1 / 7Show Caption +Hide Caption –Ryan Toby, chief of the Land Management Office at McAlester Army Ammunition Plant, Okla., holds the Western Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies' Federal Conservation Partner of the Year Award, flanked by Col. Joseph D. Blanding, MCAAP commander, and Curt Melcher, then WAFWA president and the director of the Oregon of Department of Fish and Wildlife, during the WAFWA Annual Conference in Portland, Ore., on July 16. MCAAP was nominated for the award by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation with whom it has partnered in natural resource conservation on the Army installation for more than 30 years. (Photo Credit: Bob Swingle, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife)VIEW ORIGINAL2 / 7Show Caption +Hide Caption –Col. Joseph D. Blanding, commander, McAlester Army Ammunition Plant, Okla., and Ryan Toby, Chief of Land Management at MCAAP, are surrounded by Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation employees after the ammo production facility was presented the Federal Conservation Partner of the Year Award by the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies during its annual conference in Portland, Ore., on July 16. MCAAP was nominated for the award by ODWC with whom it has partnered in natural resource conservation on the Army installation for more than 30 years. (Photo Credit: Bob Swingle, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife)VIEW ORIGINAL3 / 7Show Caption +Hide Caption –Col. Joseph D. Blanding, commander of McAlester Army Ammunition Plant, Okla., and Ryan Toby (right), chief of the Land Management Office at MCAAP, pose with Bill Dinkines, assistant chief, Wildlife Division, at the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, at the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies' annual conference in Portland, Ore., where the Army installation was recognized as the Federal Conservation Partner of the Year on July 16. MCAAP was nominated for the award by ODWC with whom it has partnered in natural resource conservation on the installation for more than 30 years. (Photo Credit: Bob Swingle, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife)VIEW ORIGINAL4 / 7Show Caption +Hide Caption –Ryan Toby (left), chief of the Land Management Office at McAlester Army Ammunition Plant, and Myles Reel, wildlife biologist for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation assigned to the U.S. Army installation, examine the native Eastern Gamagrass scattered across a hay meadow. Eastern Gamagrass was reintroduced to MCAAP in the early 1990s because of its benefits for the land and wildlife. (Photo Credit: Kevin Jackson, AMC)VIEW ORIGINAL5 / 7Show Caption +Hide Caption –A hunter who arrived at McAlester Army Ammunition Plant for the archery hunt checks in with Sherman Ellis, who was an Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation employee, outside the U.S. Army installation in October 2017. During the check-in procedure conducted by ODWC, vehicles are searched for contraband and hunting passes are issued. Each year more than 20,000 hunters apply for 1,600 three-day hunting permits for McAlester Army Ammunition Plant that are determined by a lottery-style draw conducted by ODWC. (Photo Credit: Kevin Jackson, AMC)VIEW ORIGINAL6 / 7Show Caption +Hide Caption –Ryan Toby, chief of the Land Management Office at McAlester Army Ammunition Plant, Okla., prepares to relocate a large catfish to one of the many fishing ponds on the installation on June 27, 2015. A large number of catfish, bass and crappie were collected from the weir at the Brown Lake dam on MCAAP and were transferred to two ponds with the assistance of volunteers, known as White Hats, who also help with the seven three-day deer hunts each October through November. (Photo Credit: Kevin Jackson, AMC)VIEW ORIGINAL7 / 7Show Caption +Hide Caption –Ryan Toby, chief of the Land Management Office at McAlester Army Ammunition Plant, and Myles Reel, wildlife biologist for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation assigned to the U.S. Army installation, raise a block of wood above the drainage in a wetland to lower the water level. Land Management staff must routinely clear debris gathered by beavers that restricts drainage and causes the wetland to rise. The wetland is a reservoir for water fowl during the winter. MCAAP has 1,030 acres of aquatic habitat and wetlands. (Photo Credit: Kevin Jackson, AMC)VIEW ORIGINAL
McALESTER, Okla. -- The McAlester Army Ammunition Plant received the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies' Federal Conservation Partner of the Year Award during its annual conference in Portland, Oregon, on July 16.
MCAAP was nominated for the award by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation for its ongoing partnership and environmental stewardship efforts. Oklahomans collected six of the 12 annual awards that were presented by WAFWA.
In the nomination packet, the ODWC credited the Army installation for its quality deer management program, agricultural leases, invasive species control and pest management, threatened and endangered species, and wetlands rehabilitation efforts.
ODWC also praised MCAAP for its public outreach efforts through seven controlled "stick and string" archery deer and two turkey hunts each year, for hosting the Southern Plains Traditional Archery Tournament and for its natural resource programs for school groups and others.
"We are very proud to be a partner in conservation with the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant," said J. D. Strong, director, Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. "It has been a great relationship that has benefited not only the natural resources on the plant but also the thousands of sportsmen and women who have been privileged with the opportunity to hunt the property.
"We look forward to continuing our partnership for many years to come with our Federal Conservation Partner of the Year, the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant."
ODWC has partnered with MCAAP in natural resource conservation on the 45,000-acre installation for more than 30 years. The importance of being a good steward of the environment is not lost on the commander, whose primary function is munitions readiness for the nation's warfighters.
"We're honored to receive the federal partner of the year award from the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies," said Col. Joseph D. Blanding, commander, McAlester Army Ammunition Plant. "We take great pride in being good stewards of our natural resources and this award is a testament to the Army's commitment to the environment."
MCAAP is one of 17 installations of the Joint Munitions Command and one of 23 organic industrial base facilities under the U.S. Army Materiel Command.
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