Director Steven A. Williams
at the Southwest Region Employees in
Albuquerque, NM

July 15, 2002

Good morning, and thanks for giving me this opportunity to introduce myself and meet you in person. As I settle into my job as Director, it's my goal to meet as many Fish and Wildlife Service employees as I can, especially those in the Regions and field stations, who muddy their boots on a daily basis, making a difference where it matters most ... on the ground.

Also, congratulations: I understand you now have an officially designated Regional Director after a few months of limbo. I know Dale will continue to be a superb leader here in the Southwest and I look forward to working with him and with Region 2.

A little background about me: I've been working in natural resources management throughout my career. I've worked for State agencies in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Kansas. I started as a deer biologist and today, I am truly honored and humbled to stand before you as the director of this fine agency.

Just as Dale is probably still familiarizing himself with some of the region's issues, I'm still learning about the agency's diverse and varied programs. Yet I did come to the job with some clear ideas in mind and I see two challenges that the Service must confront head on.

First, the Service must improve and restore its relationship with many of our existing and potential partners – states, industry, private landowners, conservation organizations, and the sportsmen and women of this country who have provided the financial and political support for the major conservation successes of this nation.

This may be my first visit here but I'm already well aware of the many kinds of collaborative accomplishments coming out of the Southwest Region, and I applaud you. In a region that hosts a great deal of privately-owned lands, a huge amount of tribal lands, and altogether, arid and fire-sensitive wildlands, you've honed many impressive partnerships in each of these complex areas. You blaze the way with HCP and Safe Harbor agreements. You've made leaps and bounds with the tribes in the region, partnering with them for the benefit of the Mexican spotted owl, and the Mexican wolf. And your fire program and cross-border fire-fighting initiative is no less than remarkable.

You're setting an excellent example as progressive and forward-thinking.

The second major challenge I see for the Service is to strengthen our credibility, both with Congress and the public, and continually demonstrate that we are a professional, science-based resource agency. Debates over Federal Aid reform, endangered species issues, and water-related issues have strained relationships with some members of Congress. Please do not take these public perceptions lightly. I can assure you that some private landowners, federal and state partners, and members of the U.S. Congress have grave reservations about our ability to conduct objective science and to prescribe appropriate fish and wildlife management. I do not agree with these critics. Still, it is in our best interest to restore public faith and confidence in our science and professionalism.

A few simple tasks will help set the foundation to improve these relationships. We must approach conservation issues as an integrated team. I value a team approach, input from those closest to the issues, and participating management. I recently addressed these matters at a Director's meeting.

We must improve communication. That means listening and trying to understand the speaker's view. Too often, I have entered a meeting with my mind made up and never truly listened to opposing views. As I have disciplined myself to listen, I have had greater success in reaching agreements on controversial issues. This commitment to understand opposing viewpoints is a tremendous conflict resolution skill that leads to long term success.

We must also stop to consider not only what we intend to accomplish, but also how our actions may appear to those who already have some level of distrust. Consider their point of view, take the time to explain yourself, and make sure your actions cannot be misconstrued.

Coupled with communication is the need to develop skills that allow us to look at the big picture, focusing on long-term conservation success. I have and will ask, "If we win this battle, will we lose the war?" I will also ask, "Is the squeeze worth the juice." I remember my days as a deer biologist where I would fight tooth and nail for an issue only to lose the battle and the war. Those were hard lessons. From those experiences, I learned that I make better progress with a more tempered approach, an approach that recognizes and respects alternative viewpoints. I challenge and encourage you to seek collaborative solutions to different issues involving state employees, landowners, business and industry interests, and non-governmental organizations.

I believe if we do these simple things on a daily basis, we will be heard, listened to, and we will ultimately change the hearts and minds of even those who disagree with our efforts to achieve our mission to conserve the wild resources of this nation.

The bottom line is this. The future success of the Service depends on you. The best thing the Service has going for it is its people, the finest group of dedicated fish and wildlife conservationists in the world. If we all strive to reach out to others, protect our credibility, and earn a favorable reputation through unquestionable integrity, I have no doubt we will be able to rise to any challenge and ensure that our rich wildlife heritage will be passed on to future generations.

Thanks for listening. Now, I'd be glad to take any questions and hear from you.