Press Releases

Today, the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies was pleased to witness the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Oceans and Wildlife hearing on two bills, including the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (H.R.3742). The Association applauds Chairman Jared Huffman (D-CA) for his leadership in bringing H.R. 3742 up for a subcommittee hearing and looks forward to working with him and his colleagues in the subcommittee to advance this important legislation that has over 130 bipartisan cosponsors.

The voting membership of the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies passed ten resolutions during its Business Meeting held on September 25, 2019.

At the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies’ (AFWA) Annual Meeting in St. Paul, Minnesota, members recommended approval of 38 projects to be funded through the Multistate Conservation Grant Program (MSCG).

The membership of the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies elected Kelly Hepler, Secretary of the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks, as its new president during its 109th Annual Meeting in St. Paul, Minnesota.

The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) recognized eight individuals, two state agencies and one private landowner for their dedication to advancing fish and wildlife conservation at the Association’s Annual Awards Ceremony held on September 24, 2019 in St. Paul, Minnesota.

The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies encourages Congress to respond to the call to action in the State of the Birds Report released today by passing the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (H.R. 3742) to fund proactive fish and wildlife conservation. The State of the Birds Report highlights new science showing massive bird losses, with over 3 billion birds lost since 1970- more than a quarter of our birds in the U.S. and Canada. These dramatic bird losses demonstrate the urgent need for increased funding for their conservation. The report highlights that state fish and wildlife agencies have a critical role to play in recovering imperiled species of birds, fish and other wildlife and preventing species from becoming further endangered. But without increased funding, states and other partners are fighting an uphill battle. The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act is a solution to this critical problem.

Today at the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Annual Meeting, seven organizations and individuals were honored by their peers as recipients of the Climate Adaptation Leadership Award for Natural Resources. The Climate Adaptation Leadership Award, established in 2016, recognizes exemplary leadership by individuals, agencies, businesses and other organizations to reduce impacts and advance adaptation of the Nation’s vital natural resources and the many people who depend on them in a changing world.

On Monday, August 12, Mr. David Bernhardt, Secretary of the Department of the Interior, and Mr. Wilbur Ross, Secretary of the Department of Commerce, announced final regulatory changes to the administration of the federal Endangered Species Act. The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (Association) appreciates the Departments’ due diligence in managing this important federal law through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service. Mr. Ed Carter, President of the Association, and Executive Director of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency noted that “State fish and wildlife agencies are on the front lines of managing, restoring, and conserving federally listed threatened and endangered species. We look forward to working with our federal partners to achieve continuing success unto that end.”

The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies was pleased to see biologists from several Midwestern states, members of Wisconsin Tribal Nations, plus state and federal conservation groups meet last month to discuss chronic wasting disease (CWD) management and research efforts across the region. The goal of this meeting was to determine best practices for working together across state borders to prevent the spread of CWD.

The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies is excited to see the National Fish Habitat Partnership’s 2019 list of “Waters to Watch” representing a snapshot of voluntary, locally driven freshwater, estuarine and marine habitat conservation efforts implemented across the country. States are a key partner in implementing these conservation priorities.