SEAFWA News

The Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies named Brad Hasamear the 2017 Colonel Bob Brantley Wildlife Officer of the Year at their annual meeting in Louisville this week. Stewart is a senior conservation officer for the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

“Today’s Conservation Enforcement Officers must be educator, mentor, public relations officer, hunting and fishing promoter, search and rescue professional, and law enforcement,” SEAFWA President Alvin Taylor said. “Senior Officer Hasamear meets every one of these demands with a positive...

The Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (SEAFWA) named the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s former Southeast Regional Director Cindy Dohner the 2017 C. W. Watson Award winner at their annual meeting in Louisville this week. The award is the highest honor bestowed by the Association.

“Cindy has been a visionary in wildlife management and partnership engagement,” said SEAFWA President Alvin Taylor. “Conservation leaders across the nation are looking at her groundbreaking efforts to establish a unified, all-encompassing plan for conservation in her region, and...

The Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies named the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) as the 2017 SEAFWA Diversity and Inclusion Award winner in the category of Diversity Outreach and Education at their annual meeting in Louisville this week. The AGFC’s Family and Community Fishing Program partners with community organizations to raise the profile and awareness of conservation within the state’s growing minority communities.

“The AGFC’s Family and Community Fishing Program has been providing family friendly fishing experiences in the state's more largely...

The Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (SEAFWA) named George C. Palmer the 2017 Fisheries Biologist of the Year at their annual meeting in Louisville this week. Palmer has been an aquatic biologist for the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) since 2000.

“George Palmer has consistently demonstrated a strong commitment to the fisheries resources and the users of these resources throughout his career,” SEAFWA President Alvin Taylor said. “His efforts and outstanding reputation are appreciated beyond the borders of Virginia.”

Palmer...

The Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (SEAFWA) named Dan Gibbs the 2017 Wildlife Biologist of the Year at their annual meeting in Louisville this week. Gibbs is the Bear Program Leader for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA).

“Dan’s ability to analyze and interpret data then relate it to the management of a wildlife species has been instrumental in establishing bear hunt zones based on the best science available,” SEAFWA President Alvin Taylor said. “He works closely with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Cherokee National Forest,...

The Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (SEAFWA) presented CEO and President of the Archery Trade Association Jay McAninch with a special recognition award at their annual meeting in Louisville this week. McAninch has led the ATA since 2000, and a hallmark of his tenure has been the rejuvenation of the relationship between industry and the state agencies.

“Under McAninch’s leadership, the Archery Trade Association Trade Show has become the world’s biggest business event of the year in archery and bowhunting,” SEAFWA President Alvin Taylor said. “He has been...

The North American Waterfowl Management Plan partners recognized Ducks Unlimited’s (DU) retired Director of the Southern Region, Dr. Curtis Hopkins, as the 2017 National Blue-Winged Teal Award winner at the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (SEAFWA) annual meeting in Louisville this week. The award honors extraordinary commitment to conservation and the North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP).

“Curtis exemplifies commitment to the conservation of North American waterfowl,” said Lower Mississippi Valley Joint Venture Coordinator Keith McKnight. “His...

The Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (SEAFWA) presented the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) Electrofishing Equipment and Safety Committee with a special recognition award at their annual meeting in Louisville this week. The ten-member team has updated and standardized electrofishing guidelines, which multiple states are adopting.

“This manual provides safety guidelines, technological updates, and equipment improvements,” SEAFWA President Alvin Taylor said. “The result is a set of guidelines that effectively builds on past recommendations.”

The Large Carnivore Working Group (LCWG) recently went public with the BearWise website (http://bearwise.org/).  The purpose of the website is to provide a forum to communicate central messages supported by SEAFWA states regarding technical information on how to avoid and address bear issues.  The expanding black bear population in the southeast necessitates helping people learn to live with bears.  The LCWG operates as a working group of SEAFWA’s Wildlife Resources Committee. 

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