Schedule at-a-Glance

The following schedule is subject to change (as of September 9, 2020).
Note: all meeting times are in Central Time. 

Wednesday, September 9, 2020
9:00am – 12:00pm	Welcome & Plenary Session — Conservation in the Time of Coronavirus: Social Pandemics. Cultural Pandemics View Details Attend this event and be entered to win a Bass Pro Shops giveaway!
1:00pm – 3:00pm	Project Wild Subcommittee - Agenda
1:00pm – 3:00pm	WAFWA Executive Committee - Invite only, state and provincial directors only
1:00pm – 3:00pm	Legislative and Federal Budget Committee - Agenda
1:00pm – 3:00pm	Subcommittee on Water - Agenda
1:00pm – 3:00pm	International Relations Committee - Agenda
1:00pm – 3:00pm	National Grants Committee - Agenda
1:00pm – 3:00pm	Law Enforcement Committee - Agenda
1:00pm – 4:00pm	Conservation Reserve Program Working Group - Agenda
1:00pm – 4:00pm	Invasive Species Committee - Agenda
1:00pm – 4:00pm	Bird Conservation Committee Part 1 - Agenda
2:00pm – 4:00pm	Climate Adaptation Committee - Agenda
3:00pm – 4:00pm	Regional Coordinators Meeting
3:15pm – 5:15pm	Wildlife Viewing & Nature Tourism Working Group - Agenda
3:15pm – 5:15pm	Law Enforcement Committee - Agenda
3:15pm – 5:15pm	Feral Swine Working Group - Agenda
4:00pm – 5:00pm	Climate Adaptation Leadership Awards
4:00pm – 5:00pm	NCLI Alumni Meeting
4:30pm – 5:30pm	Harvest Information Program Working Group - Agenda
5:15pm – 6:15pm	Sponsor Hospitality Night View Details Sponsored by Archery Trade Association and Wildlife Management Institute. Attend this event and be entered to win a Bass Pro Shops giveaway!
Thursday, September 10, 2020
9:00am – 10:30am	Ocean Resources Policy Committee - Agenda
9:00am – 11:00am	Outreach Working Group - Agenda
9:00am – 11:00am	Feral and Free-Ranging Cat Working Group - Agenda
9:00am – 11:00am	Science and Research Committee - Agenda
9:00am – 11:00am	Technology and Data Committee - Agenda
9:00am – 11:00am	Lesser Prairie Chicken Initiative Council (Invitation Only)
9:00am – 12:00pm	Wildlife Diversity Conservation and Funding Committee - Agenda
9:00am – 12:00pm	Waterfowl Working Group - Agenda
9:00am – 12:00pm	Legal Committee Business Meeting - Agenda
9:00am – 12:00pm	Environmental Quality Incentives Program / Conservation Stewardship Program Joint Working Group - Agenda
9:00am – 12:00pm	Sustainable Wildlife Use Committee - Agenda
9:00am – 12:00pm	Fish & Wildlife Trust Funds Committee - Agenda
10:00am – 12:00pm	NBCI Management Board
9:00am – 4:00pm	AFWA/NACLEC Law Enforcement Meeting
10:00am – 12:00pm	Bird & Fish Related Conflict Working Group - Agenda
11:00am – 1:00pm	Visit with sponsors in the Virtual Trade Show
1:00pm – 3:00pm	Human Dimensions and Social Science Subcommittee - Agenda
1:00pm – 2:30pm	Migratory Shore & Upland Game Bird Working Group - Agenda
1:00pm – 2:30pm	Joint Education, Outreach & Diversity Committee and Wildlife Diversity Conservation & Funding Working Group - Agenda
1:00pm – 3:00pm	Human/Wildlife Conflict Working Group - Agenda
1:00pm – 3:00pm	Partners in Flight/Shorebird/Waterbird Working Group - Agenda
1:00pm – 3:00pm	Farm Bill Easements Working Group - Agenda
1:00pm – 4:00pm	Fisheries & Water Resources Policy Committee - Agenda
1:00pm – 4:00pm	Resolutions Committee - Agenda
1:00pm – 4:00pm	Sagebrush Executive Oversight Committee
1:00pm – 4:00pm	Energy & Wildlife Policy Committee - Agenda
1:00pm – 4:00pm	Hunting/Shooting Sports Participation Committee - Agenda
2:30pm – 5:15pm	Diversity & Inclusion Working Group - Agenda
3:00pm – 4:00pm	Lead and Fish and Wildlife Health Working Group - Agenda
3:15pm – 5:15pm	Public Access Working Group - Agenda
5:15pm – 6:15pm	Women in Wildlife Conservation - all welcome - View Flyer
5:30pm – 6:30pm	Sip, Graze and Gather Social Hour Attend this event and be entered to win a Bass Pro Shops giveaway!
Friday, September 11, 2020
9:00am – 10:30am	Resident Game Bird Working Group - Agenda
9:00am – 11:00am	Education Working Group - Agenda
