Jim Hudgens, State Coordinator for Partners for Fish and Wildlife presented the FWS's habitat restoration and fisheries program overview at Congresswoman Candice Miller's Conservation Workshop. Photo Courtesy of Bob Kavetsky USFWS.

Congresswoman Candice Miller hosted a Conservation Workshop at the Huron Pointe Sportsmen’s Association in Lenox Township, Mich. March 3, 2008.  The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) teamed up with the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) to present funding programs available to constituents in Miller’s district. 

Jim Hudgins, state coordinator for Partners for Fish and Wildlife, presented the FWS habitat restoration and fisheries program overview.  The habitat programs included Coastal, Partners and Fish Passage, while the fisheries program included native species restoration.  Garry Lee, state conservationist for NRCS, presented the Wildlife Habitat Incentives and Environmental Quality Incentives programs.  After the presentations, there was a question and answer session where experts from the Coastal Program (Bob Kavetsky, East Lansing, Ecological Services Office), Partners Program (Michelle Vander Haar, Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge) Fisheries Program (Jim Boase, Alpena National Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office) and Fish Passage (Rick Westerhof, Green Bay National Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office) were available to field questions.  Other FWS staff in attendance included Jerry McClain, Alpena National Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office and Craig Czarnecki, East Lansing Ecological Services Office.

Hudgins did a great job with the overview presentation and the expert staff from both agencies did a wonderful job answering questions.  Most importantly, the FWS made contact with more than 100 people that were in attendance.  We hope to see some proposals from Congresswoman Miller’s district for the Coastal, Partners and Fish Passage programs in the near future.  As Hudgins stated, “We are from the government and we are here to help”.

For further information regarding each of the above programs please contact:

Coastal Program, 517-351-5293 bob_kavetski@fws.gov

Partners Program, 989-777-5390 (ext 12) michelle_vanderharr@fws.gov

Fisheries Program, 248-894-7594 james_boase@fws.gov

Fish Passage Program, 231-584-3553 andrea_ania@fws.gov

Midwest Region Public Affairs, 612-713-5313, charles_traxler@fws.gov