The Alberta Wildlifer
Autumn 2000, Vol. 12, No. 1
Editor: Troy Sorensen
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The Alberta Wildlifer |
Autumn 2000, Vol. 12, No. 1 |
|
Editor: Troy Sorensen |
|
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| Print-Friendly Version |  |
It’s official! The University of Alberta Student Chapter Of The Wildlife Society has been granted official status by the parent society. This makes two student chapter’s that reside in Alberta. We’ve seen the enthusiastic involvement of the Lethbridge College student chapter at last year’s ACTWS conference and the U. of A. Chapter appears to be off and running in a very active fashion. The new chapter had some members helping at the 2000 conference and will be assisting at the upcoming NW section meeting in Banff. In addition, the U of A chapter has engaged in a series of invited guest lectures and have initiated wetland and ungulate monitoring programs in the Edmonton area. The ACTWS welcomes the involvement of our student chapters and looks forward to fruitful interactions in the future.
A focal point for the executive this year has been preparing for an expanded conference, as we are hosting the Northwest section meeting (see elsewhere in this newsletter or on the ACTWS website for details). Arlen Todd (President-Elect, ACTWS) is the conference co-ordinator and has been doing an amazing job bringing the meeting together. Such events do not materialize by the efforts of one person and we have been fortunate to have a host of volunteers that will bring the meeting together in March. The meeting, however, depends on the attendance and participation of you… the ACTWS members… to make it a success.
While much of our efforts have focussed on preparing for the Northwest section meeting, we are also an organization that provides professional advise on wildlife management issues. Cervid importation, federal endangered species legislation and most recently bison grazing on public lands are some of the issues we’ve dealt with recently. Members sitting on various regional, provincial and national committees have recommended that our input be sought… it is through this active monitoring and engagement that we can ensure that our voice is heard on issues of wildlife conservation. Please bring issues to the attention of the executive as you become aware of them… thank you.
The ACTWS is a organization that relies on volunteers to fill executive and committee positions. In a era when work loads seem to be increasing exponentially, it is amazing and humbling that people are still willing to volunteer to have their name stand on a ballot. Again this year, through the significant efforts of our elections committee chair, Janet Ficht, we were able to solicit a strong list of candidates for your consideration in this year’s elections for the 2001/2002 ACTWS executive. Now it is your turn to fulfill the member’s responsibility to vote. Please take a few moments to read the biographies, select candidates for president-elect, secretary-treasurer and directors and mail your ballots by February 23.
Through the hard work of Margo Pybus and Beth MacCallum we will be unveiling a guide that will be used primarily by executive members but will be available to all ACTWS members. This manual will 1) outline the structure and function of the ACTWS (including duties of each executive position); 2) provide an archive of executive decisions; 3) include a copy of the ACTWS bylaws and 4) document some of the history of the chapter. It is intended to be a ‘living’ document that is updated annually as an assigned duty of the incumbent Past President… so it looks like I have my work cut out for me in the new ACTWS year. Margo & Beth are to be congratulated for their diligence in bringing this guide together.
As mentioned elsewhere in this newsletter, Troy Sorensen has decided to focus his limited afterwork time to family and maintaining the ACTWS website. As such he is stepping down as newsletter editor. Join me in thanking Troy for his heroic efforts in preparing our quarterly newsletter in a timely and professional manner.
See you at the ACTWS/Northwest Section conference in Banff…
Elston Dzus, President
Preliminary ProgramRegistrationCall for PapersPhoto ContestCOORDINATING SCALES OF MANAGEMENT, DECISION MAKING AND PLANNING is the focus of the plenary session, which will open the conference (starting at 1:30PM, March 2, in the Castle/Assiniboine Rooms). Fish and wildlife programs sometimes suffer from a lack of coordination among efforts organized at different administrative levels (e.g., community, regional, provincial or state, national, international). The session will review what have been and/or continue to be major stumbling blocks to more effective integration of programs across administrative jurisdictions, whether "bottom-up" or "top-down" approaches are taken. Dr. David Schindler, an internationally renowned scientist and conservation activist at the University of Alberta will provide an overview of the challenges from a scientific standpoint. Dr. John Donihee, an expert in both natural resources and wildlife law in Canada and the U.S.A., from the Canadian Institute of Resources Law, will share his perspectives on legal constraints and challenges. Dr. Hal Salwasser, Dean and Director of Forest Research Laboratory, College of Forestry, Oregon State University, will present the administrative perspective, based on his years of experience developing and implementing ecosystem management at national, regional and state levels. Jamie Pinkham, representative for the Idaho Nez Perce Tribe, will present challenges from the perspective of the community and, in particular, Native Americans.
