Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery Biological Science Technician Chris Murphy and Friends of Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery, Inc Vice President Tony Thomas were among employees and volunteers honored with Southeast Regional Director’s Honor Awards by Sam D. Hamilton, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Southeast Regional Director. The awards were presented in Atlanta on Monday, May 5th, 2009.
“The Service accomplishes its conservation work with the help of many, diverse talents,” said Hamilton. “Their assistance takes many forms - - everything from teaching a kid to fish to helping save entire ecosystems. All contributions are valuable.”
Hamilton also presented Regional Director’s Honor Awards to multiple USFWS Conservation Partners.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 94-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System which encompasses 541 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 78 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
For information on the hatchery, including how you can become a volunteer, please contact Amanda Patrick, Environmental Education/Outreach Specialist, at 270-343-3797 or via email (Amanda_Patrick@fws.gov).
