The Association Commends the Department of the Interior’s Historic Expansion of Hunting and Fishing Opportunities
Apr 9, 2020, 2:04 PM
The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies applauds this week’s announcement by U.S. Secretary of the Interior David L. Bernhardt of the Administration’s significant efforts to increase recreational access on public lands. The new proposed rule would expand hunting and fishing opportunities to Americans by opening 2.3 million acres to public access and would represent the largest expansion of land to hunting and fishing in the history of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies and Partners Seek Nominations for the Climate Adaptation Leadership Awards
Mar 2, 2020, 9:54 AM
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 by to reduce impacts and advance adaptation of the nation’s vital natural resources in a changing world.
Maryland’s Project WILD Coordinator Honored as Outdoor Educator of the Year
Feb 12, 2020, 12:31 PM
The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies is proud to share the news that Maryland’s Project WILD Coordinator, Kerry Wixted, received the Maryland Outdoor Educator of the Year during last week’s Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education (MAEOE) Conference in Ocean City, Maryland.
The Association Applauds the House for Passage of Restoration Funding
Feb 10, 2020, 7:56 AM
The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies is pleased to announce the passage of critical habitat legislation that reauthorizes funding for projects in the Great Lakes and the Chesapeake Bay. The Association would like to thank and congratulate the bills’ sponsors, Representative Elaine Luria (D-VA) for the Chesapeake Bay Program Reauthorization Act (H.R. 1620) and Representative David Joyce (R-OH) for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act of 2019 (H.R. 4031), both of which passed the full House with bipartisan approval.
The Association Applauds the Senate for Passage of the America’s Conservation Enhancement Act
Jan 10, 2020, 3:04 PM
The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies is pleased to announce the passage of critical conservation legislation through the full Senate via unanimous consent for the America’s Conservation Enhancement Act (S. 3051). The Association thanks Chairman John Barrasso (R-WY) and Ranking Member Tom Carper (D-DE) for their leadership in advancing this bipartisan legislation through the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and successfully championing agreement by unanimous consent on the Senate floor late last evening. Passage by the full Senate followed a December 17th legislative markup on S. 3051 in the Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works, during which it passed by unanimous consent.
The Association Commends Congress’s Approval of Funding Bill with Important Conservation Priorities
Dec 20, 2019, 11:27 AM
The Association applauds Congress for the inclusion of two legislative packages that contain conservation initiatives that work to ensure future generations can enjoy our nations valuable natural resources. Included in H.R 1865 are important conservation priorities for the Association, including the Modernizing the Pittman-Robertson Fund for Tomorrow's Needs Act, funding for USDA APHIS to combat Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), increased funding for State and Tribal Wildlife Grants and increased funding for the North American Wetlands Conservation Fund, to name a few.
The Association Commends the House for Voting to Invest in Fish Habitat Priorities
Dec 17, 2019, 2:13 PM
The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) applauds the passage of the National Fish Habitat Conservation Through Partnerships Act (H.R. 1747). This bipartisan legislation, led by Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA) and Rep. Marc Veasey (D-TX), was packaged with the Coastal and Great Lakes Communities Enhancement Act (H.R. 729) and passed in the House by a floor vote of 262-151 on December 10.
AFWA Celebrates the 30th Anniversary of the North American Wetlands Conservation Act
Dec 9, 2019, 4:55 PM
The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies celebrates the 30th Anniversary of the North American Wetland Conservation Act (NAWCA). This act provides financial support for waterfowl habitat that also supports a multitude of other wetland-related wildlife species. The NAWCA program is recognized as one of the premiere conservation programs in the world because the successful collaborative partnerships between the state fish and wildlife agencies, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, non-governmental organizations, and other partners are key to implementing priority wetland conservation projects.
Fish and Wildlife Relevancy Roadmap Now Available
Dec 9, 2019, 7:37 AM
The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies is pleased to announce the release of the Fish and Wildlife Relevancy Roadmap. The roadmap is meant to be a practical guide that state, provincial and territorial fish and wildlife conservation agencies can use to overcome barriers to broader relevance, public engagement and support. The roadmap was adopted by the Association at its 2019 Annual Meeting in St. Paul, Minnesota.
The Association Applauds the House Committee on Natural Resources Markup of the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act
Dec 5, 2019, 12:59 PM
Today, the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies was pleased to witness the House Committee on Natural Resources markup to advance bills that protect our rivers and restore our wildlife populations, including Recovering Americas Wildlife Act (H.R. 3742). The Association applauds Chairman Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ) and Ranking Member Rob Bishop (R-UT) for their leadership in bringing H.R. 3742 up for a full committee markup and looks forward to working with members of the committee to advance this important legislation that has 157 bipartisan cosponsors toward final passage in the House.