The two following days will be filled with contributed papers on a wide range of topics in wildlife and fisheries research and management, from jurisdictions throughout the Northwest Section. If you have any questions on the conference, or want to volunteer to help, please contact the conference coordinator, Mr. Arlen Todd (phone: 403-297-7349; fax: 403:297-2843; e-mail: arlen.todd@gov.ab.ca)
The Banff Park Lodge is situated in the world-renowned town of Banff, in the heart of historical Banff National Park. Surrounded by the majestic Canadian Rockies, the hotel is situated at 222 Lynx Street, just one block from the town center, and a short walking distance to excellent shopping, restaurants, museums, and other points of interest.
Banff is located in southwestern Alberta, about 130 kilometers (80 miles) west of Calgary, on the TransCanada Highway (Highway 1). Banff is only a ninety minute drive from the Calgary International Airport, where cars can be rented from all major rental companies. Regular bus service operates directly from the airport to the Banff Park Lodge, as well; two companies provide regular bus service, as frequently as every two hours, each way (Banff Airporter-- call 1-888-449-2901; Brewster—call 403-221-8242. Advance reservations are either required or highly recommended, for the bus trip.
The conference and meetings will be held at the Banff Park Lodge and Conference Centre. The lodge has reserved a block of 100 rooms at special conference rates. To reserve rooms at the special rate, be sure to make reservations by January 15, 2001 at 1-800-661-9266 (mention that you are attending the Wildlife Society meeting, Alberta Chapter). The rate is $115 Canadian/room/night, for single or double occupancy, plus 12% tax. For third and fourth occupants in a room, add $15 (Canadian)/person/night (plus tax). Children under the age of 16 stay at no additional charge. The rates mentioned above are extended to delegates of the conference both three days before and three days after the conference. When making reservations, you will require a valid credit card number or check or money order deposit. Deposits will be returned, when requested, if notice of cancellation is received by the Banff Park Lodge at least 48 hours prior to the expected time of arrival.
If rooms are still available, the Banff Park Lodge will provide the same, special conference rates to attendees of the conference who make reservations after 15 January, 2001. A variety of other hotels and motels are located near the Banff Park Lodge, including Brewster Mountain Lodge (403-762-2900), Homestead Inn (403-762-4471), and Bow View Motor Lodge (403-762-2261). However, we have not arranged discounted rates at any of the other hotels and motels.
Please take advantage of early registration discounts by completing and returning the registration form with full payment (in Canadian funds only) by February 7, 2001. Partial registrations will not be accepted. On-site registration will be available at the conference. On-site registration will commence at 10:30AM, March 2, on the Mezzanine Level of the Banff Park Lodge (Alpine Meadows area).
A bus tour of the Bow Valley portion of Banff National Park (lead by staff of Banff National Park) will cover issues including elk relocation and management, predator restoration, highway restoration, and fire-wildlife interactions. Fabulous scenery and wildlife viewing opportunities will be featured, as well! Pre-register by February 7th and pay the $20 (Canadian) fee for the field trip (see registration form on following page). If you register for the field trip, you will be contacted with instructions, at least one week before the conference.
The welcoming reception and social (including no-host cash bar) is on Friday evening, March 2, beginning at 7:00PM. Dr. Paul Paquet, a well renowned carnivore researcher with the World Wildlife Fund, will provide a key-note address on ecological research in mountainous ecosystems in and around Banff National Park. The fundraiser auction of wildlife-related items will follow. Proceeds go entirely to the Alberta Chapter’s student scholarship fund. Paul Jones is our auction coordinator. Please contact Paul with commitments to provide auction items (phone 403-382-4357 or e-mail: paul.jones@gov.ab.ca). Small and big-ticket items, custom-made ones, new purchases or used items will all be gratefully appreciated.
