Senator Inhofe Honored with Private Lands Stewardship Award

.	Landowner Verlene Chervanka presents Senator Inhofe with a national award of recognition for his leadership in promoting private lands conservation. Left to Right: FWS Deputy Director Steve Guertin, Jontie Aldrich, Verlene Chervanka, Senator James Inhofe, Roya Mogadam, Sherry White

Wednesday 2/26/13, private landowner and Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program cooperator Verlene Chervanka honored Senator James Inhofe (R-OK), recognizing his leadership in promoting private lands stewardship of our Nation's natural resources. The award was presented on behalf of private landowners across the country that have partnered with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to protect and restore habitats that benefit threatened and endangered species, migratory birds and interjurisdictional fish species on their land.

This award of recognition was given to Senator Inhofe, with appreciation expressed to the Senator and his staff for their continued support of the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, which serves as the Service’s premier tool for conservation delivery on privately owned land.  The Program, which recently celebrated its 25th anniversary, provides technical and financial assistance to private landowners, tribes and schools on a voluntary basis to help meet the habitat needs of federal trust species. Field biologists work one-on-one with landowners and partners to plan, implement and monitor activities. Working together with more than 45,000 landowners and 3,000 conservation partners, the Program has successfully restored over 1,000,000 acres of wetland habitat; 3,000,000 acres of upland habitat and 11,000 miles of streams.

Senator Inhofe was the Senate lead author for the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Act of 2006 (16 USC 3771), which was unanimously approved by the 109th Congress and signed into law on October 3, 2006.  The Partners for Fish and Wildlife Act authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to provide technical and financial assistance to private landowners to restore, enhance, and manage private land to improve fish and wildlife habitats through the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program.

“I sure would like to congratulate the Fish & Wildlife Service on 25 years with the Partners Program. There’s just nothing like it. My whole family, grandkids and friends all get to come out to enjoy my wetland project, but the wildlife this project has created is amazing. This past winter, I had a little over 3,000 head of geese stay for a month and a half…and that is quite a sight! I really enjoy it, and I hope that more ranchers participate in this program, because there’s just nothing any better than it. I really appreciate it.”

Verlene Chervanka 
Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program Participant
Sayre, Oklahoma