A Provincial Government employee has been selected as one of Outdoor Life Magazine�s 25 candidates for their Person of the Year award. Shane Mahoney, the Executive Director of the Sustainable Development and Strategic Science Branch of the Department of Environment and Conservation, has been nominated for the award which recognizes the most influential person in hunting and fishing in North America.

"I extend my sincerest congratulations to Mr. Mahoney on being recognized for his outstanding leadership, dedication and commitment to hunting, fishing and wildlife conservation," said the Honourable Clyde Jackman, acting Minister of Environment and Conservation. "This is an important personal achievement for Mr. Mahoney, and it also brings great recognition to our government�s efforts in wildlife science and sustainable use."

Mr. Mahoney serves as a member of numerous international conservation organizations and agencies including the North American Wildlife Society, the International Council for Wildlife Conservation in Budapest and Conservation Force International. He is world-renowned for his research on wildlife populations, and has published numerous scientific articles on the topic. He has been acknowledged as one of the most persuasive proponents of wildlife conservation, and his expertise is sought by wildlife researchers and conservationists around the world. Mr. Mahoney has received numerous honours including; the 2008 International Conservationist of the Year award by Safari Club International, in 2006 the Caesar Kleiberg Gold Medal in Wildlife Science, and, he was a recipient of 2004 Public Service Award of Excellence.

"Mr. Mahoney�s efforts are instrumental in achieving results in our $15.3 million, five-year scientific and management caribou strategy we announced in February 2008," said Minister Jackman. "He is currently involved in our research program to determine the effect of predators on woodland caribou. This research program is one of the largest studies of wildlife ever conducted in North America and one with implications for wildlife management around the world."

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