MEMPHIS, Tennessee April 26, 2018 Ducks Unlimited Chief Conservation Officer Nick Wiley was recently appointed by Secretary of Interior Ryan Zinke to the North American Wetlands Conservation Council (NAWCC) and the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act Advisory Group (NMBCAG).


Wiley is a certified wildlife biologist with more than 32 years of experience in fish and wildlife conservation. He is the former executive director for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and served as president of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies during 2016-17. He is also the current chair of the Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports. He became chief conservation officer for DU in January.

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Reporting to DUs CEO Dale Hall, Wiley is a member of DUs executive leadership team that provides strategic leadership for the organization. He leads a national/regional conservation program with approximately 215 employees.

"I am grateful to Secretary Zinke for this appointment, Wiley said. I am honored to serve on this Council and Advisory Group with a team of dedicated professionals who work so effectively leveraging public and private partnerships to deliver critical wetlands conservation on the ground as well as cooperative conservation of migratory bird resources across North, Central and South America.

The NAWCC meets three times each year to review and select grant proposals they will then take before the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission for funding approval. The council also develops policy affecting the grant application and administration processes.

To assist in carrying out the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act, the Secretary of the Interior in 2006 convened the NMBCAG from members of public and private organizations actively involved in conserving neotropical migratory birds. Members represent the United States, Mexico and Central and South American nations.

The group meets at least once a year, in conjunction with a North American Wetlands Conservation Council meeting, to make recommendations to the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on the direction of the program.

Ducks Unlimited Inc. is the world's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving North America's continually disappearing waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has conserved more than 14 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science and dedicated to program efficiency, DU works toward the vision of wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever. For more information on our work, visit www.ducks.org.

Media Contact:
Gregg Powers
901-758-3774
gpowers@ducks.org