Press Releases

The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (Association) applauds the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for issuing the Secretarial Memorandum on Conserving and Restoring Terrestrial Wildlife Habitat Connectivity and Corridors in the United States. Yesterday, the Association’s President, Judy Camuso, joined USDA Under Secretaries responsible for Farm Production and Conservation, the U.S. Forest Service and Marketing and Regulatory Programs to announce the department-wide effort to support terrestrial wildlife habitat connectivity.

Last night, The State of the Bats in North America, the companion study to the 2023 report, identifies major threats to North American Bats and calls for urgent, coordinated support and action across Canada, the United States, and Mexico. The findings indicate the greatest impacts to threatened bat species include climate change, disease, wind energy production, and land-use change.

The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies invested $11.75 million in conservation by approving 46 projects through the Multistate Conservation Grant Program. Association members formally endorsed these grants, which address critical conservation needs, at its 114th Annual Meeting, held September 22-25, 2024, in Madison, Wisconsin.

The voting membership of the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies passed ten resolutions during its Business Meeting held on September 25, 2024, in Madison, Wisconsin.

The membership of the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies (Association) elected Judith Camuso, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife, and resident of Falmouth, as its new president during its 114th Annual Meeting in Madison, Wisconsin during September 22-25, 2024. Ms. Camuso is only the second woman in the Association’s 122-year history to serve in this position. She will serve as the Association President through September 2025.

The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) recognized six individuals, four distinguished groups, one state agency, one federal agency, and one private landowner for their dedication to advancing fish and wildlife conservation at the Association’s Annual Awards Ceremony on September 25, 2024, in Madison, Wisconsin.

On July 29, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released its long-awaited report to the Senate Finance Committee studying the gap in collection of excise taxes on archery and angling equipment sold directly to consumers from outside of the U.S. by online vendors. Led by our partners at the Archery Trade Association and the American Sportfishing Association, one of AFWA’s top priorities has been securing corrective action to ensure these funds are collected, as resolved by our membership at the 2022 AFWA Annual Meeting.

The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (Association) applauds the introduction of the Wildlife Movement Through Partnerships Act. Today, Senator Padilla (C-CA) and Representatives Zinke (R-MT) and Beyer (D-VA) introduced the bill to bolster efforts to conserve wildlife migration corridors and seasonal habitat.

The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (Association) applauds House introduction of the America's Conservation Enhancement (ACE) Reauthorization Act of 2024 (H.R.8811). On Friday, June 21, the bipartisan legislation was introduced to reauthorize some of the most successful conservation programs in the country including the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) and the National Fish Habitat Partnership (NFHP).

The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies proudly shares the news that Courtney Hallacher, Statewide Wildlife Education Coordinator for the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, is recognized as this year’s Project WILD Outstanding Coordinator of the Year. Each year the Association honors one Project WILD coordinator with this award at the annual Project WILD Coordinators’ Conference.