Alabama Wildlife Federation Legislative Conservationist of the Year Awards

August 8, 2008

Representative Thomas Jackson, Representative James Fields, and Senator Ted Little were recently awarded Legislative Conservationist of the Year at the 2008 Governor’s Conservation Achievement Awards banquet.  The Alabama Wildlife Federation held the banquet, sponsored by the Alabama Power Company on Friday, August 8, 2008 at The Marriott Legends at Capitol Hill in Prattville. Other sponsors included PowerSouth and First South Farm Credit.

The Game and Fish Fines Update Bill that was backed by AWF and a host of other landowner and wildlife conservation groups passed in the 2008 Legislature Session and was signed into law by Governor Bob Riley on May 16, 2008.  This event marked a bad day for poachers and trespassers and a great day for landowners, hunters and hunting clubs, wildlife conservationists, and conservation law enforcement.

Numerous legislators supported this critical piece of conservation legislation but three in particular provided the exceptional leadership necessary to ensure the bills passage.  HB677 passed in the House Agriculture and Forestry Committee thanks to the efforts of Representative Thomas Jackson. The bill was soon thereafter placed on the Special Order Calendar in the House and was scheduled for a floor vote on April 15.  On that day, due to uncontrollable circumstances, freshman Representative James Fields stepped to the plate on a moments notice, handled the bill on the House Floor, and secured its passage.  From there the bill headed to the Senate.

With the days winding down in the session, steps were taken to schedule an early morning Committee meeting on April 24 to ensure that HB677 would be in position with enough time remaining in the session to vie for a spot on the Senate Special Order Calendar. Representative Thomas Jackson and Representative James Fields were both on hand to assist with the bill during the Senate Committee meeting.  With the final days of the 2008 Legislative Session coming to a close, steps were immediately taken to encourage the Senate Rules Committee to place HB677 on the Senate Special Order Calendar so it could come up for a vote on the Senate Floor.  With three legislative days remaining, HB677 was placed on the Special Order Calendar and Senator Ted Little stepped to the podium and secured passage on the Senate Floor. Thirty minutes later, Representative Thomas Jackson secured the necessary final concurrence from the House that would allow the bill to be sent to the Governor for signing into law. 

Thanks to the leadership of these three legislators, landowners and hunters will now have a much better chance to enjoy their properties and hunting clubs with less fear for the safety of their family and friends, and with less concern about abuse of the game and fish that call their properties home.  At the same time, when violations do occur, law enforcement officers and judges now have fine structures that will provide more substantial punishment for poachers and trespassers.

The AWF Governor’s Conservation Achievement Awards (GCAA) are the most prestigious conservation honor in the state of Alabama.  The GCAA was created to promote leadership by example and in turn increase conservation of the natural resources in the state of Alabama including its wildlife, forests, soils, water and air.  The program is designed to bring about a greater knowledge and awareness of conservation practices and projects and to give proper recognition to those persons and organizations that make outstanding contributions to the natural resource welfare of their community and state.

The Alabama Wildlife Federation, established by sportsmen in 1935, is the state’s oldest and largest citizens’ conservation organization.  The mission of the AWF, a 501(c)3 non-profit group supported by membership dues and donations, is to promote conservation and wise use of Alabama’s wildlife and related natural resources as a basis for economic and social prosperity.  To learn more about the AWF, including membership details, programs and projects, contact the AWF at 1-800-822-WILD or visit www.alabamawildlife.org.