The banquet is included in the registration fee and is on Saturday evening, March 3. After dinner, a well-known wildlife scientist and natural resources administrator, Dr. Morley Barrett, will share wisdom and witticisms, in a presentation entitled "Reflections on the Wildlife Profession". Annual awards of the Northwest Section will be presented that evening, as well.
A poster session will run during March 2 and 3, beginning at 10:30AM, March 2. Posters on management, research, monitoring, new techniques, and work just getting underway will be included.
Conference registrants are invited to submit their favorite original photos for a contest at the conference. Contact Troy Sorensen, if you are interested, phone 780-778-7116; e-mail Troy.Sorensen@telus.net. Further details are posted on the Photo Contest web page.
Concurrent sessions for contributed papers are scheduled to run all day Saturday (March 3) and the early part of Sunday morning (March 4). The conference will end with a final, plenary session of contributed papers on Sunday afternoon (March 4).
Cash prizes will be given for the Best and Second-best Contributed Papers by students ($100 and $75, respectively), as well as for the Best Poster Paper given by a student ($100). Prizes will be awarded on Sunday.
The annual business meeting of the Northwest Section is scheduled for the latter part of Saturday afternoon (March 3). The business meeting of the Alberta Chapter will take place late on Sunday morning (March 4).
A lunch is included in the registration fee and is on Sunday, March 4. The annual awards of the Alberta Chapter of the Wildlife Society, will be presented during the lunch.
Corporate donations have contributed significantly to the quality and viability of TWS meetings organized in Alberta in the past. Thank you, again, for your generosity! If you or your employer are/is in a position to make a financial donation in support of the upcoming conference, please consider doing so. Donations both large and small will be gratefully appreciated! Please make checks payable (preferably in Canadian funds) to Alberta Chapter of the Wildlife Society and mail to ACTWS, Box 4990, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6E 5G8.
Donations received before March 1, 2001 would be most appreciated! Donors will be recognized in the printed conference materials, and verbally acknowledged at the conference, as well.
Five world-class areas for downhill skiing are situated within easy travelling distance of the Banff Park Lodge (most of them have regular bus service to and from the lodge). Cross-country skiing should be exceptional in early March, too. For further information on other attractions, visit the website of the Banff-Lake Louise Tourism Bureau (www.banfflakelouise.com).
I am resigning as newsletter editor following the AGM in Banff. I have greatly enjoyed the past couple years as editor but feel I’m neglecting the website. I would like to concentrate on making the website one of the best wildlife related sites on the web. As a result, the ACTWS is looking for a new volunteer editor for the Wildlifer newsletter.
The editor job is not as scary as it may look. If you are familiar with desktop publishing software (MSWord, etc), and have strong organizational and communication skills you will fill the position nicely. I can email or fax a copy of the full job description to anyone prior to their commitment. I will also help the new editor with the next issue (May 1st) for a seamless transition.
Anyone interested in the position can contact Arlen Todd, Elston Dzus, or myself (see contact list on page 2), preferably before the AGM in Banff (March 2).
Troy Sorensen, Newsletter Editor
A renewal form should have been included with this newsletter to remind you that your membership in the Alberta Chapter of the Wildlife Society for 2001 is now due. Dave McKinnon should have also recently emailed you regarding the dues. If you do not receive a renewal notice you are in good standing.
You can also download the membership renewal form from www.albertadirectory.com/actws. Please take the time to send your completed renewal form and a cheque to Dave before the conference on March 2-4. Keeping the membership receipts separate from conference receipts greatly simplifies our bookkeeping, minimizes the risk of error and saves wear and tear on our valued volunteers. Your assistance is greatly appreciated.
Regular members can renew their memberships for up to five years at $10 / year. Student memberships are only renewable for one year at $5.
Please do not send cash through the mail.
Questions? mailto:dave@arc.ab.ca.
