•The speaker is thanking those who attended the natural resource management workshop in Orlando, specifically mentioning the program developer and the host committee. The challenges facing DoD in implementing the Sikes Act are highlighted, and the need for continued commitment to the Association's goal of making a difference in natural resource management is emphasized. The speaker praises the workshop chairs, speakers, and hosts, and encourages attendees to submit evaluation forms. The 1998 Natural Resources Training Workshop was successful, with positive feedback on the arrangements and sessions. The Aquatics and Fisheries session focused on mitigating environmental disturbances in small watersheds and the importance of macroinvertebrates in aquatic ecosystems. The report highlighted the negative effects of human disturbances on small rivers and suggested inexpensive habitat improvements as a solution. - Empirical data on fish communities at Fort Gordon are used to evaluate military impacts, identify biodiversity centers, and develop habitat models for sensitive species. The fish fauna of an erosional stream is depauperate, while streams impounded or occurring within artillery impact areas are speciose and similar to an unimpacted stream. Multiple regression models of fish abundance and physical habitat were developed for six species, which may be used for impact evaluation and proposing management alternatives for installation streams. - The article discusses the documentation of the aquatic fauna at White Sands Missile Range through surveys conducted in 1997. The surveys aimed to evaluate the relative importance of biotic and abiotic factors, identify species or populations at risk, and develop management plans for the area. - Field and laboratory data were used to study taxonomic resolution, habitat preference, and demography of fishes, and to identify management priorities. Three approaches - morphometric, resource response, and recruitment models - were used to quantify impacts and benefits of management alternatives and forecast long-term trends in population size of endangered or special interest fishes. The research demonstrated two forms of paddlefish and differences between the pallid and shovelnose sturgeon, identified the habitat preferences of imperiled species, and projected long-term population sizes of grass carp and Gulf sturgeon. - Eielson Air Force Base was designated a superfund site in 1989 due to contamination in 64 potential source areas. A screening risk assessment showed that several sites within two creeks had unacceptable risks to aquatic and human health due to DDS and other contaminants of concern included PCBs and PAHs. Remediation actions recommended included restrictions on recreational fishing, engineered controls to limit fish movement, and sediment/soil excavation. - The Department of Defense (DoD) has supported the Neotropical Migratory Bird Management Program (Partners in Flight) since 1991, promoting it through various means such as brochures, posters, and conferences. The success of the program is attributed to the national program's structure, the effort of working group representatives, and a growing appreciation among planners and decision-makers for the importance of preserving neotropical migratory bird populations. - For over 40 years, the Patuxent River Naval Air Station (NAS) has had an environmental education program that started for military members but grew to include the entire southern Maryland region. The program's success was due to support from every level of the chain of command, an aggressive public awareness campaign, and a dedicated staff of professionals and volunteers. - The Minnesota National Guard started an environmental education program in 1988 for troops in training, which has now expanded to educate thousands of citizens throughout Minnesota. The Integrated Training Area Management program at Camp Ripley has accomplished numerous natural resource projects, providing a foundation for educating soldiers and civilians, with effective awareness materials and recommendations for improvement. - Edwards Air Force Base in the Mojave Desert conducts military and support activities that impact several plant communities and the desert tortoise population. The Desert Tortoise Education Program was created to brief all personnel and contractors on the requirements to protect the species, resulting in a decrease in tortoise collection and an increase in tortoise observations. - Ecological restoration projects ideally require a baseline ecological inventory, plans for integration, development of performance standards, implementation schedule, introduction of appropriate species, contingency plans, and monitoring protocols. The forested wetland restoration projects in central Florida provide a good example of successful ecological restoration projects. - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has increased its focus on environmental restoration, and a study has identified important environmental parameters to guide restoration projects, emphasizing the use of ecosystem concepts and an adaptive management approach. Successful restoration requires a systems perspective, recognition of ecosystem spatial and temporal heterogeneity, and the ability to modify projects based on outputs from ecological models, experimentation, and long-term monitoring. - The longleaf pine ecosystem has declined drastically, with only about 3 million acres remaining out of the estimated 90 million that existed at the time of European settlement. However, efforts to halt and reverse this trend have been successful, with advances in production of quality seedlings and post-planting management. Military installations have taken a lead role in protecting and restoring the longleaf resource. - Fort Stewart is a large Army installation that contains one of the largest remaining areas of longleaf pine forest, which supports numerous endangered and special concern species. Since 1992, the focus of management efforts has been on the restoration and management of the longleaf/wiregrass ecosystem, which includes activities such as prescribed burning, reestablishment of longleaf pine, control of undesirable hardwoods, and restoration of wiregrass. The management program integrates endangered species recovery and ecosystem