WDAFS Awards, Grants and Scholarships

The WDAFS Award of Merit is intended for a recipient who has shown sustained dedication to WDAFS and the fisheries profession. Mr. Bill Bradshaw has undoubtedly "made a regionally significant and worthy contribution to our Division, our profession, and our fishery resources."

Bill earned a B.A. in Marine Biology from the Evergreen State College in 1978. He then went on for his M.S. in Fisheries Science from Louisiana State University. Bill worked for a brief period in Montana, then began his career with the Wyoming Game and Fish Dept. on December 29, 1986. He started employment with WGFD as an Instream Flow Biologist with statewide responsibilities, stationed in the Cheyenne office. He then transferred to the Sheridan Regional Office on December 1, 1993, as a Fish Management Biologist with regional (northeast Wyoming) responsibilities and is presently in this position. In this position, Bill achieved some notable success, such as:

Supervised the survey of alpine lakes on the east side of the Bighorn Mountains in north central Wyoming to determine population structure and stocking survival of wild and stocked fish populations. Proposed and helped develop a graduate level research project to further refine fish stocking densities and evaluate how angler access difficulty is associated with fish population size structure on these alpine lakes.
Initiated project to verify historic native Yellowstone cutthroat trout range on the east side of the Bighorn Mountains. Project objectives included determining if any native populations of these fish still exist in the area and if habitats are available for reintroduction of the subspecies.
Was the principal investigator of a project that evaluated the conversion of L.A.K. Reservoir, a water with marginal trout habitat, to coolwater species management. This project involved introducing tiger musky and walleye to control an extremely abundant green sunfish population as well as provide angling opportunity. Due to his efforts, this lake has become a source of community pride and angler use has increased considerably.
Authored a Habitat Conservation Bulletin for irrigators and landowners explaining methods to reduce fish losses associated with irrigation ditches and diversions.

Bill served on the Division's executive committee for four years. During that time and since then, Bill has been a tireless leader and promoter of the WDAFS and all that the Division and AFS stand for. Bill was also a member of the AFS Governing Board and Special Management Committee. He took strong leadership in organizing the WDAFS annual meeting in Telluride, CO. But his most noteworthy contributions to the Division has been his leadership in establishing and promoting the WDAFS Grants Funding Endowment and chairing the Grants Funding Committee which he continues today, even after his tenure on the EXCOM is over. More recently, he has elevated the issue of coal bed methane and helped to develop a WDAFS position statement on how the issue is currently threatening fisheries resources throughout the northern plains area of the west. AFS Certified Fisheries Professional

Last but not least, Bill is active with his family and community. For example, he is a talented mandolin player and a member of “Celtic Sage”, a group of Wyoming musicians that play traditional acoustic Celtic instruments with an energetic flair from the American West. The group has recently released its first CD titled Celtic Sage. Bill also recently restarted, after several years of absence, a Toastmasters International organization in the Sheridan, Wyoming area.

For numerous accomplishments that support aquatic conservation, to the fisheries profession, and Western Division AFS, Bill Bradshaw is presented with the WDAFS Award of Merit.

Presented by Eric Knudsen
WDAFS Past-President & Awards Committee Chair
April 16, 2003