As you may recall from the business meeting at Lethbridge last year, I failed to provide a balanced statement for 1999. I suggested a motion to have a special audit committee review the financial records and report back in the newsletter. This motion was made by Jan Ficht, seconded by Lu Carbyn and passed by those in attendance. Due to conflicting field and office schedules of the auditors and myself, the audit was not completed until October. The financial statement and audit are contained in this edition.
The discrepancy in the statement presented in March was large and I suspected that I was not accurate in the representation of the GIC figures. The records I received upon taking over the treasurer’s post vacated by Chris Shank seemed in good order, and the activity in the chequing account since August when I started was routine. There was some confusion surrounding the GICs, however. We were active in consolidating and purchasing our GICs in October 1999. I was pretty sure a bookkeeping error was to blame.
I requested a Bank Confirmation of our accounts. It declared the following:
Total outstanding accrued interest for 1999 is $972.25.
Total outstanding accrued interest for 1997 & 1998 is $1020.81.
Total outstanding principal balances as of December 31, 1999 are $31,824.03.
Our total GIC assets were therefore $33,817.09.
I had mistakenly pegged our assets at 31,742.55 based on a listing of our GICs from earlier in the year. On advice from a semi-retired accountant I listed the assets (GICs) separately from the chequing account on the 1999 statement. The chequing account is for the operations of the Society and not an asset. When the corrections were made, lo and behold, everything balanced (save for an $8 cheque cashed in January 2000).
Thanks to the auditing committee of Larry Roy, Jack Nolan and Kelly Sturgess and to the executive and members for your patience throughout this process. All that remains is an approval of the 1999 statement at the meeting in Banff and we can move on to the 2000 statement in progress. If anyone has any questions please contact me.
Best regards,
Dave McKinnon, Secretary/ Treasurer
From: Larry Roy
Chairman, Audit Committee
Alberta Chapter of the Wildlife Society
To: Elston Dzus
President
Alberta Chapter of the Wildlife Society
Date: October 16, 2000
AUDIT OF THE FINANCES OF THE ALBERTA CHAPTER OF THE WILDLIFE SOCIETY FOR THE CALENDAR YEAR 1999.
Mr. David McKinnon (Secretary/ Treasurer) of the Alberta Chapter of the Wildlife Society asked that I chair an audit committee to review the finances of the Chapter for the 1999 calendar year. The audit committee consisted of myself, Jack Nolan and Kelly Sturgess. There was an imbalance shown in the financial statement presented at the Annual General Meeting of the chapter in March. The financial statement has since been reviewed and the imbalance was the result of an error in the recording of the GIC assets of the Chapter. Mr. McKinnon provided the attached financial statement and all relevant materials and financial records for the purposes of our review. Also attached is a Bank Confirmation provided to Mr. McKinnon by the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce.
We are satisfied that the finances of the Alberta Chapter were in good order as of December 31, 1999, as summarized in the attached financial statement.
We recommend a Bank Confirmation be attached to the financial statement in subsequent years.
Larry Roy, Audit Committee
Jack Nolan, Audit Committee
Kelly Sturgess, Audit Committee
Just wondering what the possibility would be of distributing the ACTWS newsletter in pdf format. The content comes through fine in Word, but the formatting is always a bit wonky for anyone who wants to print it. Perhaps the purchase of Acrobat might be justifiable in postage saved?
Cheers!
Mike Norton
Mike, excellent idea. I brought it up at the last executive meeting and they also liked the idea. Dave McKinnon will be purchasing the software for the Chapter soon.
Troy Sorensen, Newsletter Editor
Nicky Koper (Wetland Development Project coordinator) will be attending a meeting between Dundee Developers LTD. and AB Environment on Jan 26/01 pertaining to the project and our chapter involvement. We will be discussing our role in establishing a monitoring system and its feasibility within the assessment criteria.
Marc Plamondon (Ungulate Monitoring Project coordinator) has established a bait station and plans on collaring deer within the next couple weeks... pending availability of conservation officers for assistance with tranquilization.
Finally, we have just recently received our official chapter status from the Northwest Section and Wildlife Society!
