Wildlife Chief Appointed Chair of AFWA Executive Committee  

Posted on November 11, 2025 by admin

November 10, 2025
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Kendra Wecker, chief of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife, was recently appointed as the Chair of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) Executive Committee. Chief Wecker was appointed for a one-year term as Chair of the Executive Committee.
 
AFWA represents North America’s fish and wildlife agencies to advance sound, science-based management and conservation of fish and wildlife and their habitats in the public interest. The AFWA Executive Committee is charged with employing an executive director and additional employees for the organization, as well as approving a budget.
 
Kendra Wecker was appointed as the Chair of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) Executive Committee.  
“Kendra Wecker will be a great asset to AFWA as Chair of the Executive Committee, bringing a great wealth of knowledge and experience,” said Ron Regan, executive director of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. “She brings a level of leadership that will help to further the great work of the association.”
 
Chief Wecker will serve on the AFWA Executive Committee alongside fish and wildlife colleagues from Kansas, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. The Division of Wildlife has been a longtime member of and partner with the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and the Midwest Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.
 
Wecker was appointed to her position as chief of the Division of Wildlife in January 2019. During her 35-year career with the Division of Wildlife, she has also served as the information and education executive administrator and wildlife diversity coordinator. She has received multiple awards, including Wildlife Conservationist of the Year from the League of Ohio Sportsmen, Pheasants Forever Conservation Service Award, and Ducks Unlimited’s State Conservation Partner of the Year. She currently holds an U.S. Presidential appointment as a U.S. Commissioner for the Great Lakes Fishery Commission.
 

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Why cancer is hitting the Midwest harder than anywhere else in America

Posted on October 31, 2025 by admin

Environmental exposures to carcinogens under investigation as potential factors

By Khloe Quill Fox News

Published October 30, 2025 3:47pm EDT

While the rest of the country’s cancer rates are falling, those in Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois, Minnesota, Indiana and Kansas — known as the Corn Belt — are rising at an alarming rate, data shows.

The spike in America’s corn-producing states caught the attention of the University of Iowa’s Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, which gathered a panel to investigate the trend. 

One of the experts, Dr. Marian Neuhouser, a professor at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle, served on the panel as an expert in nutrition and obesity.

“The panel came about after they noticed that the trends for cancer incidence were increasing at a faster rate in Iowa than in other states,” Neuhouser told Fox News Digital.

A data analysis by The Washington Post based on federal health datasets found that the number of people diagnosed with cancer in the six Corn Belt states has outpaced the national average since the mid-2010s. 

In 1999, cancer rates in the Midwest were on par with the national average. Now, among residents aged 15 to 49, those rates are about 5% higher, a pattern that began diverging in the 2000s and has steadily widened.

The Post based its findings on data from the National Cancer Institute and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which track cancer incidence nationwide.

The analysis compared rates from 1999 through 2022 using multi-year averages for Iowa and excluding 2020 due to pandemic disruptions.

Experts probe causes

Neuhouser noted that some of the increases involve cancers that are preventable or detectable through screening.

Researchers are examining both environmental and lifestyle factors that could be driving the increase.

Outdoor UV exposure and high rates of binge drinking could be contributors, according to the Iowa Cancer Registry, part of the National Institutes of Health’s surveillance network.

Iowa’s Environmental Health Sciences Research Center has described the state as a “hot spot for environmental exposures to carcinogenic agents.” 

The soil and groundwater in the region reportedly contain some of the nation’s highest levels of natural radon and nitrate, largely because of fertilizer use in farming. Both substances have been linked to high risks of lung and gastrointestinal cancers.

Meanwhile, the widespread application of pesticides and herbicides, including glyphosate, continues to generate debate among scientists and regulators.

Risk of chemical exposure

Dr. Anne McTiernan, professor of epidemiology at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle, has analyzed decades of research on glyphosate and cancer risk.

“Glyphosate, a broad-spectrum herbicide, has been used in the U.S. for decades and is reported to be the most widely used pesticide globally,” she told Fox News Digital.

The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer classified glyphosate as “a 2A carcinogen (“probably carcinogenic to humans”), which is the second-highest grade of carcinogen, according to McTiernan.

Her review of studies through 2025 found that people with long-term, high exposure to glyphosate, such as those working on farms, had a roughly 40% higher risk of developing non-Hodgkin lymphoma compared to those who were never exposed.

This level of increased risk, combined with lab evidence that glyphosate can damage DNA and cause cellular stress, is considered strong enough to support a causal link, according to the expert.

Role of obesity and alcohol 

Lifestyle factors are also compounding risk. Per CDC data, about 21% of Iowa adults report heavy drinking or binge drinking, compared to roughly 17% nationally.

