Division of Bird Habitat Conservation

Congratulations to the Recipients of the
2005 North American Waterfowl Management Plan Awards!

On behalf of the Plan Committee, U.S. Co-chair David Smith and Canadian Co-chair Steve Wendt announced the winners of the 2005 Plan Awards during a reception honoring the 20th Anniversary of the Plan on March 20, 2006, in Columbus, Ohio.

International Canvasback Award Recipients

Dr. George Finney
Dr. George Finney is one of the founding initiators of the Plan and former Plan Committee Co-chair. He also is a founding member and current Chair of one of the inaugural joint venture initiatives under the Plan, the Eastern Habitat Joint Venture. Recognizing the plight of sea ducks and our minimal understanding about their basic natural history, Dr. Finney became a strong advocate for and also a founding member of the Sea Duck Joint Venture. In addition to his service to the Plan and joint ventures, Dr. Finney’s commitment and dedication to conservation on an international level is further demonstrated by his distinction as a founding member of the Governing Council for the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (WHSRN). He also served as the Chairman for WHSRN from 1989 to 1997. Dr. Finney is a member of the North American Wetlands Conservation Council (Canada) and a member of the North American Bird Conservation Initiative’s Board of Directors. Dr. George Finney will receive his award at the upcoming joint meeting of the North American Wetlands Conservation Council and the NABCI/NAWCC Canada Council in July.

Duane Shroufe, Director of Arizona Game and Fish Department, is the U.S. recipient of the 2005 International Canvasback Award. Pictured L-R: Steve Wendt, Canadian Plan Committee Co-chair; Duane Shroufe; David Smith, U.S. Plan Committee Co-chair; and Eduardo Carrera, Mexican Plan Committee member. /Meredith Gutowski, USFWS.

Mr. Duane Shroufe
For 16 years, Mr. Duane Shroufe has been an active member of the Pacific Flyway Council. Since 1999, he has also served as the Chair of the North American Wetlands Conservation Council, committed to supporting wetlands conservation projects under the North American Wetlands Conservation Act. In these roles and in his position as Director of the Arizona Game and Fish Department, Mr. Shroufe has been a leader in developing and strengthening international partnerships with Canadian and Mexican conservationists for the benefit of our shared natural resources. Mr. Shroufe was involved in developing the international Sonoran Joint Venture, which seeks to conserve habitat for all birds that depend on the unique ecosystem of the Sonoran Desert. He currently serves as Management Board Chair for this joint venture, and is also a member of the Intermountain West Joint Venture Management Board. Mr. Duane Shroufe received his award at the NAWMP 20th Anniversary reception in March.

National Great Blue Heron Award Recipients – United States

California Wildlife Conservation Board
The California Wildlife Conservation Board represents an excellent partner in Plan projects throughout the State of California. To date, the board has allocated $1.2 billion towards the protection or restoration of 718,000 acres of habitat in the State. The many conservation projects it has helped to deliver on an ecosystem-wide scale demonstrate the board’s great skill in maximizing collaborative partnership opportunities—a true hallmark of the Plan. The California Wildlife Conservation Board will receive its award at an appropriate time and place of its choosing.

ConocoPhillips
ConocoPhillips has been an exemplary leader in conservation stewardship in the private sector, not just in terms of dollars leveraged for conservation but also through facilitation of landscape-level conservation projects. To date, this company has funded more than 250 conservation projects in a six-state region. It is worth noting that the company’s predecessor, Phillips Petroleum, was a recipient of the Plan’s National Great Blue Heron Award in 1996. It is a testament to this Plan partner’s commitment to conservation that it would carry its award-winning sense of stewardship into its new life as ConocoPhillips. ConocoPhillips will receive its award at an appropriate time and place of its choosing.

Glenn Salmon, Director of Fish & Wildlife, receives the National Great Blue Heron Award on behalf of Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Pictured L-R: Steve Wendt, Canadian Plan Committee Co-chair; Eduardo Carrera, Mexican Plan Committee member; Glenn Salmon; and David Smith, U.S. Plan Committee Co-chair. /Meredith Gutowski, USFWS.

Indiana Department of Natural Resources
After decades of conservation planning, the Goose Pond Acquisition Project, spearheaded by Indiana Department of Natural Resources (Department), represents the essence of diverse partnerships at work and the power they have in leveraging funds for conservation. Completing this 8,000-acre acquisition amidst a tight fiscal environment and in a portion of the Midwest where land is at a premium was a daunting task. Nevertheless, the Department remained greatly committed and determined to protect habitat that would bring significant benefits to waterfowl and other migratory birds in this region. Glenn Salmon, Director of Fish & Wildlife, received the award on behalf of Indiana Department of Natural Resources at the NAWMP 20th Anniversary reception in March.

Wellton-Mohawk Irrigation Drainage District
The Wellton-Mohawk Irrigation Drainage District (District), in partnership with Arizona Game and Fish Department, has successfully managed the Quigley Wildlife Area over the years to become the 600-acre wildlife haven it is today. The District’s efforts at this site, located along the Gila River, have helped to extend a wildlife habitat corridor within the arid desert landscape of the Southwest, bringing regionally significant benefits to waterfowl and other migratory birds. Mr. Duane Shroufe, Director of Arizona Game and Fish Department, received the award for the Wellton-Mohawk Irrigation Drainage District at the NAWMP 20th Anniversary reception in March and will present it to the District at an appropriate time and place of its choosing.

National Great Blue Heron Award Recipients – Canada

George Arsenault and Jay Bartsch
George Arsenault’s and Jay Bartsch’s contributions to the conservation of waterfowl populations and their habitats while working within government and non-governmental organizations are extensive and merit national recognition. For Mr. Bartsch, such contributions extend even into retirement. These recipients will be presented with their awards in the near future at an appropriate time and place of their choosing.

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