AUSTIN— Several Texas Parks and Wildlife Department employees and the TPW Commission were recognized by Executive Director Carter Smith for their outstanding work in various fields at Thursday’s meeting in Austin.

Ducks Unlimited Presents the Order of Conservation to TPW Commission

The TPW Commission was selected by Ducks Unlimited (DU) Canada for long time commitment to waterfowl and wetlands conservation both in Texas and on the Canadian breeding grounds.

The DU Canada Order of Conservation is presented to individuals, committees, organizations, corporations and government agencies who are truly inspiring in the field of wetlands conservation.

Contributions supporting continental waterfowl conservation are made possible by hunters through the department’s migratory game bird stamp program.

Eighteen Participants Graduate from the Game Warden Citizen’s Academy

The second Texas Game Warden Citizen’s Academy class was recognized at the graduation of the participants during Thursday’s meeting of the TPW Commission.

The academy was instructed by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department game wardens across the state and provided an inside view of the diverse activities faced by wardens every day.

The curriculum included an overview of program functions including, game warden training, law, land and marine patrol techniques, outreach, accident investigations and reconstruction, criminal investigations, search and rescue, K9 operations, officer safety, technology and recruiting. The program consisted of four sessions, including classroom instruction and bimonthly field trips. Attendees had the opportunity to interact with and develop an in-depth knowledge of the complex duties of Texas game wardens.

Kleberg County Game Warden John McFall Named Game Warden of the Year Award

Kleberg County Game Warden John McFall was awarded the Texas Game Warden Association’s (TGWA) first Game Warden of the Year award. Warden McFall has been stationed in Kleberg County for the duration of his 28-year career.

During his tenure, he has been a part of several impactful projects such as being the district representative of the TGWA for many years, the senior warden in his district and being deployed to aid in response to many natural disasters, the most notable being Hurricane Katrina.

McFall also took on an active role in coordinating the construction of two floating cabins in the Lower Laguna Madre and Baffin Bay. These cabins are a tremendous asset for the wardens in the district to use as a base of operations for fisheries and water safety patrols.

Palo Duro Superintendent Recognized for Outstanding Women in Texas Government Award

Palo Duro Canyon State Park superintendent Shannon Blalock is the recipient of the Outstanding Management award by the State Agency Council to the Governor’s Commission for Women. Every other year the Commission’s State Agency Council recognizes the best and brightest from among the 81,000 women in state government. Blalock was one of only four individuals honored by the Council.

Candidates were nominated by their respective agency heads in four categories — outstanding community involvement, outstanding leadership, outstanding management and outstanding professional development. A committee reviewed the nominations and selected four women whose contributions exemplified each category.

During her Texas State Parks career, Blalock has been influential in her management and leadership of several state parks, including becoming the first female to lead Palo Duro Canyon State Park, and was key to the creation of the Citizens Park Ranger Academy (CPRA) when she was leading the operation at Dinosaur Valley State Park.

Hardin County Game Warden Michael Boone Named Shikar-Safari International Wildlife Officer of the Year

The Shikar-Safari Club International has recognized Hardin County game warden Michael Boone as the Wildlife Officer of the Year. Boone is a 24-year veteran currently stationed in southeast Texas.

Every year, the Shikar-Safari Club International recognizes game wardens from North America as Wildlife Officers of the Year. This marks the 37th year this award has been presented to a Texas game warden.

During his career, Boone has conducted 32 programs and participated in five different Operation Outdoor events that introduced over 176 novice hunters and fishermen to the outdoors. He also exemplified his leadership skills by working the Orange County emergency operations center during the spring floods that shut down I-10 in Orange County and was involved with a notable case involving an individual who killed two Whooping Cranes in Jefferson County, just to name a few.

Warmwater Fisheries Award Presented to TPWD by the International Federation of Fly Fishers

TPWD has an active partnership with the International Federation of Fly Fishers (IFFF) centered on conserving aquatic and fishery resources and promoting the sport of fly fishing. In recognition of this collaboration, the International Federation of Fly Fishers presented TPWD’s Inland Fisheries Division and the Aquatic Education program with the 2016 Dr. James A. Henshall Warmwater Fisheries Award.

TPWD has worked with the International Federation of Fly Fishers to build the River Access and Conservation Areas program. This program leases private lands for public access to bank, wade and kayak fishing. Over the past three years, the program has improved angler access to more than 150 miles of Texas rivers, including portions of the Brazos, Colorado, Devils, Guadalupe, Llano, Neches, Nueces, Sabine and South Llano rivers.

This award spotlights TPWD’s efforts to protect, restore and enhance Texas’ warmwater fisheries, including an effective aquatic education and fly fishing education programs; support of fly fishing outreach events such as the Texas Fly Fishing Expo and Fly Fish Texas; working to expand and enhance access to fly fishing opportunities on Texas rivers; investments in fish habitat restoration and protection; and efforts to restore Guadalupe Bass and other native fishes.

Inland Fisheries Division Recognized with Sport Fish Restoration Outstanding Project Award

TPWD’s Inland Fisheries Division is the recipient of the 2016 Sport Fish Restoration Outstanding Project Award presented by the Fisheries Administration Section of the American Fisheries Society.

The award, presented by Joe Larschied the fisheries bureau chief with the Iowa Department of National Resources, highlights and recognizes the importance and effectiveness of the Sport Fish Restoration program and excellence in fisheries management, research and education.

Since 2010, TPWD and its partners have delivered a lengthy list of conservation actions to ensure that current and future generations are able to continue to enjoy the unique ecological, aesthetic, recreational, and economic values offered by healthy Hill Country rivers.

A few of these projects include:

• Restoration of 9,327 acres of fish and wildlife habitats
• Survey and conduct large-scale control of invasive riparian plants along more than 200 miles of Hill Country rivers
• Reintroduce Guadalupe bass to the Blanco River and the Mission Reach of the San Antonio River

The Sport Fish Restoration Program is supported by anglers and boaters through federal excise taxes that anglers pay when acquiring fishing equipment, buying motor boat fuel, and buying boats and is a critically important funding program that supports fisheries, anglers and angler education. The funds are collected by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service and given back in grants to agencies like TPWD to invest in our lakes, rivers and reservoirs to improve the fisheries and fisheries habitat.