On
Wednesday evening, March 2, 2011, the Conservation Federation of Missouri and
the Missouri Department of Conservation received a nationally-recognized award
from the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies in Washington, D.C. -- the
State Wildlife Action Plan Partnership Award. The award was
presented during a special reception to Celebrate Champions of Wildlife and the
Environment at the U.S. Botanic Garden. Over 300 people were in
participation as part of the 2011 Teaming With Wildlife Fly-in event.
Accepting the award
was Dave Murphy, CFM Executive Director. Also on hand to receive Missouri's
acknowledgement were Teaming With Wildlife Steering Committee members Rick Thom
(Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation), Carol Davit (Missouri Prairie
Foundation), and Gene Gardner (Missouri Department of Conservation). The group
was also joined by Geralyn Hoey, National Wildlife Federation's Regional
Representative for Missouri.
The State Wildlife
Action Plan Partnership Award recognizes Missouri for outstanding
collaboration in addressing conservation priorities and implementing management
strategies associated with our state's wildlife action plan (called Missouri's Comprehensive Wildlife Strategy). We were selected to receive this award for
outstanding partnerships to advance the mission of Teaming with Wildlife,
supporting increased public funding for wildlife conservation and related
education and recreation needs.
In May, 2000, the Conservation Federation of Missouri
(CFM) led an original Teaming With Wildlife Coalition and helped the House pass
the Conservation and Reinvestment Act (CARA). As a result, the
Missouri coalition helped secure the first $50 million appropriated to state
fish and wildlife agencies through the Wildlife Conservation and Reinvestment
Program (which subsequently morphed into the State Wildlife Grant Program in
2002). In the past ten years, Missouri has received more than $12.4 million
through the SWG program and, together with contributions from all our
conservation partners, turned those funds into $45 million worth of conservation
actions!
In 2007, together with the Missouri Department of
Conservation, the CFM brought together The Nature Conservancy, Audubon Missouri,
Missouri Prairie Foundation, Ozark Regional Land Trust, and the Missouri
Conservation Heritage Foundation as the newest collaborative effort and
established the Missouri Teaming With Wildlife (TWW) Steering Committee.
Since that time, the Missouri TWW coalition has grown to an organization
more than 275 members strong that ranks fifth in the nation in the number
of conservation partners and supporters. This coalition of agencies,
sportsmen, businesses, citizen conservationists and other outdoor enthusiasts
staunchly support the need for increased funding for fish, forest, and wildlife
conservation in America.
The TWW coalition works to integrate the interests of
outdoors men and woman in concert with the goals of Missouri resource management
agencies (e.g., Missouri Department of Conservation, Missouri Department of
Natural Resources), non-governmental organizations devoted to the outdoors,
businesses, and resource-based industries.
The CFM has developed many innovative measures that
motivate coalition partners to address conservation priorities identified in
Missouri's Comprehensive Wildlife Strategy. CFM provides start-up funds and
staff support to coalition partners that are used for a variety of
projects that build collaboration within COA stakeholder teams, strengthens the
network between coalition teams in other COAs, and promotes conservation actions
statewide that implements our State Wildlife Action Plan. We are truly honored
to receive this award on behalf of all members of the Missouri Teaming With
Wildlife Coalition!