9:00am – 11:00am	Regional Conservation Partnership Program Working Group - Agenda
9:00am – 11:00am	Wildlife Resource Policy Committee - Agenda
9:00am – 11:00am	Federal and Tribal Relations Committee - Agenda
9:00am – 11:00am	MAFWA Executive Committee
9:00am – 12:00pm	Drug Approval Working Group - Agenda
9:00am – 12:00pm	Amphibian & Reptile Conservation Committee - Agenda
10:00am – 12:00pm	Adaptive Leadership Working Group
10:45am – 12:15pm	Grassland Work Group - Agenda
11:00am – 1:00pm	Visit with sponsors in the Virtual Trade Show
1:00pm – 3:00pm	Bird Conservation Committee Part 2 - Agenda
12:15pm – 12:45pm	Invite-Only Lunch: 2020 Licensing Trends (Who, Why, and What To Do) Join us for lunch to discuss 2020 licensing sales trends moving at warp speed, and what we can be doing to feed the need. We will analyze the data and suggest ways to engage both the avid outdoors participants and the new wave customers with relatable content, value-add partnerships, and community building opportunities. Hosted by Brandt
1:00pm – 3:00pm	Leadership/Professional Development Committee - Agenda
1:00pm – 3:00pm	Education, Outreach & Diversity Committee - Agenda
1:00pm – 4:00pm	Legal Committee - Agenda
1:00pm – 4:00pm	Fish & Wildlife Health Committee - Agenda
1:00pm – 4:00pm	Agricultural Conservation Committee (Part 1 & 2) - Agenda
1:00pm – 4:00pm	Threatened/Endangered Species Policy Committee - Agenda
1:00pm – 4:00pm	Angler & Boater R3 Committee - Agenda
4:30pm – 5:30pm	Alliance for America’s Fish & Wildlife Happy Hour Join us for a special live music experience to celebrate the House passage of the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act and the road to victory! Grab a beverage and enjoy hit songs you’ll recognize from some of country music’s biggest stars performed by Cole Taylor, the artist that wrote them. And hear the interesting stories and inspirations behind the songs. He may even take a request or two…after all, its Friday!
Monday, September 14, 2020
8:30am – 12:30pm	Directors Forum - available virtually (Invitation Only) Sponsored by Brandt, Kalkomey and Ducks Unlimited
9:00am – 12:00pm	WORKSHOP: Leading with Empathy
10:00am – 11:30 am	WORKSHOP: Phenology tools to inform climate adaptation planning
10:30am – 12:00 pm	WORKSHOP: Team Wellness: Encouraging your team through uncertainty
11:00am – 1:00pm	Visit with sponsors in the Virtual Trade Show
1:00pm – 2:30 pm	WORKSHOP: Padlets to ‘Pods- Exploring Digital Teaching Tools
1:00pm – 3:00 pm	WORKSHOP: Adaptive Challenge: Satisfying stakeholders and managing wildlife during the "War on Science" Era
1:00pm – 3:00pm	USGS Science for the 21st Century - View Flyer
1:00pm – 3:00pm	Pollinator and Monarch Conservation Updates
1:00pm – 4:00 pm	WORKSHOP: Natural Resources Agency and Organization Relevancy: Tools to create a more welcoming culture - View Flyer
1:00pm – 4:00 pm	WORKSHOP: Beyond #responsiblerecreation to human-nature relationship
1:30pm – 4:30pm	Executive Committee - available virtually - Agenda
2:30pm – 4:00pm	WORKSHOP: The Relevancy Roadmap...one year down the road
5:00pm – 5:30pm	Awards Ceremony Attend this event and be entered to win a Bass Pro Shops giveaway!
5:30pm – 6:00pm	Reception Honoring Award Winners
Tuesday, September 15, 2020
9:00am – 11:00am	Forest Service Partners Meeting
9:00am – 12:00pm	Executive Committee - available virtually - Agenda
9:00am – 12:00pm	WORKSHOP: Collecting and Reporting on the costs of compliance with the Endangered Species Act (in HCPs and in general)
9:00am – 12:00pm	WORKSHOP: Enhancing Conservation Relevancy: Finding Opportunity in Crisis
9:00am – 12:00pm	WORKSHOP: Keep Public Spaces Open! Responsible Recreation Tools and Tips for Keeping Outdoor Spaces Safe and Accessible
11:00am – 12:00pm	WORKSHOP: Create Your Own State Park
1:00pm – 5:00pm	AFWA Business Meeting - all welcome to attend
5:15pm – 6:15pm	Presidents Reception - all welcome to attend Sponsored by Bass Pro Shops and the Boone & Crockett Club

