Eugene, Oregon - The Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA) honored conservation professionals from several western states with awards commending their work to conserve fish and wildlife resources at an awards ceremony July 16 at the organization’s annual conference in Eugene, Oregon.
Julie Meka Carter, the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s statewide native aquatic program supervisor, was recognized with the WAFWA Contributor of the Year Award along with Jon Sjöberg and Therese Thompson for their work with the Western Native Trout Initiative. The group revised the Western Native Trout Initiative’s strategic plan to more effectively target western native trout conservation.
Tom Mackin was honored with WAFWA’s 2018 Special Recognition Award for his volunteer service to the Arizona Game and Fish Department. Mackin is an avid outdoorsman and conservationist, and he has gone above and beyond as a volunteer since 1990, providing more than 800 hours of service annually during the last few years.
Edward “Pat” Madden, former chairman of the Arizona Game and Fish Commission, was awarded with a WAFWA lifetime membership for his career accomplishments and service to the commission.
For more information about WAFWA and to review a complete list of awardees, visit www.wafwa.org.