The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies recently elected Idaho Fish and Game Director Virgil Moore as its new president, a release from the group said.
Moore will continue to lead Idaho Fish and Game as well as serve this one-year, part-time position.
“I am proud of the roles states and local communities have played in fish and wildlife conservation and am honored to be serving the states and all AFWA members as president,” Moore said. “This year I am looking forward to working with our partners and members to build a wildlife conservation legacy. It is of vital importance to making sure our fish and wildlife populations are healthy and available for public use and for future generations.”
In accepting AFWA’s presidency, Moore reflected on the critical importance of the two recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Panel on Sustaining America’s Diverse Fish and Wildlife Resources including the Recovering America's Wildlife Act.
Other action items on Moore’s presidential agenda include building a positive relationship with the new administration, and focusing strengthening business partnerships and increasing our efforts on hunting, shooting sports, angling and boating recruitment, retention and reactivation initiatives.
“Virgil is a true leader in conservation and is very well equipped to maintain positive momentum for AFWA’s initiatives,” said Nick Wiley, Executive Director of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and 2016-17 AFWA President. “His insight and leadership will be invaluable as we plot our course and work through the challenges of today.”
Moore has served as the director of Idaho Fish and Game since 2011 and started with the agency in 1977 as a fisheries research biologist working on Yellowstone cutthroat trout of the South Fork Snake River.
He has held multiple management and research positions including Chief of Fisheries and Chief of Information & Education. Moore was Director of Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife from 2006-07 before returning to Idaho as Deputy Director in 2007.