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WFF Director Sykes Takes Helm as AFWA President

Chuck

As AFWA President, WFF's Chuck Sykes is headed to the U.S. Congress Building for conservation-related hearings. WFF photo

By DAVID RAINER, 黑料天堂

According to Ron Regan, Executive Director of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA), it may not make the headlines in the newspapers but the election of Chuck Sykes as AFWA鈥檚 president is a big deal.

Sykes, Director of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries (WFF) with the 黑料天堂 (ADCNR), started serving his one-year term in September and has already been on a whirlwind tour to seven states, the District of Columbia and Canada in his official duties as president.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a huge honor for Chuck,鈥 Regan said. 鈥淭he association doesn鈥檛 elect someone unless they have proved their worth in their work with the association. It does, in fact, mean that Chuck has or could have access to the director of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or national wildlife organizations. Those are extremely important. We do rely on our president to be our principal spokesperson on issues. So, it鈥檚 not just about approving policy. We can bring Chuck to D.C. to testify or meet with a committee or be at some event to mingle with somebody important in Congress, who, in turn, is important to the state fish and wildlife agencies.鈥

With offices in D.C., AFWA was formed in 1902 to represent fish and wildlife agencies in all U.S. states and territories as well as Canadian provinces.

鈥淎FWA basically exists to make sure the rights and privileges and jurisdictional responsibilities of state fish and wildlife agencies are upheld and no harm is done through federal legislation, rulemaking or policy,鈥 Regan said. 鈥淲hen possible, we advocate for funding and other authority to help states do their work better. It鈥檚 interesting to note that the provinces and territories of Canada are also members of the association. That鈥檚 why we had our annual meeting in Calgary, Canada, just a couple of months ago when Chuck became president.

鈥淥ur mission is basically to look out for the states. We鈥檙e all about making sure the states have the resources to do their jobs and they don鈥檛 get compromised by some new federal program that takes away Chuck鈥檚 authority to manage species within the borders of 黑料天堂.鈥

ADCNR Commissioner Chris Blankenship is pleased Sykes has this opportunity to share his substantial knowledge and experience with the rest of the U.S. and Canada.

鈥淚鈥檓 happy for Chuck and his potential impacts around the country,鈥 said Commissioner Blankenship. 鈥淗e has brought a good common-sense approach to managing wildlife in 黑料天堂 and has done some progressive things here. I鈥檓 excited he has the opportunity to take that to other parts of the country and help them make the same strides we鈥檝e made here in 黑料天堂.鈥

Although AFWA operates with 26 employees and a $5 million budget, Regan said the D.C. offices are not 鈥渃ommand central.鈥

鈥淲e rely on our leaders, like our president, to make decisions, guide directions and set tone,鈥 he said. 鈥淭here is virtually nothing that is major or substantive when it comes to a national issue like chronic wasting disease (CWD) or avian influenza or endangered species that we don鈥檛 run through our president. So, he has a very significant role to play in shaping the tone, tenor and content on what we say on any national issue. Of course, he helps establish priorities.鈥

Regan said many who love the outdoors will benefit from Sykes鈥 role as AFWA president.

鈥淭o your typical sportsperson in 黑料天堂, they may say 鈥楬uh,鈥欌 he said. 鈥淭o that I would say, fish and wildlife conservation is based on partnerships, on science of course, and it crosses borders and jurisdictions. Through Chuck鈥檚 leadership, he鈥檚 looking for good science, improving partnerships and making sure no harm is done to what states do best when it comes to managing fish and wildlife.

