Colorado State Professor and Wildlife Specialist Presented Conservation Education Award

The Wildlife Society has presented the Conservation Education Award in the book category to Delwin Benson, professor and extension wildlife specialist at Colorado State University’s College of Natural Resources.

"Wildlife Stewardship and Recreation on Private Lands" (1999, Texas A&M University Press), co-authored by Benson, addresses the difficult question of publicly owned wildlife residing on privately owned land. According to the authors, relationships among governments, landowners and recreational users should and can be based on trust and mutual respect. The book also focuses on methods for sharing costs and benefits.

Benson co-authored the book with Ross Shelton, professor of wildlife and land policy in the department of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Tennessee at Martin, and Don Steinbach, professor and extension specialist in the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences at Texas A&M University.

According to the committee of four members charged with reviewing submissions for the award, Benson’s book "…likely will be used in wildlife law classes, read by state and federal agency wildlife managers and regulators, and may be on the dashboards of pickups of ranchers, foresters and wildlife managers all over the country."

The Wildlife Society is a national group composed primarily of wildlife biologists and scientists. The Conservation Education Award is an annual presentation, but categories revolve each year to recognize different accomplishments.