restoration. - Beale AFB, located in California, has an 800 acre riparian corridor identified for preservation and restoration to protect several species of concern. The first phase of the restoration includes planting 40 acres of riparian species in a floodplain with near-surface groundwater and remnant riparian habitat, to be maintained and monitored for three years. - The passage describes the restoration efforts being made at Beale AFB in California, particularly in an 800-acre riparian corridor identified for preservation and restoration. The restoration efforts include planting riparian species such as oak, cottonwood, willow, alder, elder, and redbud. This area is home to several species of concern, including raptors and the valley elderberry longhorn beetle. The restoration is being conducted as part of a basewide multispecies conservation plan, and the California State University, Chico Restoration Department is responsible for planting, maintaining, and monitoring the site for three years. - The Orchard Training Area (OTA) in Idaho is a 138,000-acre Bureau of Land Management land used for National Guard training. OTA is located inside the Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area, which mandates whole ecosystem management to ensure compatibility with populations of birds of prey. OTA natural resources staff have developed restoration methods that are sensitive to both the needs of military trainers and the needs of raptors and their prey, including seed broadcasting and annual monitoring of representative seeding projects. - significant threat to its survival. The research tracked 15 snakes with implanted radio transmitters for up to 28 months and monitored their movements and habitat use. The findings suggest that while forested environments are the primary habitat for the snakes, open habitats such as forest edges, clearcuts, and agricultural fields are essential for behaviors requiring high body temperatures. - The desert tortoise is a threatened species and the only nonmigratory, resident species on the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center (MCAGCC). Research is being conducted to develop a model for estimates using standard line distance sampling methodology. A correction factor is being developed to account for desert tortoises that are not seen due to being in underground burrows for up to 95% of the year. - Avon Park Air Force Range (APAFR) in central Florida is dedicated to maintaining natural resources while meeting military training objectives. The range is currently conducting eleven wildlife research projects, including a study on sensitive herpetological species such as the gopher frog, gopher tortoise, eastern indigo snake, and Florida scrub lizard. The study aims to determine the impacts of all activities on these species and provide management recommendations for their long-term survival - The US military has had a presence in Panama since the early 1900s, and the lands are biologically diverse with over 565 bird species. The Panamanian government faces the challenge of protecting the coastal mangrove swamps, which are essential for the shrimp and lobster industry but also represent a potential Bird Aircraft Strike Hazard to the Air Force. The Howard AFB mangrove swamp was deforested in the past, but a recovery project was implemented, allowing the ecosystem to recover with healthy vegetation and habitat for threatened and endangered birds. - Since 1993, multidisciplinary studies have been conducted to support base management plans, including wetland delineation, ecosystem mapping, and modeling. The delineation of "Waters of the United States" involved developing field indicators for Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. A multidisciplinary ecosystem study was initiated to integrate ecosystem classification units with ecosystem functions, involving vertebrates, invertebrates, plants, and soil surface organisms. - Ellsworth AFB is an Air Combat Command installation located in South Dakota that serves as the headquarters for aircraft and missile systems. In 1990, it was placed on the National Priorities List, requiring cleanup actions at former landfills and wetlands mitigation. Effective partnerships between the installation, local community, and environmental oversight consultants resulted in substantive protections to human health and the environment, enhanced outdoor recreation, and improved flood control. - In 1997, a faunal survey and ecological assessment were conducted at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico to study the diversity of vertebrate communities in eight wetland types. The survey focused on birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians, fishes, and aquatic invertebrates, and the preliminary results showed a diverse vertebrate community in the study areas. The survey data and analyses were aimed at assisting wetland management decisions. - The US Air Force developed the Bird Avoidance Model (BAM) in the 1980s to evaluate low-level training routes for bird strike hazards. However, there are concerns that the model may not accurately predict bird strike hazards due to changes in waterfowl and raptor populations. A comparison of predicted bird strike hazards along low-level training routes where strikes had occurred and routes where strikes had not occurred showed that the BAM successfully predicted mean bird strike hazards and can be used to minimize waterfowl and raptor strike hazards. - To conserve biodiversity on military lands, a process called "Management by Level of Concern" was developed, which assigns resource values based on species and habitats. Four levels of resource value were defined, and management actions were distributed according to relative resource value. An adequate inventory of biodiversity and habitat associations is fundamental to the application of this management approach. - A customized, user-friendly Geographic Information System (GIS) was developed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for the Yakima Training Center to support the mission of cultural and natural resource managers. This DoD-funded GIS development project helps managers understand and analyze spatial data to better monitor the effects of training activities. The GIS can be modified and transferred to other DoD facilities. - Since 