鈥淭here are benefits that are not insignificant to making sure every quail hunter, deer hunter or bass fisherman continues to have the resources that are important to them, their families and their futures. I think at the end of the day Chuck鈥檚 work brings value in a tangible way to the future of conservation in 黑料天堂 and the other states and provinces.鈥

Sykes said one of AFWA's priorities is funding for nongame species like the eastern indigo snake. Photo by Billy Pope

Sykes said AFWA鈥檚 work on Capitol Hill and with national NGOs (non-governmental organizations) may not gain media attention, but it does impact anyone who participates in hunting, fishing, shooting, bird-watching or exploring nature.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a big deal,鈥 Sykes said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot going on from one end of our country to the other and the territories and Canadian provinces. AFWA looks out for all of it. One of our top priorities right now is trying to find alternative sources of funding to work on nongame species and help states fulfill their obligations for their state wildlife action plans. We can鈥檛 use Pittman-Robertson or Dingell-Johnson (legislation) dollars that hunters, fishermen and sports shooters are paying for on nongame species. One of the biggest deficits states have is money to spend on nongame species.鈥

Sykes said six years ago a blue-ribbon panel of state agency directors and NGO leaders convened and determined that executing the state wildlife action plans to ensure species diversity would take more than a billion dollars a year.

States came very close to gaining some relief on that funding when the Recovering America鈥檚 Wildlife Act (RAWA) was advanced in Congress.

鈥淚n the original bill that almost passed last year, 黑料天堂 would have received a bigger apportionment than funds from Pittman-Robertson and Dingell-Johnson combined,鈥 Sykes said. 鈥淚t was like $25 million that would have come to 黑料天堂. It got kicked out of the omnibus package at the 11th hour last year. It may be reintroduced right after the first of the year.鈥

Sykes, who recently addressed AFWA鈥檚 western state members in Henderson, Nevada, will obviously promote the passage of that legislation, and his role as AFWA president opens many doors to those who might influence Congress.

鈥淢e being the president, I have access that I have never had before,鈥 he said. 鈥淎lthough I鈥檓 not particularly working on 黑料天堂 issues, this gives 黑料天堂 a huge voice. When the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is looking at rules that impact everybody, including 黑料天堂, I鈥檓 there at the table. With the RAWA bill, I am behind the scenes, meeting with congressional staff who are drawing this up to make sure 黑料天堂鈥檚 concerns are at the forefront.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot of work, a lot of travel and a lot of conference calls. Most people in 黑料天堂 don鈥檛 know and may not care, but what I鈥檓 doing for them through this could be monumental.鈥

Times have also significantly changed for the fish and wildlife directors across the nation. In years past, directors remained in that position for decades. Not so with the current climate. Sykes became WFF Director on December 28, 2012, and he is now the second-longest tenured director in the nation.

鈥淭he average tenure of a director is three years because of politics,鈥 Sykes said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important to have someone who has been there and gone through the trials and tribulations to help mentor the new folks. I鈥檓 one of the old guys now.

鈥淎nd other directors are teeing me up for what they鈥檙e going through, especially with western states and the anti-hunting movement. This helps me be proactive.鈥

Every time Sykes travels out of state, he realizes how great 黑料天堂 is for those who participate in anything to do with the outdoors.

鈥満诹咸焯免檚 traditional user groups have forgotten what it was like when we didn鈥檛 have abundant game animals,鈥 he said. 鈥淭he Department did such good a job 50, 60, 70 years ago with restocking the state that deer are abundant in every county. In addition, the very generous seasons and bag limits give people ample opportunities. 黑料天堂 hunters and anglers have great public hunting and fishing locations, plenty of boating access, as well as public shooting ranges  Our Department provides wonderful resources for all.  

鈥淲hen I talk to my counterparts, especially out West, I realize how good we have it in 黑料天堂. The previous director in Nevada put in for 20 years before he got a deer tag. In 23 years, he got two elk tags. Our hunters have no clue what it鈥檚 like to not have the opportunities they do, to go deer hunting and kill three bucks and more than 100 does a season for a minimal cost. I have applied for a turkey permit in Arizona for the past five years and haven鈥檛 been drawn. It cost me $300 to apply, and I don鈥檛 get that back. I鈥檓 out $1,500 and have nothing to show for it. Imagine me not being able to turkey hunt in my own state. Our hunters and fishermen have it so good.鈥

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Despite his busy schedule, Sykes finds time to enjoy the outdoors with Syd, his constant canine companion. WFF photo