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| Midwest Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies | |
|---|---|
| Name | Midwest Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies |
| Abbreviation | MAFWA |
| Formed | 1947 |
| Type | Nonprofit association |
| Region | Midwestern United States |
| Headquarters | Lincoln, Nebraska |
Midwest Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies is a regional association coordinating fish and wildlife agencies across the Midwestern United States. It serves as a forum for state directors, commissioners, and biologists from states and provinces to address conservation, habitat restoration, invasive species, and hunting and angling policy. The association interacts with federal entities, tribal governments, and nonprofit organizations to align regional priorities with national strategies.
The association was founded in the post-World War II era amid expanding interest in natural resources and public lands, contemporaneous with institutions such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Audubon Society, Ducks Unlimited, The Nature Conservancy, and state fish and wildlife agencies. Early initiatives paralleled legislative developments including the Lacey Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and engaged with programs run by the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Soil Conservation Service. Over decades the association coordinated responses to events like the spread of zebra mussels, the emergence of chronic wasting disease, and large-scale restoration projects resembling the efforts of the Bonneville Power Administration in other regions. Leadership exchanges and conventions mirrored practices at the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and influenced regional participation in multistate compacts such as those involving the Great Lakes Commission and the Mississippi River Commission.
The association’s mission aligns with conservation priorities articulated by bodies like the International Union for Conservation of Nature, North American Wetlands Conservation Council, and the North American Waterfowl Management Plan. Governance is vested in a board of directors composed of state directors and commissioners formerly affiliated with agencies such as the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Executive leadership liaises with advisory committees that include representatives from U.S. Geological Survey, National Park Service, and tribal governments such as the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska. Policy positions are developed through committees patterned after those in the Wildlife Management Institute and are subjected to review akin to processes used by the Environmental Protection Agency for stakeholder engagement.
Membership comprises state and provincial fish and wildlife agencies similar to participants in the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, including jurisdictions comparable to Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, and representatives from tribal authorities. Organizational structure includes standing committees on topics reflecting programs run by entities like the Great Lakes Fishery Commission, Mississippi River Basin Initiative, and the Upper Mississippi River Restoration Program. Working groups coordinate with municipal and county conservation districts analogous to Soil and Water Conservation Districts and regional research partners such as universities with programs like those at Iowa State University, University of Minnesota, Michigan State University, and Ohio State University.
Initiatives address species conservation, habitat restoration, and invasive species control, with project types similar to restoration under the North American Wetlands Conservation Act and monitoring frameworks used by the Breeding Bird Survey and the National Amphibian Monitoring Program. The association sponsors workshops and training comparable to those run by the Society for Conservation Biology and the Wildlife Society, and convenes symposiums on topics such as white-tailed deer health, piping plover recovery, and wetland rehabilitation informed by Conservation Reserve Program practices. It also coordinates regional responses to aquatic invasive species in ways resembling the Great Lakes Fishery Commission efforts addressing sea lamprey control.
The association contributes to applied research and policy development in collaboration with research organizations like the U.S. Geological Survey, National Wildlife Federation, and academic partners including Purdue University and University of Wisconsin–Madison. Outputs have informed management of species such as mallard, turkey (Meleagris gallopavo), and spring-run Chinook salmon analogs, and have contributed to policy discussions on harvest regulations similar to debates handled by the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. Technical reports and management plans influence federal programs under the Endangered Species Act and participate in multistate compacts related to Great Lakes fisheries and Mississippi River corridor resilience.
The association partners with federal agencies including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on cross-jurisdictional issues. It coordinates with nonprofit partners such as Trout Unlimited, National Wild Turkey Federation, Pheasants Forever, and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, and engages with tribal nations and international bodies like the Commission for Environmental Cooperation where relevant. Collaborative frameworks mirror those used by the North American Bird Conservation Initiative and incorporate funding mechanisms similar to the Partners for Fish and Wildlife program.
Funding streams include state appropriations from member agencies comparable to allocations in the Pittman–Robertson Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act framework, federal grants from entities like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and contributions from partner organizations akin to support received by The Nature Conservancy projects. Budgeting follows practices parallel to nonprofit fiscal management used by organizations such as Ducks Unlimited and includes grant administration, project-specific contracts, and cooperative agreements with universities and research institutes. Category:Conservation organizations based in the United States