Press Releases

The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) recognized nine individuals, two state agencies, one federal agency, and one private landowner for their dedication to advancing fish and wildlife conservation at the Association’s Annual Awards Ceremony held both in person and virtually on September 26, 2023, in Calgary, Canada.

The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies invested $10.6 million in conservation by approving 55 projects through the Multistate Conservation Grant Program. Association members formally endorsed these grants, which address critical conservation needs, at its 113th Annual Meeting, held September 23-27, 2023, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

The voting membership of the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies passed seven resolutions during its Business Meeting held on September 27, 2023, in Calgary, Canada.

Today, during the business session of the 113th Annual Meeting of the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies, the directors unanimously endorsed and applauded members of Congress for advancing bipartisan legislation to ensure students and schools can continue to access Department of Education funding for archery, hunter education, recreational shooting, and other outdoor enrichment programming.

The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies supports the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s decision to reject a Center for Biological Diversity’s petition to undertake a national rulemaking concerning lead ammunition and tackle on the National Wildlife Refuge System (Refuge System).

The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies is excited to announce that BearWise has now been adopted by 39 states and is being utilized by people nationwide. BearWise meets the growing need for consistent information on living responsibly with black bears. This innovative program provides information supported by sound science and useful resources that give people, neighborhoods, communities, and businesses practical ways to prevent human-bear conflicts and help keep bears wild.

The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies is soliciting Full Proposals for the 2024 Multistate Conservation Grant Program which funds projects that address regional or national level priorities of state fish and wildlife agencies. The deadline for submitting Full Proposals for the 2024 cycle is June 15, 2023.

Today, the North American Bat Conservation Alliance (NABCA) published the first ever State of the Bats in North America report, highlighting the importance of bat conservation, not only for their biodiversity value, but for the ecosystem and economic services bats provide in terms of pest control, pollination, seed dispersal, ecotourism, and their contributions to innovation and science. The report also indicates that 47% of the 154 known bat species across North America are at risk of severe population decline in the next 15 years.

The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies, in partnership with the National Fish, Wildlife, and Plant Climate Adaptation Network, is seeking nominations for the Climate Adaptation Leadership Award (Award). This Award recognizes outstanding efforts to increase the resilience of America’s valuable living natural resources to climate change and thereby help sustain the many people, businesses and communities that depend on them.

The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies strongly supports the introduction of the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (S.1149) in the U.S. Senate today. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) introduced this bipartisan legislation that would provide critical funding to state fish and wildlife agencies and tribal fish and wildlife managers to effectively conserve our nation’s fish and wildlife for future generations. If passed, this bill will not only help the one-third of wildlife species in the United States currently at risk of becoming threatened or endangered, but also save taxpayer money by implementing proactive solutions to conserve those species in greatest need and prevent wildlife from becoming threatened or endangered.