Flyways.us

ARTICLE I - NAME

The name of the organization shall be the Central Flyway Council (hereafter Council).

ARTICLE II – PURPOSE

The Council shall be constituted for the following purposes:

1. To manage migratory birds in the Central Flyway and webless migratory game birds in the Central Management Unit so as to ensure adequate protection and maintenance of their populations and to continue the tradition of sport harvests of migratory game birds.
2. To assist in the coordination and integration of all phases of migratory bird management programs among Council members.
3. To work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on migratory bird needs and issues in the Flyway and Unit, including harvest regulations that safeguard the resource and provide hunting opportunity.
4. To assist in the development, coordination and integration of national and international migratory bird management programs and activities.

ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP

Membership in the Council shall consist of one representative from each of the following states, provinces, and territory: Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and the Northwest Territories.  Each representative shall be the administrative director of the State, Provincial, or Territorial Wildlife Agency or a designated member of the official staff of such agency.  Nothing in these bylaws shall prevent the administrative director of a state or province from designating a second individual as a Council member to address non-game migratory bird issues.

ARTICLE IV - OFFICERS

1. Officers shall consist of a Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, and Secretary. 
2. The Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson shall be elected from the states, provinces and territory on a rotation basis, with the Vice-Chairman being from the state next in order of rotation.  The term of office for Council officers shall be for one year commencing on October 1. 
3. The order of rotation for Council Chairperson shall be as follows: Colorado, South Dakota, Kansas, Saskatchewan, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Alberta, Nebraska, New Mexico, Texas, Northwest Territories, and Montana.

ARTICLE V – DUTIES OF OFFICERS AND OTHER POSITIONS

1. The Chairperson shall appoint members to standing and ad-hoc committees, review and approve expenditures incurred, and otherwise oversee the business activities of the Council.  The Chairperson shall also have general supervision of the affairs of the Council between its business meetings, make recommendations to the Council as necessary and shall perform such other duties as may be specified in these bylaws.  The Chairperson shall be subject to the orders of the Council and none of the Chairperson’s acts shall conflict with action taken by the Council.  Furthermore, the Chairperson should seek input from all voting Council representatives prior to acting on behalf of the Council when the topic is important enough and time allows.
2. The Chairperson shall appoint a Treasurer. The Treasurer shall collect annual dues and voluntary assessments, disburse Council funds for purposes authorized by the Council, maintain the accounts of the Council, and provide a financial report no later than the July Council meeting each year.
3. The Chairperson shall also serve as Council Secretary for the duration of the Chairperson’s term. The Secretary shall assure that all official actions taken at each Council meeting are recorded and distributed as minutes to the membership, maintain the membership rolls and maintain and serve as custodian of Council records.
4. The Vice-Chairperson shall automatically succeed to Chairperson in the event that the Chairperson cannot serve, provided the Vice-Chairperson remains eligible.
5. The Council shall elect a member to serve on the National Flyway Council.  The National Flyway Council representative’s term shall be four years beginning and ending at the termination of the appropriate September business meeting of the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. The National Flyway Council representative may be one of the consultants to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Regulations Committee (SRC). Nothing shall preclude a Council member from serving more than one term as representative to the National Flyway Council.

ARTICLE VI – FLYWAY CONSULTANTS

The Council shall elect 2 members to represent the Central Flyway and Central Management Unit as early season and/or late season consultants to the SRC.  The same or different members may be elected to serve as early season and/or late season consultants. Consultants shall be elected at the July annual meeting by a majority of the voting members present.

ARTICLE VII – MEETINGS

Meetings shall be held in conjunction with the North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference (normally held in March) and in July each year, and shall be of sufficient length to ensure time for full discussion of relevant issues.

ARTICLE VIII – QUORUM

A quorum at any meeting shall consist of not less than 7 voting members.

ARTICLE IX – DUES AND PROJECT FUNDING

Central Flyway state membership dues shall be one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500) and Provincial/Territorial memberships dues shall be two hundred fifty dollars ($250 U.S. Funds) billable in September each year.  The Council may select an independent third party to serve as a banker.

The Council may fund research and other projects it considers necessary to achieve its purposes as stated in Article II.  Initial requests for project funding should be brought before the Council at its July meeting. Formal action may be taken on those requests at the following March meeting. Emergency funding requests (based on clear emergency need and not poor long-range planning) may be considered by the Council at either meeting.  The Council shall be briefed annually at its July meeting on projects it has funded.

