wildlife and habitat impacts associated with utility-scale solar energy development.

RESOLUTION 2026-05-07: Support for a Coordinated and Standardized National Native Bee Monitoring Framework

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (“Association”) supports the voluntary implementation of, and participation in, USBee as a coordinated, standardized, and scientifically rigorous national framework for native bee inventory, monitoring, data management, and analysis; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Association will work to facilitate coordination among interested agencies and partners and encourages Congress, Federal agencies, states, foundations, and other funding partners to provide sustained resources for the staffing, field implementation, taxonomic expertise, data infrastructure, analytical support, and technical assistance necessary to support a national native bee monitoring program.

RESOLUTION 2026-06-07: Celebrating the 250th Anniversary of the United States’ Declaration of Independence and the Essential Role of American Ideas in Advancing Wildlife Conservation

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (“Association”) observes the auspicious timing of its 116th Annual Meeting, on the eve of its own 125th anniversary, taking place in Pennsylvania, where both the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were first adopted; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Association hereby commemorates the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration and celebrates the endurance of a constitutional framework that has nourished a uniquely successful and fittingly adaptable North American conservation system.

RESOLUTION 2026-07-07: Appreciation to Pennsylvania’s Game Commission and Fish & Boat Commission
for a Successful 116th Annual Meeting

WHEREAS, the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (“Association”) convened its 116th Annual Meeting on Sept. 14-18, 2026 in the historic city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania; and

WHEREAS, Lancaster’s onetime courthouse served as a temporary wartime capital on the day of September 27, 1777, providing refuge for 14 members of the Continental Congress and the Declaration of Independence while British forces threatened Philadelphia; and

WHEREAS, over its history as a colony and a state, Pennsylvania’s wide range of ecosystems have provided opportunities for hunting, fishing, trapping, and other wildlife-driven recreation and supported species ranging from ruffed grouse to brook trout to eastern hellbender that are treasured across the country; and

WHEREAS, this year’s Plenary Session, “The Power of Partnership: How Fish Habitat Partnerships Help States Scale Conservation Success,” drew on the commemoration of two decades of successful collaboration between State, Federal, and Tribal agencies, and non-governmental partners, to restore aquatic ecosystems across the country; and

WHEREAS, the Association, as it concludes its 116th Annual Meeting, greets its 125th year more mindful than ever of the power of trusting relationships to meet emerging and complex challenges while simultaneously preserving long-successful conservation frameworks and taking innovative risks; and

WHEREAS, Stephen Smith, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC), and Tim Schaeffer, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC), generously provided their time and that of their hardworking staff to facilitate a productive conference in a vibrant and engaging setting;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, the Association offers its deep gratitude to PGC and PFBC and to all Association members for a successful Annual Meeting.

Read full text of all resolutions.

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The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies represents North America’s fish and wildlife agencies to advance sound, science-based management and conservation of fish and wildlife and their habitats in the public interest. The Association represents its state agency members on Capitol Hill and before the Administration to advance favorable fish and wildlife conservation policy and funding and works to ensure that all entities work collaboratively on the most important issues. The Association also provides member agencies with coordination services on cross-cutting as well as species-based programs that range from birds, fish habitat and energy development to climate change, wildlife action plans, conservation education, leadership training and international relations. Working together, the Association’s member agencies are ensuring that North American fish and wildlife management has a clear and collective voice.