The Wildlife Management Institute (WMI) is partnering with the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) to provide updates on two important resources for state agencies. The first is to update the AFWA Commission Guidebook. This guidebook provides historical information about the purpose and formation of conservation agency commissions and information on the specific roles and responsibilities of commissioners, agency directors, and agency staff. It provides tips for people interested in becoming a commissioner, guidance for new commissioners, and reminders about their behavior and practices as a conservation agency commissioner. WMI will be interviewing selected directors and commissioners in each of the AFWA regions and conducting a survey of all conservation agency directors and commissioners as part of the update. The final guidebook, supporting materials and an on-demand webinar will be completed by late summer.

The second project will update the WMI report on conservation agency organization, authorities and programs. This report will provide information on the status and trends of how conservation agencies are adapting to changing ecological and social conditions such as the addition of programs to monitor and manage wildlife diseases, acquire and apply social science, and increased public engagement. In a process similar to the Commission Guidebook, WMI will interview selected agency directors to inform a broader survey of all conservation agencies about their authorities, agency structure and programs. It will also include a literature review on conservation agency governance, programs, organizational structures, priorities, and decision making. It will also provide a compilation of challenges impacting conservation success in the US. A digital report will be provided by the end of this year and will include interpretations of the challenges that agencies are facing and how agencies are adapting to these challenges to achieve their priority conservation goals. The updated report will be completed by the end of the year.

These projects are being conducted with support from AFWA. WMI President, Steve Williams said, “Fish and wildlife conservation has become an increasingly complex endeavor in the years that have followed the last versions of the Commission Guidebook and the Organization, Authorities, and Programs report. WMI is excited to partner with AFWA to address leadership issues identified by Agency Directors and their Commissions. This effort is intended to enhance the success of agencies in meeting the challenges that they face today and in the future.”