The Council shall determine the method of funding allocation for each approved project.  One of the three following formulas may be used to allocate funding for projects.

1. Each Council member contributes an equal share.  This is most appropriate for projects that have flyway-wide applicability or benefits.
3. Waterfowl projects: 50% of each member's allocation based upon the distribution of harvest of those species targeted in the project, 25% based upon the distribution of duck stamp sales and 25% based on equal shares.
4. Webless species projects: 70% based upon harvest of those species targeted in the project and 30% based on equal shares.

Formulas 2 and 3 are considered most appropriate for projects that provide significant benefits to relatively few members. In lieu of the above formulas, the Council may enact any other funding formula it considers appropriate on a project by project basis.

If one or more Council members decline to participate in project funding, their allocation (based on the funding formula used) will be divided and an equal amount added to the share of each participating member.

The appropriate Technical Committee (Article X) shall review each funding request and provide Council with a recommendation including a justification for a funding allocation method with each project proposal.

ARTICLE X – TECHNICAL COMMITTEES

A Central Flyway Waterfowl Technical Committee shall be established to provide professional advice and recommendations to the Council as it may request or as the Committee deems necessary to aid the Council in sound management of migratory game bird resources.  Committee members shall be representatives from the following states, provinces, and territory:  Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and the Northwest Territories.

A Central Management Unit Webless Game Bird Technical Committee shall be established to provide professional advice and recommendations to the Council as it may request or as the Committee deems necessary to aid the Council in sound management of webless migratory game bird resources. Committee members shall be from the following states, provinces, and territory:  Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and the Northwest Territories.

A Central Flyway Nongame Migratory Bird Technical Committee shall be established to provide professional advice and guidance to the Council as it may request or as the Committee may feel is needed by the Council for the sound regulation and management of nongame migratory birds in the Council’s member states and provinces.  Committee members shall be professional wildlife biologists with specific interest and subject-area expertise in the nongame migratory bird resources from the following states, provinces, and territory:  Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and the Northwest Territories.

ARTICLE XI – AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

The Council may establish and present awards that further the purposes of the Council (Article II) by recognizing significant contributions of its members or of those associated with the Council or by encouraging quality work and contributions by students and other wildlife professionals.  Awards may be individual or one-time recognition awards or periodic (e.g. annual) permanent award programs may be established.  Individual or one-time recognition awards may be presented at the discretion of the Chairperson or by a majority vote of Council members.  Permanent award programs may be established by a majority vote of the Council and shall be incorporated in the Bylaws.

Council’s Permanent Awards are as follows:

Gay Simpson Award - This award was established in July 1989 (Central Flyway Council Recommendation No. 4, North Platte, NE) to memorialize the significant contributions of Susan Gay Simpson to the Central Flyway and to encourage high quality graduate or undergraduate research on the ecology or management of Central Flyway waterfowl and waterfowl habitats.  Presentation of the award is guided by an Articles of Agreement between the Council and South Dakota State University (SDSU), Brookings, dated July 16, 1990. Through this agreement, a Council supported trust fund was established at SDSU to fund annual costs for the award. The award shall be presented, no more than annually, to a South Dakota State University Student.  The award shall be managed by the CFWTC and details, criteria and procedures for the award shall be maintained in the Technical Committee Procedures Manual.   The CFWTC shall make the final decision on recipient selection.

Joe Gabig Award - This award was established on March 21, 2006 (Central Flyway Council Recommendation No. 16, Columbus, OH) to memorialize the significant contributions of P. Joseph Gabig to the Central Flyway and to encourage exceptional leadership in the science of conservation or management of migratory game birds or their habitats by graduate or undergraduate students at Nebraska colleges and universities.  Presentation of the award is guided by an Articles of Agreement between the Council and the Nebraska Chapter of The Wildlife Society. Council shall fund the annual costs of this award (Nebraska will make a one-time donation), including a $100 scholarship award for each recipient. The award shall be presented no more than annually to a Nebraska college or university student.  This award shall be managed by the CFWTC and details, criteria and procedures for the award shall be maintained in the Technical Committee Procedures Manual. The CFWTC shall make the final decision on recipient selection.

ARTICLE XII – PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the Flyway in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order the Flyway may adopt.

ARTICLE XIII – AMENDMENTS

Amendments to the Bylaws shall be approved by a majority of the voting members present at a meeting, provided that notice of the proposed change(s) be given to all voting members not less than thirty (30) days prior to the meeting.

Amended July 21, 2006