Williams is expected to join Jim Moseley, deputy secretary of agriculture, and Bruce Knight, chief of the USDAs Natural Resource Conservation Service, at Pheasant Fest, which celebrates 20 years of conservation accomplishments by Pheasants Forever.
The Service will have representatives from its Partners for Fish and Wildlife program, and National Wildlife Refuge System on hand to answer questions and provide information on habitat conservation and public use opportunities on refuges.
The Partners for Fish and Wildlife program assists private landowners to restore and protect develop and maintain wildlife habitat through partnerships between the Service, state fish and wildlife agencies, local agencies, communities, individuals and conservation organizations including Pheasants Forever. The successful program is accomplished through the voluntary cooperation of landowners, who offer drained wetlands and degraded uplands to restore as wildlife habitat. Habitats are restored at no cost to participating landowners, who agree to protect their restored wetlands and uplands for a minimum of 10 years. Through their voluntary cooperation, landowners retain all previous ownership rights and responsibilities, including the right to limit public access, on their restored habitats.
The National Wildlife Refuge System has a long tradition of working with conservation organizations, such as Pheasants Forever, to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife and plant resources.
In addition, many refuges offer opportunities for hunting, fishing, wildlife viewing and other wildlife-dependent recreation. The National Wildlife Refuge System celebrates its 100th birthday March 14, 2003.
The Service will staff information booths with other government conservation agencies, private organizations, seed companies, land management groups and outdoor sports equipment vendors at the event. Award-winning taxidermists and wildlife artists will be on hand demonstrating and previewing their goods. There will be more than 200 booths for the public to visit.
Pheasant Fest is open to the public Friday, Jan.10, from 4-9 p.m.; Saturday, Jan.11, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, Jan.12, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission price for adults is $8 and $5 for children 15 years old and younger. Director Williams, who is also an avid pheasant hunter, is expected to speak to members and guests during the organizations national banquet Saturday evening at the Touchstone Energy Center in St. Paul. Banquet ticket information is available by calling (651) 773-2000.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting, and enhancing fish and wildlife and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95 million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses nearly 540 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 70 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 78 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
For further information about programs and activities of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region, visit our website at http://midwest.fws.gov
