In April of 2018, the NH Fish and Game Commission presented Furbearer Conservation creator Jeff Traynor with the 2017 Communication Award of Excellence. The award was presented by Belknap County Commissioner Ernest Millette.
“Since 2014, Jeff has led an effort to advocate for regulated trapping and science-based wildlife management. He has created an outstanding website, and maintains a blog where he writes well-researched articles and effectively uses social media to create awareness and to educate people on the importance of trapping. Jeff spends countless hours researching topics, deciphering scientific articles and data, and then writing and publishing that information in a way we all can understand. Jeff is a true conservationist at heart, with a gift for writing and communicating. We thank Jeff for his efforts, and we’re looking for more good work to come.”
As the creator and content contributor of the Furbearer Conservation website, I am extremely humbled and encouraged by this recognition. Advocacy for regulated activities like hunting and trapping need to be supported now more than ever, as habitat loss and human encroachment continue to apply pressure to our natural environment. The achievement of this award is an absolute honor, and one that I accept with great pride.
Licensed trappers in New Hampshire consist of a wide cross-section of the public, and includes doctors, police officers, military veterans, biologists, wildlife managers, carpenters, school teachers, road agents and many others. These citizens are the eyes and ears of wildlife conservation, contributing to nuisance conflict mitigation, scientific data collection, landowner relations, conservation projects and continued sustainable regulation of natural resources; often at little or no cost to taxpayers, state agencies and the non-trapping public. These benefits are often overlooked, especially when anti-trapping sensationalism and legislation rears its ugly head. I will continue to uphold the mission statement of this website, and continue to advocate for sustainable, regulated trapping and hunting activities as they relate to wildlife management and conservation.
Other 2017 award winners include: Janice Boynton, Volunteer Award. Larry Barker of the UNH Co-Op Extension, Conservation Award. Bear-Paw Regional Greenways, Habitat Steward Award. Dan Dockham, Ellis R. Hatch Jr. Award.
Recipients of the 2017 NHF&G Awards of Excellence. Janice Boynton, Dan Dockham, Jeff Traynor, Larry Barker, and Bear-Paw Regional Greenways,
The April commission meeting, including the awards presentation, can be viewed in its entirety via GovernmentOversite.com.