Commentary: A crisis in state wildlife governance is drawing wildlife advocates, academics, lawyers, sportsmen, and legislators from around the country to a gathering next week in Albuquerque to answer the question: how do we create the policies and institutions we need to protect all of our wildlife, for everybody, in every state, forever?
Wildlife For All is a response to a host of problems facing wildlife conservation at the state level in many states, including: politically-appointed wildlife commissions that are not responsive to the broad public interest in wildlife; policies that favor the production of game animals over other species; inadequate legal authority to protect all of a state's wildlife; and the over-reliance of state wildlife agencies on funding sources tied to hunting and fishing that are flat or declining.
The keynote speaker will be Mike Phillips, a wildlife biologist, Montana state senator, and executive director of the Turner Endangered Species Fund. Other speakers include Adrian Treves (University of Wisconsin), Garrett VeneKlasen, Ruth Musgrave (National Caucus of Environmental Legislators), Jill Fritz (Humane Society of U.S.), Camilla Fox (Project Coyote) and Jeff Steinborn (NM Senate).
What: Wildlife for All national summit
Who: The event is organized by the Southwest Environmental Center and the Western Wildlife Conservancy. More than 90 people from 17 states have registered.
When: August 14 (9 am to 5 pm); August 15 (9 am to 4:30 pm)
Where: National Hispanic Cultural Center, 1701 4th Street SW, Albuquerque, NM
More information is available at wildmesquite.org.