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Georgia DNR Names Ranger Of The Year

Georgia DNR Names Tim Butler Ranger Of The Year

Georgia Department of Natural Resources

SOCIAL CIRCLE, Ga. --(Ammoland.com)- The Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division selected RFC Tim Butler, a conservation ranger for Pulaski/Bleckley counties, as the 2011 State Ranger of the Year.

Runner-up to the Ranger of the Year award, RFC Tim Hutto of the Southeast Georgia Region, received the 2011 James R. Darnell Award. This award is titled “The Fawn” and is a James R. Darnell sculpture.

“The State of Georgia is fortunate to have people such as RFC Tim Butler and RFC Tim Hutto who dedicate their lives to protecting our natural resources,” says Col. Eddie Henderson, Wildlife Resources Division’s Chief of Law Enforcement. “I commend both honorees for their dedication and contributions toward Georgia’s conservation enforcement efforts.”

RFC Tim Butler has been a conservation ranger for only six years, but his reputation for accomplishing hard work and his dedication to a job well done have earned him the respect of his peers and the public. His accomplishments this year include conducting 16 special details to detect resource violations such as illegal duck shoots, fish shocking and night deer hunting.

Butler is best known for his night foot patrols and scouting for illegal baiting and night hunting offenders. He also employs online satellite imagery and tax records to gather intelligence, study topography and formulate tactics to address unlawful activity before it occurs.

Butler easily transitions from working with fellow conservation rangers to assisting and cooperating with other agencies, whether they are local, state and federal levels in investigative work. His public outreach includes conducting information and education programs, participating in local cleanup efforts, promoting Wildlife Resources Division at various venues, and being an after-school mentor and instructor for the local CHAMPS (Choosing Healthy Activities & Methods Promoting Safety) program.

Earlier this year, Butler also was recognized as the 2011 Waterfowl Officer of the Year honor and twice previously has been nominated for Ranger of the Year by his work section.

In the process of determining the Ranger of the Year, WRD selected one nominee from each of the seven DNR Law Enforcement regions.

They were:

• Region 1, Calhoun – Cpl. Shawn Elmore
• Region 2, Gainesville – Cpl. Adam Loudermilk
• Region 3, Thomson – Cpl. Derrell Worth
• Region 4, Macon – RFC Tim Butler
• Region 5, Albany -RFC Bob Holley
• Region 6, Metter – RFC Tim Hutto
• Region 7, Brunswick – Cpl. Chris Ridley

For more information on becoming a WRD conservation ranger, visit www.georgiawildlife.com/enforcement/law-enforcement-section

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Bi-National Seabird Restoration Effort Launched on the Baja California Pacific Islands

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Washington, DC --(Ammoland.com)- The Montrose and Luckenbach Trustee Councils and the Government of Mexico have announced a $4 million dollar award to a U.S-Mexico partnership that will implement a comprehensive five-year program focused on restoring seabird populations on seven islands off the Pacific coast of Mexico.

Improvement of nesting grounds in Mexico will create more stable and viable populations of seabirds in California and the Mexican islands off the Baja California peninsula.

With support from the Trustee Councils, a partnership comprised of the National Audubon Society, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Grupo de Ecología y Conservación de Islas (GECI), and the Mexican Fund for the Conservation of Nature will implement the seabird restoration program. This partnership will strengthen an ongoing successful conservation program conducted by GECI on these islands over the past 15 years.

The Montrose and Luckenbach Trustee Councils manage funds received in settlements from pollution releases involving the Montrose Chemical Corporation and the SS Jacob Luckenbach. The Trustees of natural resources act on behalf of the public to recover and direct funds to projects that will provide for restoration of natural resources that were injured by the releases. The natural resource trustees for these councils include the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), National Park Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG), California State Lands Commission, and California Department of Parks and Recreation. The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation will provide administrative support of the program.

“The Trustee Councils are thrilled to support this partnership between leading conservation organizations in both Mexico and the U.S.” said Dan Ashe, Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “Seabirds cross freely over international boundaries and so must our restoration efforts. This bi-national project on the Baja California Pacific Islands will benefit seabird populations in both countries for years to come.”

The partnership will begin work in January 2012 on Coronado, Todos Santos, San Martín, San Jerónimo, Natividad, Asunción, and San Roque Islands, targeting seabird species such as the California Brown Pelican, Cassin’s Auklet, Ashy Storm-Petrel, and Xantus’s Murrelet. These populations face threats from non-native species; nest and burrow destruction in high use areas; and disturbances from lights and other man-made structures.

Restoration projects will use decoys, mirrors, and broadcast calls and songs to increase social interactions and construct artificial nests to improve nesting opportunities. The partners will also conduct habitat restoration, reduce human disturbance and artificial light, and support environmental education in surrounding communities.

The target islands are located in the northwestern portion of Mexico, off of the Pacific coast of the Baja California peninsula.

These islands support a diverse group of breeding seabirds and are known for high levels of biological diversity. Seventeen species of seabirds breed on the islands, ten of which also breed on the California Channel Islands in the U.S. Most of the seabird colonies in Mexico form part of a larger population that breeds, forages, and disperses into California.

About:
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.

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