Partnering on conservation points and initiatives delivers robust outcomes for the way forward for waterfowling
Through the third annual Duck Hunters Expo in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, The Duck Hunters Group acknowledged members of the conservation and waterfowl neighborhood for his or her clear dedication to defending the way forward for waterfowling. These advocates have performed an integral function in defending vital rights, alternatives, and entry for waterfowl hunters.
“Delta Waterfowl is proud to honor and acknowledge every of our award winners this yr,” mentioned Cyrus Baird, senior director of presidency affairs for Delta Waterfowl. “From elected officers and appointed commissioners to our companions in conservation, we’re grateful to have such nice relationships with people throughout North America who’ve been in a position to produce significant outcomes on behalf of geese and duck hunters.”
The next awards have been offered to key advocates of waterfowl and waterfowl searching:
The Delta Waterfowl Conservation Chief Award is a conservation coverage award that’s offered to a person, group, firm or company whose work has proven a transparent dedication to Delta’s mission to supply geese and safe the way forward for waterfowl searching.
Delta Waterfowl Conservation Chief Award Recipient:
Taylor Schmitz (Director, Federal Relations for the Congressional Sportsmen’s Basis)
In his function at CSF, Schmitz works with the Presidential Administration and Members of Congress by means of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus to advance federal insurance policies of significance to right this moment’s hunters. Schmitz is knowledgeable member of the Boone and Crockett Membership and at present serves because the Chairman of the American Wildlife Conservation Companions, the nation’s main coalition of like-minded sporting-conservation organizations that work to deal with essentially the most urgent points going through sportsmen and girls.
The Delta Waterfowl Waterfowling Legacy Award is offered to people whose work has proven a transparent dedication to advocating for infinite alternatives for waterfowl hunters and guaranteeing that the way forward for waterfowl searching stays robust.
Delta Waterfowl Waterfowling Legacy Award Recipients:
Hon. Steven Myers (Minister of Atmosphere, Power and Local weather Motion, Prince Edward Island, Canada)
Delta Waterfowl employees met and mentioned seven-day searching with Minister Myers repeatedly as soon as he was appointed Minister of Atmosphere, Power and Local weather Motion, PEI. In March 2024, Invoice 58—An Act to Amend the Wildlife Conservation Act—was launched. This invoice eliminated the clause that prohibited Sunday searching. In April 2024, the Sunday searching ban on Prince Edward Island was eliminated, doubling alternative for weekend waterfowlers on the Island.
Kate MacQuarrie (Director of Forests, Fish and Wildlife, PEI)
Kate MacQuarrie is the Director of Forests, Fish and Wildlife for the provincial authorities of Prince Edward Island. She is an skilled outdoorswoman whose continued efforts have helped pave the way in which for initiatives resembling free searching licenses and free hunter security programs for all younger and first-time hunters in PEI. Her advocacy extends to firearm homeowners/customers and, most not too long ago, her efforts helped Delta Waterfowl take away the prohibition to hunt on Sundays in PEI and enhance searching alternative for waterfowlers.
John Clements (Senior Regional Director – Canadian Staff, Delta Waterfowl)
John Clements started working for Delta Waterfowl in 2017 after a conservation-based profession that included serving as chief conservation officer for the province of Ontario and 17 years as a conservation officer for PEI, together with six years as chief. His ardour to introduce new hunters to the world of waterfowl searching is unparalleled, and his dedication to Delta’s mission and imaginative and prescient, coupled together with his huge skilled work expertise, connections, and his relentless pursuit of securing seven-day searching in PEI, is the one most cause Islanders will get to expertise Sunday searching this fall.
Hon. Mike Holland (Minister of Pure Assets and Power Growth, New Brunswick, Canada)
Reappointed because the Minister of Pure Assets and Power Growth following the 2020 election, Mike Holland has been an avid outdoorsperson his whole life. Underneath Minister Holland’s management, the provincial authorities amended the Fish and Wildlife Act to increase Sunday searching to incorporate each Sunday between the weekend following Canadian Thanksgiving in early October till Dec. 31., growing searching alternative for waterfowlers within the province.