1994, 59 bald eagles have died from an unknown neurotoxin at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects in Arkansas. The disease also affects American coots and causes mortality. Despite extensive research, no successful treatment has been discovered yet. Department of Defense land managers with wintering bald eagles and American coots should monitor their populations and familiarize themselves with the symptoms of the disease. - The National Plan aims to address three objectives, which are standardizing monitoring protocols for shorebird populations, implementing shorebird habitat management strategies, and raising public awareness on wetlands and shorebirds. Shorebirds migrate long distances and require critical wetland habitats to fuel up for their flights. With five shorebird species projected to decline by 25% or more in the next five years and 16 others experiencing population declines, the National Plan involves a broad team of stakeholders to develop a scientific, habitat-based guide for land and wildlife managers in all 50 states. •The National Military Fish and Wildlife Association Board of Directors meeting was held in Florida in 1998. The Sikes Act was passed and available on Gene Stout's web page. The Board discussed changing the names of the NMFWA, FAWN, and the official logo and proposed changes would be brought before the membership for a vote. The Legacy Program was also discussed, and an emergency resolution was proposed regarding associated funding aspects. During the National Military Fish and Wildlife Association (NMFWA) Board of Directors (BOD) meeting in 1998, various topics were discussed, such as the revision of the BOD Handbook, the proposed changes to the NMFWA, FAWN and the official logo, and the Legacy Program. They also talked about accepting commercial support for Show-and-Tell activities and the development of a Web Page or email system. The BOD agreed to establish guidelines for commercial support and assigned Don Meuschke and Tammy Conkle to create a proposal for a Web Page or email system. The meeting was adjourned at 1900. •The National Military Fish and Wildlife Association (NMFWA) held its annual business meeting in Orlando, Florida, on March 25, 1998. The treasurer reported a beginning balance of $18,695.26 and an ending balance of $17,175.40 for 1997, not including $3,900 in income received in 1998. The president provided a summary of NMFWA committees and reported a profit from the 1997 Law Enforcement Course. Directors provided reports on their activities during the past year. The Nominations Committee reported difficulties in providing biographies for candidates, and proposed amendments to the constitution and bylaws were discussed and voted on, with some passing. The meeting also discussed the development of working groups and established a working group within the NMFWA. - Tom Poole proposed several amendments to the constitution and bylaws of the National Military Fish and Wildlife Association. The proposed amendments were discussed and voted on. The changes included replacing "fish and wildlife" with "natural" throughout the bylaws, amending the preamble, changing the terms of office for director positions, and adding Audit and Government Affairs as standing committees. The motion to change the name of the association did not pass, and the motion to change voting members was laid on the table. The emergency resolution regarding the Legacy Resource Management Act was adopted, and the BOD was tasked with considering Outsourcing and Privatization at the next meeting. Rick Griffiths handed over the presidency to Marjorie McHenry, and the meeting was adjourned. •Several decisions made by the BOD of NMFWA. First, they voted by ballot to fill a vacant At-Large Director position, and Sharon Jones was elected to fill the position. Second, they passed a motion to meet with the Wildlife Management Institute (WMI) for the next three years, and a letter committing to three years will be sent to WMI, provided that the sessions do not overlap with NMFWA sessions. The next four WMI meetings are scheduled to be held in San Francisco, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and possibly Dallas. Third, there was some discussion about the hotel costs for the WMI meetings and the low attendance and questionable applicability of the papers presented. Fourth, Rick Griffiths is waiting for the status of the logo before printing the brochure, and members will vote on the logo in the May issue of the Fish and Wildlife Newsletter (FAWN). •The National Military Family Association (NMFWA) has established a framework for creating working groups within the organization. The purpose of the working groups is to provide a forum for members to share knowledge and ideas on a particular topic, encourage networking, provide opportunities for members unable to attend annual meetings, and further professional development. NMFWA members can establish a working group by soliciting interest from other members, and once a particular topic has at least ten committed members, the group can make a written application to the NMFWA Board of Directors. The working group must conduct at least one activity, project, or event annually to maintain official recognition. •The Association is calling for topics, workshops, and papers for their upcoming 1999 annual training workshop in San Francisco, California. Interested individuals should contact the appropriate session chair. Topics that have been suggested for inclusion in the program are listed, and individuals who don't have a paper to present can contribute to the Show & Tell or assist the host committee. •This draft position paper represents a compilation of papers and ideas on the governmental nature of natural resources management •Julie Eliason is the Host Committee Chair for the 1999 NMFWA conference in Burlingame, California, and is seeking help from members who are near the San Francisco Bay Area to organize the conference. She also announces a photo contest for participants of the conference with specific rules for submitting entries. The categories for the photo contest include wildlife, installation field activities, landscapes, and humor/fun. Julie also requests more articles for the upcoming September 1998 issue of the FAWN to feature conservation projects on installations.