Press Releases

White-nose syndrome has killed over 90% of northern long-eared, little brown and tri-colored bat populations in fewer than 10 years, according to a new study published in Conservation Biology. Researchers also noted declines in Indiana bat and big brown bat populations.

The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies is soliciting Initial Proposals for the 2022 Multistate Conservation Grant Program which funds projects that address regional or national level priorities of state fish and wildlife agencies. The deadline for submitting the Initial Proposals for 2022 cycle is May 17, 2021.

The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies was excited by last week’s announcement by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service that the American bald eagle population has quadrupled since 2009, from 417 known nesting pairs to 71,400 nesting pairs and an estimated 316,700 individuals today. Bald eagle populations are still growing strong thanks to dedicated resources and partnership efforts! This conservation success story is thanks in part to the State and Tribal Wildlife Grant Program. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Association collaborated on a report that highlights the program’s successes since its inception.

Nominations are now open for the Climate Adaptation Leadership Award which recognizes outstanding efforts to increase the resilience of America’s valuable living natural resources and the many people, businesses and communities that depend on them. The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies and its members and partners are seeking nominations from individuals, agencies, businesses, and other organizations to recognize exemplary leadership to reduce impacts and advance adaptation of the Nation’s vital natural resources in a changing climate.

The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies strongly supports the introduction of the Abandoned Mine Land Reauthorization Act. This bipartisan legislation would reauthorize the Abandoned Mine Land Trust Fund, which is set to expire in September 2021. Representative Matt Cartwright (D-PA-08) and Representative Glenn Thompson (R-PA-15) introduced this bill today in the House of Representatives in Washington, D.C.

The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies joins federal and state wildlife agencies across the country urging the proper disposal and halted sale of live “moss ball” aquarium plants due to confirmed reports of products containing living zebra mussels. This aquatic invasive species has proven impossible to eradicate once a colony is established, causing irreversible ecosystem damage, destroying habitats, and killing native species.

The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies is pleased to announce the release of a new report “Advancing the National Fish, Wildlife, and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy into a New Decade”. This is an update on the 2012 Strategy which was designed to enable natural resource managers to take effective steps towards climate adaptation. The new report presents an update of the science and practice, with a special section on Indigenous Knowledge systems, demonstrates implementation progress, and provides recommendations for the future.

The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) is excited to announce the recent publication titled “Best Management Practices for Trapping Furbearers in the United States” in Wildlife Monographs. This new publication is a culmination of over two decades of scientific research - by far the largest trap testing study ever conducted. The article is a product of AFWA’s Furbearer Management and Best Management Practices (BMPs) for Trapping Program, a program created to improve animal welfare in U.S. trapping programs by identifying traps that achieve internationally acceptable injury thresholds while remaining efficient and safe, and promoting their use among trappers, researchers, and managers who use traps to capture wildlife.

Today, the Association, along with the nation’s hunters, anglers, conservationists, and outdoor enthusiasts of every kind, celebrated the President’s signing of the most important fish and wildlife legislation enacted this congressional session, S. 3051, the America’s Conservation Enhancement Act (ACE Act). The bill ensures continuation of two of the most successful conservation programs in the nation’s history, with reauthorization of the North American Wetlands Conservation Act and codification of the National Fish Habitat Partnership. It provides measures to combat the most pressing disease currently threatening deer species, Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), through formation of a state and federal Task Force and the direction of research on CWD transmission and pathways. Among other vital provisions, the Chesapeake Bay program is reauthorized, and states are ensured the necessary authority to continue regulating types of fishing tackle based on localized effects for the next five years.

Today, fish and wildlife conservation organizations applauded the historic passage of bipartisan legislation to conserve our nation’s natural resources, from fish and wildlife and their habitats to the vast multitude of species and ecosystems that will benefit from these robust restoration efforts made possible through S. 3051, The America’s Conservation Enhancement Act (ACE Act).