Bruce Pollard (Wildlife Biologist, Inhabitants Administration at Atmosphere Canada (Retired), Atlantic Area)
Whereas working with the Canadian Wildlife Service in New Brunswick, Pollard helped allow an enlargement to the total season size for the three Maritime provinces to extend searching alternative. Pollard labored carefully with Delta volunteers and employees, in addition to representatives of the provincial authorities. His advocacy and dedication elevated searching alternative within the space and, starting in fall 2024, hunters from PEI and New Brunswick will be capable of hunt an additional two weeks, whereas Nova Scotians will likely be allowed one further week.
Hon. Minister Elvis Loveless (Minister of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture Authorities of Newfoundland and Labrador)
In honor of the late Minister Derrick Bragg, Delta presents this award to the Hon. Minister Elvis Loveless. Hon. Minister Bragg served as Newfoundland and Labrador’s Minister of Fisheries, Forestry, and Agriculture from 2021 to mid-2023 earlier than he handed away in January on the younger age of 59. Whereas Minister, his authorities eliminated all Sunday searching restrictions within the fall of 2022. The Hon. Elvis Loveless was appointed as Minister of Fisheries, Forestry, and Agriculture in June of 2023 and, due to their authorities, duck hunters have expanded entry to alternative in Newfoundland and Labrador.
The Delta Waterfowl Companions in Conservation Award is offered to a corporation whose work within the conservation enviornment has been collaborative with Delta Waterfowl to attempt in the direction of benefiting waterfowl, waterfowl habitat, and waterfowl hunters.
Delta Waterfowl Companions in Conservation Award Recipients:
Bruce Ross (Wisconsin Waterfowl Affiliation)
Bruce Ross is the chief director of the Wisconsin Waterfowl Affiliation—a state-based 501(c)3 group centered on restoring wetland habitat essential to waterfowl manufacturing and migration, selling insurance policies essential to state waterfowlers, and inspiring new hunters to develop into passionate conservationists. Notable outcomes embody launching the Wisconsin Waterfowl Hunters EXPO, making a wetlands restoration program on the Wisconsin Division of Pure Assets 1.6 million acres of public lands, reestablishing wild rice beds in northern Wisconsin, and establishing the Waterfowlers Academy to increase and advance the waterfowling neighborhood.
Mark Hennelly (California Waterfowl Affiliation)
Mark Hennelly is vice chairman of advocacy for the California Waterfowl Affiliation. He’s a registered lobbyist and works totally on legislative and regulatory points that influence waterfowl, wetlands, and searching, together with work earlier than the State Legislature and California Fish and Recreation Fee. He has sponsored and helped cross a number of state legal guidelines and laws affecting gamebird seasons and bag limits, water provides for refuges and wildlife areas, searching alternative on personal lands, and the usage of hunter-generated funds for sport conservation functions, amongst different roles.
The Frederic C. Walcott Conservationist of the Yr Award is offered to people who, by means of their function in a volunteer capability working as a commissioner or board member of a state fish and wildlife company, have helped enhance the panorama for geese and duck hunters for generations to come back.
Frederic C. Walcott Conservationist of the Yr Award Recipients:
Kevin Sagrera (Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Fee)
Kevin Sagrera and his household are staunch conservationists and longtime supporters of Delta Waterfowl and the State of Louisiana. Sagrera, now a commissioner for LDWF, adopted after his father, who additionally served as a commissioner. Each have been founding members of the Vermilion Chapter of Delta Waterfowl—one of the profitable chapters within the group—in Abbeville, Louisiana, within the early 2000s. Conservationists like Kevin Sagrera are wanted in Louisiana and throughout the nation to encourage our sport to thrive for future generations to get pleasure from.
Linda Parkowski (Vice-Chair, Delaware Advisory Council on Wildlife and Freshwater Fish)
Linda Parkowski is the vice chair of the Delaware Advisory Council of Wildlife and Freshwater Fish and is an impressive advocate for sportsmen and girls. Notably, Parkowski and two different advisory council members spearheaded the trouble to alter the Delaware regulation that prohibited the searching of gamebirds on Sundays. With Parkowski’s efforts, in Could of 2024, Delaware’s Sunday Gamebird invoice was signed by the Governor, leading to elevated searching alternative to seven days every week for Delaware hen hunters.
For extra info, contact Cyrus Baird at (703) 254-6737 or cbaird@deltawaterfowl.org. —Christy Sweigart
