David Whitehurst honored by Southeastern Fish & Wildlife agencies
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Posted: Thursday, October 18, 2012 9:53 am
David Whitehurst honored by Southeastern Fish
<http://www.smithmountaineagle.com/content/tncms/live/smithmountaineag...
/news/article_404b9e6c-192b-11e2-a221-0019bb2963f4.html> & Wildlife agencies
The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) is proud to
announce David K. Whitehurst (AFS member, '73), Director, Bureau of Wildlife
Resources, has been awarded the prestigious Clarence W. Watson Award at the
66th Annual Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies October
2012 Conference held at Hot Springs, Arkansas. This recognition was given to
recognize Whitehurst's outstanding contribution to wildlife conservation.
A North Carolina native, David received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from North
Carolina State University.
During his 38-year career at the VDGIF David Whitehurst has been
instrumental in bringing science-based management to the Commonwealth's
fisheries and wildlife conservation programs. His numerous conservation
achievements include: restoring and enhancing the striped bass programs at
Kerr Reservoir and Smith Mountain Lake, which have provided excellent public
fishing opportunities; driving the acquisition of the Department's Stewarts
Creek Wildlife Management Area; establishing the 845-acre Briery Creek Lake,
which has become a premier largemouth bass fishery; taking a leading role in
efforts to restore waterways for anadromous fish, including the breaching of
the Embrey Dam on the Rappahannock River; establishing a fishway on Bosher's
Dam on the James which opened hundreds of miles of river to spawning fish;
establishing the Virginia Master Naturalist Program; developing the Virginia
Birding and Wildlife Trail, which provides wildlife viewing opportunities
while bringing in millions in tourism dollars to the communities through
which trail loops run; developing the Virginia Wildlife Action Plan, a
comprehensive plan which documents species of greatest conservation need in
Virginia; and establishing the Aquatic Wildlife Conservation Center to
propagate and recover endangered aquatic species.
He is also the recipient of a number of awards and honors, including the
River Conservationist of the Year award from the Virginia Wildlife
Federation and the Conservationist of the Year award from Trout Unlimited in
1993. In 1997, he was recognized by WWBT TV in Richmond for his efforts to
restore anadromous fish populations in the James River, and in 1999 he
received the Professional Service Award from the Virginia Chapter of the
American Fisheries Society. The Virginia Society of Ornithology recognized
his contributions to bird conservation and the development of the Virginia
Birding and Wildlife Trail in 2002. In 2004, he received the Coastal America
Partnership Award from President Bush for his efforts as a team leader in a
multi-organization project to remove Embrey Dam from the Rappahannock River.
In 2005, he received the Dr. Henry S. Mosby Award from the Virginia Chapter
of The Wildlife Society for outstanding contributions to the wise management
of Virginia's wildlife resources; and he was given a Special Recognition
Award from Watchable Wildlife, Inc., for the establishment of the Virginia
Birding and Wildlife Trail.
In making the announcement regarding the Watson Award, Virginia Department
of Game and Inland Fisheries Executive Director Bob Duncan said, "David
Whitehurst is the consummate professional and it is especially gratifying to
see David's contributions recognized in this fashion. In my opinion, this
award is richly deserved by David."
The Clarence W. Watson Award is the most prestigious conservation award
given in the Southeast and is presented to the career individual who, in the
opinion of the award committee, has made the greatest contribution to
wildlife or fisheries conservation during the previous year or years in
areas such as research, administration, law enforcement, Information and
Education, or wildlife and fisheries management. Preference is given to
nominees in the Southeast. David Whitehurst joins former VDGIF Director
Chester Phelps (1971) and VDGIF Game Warden John Crumb (1968) as fellow
Virginian recipients of the Clarence W. Watson Award.
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