Members of the Anchorage Waterfowl Working Group (AWWG) will be recognized for their "model partnership on behalf of Americas wildlife," by Jamie Rappaport Clark, the Services Director during an informal ceremony to be held July 8, 1998. The Director will present the Directors Special Achievement Award to 18 individuals representing 13 separate organizations at the Hampton Inn in Anchorage.
"For as much as all Americans love wildlife, many cities are learning that wild geese in an urban setting can cause unnatural problems with the potential for deadly consequences," said Clark. "Anchorage, the largest city in the state with the greatest wealth of wildlife, has created a Model Partnership to confront a most vexing challenge facing many cities in the nation: How to manage wild geese in an urban setting."
The partnership formed late in 1995, shortly after an Air Force jet struck a flock of geese and crashed, killing all 24 crewmembers aboard. The partnership agreed immediately to gather current biological data upon which to base a plan of action. They also agreed to prepare an outreach plan that would involve the public in a community-based approach to this sensitive wildlife and safety issue. After two years of research, planning, and tense public meetings, a management plan went into place this spring, beginning with a community-based egg collection effort. Partners agree that the community has a long way to go to find the right harmonic balance between geese and people in Anchorage.
Those individuals in the partnership receiving the awards are: Jerry Walton and Tom Kempton, Municipality of Anchorage; Mack Humphrey, Federal Aviation Administration; Rick Sinnot and Tom Rothe, Alaska Department of Fish and Game; Corey Rossi, U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services; Doug Lohr, Anchorage International Airport; Howard Smith, Merrill Field Airport; Maj. Neil Fox, Capt. Doug Hanson, Capt. Chris McAllan, and Kate Wedemeyer, Elmendorf Air Force Base; Bill Quirk, Fort Richardson Army Base; Carl Tobin, Alaska Pacific University; John Schoen, Alaska State Office of the National Audubon Society; George Matz, Anchorage Audubon Society; Kristi Bischofberger, Alaska Department of Health and Human Services; and Karen Laing, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
"The exemplary effort by the members of AWWG to work together to take on this difficult problem deserves special recognition, as other communities face similar problems," said Clark. "It gives me great pleasure to present these awards to the representatives of the Anchorage Waterfowl Working Group for excellence in partnership on behalf of wildlife management in an urban setting.
-FWS-
Press is invited to Ceremony: Wed., July 8th, 3 p.m., Hampton Inn, Tudor & C, Anchorage
