Southern Division Advances Action Plan
For Hurricane Relief

Robert L. Curry
President, Southern Division, American Fisheries Society

On 29 August 2005 Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated large portions of Louisiana and Mississippi and caused significant impacts to Alabama, Florida and Texas.  Collectively they are considered the largest natural disaster yet to occur in North America. Shortly thereafter, during the 2005 Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society (AFS) in Anchorage, Alaska, Parent Society AFS President Chris Kohler established the AFS Hurricane Relief Task Force and charged it to develop strategy for addressing professional needs of our fisheries colleagues impacted by the storms.  The task force , chaired by Don Jackson (Mississippi Chapter) held its first meeting on 13 January 2006 on the campus of Louisiana State University.  This post-Christmas date was scheduled in order to allow fisheries professionals in the impacted region opportunity to deal with personal and professional/agency immediate needs following the 2005 storms, and to move through a very stressful holiday season.

An action plan was drafted during the January task force meeting and, using the organizational structure of the American Fisheries Society, was subsequently presented in February to (1) the joint Annual Meeting of the Louisiana and Mississippi Chapters in Natchez, Mississippi and (2) to the Southern Division during its Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas.  In order to ensure maximum participation by chapter members during the joint Annual Meeting of the Louisiana and Mississippi chapters, the Southern Division provided travel support for members of the Louisiana Chapter (who otherwise would not have been able to engage in out-of-state travel). 

Following guidance from the chapters and the Southern Division, the Action Plan was modified and presented in March to the Parent Society Governing Board during its Mid-year meeting in Bethesda, Maryland.  On 11 March 2006, The Governing Board approved the Action Plan.

The Action Plan

1. AFS assigns the Southern Division (SDAFS) with administrative and programmatic responsibilities to implement relief to AFS members in the Gulf Coast region impacted by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
2. Upon approval of the SDAFS leadership, complimentary memberships and online journal subscriptions will temporarily be provided (duration to be determined) to AFS members identified by their respective AFS Chapters as having been impacted by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
3. Upon approval of SDAFS leadership, travel funds to attend AFS annual meetings will be provided to AFS members identified by their respective AFS Chapters as having been impacted by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
4. SDAFS will assist with the establishment, maintenance, and staffing of a program to facilitate linkages between AFS members identified by their respective AFS Chapters as having specific professional and/or programmatic needs resulting from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita with AFS members/units who have resources to address these needs.
5. AFS will provide a maximum of $30,000 to SDAFS to address the above actions for the period 15 March - 31 December 2006.
6. The AFS Hurricane Relief Task Force, along with the SDAFS, will report to the AFS Governing Board at the annual meeting in Lake Placid in September 2006 on the status of the on-going relief efforts and provide recommendations for future disaster relief programs and actions.

The task force held its final meeting on 18 May 2006 on the Louisiana State University Campus and, in accordance with the Action Plan and AFS Governing Board directive, transferred the program to the Southern Division.  Chapters now have the responsibility of identifying AFS members who need assistance in terms of membership dues, journal subscriptions and travel support to AFS meetings and for forwarding recommendations for assistance to the Southern Division.  The Mississippi Chapter will secure storage facilities to warehouse donations earmarked through the distribution program for colleagues needing these materials. The Texas Chapter and Parent Society Computer Users Section is developing the computerized network for matching donations with recipient requests.  Don Jackson (Mississippi Chapter) will serve as the interim director for the distributions center and as liaison between chapters and the Southern Division regarding hurricane relief.

Thanks are extended to the following persons who served on the task force:

      
 For more information contact:      Donald C. Jackson
                                                            Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
                                                            Box 9690
                                                            Mississippi State University, MS  39762
                                                            Tel: 662-325-7493
                                                            Email: djackson@cfr.msstate.edu