The Phoenix-Arizona Game and Fish Commission announced the 14 winners of the 2022 Commission Awards at its September 9 conference in Pinetop, Arizona.

This award recognizes Arizonas who have made significant contributions to the conservation of Arizona’s wildlife, its outdoor heritage, and the mission of the Arizona Game and Fish Department.

This year’s winners are:

– Excellence Award – Brian McIntyre, Cochise County Attorney’s Office

– Conservationist of the Year – Gila Ridge High School FFA Agricultural Machinery Team

– Media of the Year – Robbie Kroger, Blood Origins

– Conservation Organization of the Year – Arizona Desert Bighorn Sheep Association

– Conservator of the Year – Don McDowell

National Resource Professional of the Year – Scott Feldhausen

– Volunteer of the Year – Doug Beach

– Educator of the Year – Cathy Balmain

– Mentor of the Year – Gabriel Paz

– Advocate of the Year – Senator David Gowan

– Business Partner of the Year – KUIU

– Buck Appleby Hunter Education Instructor of the Year – Jim Rich

– Wildlife Habitat Steward of the Year – Scott and Dawn Dunton, Dunton Ranch

– North American Model Commissioner Award – Kelly Alkhoury

Awards will be presented at the Commission’s Annual Awards Ceremony on Saturday, January 21 at the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort in the Grande Ballroom at 11111 N. 7th Street in Phoenix.

The first Committee Awards event was held in January 1991.

Since then, nearly 400 recipients have been recognized for their dedication to protecting Arizona’s wildlife over generations.

This is the second time Jim Rich, a resident of the Mojave Valley, has received the Hunter Education Instructor of the Year award. Rich won his Instructor of the Year award for the first time in 2013.

Rich said it was a “surprise” to win the award for the second time.

“I don’t think anyone has won this award more than once. There are many worthy leaders out there. It has been noted my stubbornness to keep going through the pandemic and perhaps the renewal. It’s humbling,” he said. Told.

Rich credited others with his success. “This has been made possible thanks to the cooperation from TSSP and the 7 Mile Hill Range and a truly outstanding team of instructors who have made it possible for us to organize our efforts.”

(This article was provided by the Arizona Department of Game and Fish.)