For more details, check out our Webpage at: www.rr.ualberta.ca/wildlifesociety
Curtis Stambaugh, President, U of A Student Chapter of the Wildlife Society
Sharing Common Ground
February 22-25, 2001
Royal Crown Conference Centre
83 Garry Street
Winnipeg, Manitoba
This exciting conference will focus on key issues, information, research and trends related to prairie landscape and species conservation.
"Sharing Common Ground" affords divergent prairie interest groups an excellent opportunity to explore ideas and approaches to sustain landowners and users, as well as preserve the rich natural heritage that is the endowment of all prairie dwellers.
Held once every three years in a Canadian Prairie Province, this must-attend event attracts a wide audience from across Western Canada and the Midwestern United States.
Full registration brochure and information will be available in November 2000. To ensure that you receive a registration package, e-mail your name and mailing address to:
FRONTLINE Associates
Conference Planners
(204) 489-2739
E-mail: frontlin@escape.ca
Registration Fees
Early bird (before January 15, 2001): $ 95
After January 15: $125
Students (before January 15): $ 55
Students (after January 15): $ 75
The Conference Hotel
There are a limited number of rooms available at the historic Hotel Fort Garry, 222 Broadway, beside the Royal Crown Conference Centre. The Hotel Fort Garry is offering special room rates of $95 a night (single or double). Phone (204) 942-8251 or 1-800-665-8088. Reserve before January 22, 2001 and refer to Group Code EVC03 to ensure rates.
For more information visit their website at http://iisd.ca/wetlands/pcesc/default.htm
March 1-4, 2001 - Canada's Natural Capital: Investing in Biodiversity for the Information Age. Ottawa.
What's happening and where it's going.
March 5-7, 2001 – Edmonton
A conference on science, policy and conservation action.
July 30 - August 1, 2001 - Ft. Collins, Colorado.
Murphy, K. M., P. I. Ross, and M. G. Hornocker. 1999. The ecology of anthropogenic influences on cougars. Pages 77-101 in Carnivores in Ecosystems: the Yellowstone experience. T. W. Clark, A. P. Curlee, S. C. Minta, and P. M. Kareiva (eds). Yale University Press, New Haven. 429 pp.
Please send any references of recently published articles to Troy.Sorensen@telus.net. Articles of interest include those authored by ACTWS members on Alberta wildlife.
Next IssueExpect the next newsletter in your mailbox May 1st. You are encouraged to submit any type of article (letter to editor, research, stories, humor, poetry, conservation issues, etc.) for the next newsletter by emailing it to Troy.Sorensen@telus.net by April 15th. |
Prepared by David McKinnon
Opening balance of chequing account |
||
as of December 31, 1998 |
$ 8,348.50 |
|
Income - 1999 |
||
Deposit from maturing GICs |
836.35 |
|
GIC interest paid to account |
96.75 |
|
Membership dues |
1,710.00 |
|
Conference registrations |
5,275.00 |
|
Auction |
3,964.00 |
|
Corporate donations |
2,474.51 |
|
Conference longfall |
130.00 |
|
Scholarship donation |
50.00 |
|
Miscellaneous |
30.00 |
|
$ 14,566.61 |
||
Expenses - 1999 |
||
Bank charges/cheques |
65.88 |
|
Corporate registry annual fee |
8.00 |
|
Scholarships |
1,200.00 |
|
Postage |
73.83 |
|
Dr. Green- airfare |
593.52 |
|
Dr. Green- expenses |
243.10 |
|
Presentation Awards |
275.00 |
|
Chapter Awards expenses |
223.56 |
|
Name tags, receipt books |
71.49 |
|
Student travel subsidy |
480.00 |
|
Conference Hosting costs |
3,783.41 |
|
PO box rental |
190.46 |
|
Printing/Photocopying |
226.21 |
|
Display board |
228.00 |
|
Fuel reimbursement |
61.33 |
|
GIC Purchases |
11,306.25 |
|
-$ 19,030.04 |
||
Closing balance as of Dec. 31, 1999 |
$ 3,893.07 |
|
Opening balance + Income - Expenses |
$ 3,885.07 |
|
Difference |
$ 8.00 |
Due to uncashed cheque. |
Total GIC Assets |
$ 33,817.09 |