June 2019

In 1960, Congress established the Sikes Act (16 U.S.C. 670a- 670o) to ensure that natural resources on military bases are conserved and protected. These bases and installations encompass more than 11.4 million acres nationally and 26.1 million acres globally, making the DoD one of our nation’s largest federal landowners. In many cases, the lands that bases and installations occupy are protected from human access and impact. And while they can be impacted significantly by training activities that support the military mission, they often contain some of our nation’s most significant natural resources including large, unbroken expanses of forests, timberlands, grasslands, and marshes. They are also home to hundreds of sensitive fish and wildlife species and their habitats.

Have you ever wondered what makes some fish and wildlife professionals so effective at what they do? Have you ever wished there was some way to help others be that effective? As retirements take their toll on agencies’ institutional memory and the socio-ecological challenges agencies face become more complex, finding answers to these questions has become critical. With support of a multi-state conservation grant from the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA), the Wildlife Management Institute, Cornell University, Michigan State University and the fish and wildlife agencies from Florida, Michigan, and New York are working together to address this need. The project is identifying and analyzing the habits and practices of consistently high-performing fish and wildlife professionals to inform production of professional development materials. Products will include tools individuals can use to assess how closely their habits and practices mirror those of highly-effective professionals and resources that can be used to improve reasoning and judgment.

The U.S. has been rocked by over 500 tornadoes in the past 30 days according to the U.S. Storm Prediction Center. The tornadoes have been driven by larger weather patterns that have also led to widespread rains and flooding across the Great Plains and Midwest. In the end of May, a low-pressure area stuck over the Pacific Northwest while a high-pressure system sat on top of the southern states allowing a stream of powerful winds to slice through the center, drawing energy from the Gulf of Mexico. The resulting rains and flooding have caused significant delays in planting of crops.

The 85th North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference will be held March 8-13, 2020 at the Hilton Omaha in Omaha, Nebraska. The Conference Steering Committee is seeking ideas and participation from professional conservation interests to help develop the conference agenda. In particular, proposals for the four conference Special Sessions are invited. Ideas for prospective plenary keynote speakers are also welcome.