Nominations may be submitted now for the Wildlife Management Institute's 2007 Touchstone and Presidents awards.

These awards recognize exceptional professional creativity, ingenuity and tenacity in developing programs that have advanced sound resource management and conservation in North America. Nominations can be for programs in any natural resource discipline.

The Presidents Award honors the division, department, office or program of a state, federal, provincial or other natural resource agency or institution. The California Wildlife Conservation Board received the 2006 Presidents Award for its determined efforts and leadership to protect hundreds of thousands of acres in the Golden Bear State.

The President's Awardrecognizes the achievement of a natural resource management program, professional or group of professionals in the public or private sector. The 2006 Touchstone Award went to the Mule Deer Working Group of the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies for its work to improve the status and management of mule deer populations.

Nominations for either award must be received by December 1, 2006. Nominations must include a letter that specifies (1) the name and mailing and email addresses of the prospective nominee(s), (2) the name and mailing and email addresses of the nominator(s), (3) a brief synopsis of the accomplishment, including its origin and dates, and (4) the names and phone numbers of three individuals who can give independent testimony about the value, scope and other merits of the achievement.

The awards will be announced and presented at the 72nd North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference, which will be held in March 2007, at the Hilton Portland and Executive Towers Hotel in Portland, Oregon. Award winners will be profiled in the 72nd Conference Transactions.

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Nominations should be sent to: WMI Awards, 1146 19th Street, NW, Suite 700, Washington, DC 20036, or by email to mailto:bmckown@wildlifemgt.org. Again, they must be received by December 1, 2006. For other information about the awards, including other previous awardees, go to http://www.wildlifemanagementinstitute.org/pages/awards.html.