The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services reports that about 35% of adults in the state are classified as obese, placing it among 19 states with obesity prevalence at or above that level. Nationwide, the CDC reports an adult obesity rate of roughly 40%.

Neuhouser noted that 13 separate cancers are linked to obesity. 

“Everyone would like to be able to narrow down cancer risk … to one exposure, but cancer is so complex that it’s usually several factors working together,” she said.

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RGS Bolsters Leadership to Accelerate Forest Wildlife Conservation

Posted on August 14, 2025 by admin

 

Pittsburgh, Pa. (Aug. 14, 2025) — The Ruffed Grouse Society & American Woodcock Society (RGS & AWS) today announced the hiring of two nationally respected conservation leaders to fill new roles: Chief Conservation Officer (operations) Mark Hatfield and Vice President of Conservation Karl Malcolm. The additions mark a major investment in RGS & AWS’ leadership and ability to scale habitat conservation across North America.

“These are transformational leaders who have built impactful careers in conservation,” said RGS & AWS President and CEO Ben Jones. “We’re building a team that matches the urgency and opportunity facing forest wildlife. Mark and Karl bring the experience and the vision we need to lead the future of working forest conservation.”

Hatfield, who most recently served as the national director of science and planning at the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF), brings decades of experience in nonprofit operations, conservation strategy and organizational growth. He led NWTF’s $50+ million Keystone Agreement with the U.S. Forest Service, negotiated in 2022, stewarded and expanded the NWTF and Natural Resources Conservation Service partnership and has managed field programs, finances and staff at national scale.

“RGS & AWS has a proud history and a powerful mission,” Hatfield said. “I’m honored to help strengthen its operational capacity so the entire conservation team and our volunteers can do what they do best – restore habitat, build partnerships and make a difference on the ground and in communities.”

Malcolm, previously assistant director of renewable resources for the Forest Service’s Eastern Region, is a policy expert and field biologist with global conservation credentials. His early work included directly supporting the establishment of China’s first privately funded nature reserve, and his Forest Service leadership role positioned him as a close partner of RGS & AWS in recent years.

 “Ruffed grouse, woodcock and the healthy forests these iconic species help define need proactive, science-based conservation action,” Malcolm said. “This role allows me to combine my background in policy, relationship building and boots-on-the-ground project delivery in a way that will benefit forests, wildlife and all of us who cherish these special places.”

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USFWS Director Nesvik Confirmed

Posted on August 5, 2025 by admin

August 4, 2025

The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies enthusiastically commends the Senate for confirming the nomination of Brian Nesvik, who will serve as Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service). On August 1, 2025, the Senate confirmed the former Director of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

“We applaud the selection and confirmation of Brian Nesvik, a proven leader who possesses a strong history of collaboration and conservation,” said Judy Camuso, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and President of the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies. “Mr. Nesvik’s commitment to fulfilling the public trust responsibilities, understanding of cooperative management and commitment to science-based conservation, make him an ideal choice to lead the federal agency most critical to our natural resources. Mr. Nesvik’s experience, demonstrated collaborative leadership skills, and commitment to conservation excellence will strengthen the federal-state relationship and enhance our shared efforts to sustain America’s fish and wildlife resources for future generations.”

The Association proudly supported his nomination and joined many other conservation organizations in advocating for his advancement, including through a public letter of support submitted to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.

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Federal Judge Upholds Swampbuster

Posted on June 20, 2025 by admin

Wildlife Management Institute Outdoor News

June 16, 2025

A federal judge in Iowa has ruled against a landholding company that sought to dismantle a long-standing wetlands law called Swampbuster. Starting in 1985, the Farm Bill put conditions on the receipt of federal subsidies: farmers must not drain wetlands (“Swampbuster”) or plant crops on highly erodible land (“Sodbuster”) if they want to receive the subsidies. Chief Judge C.J. Williams in the Northern District of Iowa dismissed CTM Holdings’ claims, saying Swampbuster falls within the spending power of Congress. Congress can attach conditions to federal funds “in pursuit of the general welfare and may require a recipient’s compliance with conditions to receive the funding.”

The lawsuit arose when CTM Holdings sought to farm a 9-acre portion of property that had previously been designated a wetland. The company, which rents the property to farmers, alleged in the complaint that the USDA “unconstitutionally” conditions its farm benefits through Swampbuster. The company also argued that the wetlands in question were dry, but the federal agency would not remove the wetland designation.

Under the Farm Bill conservation provision, the U.S. Department of Agriculture can withhold federal subsidies, like crop insurance and disaster payments, from farmers who clear, drain, or convert designated wetlands. CTM Holdings, a company that owns around 800 acres in Iowa, argued that the Swampbuster law unconstitutionally restricts what farmers can do with their property.

Liberty Justice Center, one of the law firms representing CTM Holdings, said in an X post that it will appeal the decision to the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals.

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