National TWS Council Policy Priorities Committee seeks input for Wildlife Society policy priorities!
Timeline: Due by October 25, 2018
The National TWS Council Policy Priorities Committee has reached out to our Montana Chapter to solicit input into The Wildlife Society’s policy priorities for the period of January 2019 – January 2021.
This TWS Council establishes specific policy priorities to strategically focus TWS engagements in policy. These priorities are established for a 2-year cycles, and the committee has been tasked with recommending a new list of TWS policy priorities for the period January 2019 – January 2021.
They are very interested in hearing what our Montana Chapter believes are the one or two most important policy related topics for TWS to engage in the next two years. Before we respond to their request, our Montana Chapter executive board would like to hear your thoughts and input. Do you have any issues you would like to have considered as a national priority?
As you consider this request please keep in mind that appropriate TWS policy priorities should directly affect wildlife professionals and their work, encompass issues being considered by political and administrative leaders that will have national and possibly an international impact, and be an issue where TWS can fill a leading role. For reference, the 2017-2018 priorities are shown below.
If you have any issues you would like to have considered, please email your ideas to Kelvin Johnson: mttws.president@gmail.com, or any of the Montana Chapter board members by October 25.
Wildlife Society Policy Priorities for 2017-2018
- Empower wildlife professionals:
- Work to enhance the Lacey Act to prevent the spread of invasive species and wildlife disease.
- Work to ensure the Endangered Species Act retains science as the foundation for decision making while advancing meaningful and reasonable modifications that enhance its effectiveness in conserving at-risk native wildlife and ecosystems.
- Enable wildlife professionals:
- Work to advance the Blue Ribbon Panel on Sustaining America’s Diverse Fish & Wildlife Resources recommendations to fund state efforts to conserve the full array of fish and wildlife species.
- Work to advance conservation titles within the farm bill.
- Assist wildlife professionals:
- Work cooperatively with federal and state managers and the public to meet and sustain appropriate wild horse and burro management levels.
- Work to advance the conservation of wild sheep in the USA and Canada by promoting policies that incorporate current science and strategies to minimize the potential of disease transmission from domestic sheep.