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!
