Featured FWCOs
Maine Fishery Resource Office
The Maine Fishery Resources Office (FRO) was established in 1987 with the mission of providing management coordination and technical assistance to state, federal, tribal and non-government partners involved in the recovery and restoration of aquatic resources in Maine. The Maine FRO provides field and technical assistance in all phases of interagency fish (freshwater and diadromous) restoration and recovery programs in Maine.
More recently, management activities include recovering federally listed endangered populations of Atlantic salmon in conjunction with other state, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and concerned citizens whose mission is to conserve and enhance Atlantic salmon habitat and populations.
In 2009 Maine FRO along with its partners, Project SHARE (Salmon Habitat and River Enhancement), were among an elite group of select individuals and organizations recognized at the National Fish Habitat Action Plan (NFHAP) Casting Call Event on March 27th. Project SHARE received the Extraordinary Action Award for its work on habitat restoration activities for Atlantic salmon in the state of Maine. Project SHARE’s restoration activities include: removing remnants of old log drive dams left over from the logging industry during the late 18th and early 19th century, replacing traditional undersized round culverts with bankfull, channel spanning, bottomless arched culverts that allow fish and other aquatic species to pass freely beneath road crossings, and other stream habitat enhancements such as large woody debris additions, bio-engineered bank stabilization and limestone additions.
The Maine FRO is a part of the Maine Fisheries Resources Complex, which also consists of the Craig Brook National Fish Hatchery (NFH) and the Green Lake National Fish Hatchery. For more information about the Maine Fisheries Resource Office please visit their website at: http://www.fws.gov/northeast/mainefisheries/MFRO.htm and for more information on the Maine Fisheries Program Complex please visit their website at: http://www.fws.gov/northeast/mainefisheries/Index.htm.
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FWCO’s Bennie Williams, Recipient of American Recreation Coalition's Legends Award
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Bennie Williams received one of seven prestigious 2008 Legends Awards presented to federal managers by the American Recreation Coalition (ARC). The award is in recognition of outstanding wok to improve outdoor recreation experiences and opportunities for the American people through federal outdoor recreation programs and resources.
Bennie oversees the coordination of interjurisdictional fisheries and recreational fisheries management at the national level for the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Offices. Bennie has demonstrated extraordinary individual effort and great personal sacrifice to expand participation of urban youth in recreational fishing and to connect children, especially under-served and special-needs youth, to nature through the use of innovative programs. Since 2003, when he joined the agency, Bennie has chaired the interagency committee that organizes National Fishing and Boating Week in the National Capital Area, particularly the youth fishing event on the National Mall. More recently, he has worked with the American Fly Fishing Trade Association and 21 other industry and nonprofit partners to establish a youth fishing event as a key part of the National Casting Call, a series of events over two days focused on sustaining the growth of recreational fishing. This year, he began working with the C.A.S.T. (Catch a Special Thrill) for Kids Foundation to provide disabled children with the opportunity for a quality fishing experience. He is also engaged in a broad partnership to restore the Anacostia River, which will provide new fishing opportunities to urban residents of the District of Columbia.
For more information:
ARC Legends Awards
National Fishing and Boating Week
C.A.S.T. for Kids
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C.A.S.T. for Kids |
To date, four fish passage barriers have been removed from Mill Creek and 2,500 feet of stream channel have been restored. Population assessments completed by Panama City Fish and Wildlife Biologists in 2008 show that Mill Creek now fosters a self-sustaining population of Okaloosa darter.