 

Join us Wednesday, September 9 from 9:00am – 12:00pm Central time for this thought-provoking, timely session kicking off the AFWA Annual Meeting:

PLENARY SESSION | Conservation in the Time of Coronavirus: Social Pandemics. Cultural Pandemics

​This year’s Plenary Session focuses on the social and cultural pandemics of our day against the backdrop of a coronavirus. Renewed racial tension, introspection about how conservation institutions can better serve communities of color, and global implications for the definition of sustainable use and the economic viability of rural communities are front and center. This session will be designed to provide avenues to have difficult and challenging conversations to help organizations move forward on inclusion and conservation.  

This session will address:

• What access barriers do black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) face when experiencing the outdoors?
• How do we make the outdoors inclusive to people of all backgrounds and ethnicities?  
• Should wildlife or wet markets be shut down? 
• What are the cultural and economic values of such markets to local communities? 
• What paradigms for the future of conservation may emerge from these cultural and social pandemics?
• How does this time of crisis create new opportunities for relevancy?

The speakers include: 

• Mr. Preston Cole, Secretary, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources; Secretary Cole had been a member of the Wisconsin Natural Resources Board since 2007, first appointed by Governor Jim Doyle and then re-appointed for another six-year term by Governor Scott Walker in 2013. He served as Natural Resources Board chair from 2013-14. Previously, Secretary Cole worked in a government setting as a parks superintendent for the city of St. Louis and a resource forester for the Missouri Department of Conservation. He also served as operations chief for the Milwaukee Department of Public Works and earlier the city forester. Most recently, Secretary Cole was the commissioner of the Milwaukee Department of Neighborhood Services. Secretary Cole supports traditional conservation activities and environmental protection as well as connecting nontraditional audiences with opportunities to get outdoors.
• Ms. Angelou Ezeilo, J.D., CEO and Founder, Greening Youth Foundation, Atlanta, Georgia; Angelou Ezeilo is founder and CEO of the Greening Youth Foundation. A leading social entrepreneur, she was a 2016 Ashoka Fellow, is a member of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights’ Women in Solidarity Society and is on the boards of the Atlanta Audubon Society and the South Fork Conservancy. She is also an advisory Board Member for the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area and Outdoor Afro, and she is on the Steering Committee for the new Children’s Wellbeing Initiative — a network of 22 changemakers working together to promote children’s wellbeing across the country. 
• Ms. Jennifer Psyllakis, Ph.D., Director, Wildlife and Habitat, Ministry of Forests, Lands, and Natural Resources Operations, British Columbia; Dr. Jennifer Psyllakis is the Director of Wildlife and Habitat for the Province of British Columbia. She feels privileged to enjoy a career devoted to the stewardship of British Columbia’s rich biodiversity and is inspired everyday by the dedication and passion that people have for wildlife in BC. Jennifer completed her PhD in Natural Resource Management from the University of Northern British Columbia, her MSc in Biology at the  University of Region and undergraduate degree in Wildlife Management, from McGill.  She is a current board member of Wildlife Habitat Canada and participates on various national and international wildlife committees and advisory boards. 
• Ms. Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, J.D., Executive Secretary, Convention on Biological Diversity, Montreal, Quebec; Elizabeth Maruma Mrema is the Director of the Law Division and has worked with United Nations Environment Program for over two decades. Prior to joining the Law Division in June 2014, she was the Deputy Director of the Ecosystems Division, in charge of coordination, operations and program delivery. For one year, she also served as Acting Director to the same Division. She ensured effective conservation of migratory animals globally, through implementing agreements that covered geographical areas where animals, birds or marine species migrate during their lifetime. Elizabeth's work at UNEP has focused on the development, implementation and enforcement of environmental laws at national, regional and international levels. 
• Ms. Sara Parker Pauley, Director of the Missouri Department of Conservation and Vice-President of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies; Sara Parker Pauley serves as the ninth Director of the Missouri Department of Conservation since its formation in 1937. The Missouri Conservation Commission announced Pauley’s selection effective November 1, 2016. A native of Columbia, Pauley received both her law degree and bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri – Columbia, and did post-graduate studies in Australia as a Rotary Fellow. She previously served as Director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources since 2010. She has worked as project manager for D.J. Case & Associates, a natural resources communications firm, and as a deputy director for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. She has been an instructor at the University of Missouri’s School of Natural Resources, teaching a course in natural resource policy and administration. Pauley began her professional career as a Policy Analyst with the Missouri Department of Conservation from 1993-1996. Over the years, though her career path varied, it has never strayed far from her personal desire to be engaged in the stewardship of Missouri’s natural resources. Sara will provide introductions and offer concluding remarks. 

SPONSOR HOSPITALITY NIGHT​

Wednesday, September 9th from 5:15pm – 6:15pm Central time 

Join our Annual Meeting sponsors in their Hospitality Lounges as they get creative and show us a good time. Sponsors are encouraged to create a themed event within their lounge – 60’s theme, movie theme, creative cocktail theme, disco theme, fishing theme, etc. Attendees will vote on the best theme, and the winning sponsor will get bragging rights and acknowledgement via the on-line platform.