Conservation Bills Introduced in Congress With work on stimulus and appropriations funding bills completed, members of Congress are turning their attention to conservation initiatives as a series of new bills were introduced early this month. These bills, impacting duck stamps, mining law and open space conservation, are the most recent packages brought forward in a Congress that appears to be prioritizing environment and conservation-related legislation. Each bill will face the long legislative process, which means they are a long way from being enacted, reports the Wildlife Management Institute, but simply having the bills... Read The Article
Patrick Noonan Receives 2009 George Bird Grinnell Memorial Award Renowned conservationist Patrick F. Noonan was honored with the 2009 George Bird Grinnell Memorial Award for Distinguished Service to Natural Resource Conservation. The Wildlife Management Institute (WMI) conferred the award during the 74th North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference, held last month in Arlington, Virginia. The Grinnell Award was established in honor of George Bird Grinnell, a prominent and powerful voice for the nation's earliest conservation movement. Its honorees have demonstrated leadership, tenacity, and integrity in shaping fish and... Read The Article
Clean Water Act Interpretation Loggerheads Prompt Wetland Protection Bill Legislation to clarify and restore protection to millions of acres of wetlands was introduced recently in Congress, according to the Wildlife Management Institute. The bill, the Clean Water Restoration Act (CWRA), introduced by Barbara Boxer (CA), Benjamin Cardin (MD) and Russ Feingold (WI), has 23 co-sponsors. The Administration supports congressional action on the measure, but has not taken a specific position on the bill. Beginning in 1972, with the passage of the Clean Water Act (CWA), the nation's wetlands received substantial federal oversight and protection from the U... Read The Article
President Signs Public Lands Bill, Questions Raised on Alaska Road After stumbling short of the finish line in mid-March, congressional leaders used procedural tactics to pass the massive public lands protection bill just one week later, reports the Wildlife Management Institute. The Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009, the most sweeping land-protection measure in decades, was signed into law by President Obama on March 30. The new law packages more than 160 separate natural resource related bills. It designates more than 2 million acres in nine states as wilderness, protects thousands of miles of trails and wild and scenic rivers, creates new... Read The Article
Hunter Recruitment and Retention Boosted by New Website The Wildlife Management Institute (WMI) announced the launch of a new Website dedicated to sustaining and enhancing North America's hunting heritage. The Website, www.huntingheritage.org, will serve as a clearinghouse for information, programs and contacts related to programs that advance safe and ethical recreational hunting. The Website was premiered at the 74th North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference last month in Arlington, Virginia. The Website currently hosts the Recruitment and Retention... Read The Article
Shafroth Promises Integrity, Science and Process at DOI Will Shafroth, the recently appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks at the Department of the Interior, addressed a crowd of 900 during the plenary session of the 74th Annual North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference last month in Arlington, Virginia. Shafroth opened by acknowledging the importance of partnerships with the agencies and organizations that were represented at the conference, stating that this Administration will value and cultivate those relationships. His remarks focused on the goals and objectives of the Department under... Read The Article
