There were 1,657 press releases posted in the last 24 hours and 413,687 in the last 365 days.

Three Tribal Natural Resource Professionals Receive Awards

Elaine Harvey, Biologist of the Year; Timothy Pauls, Conservation Law Officer of the Year; and Mark Dixon, Chief Sealth Award.

The Native American Fish and Wildlife Society honored three individuals for outstanding work with tribal natural resources management and protection.

"One of the impossible tasks that he took on was a Dam Tender for Lake Pushmataha Levee where he tackled the unimaginable task to assist in ease of monthly inspections and repair needs." ”
— Mitzi Reed, Choctaw Wildlife and Parks Department
DENVER, CO, USA, June 4, 2018 /EINPresswire.com/ -- DENVER, CO – The Native American Fish and Wildlife Society honored three individuals for outstanding work with tribal natural resources management and protection at the annual awards banquet and national conference on May 10 in Providence, RI.
Mark Dixon, Pueblo of Isleta, Department of Natural Resources was honored with the 2018 NAFWS Chief Sealth Award, Elaine Harvey, Yakama Nation, was presented with the Biologist of the Year award, and Timothy Pauls, Tribal Ranger with the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians was presented with the Conservation Law Officer of the Year award.
The Chief Sealth Award recipient, Mark Dixon is the Director of the Pueblo of Isleta Department of Natural Resources and a member of the Pueblo of Isleta was named the Chief Sealth Award honoree. This award recognizes a natural resources manager that works for a Tribe or agency who has made significant and positive impact upon tribal natural resources.
Dixon was awarded for his leadership in building a tribal natural resources department at the Pueblo of Isleta leading the way for a Department of Defense site clean-up while training tribal members to restore a contaminated area into pristine habitats for wildlife. Dixon also led one of the first collaborative forestry projects in the country uniting the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, NM State Forestry, private landholders and a Native American Tribe into a combined forestry project that has treated thousands of acres on two sides of the fence and employed dozens of tribal members, and restored habitats while protecting the vital traditional sites on the Pueblo, in addition he was recognized by NM Governor, Susana Martinez in 2016 as Environmental Leader of the Year.
In addition Elaine Harvey, biologist, Yakama Nation Fisheries Department, Yakama Indian Nation, was awarded the Biologist of the Year which recognized her work which started the Rock Creek Project, which studied threatened Steelhead in the Rock Creek Watershed since little was known about this population which created employment opportunities for tribal members then furthering her work which identified conditions of watershed and anadromous fish habitat prioritizing sites for restoration then evaluating the distribution and extent of anadromous salmonids throughout the watershed so that genetic analysis could be carried through on Rock Creek. Other populations that she monitors include Coho, Bridge lip suckers and trout when in season. With the restoration of steelhead a traditional food of the Yakama Nation, Harvey also works to preserve traditional foods and works with the local Gifford Pinchot National Forest to protect and preserve the tribe’s ancestral huckleberry picking grounds which have been commercially over harvested and shares her tribe’s traditional knowledge of the traditional foods.
Also awarded was a tribal conservation law enforcement officer, Timothy Pauls, Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, who received the Conservation Law Officer of the Year Award for his dedication, commitment, dependability and having an honest outlook toward his job and ambition to step up and tackle tasks. The long working hours to complete tasks and to take on jobs that others would label impossible are commendable. One of the impossible tasks that he took on was a Dam Tender for Lake Pushmataha Levee where he tackled the unimaginable task to assist in ease of monthly inspections and repair needs. He teaches and shares with youth in the Choctaw Youth Conservation Corps program as well as other tribal programs and events. Pauls is a certified firearms instructor and an Emergency Medical Technician.
The NAFWS is a non-profit organization that recognizes tribal fish and wildlife managers for their exceptional work with their tribes and has been in existence since 1982 as a Native American non-profit organization. The NAFWS’s mission is to assist Native American and Alaska Native Tribes with the conservation, protection, and enhancement of their fish and wildlife resources.
For more information, contact: Karen Lynch, NAFWS, klynch@nafws.org,

Karen Lynch
Native American Fish & Wildlife Society
(303) 466-1725
email us here