CONSERVATION CORNER
Barbour Appoints Clark To Migratory Bird Commission
by James L. Cummins

Governor Haley Barbour has appointed Dr. Jeff Clark of Brookhaven to represent Mississippi on the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission.

Dr. Clark is an avid duck hunter and immediate past-president of Wildlife Mississippi. He is married, has two children and is employed by Brookhaven Urology.

The Migratory Bird Conservation Commission was established on February 18, 1929 by the passage of the Migratory Bird Conservation Act. It was created and authorized to consider and approve any areas of land and/or water recommended by the Secretary of the Interior for purchase or rental by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under the Act, and to fix the price or prices at which such areas may be purchased or rented. In addition to approving purchase and rental prices, the Commission considers the establishment of new waterfowl refuges. The staff support for the Commission is provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Division of Realty.

Members of the Commission are: Chairman, Gale Norton, Secretary of the Interior; Thad Cochran, Senator from Mississippi; Blanche Lincoln, Senator from Arkansas; John D. Dingell, Representative from Michigan; Curt Weldon, Representative from Pennsylvania; Mike Johanns, Secretary of Agriculture; Steve Johnson, Acting Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency, and; Secretary, A. Eric Alvarez, Chief, Division of Realty, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Senator Lincoln was recently appointed to the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission. She replaced Senator Breaux from Louisiana who had served on the Commission since April 17, 1996.

Dr. Clark will serve as an ex-officio member of the Commission to consider and vote on all questions relating to acquisition of areas in Mississippi.

Since the Commission's establishment, over 4 million acres have been acquired by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service by fee purchase, easement or lease with monies from the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund. These funds are allocated at the Secretary's discretion as delegated to the Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service.

The Fund provides the Department of the Interior with financing for the acquisition of migratory bird habitat. There are four major sources for money for the Fund. The most well-known source is the revenue received from the sale of Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamps, commonly known as Duck Stamps, as provided for under the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Act of March 18, 1934, as amended.

I have known Dr. Clark for over 7 years and he will represent Mississippi well in this position.

James L. Cummins is Executive Director of the Mississippi Fish and Wildlife Foundation in Stoneville, Mississippi. Known as "Wildlife Mississippi," the Foundation is a non-profit, conservation organization founded to conserve, restore and enhance fish, wildlife and plant resources throughout Mississippi. Their web site is www.wildlifemiss.org.