State Fish & Wildlife Agency Directors Pass Five Resolutions at AFWA’s 2025 Annual Meeting
Washington D.C. (September 29, 2025) – The voting membership of the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) passed five resolutions during its Business Meeting held on September 24, 2025, in Tucson, Arizona.
RESOLUTION 2025-01-05: SUPPORTING REGULATED PREDATOR HUNTING, TRAPPING, AND RESPONSIBLE PREDATION MANAGEMENT
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (“Association”) reaffirms its commitment to the responsible use and understanding of predation management techniques guided by scientific principles; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Association recognizes the importance of regulated predator hunting and trapping as legitimate and important components of science-based wildlife management under the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Association will continue to prioritize the conservation of wildlife to ensure the sustainability of prey and predator populations, and safeguard biodiversity and the health of ecosystems; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Association encourages U.S. federal agencies to recognize the importance of managing predation and State authority to use these tools, including on federal public lands under appropriate conditions; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the Association’s President, by written communication to the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other appropriate Federal officials, shall urge all federal land management agencies to take measures to ensure that the jurisdictional authority of the States regarding predation management, as primary managers of wildlife within their borders, is recognized in all applicable federal policies and regulations.
RESOLUTION 2025-02-05: IN SUPPORT OF THE VOLUNTARY BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES (BMPS) FOR REDUCING UNINTENDED INGESTION OF LEAD AMMUNITION AND TACKLE RESIDUES IN WILDLIFE DEVELOPED BY THE MIDWEST ASSOCIATION OF FISH AND WILDLIFE AGENCIES
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies recognizes a need to provide best practices on the use of lead ammunition and tackle, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies adopts the Voluntary Best Management Practices (BMPs) for Reducing Unintended Ingestion of Lead Ammunition and Tackle Residues in Wildlife developed by MAFWA.
RESOLUTION 2025-03-05: PRESERVING THE BIRD BANDING LABORATORY TO SUSTAIN MIGRATORY BIRD POPULATIONS
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (Association) strongly urges that the U.S. Geological Survey’s Eastern Ecological Science Center retain the Bird Banding Laboratory and its critical functions, and provide sufficient staffing, funding, and modernization resources to sustain its role as the nation’s and the world’s premier bird-banding science program; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Association supports continued operation of the Bird Banding Laboratory within USGS to ensure the continuity, independence, and excellence of its Gold-Standard Science in keeping with the President’s Executive Order on re-establishing public trust in science.
RESOLUTION 2025-04-05: A VISION FOR FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION IN THE FUTURE
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies shall lead efforts to raise awareness of, promote the use of, and secure funding for implementation of the third generation of State Wildlife Action Plans.
RESOLUTION 2025-05-05: APPRECIATION TO THE ARIZONA GAME AND FISH DEPARTMENT FOR A SUCCESSFUL 115TH ANNUAL MEETING
WHEREAS, the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (“Association”) convened its 115th Annual Meeting on Sept. 21- 24, 2025, in Tucson, Arizona; and
WHEREAS, state, provincial, and territorial directors began this Meeting by touring the nearby Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, observing many of its 242 animal species and plants from 1,200 taxa, and learning about the Museum’s educational, research, and coordination programs that drive the active, citizen-supported conservation of the treasured Sonoran Desert ecosystem; and
WHEREAS, this year’s Plenary Session, “Crossing Boundaries: Coordinating Wildlife Movement and Species Recovery Across Jurisdictions,” reflected on the continuing importance of cross-border collaboration to managing and recovering species, highlighted successful case-studies, and drew attendees’ attention to the growing threat of illegal trade in wildlife; and
WHEREAS, Tom Finley, Director of the AZGFD, and his highly capable staff, contributed in countless ways to the success of this year’s Meeting;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, the Association offers its deep gratitude to AZGFD and to all Association members for a successful Annual Meeting.
Read full text of all resolutions.
The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies represents North America’s fish and wildlife agencies to advance sound, science based management and conservation of fish and wildlife and their habitats in the public interest. The Association represents its state agency members on Capitol Hill and before the Administration to advance favorable fish and wildlife conservation policy and funding and works to ensure that all entities work collaboratively on the most important issues. The Association also provides member agencies with coordination services on cross-cutting as well as species-based programs that range from birds, fish habitat and energy development to climate change, wildlife action plans, conservation education, leadership training and international relations. Working together, the Association’s member agencies are ensuring that North American fish and wildlife management has a clear and collective voice.
ASSOCIATION OF FISH & WILDLIFE AGENCIES
