The Dave Liscia Award is presented annually in honor of Dave Liscia, a former ODFW employee who coordinated many volunteer efforts before being killed in a car accident while returning home from the agency’s Clackamas office.

This year’s recipients are Bob May, Bob Etter and Derward (Woody) Merrill, who were honored during the June meeting of the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission.

“These individuals have demonstrated a long term commitment to preserving and enhancing the natural resources of this state,” said ODFW Director Roy Elicker. “They truly deserve our appreciation and recognition.”

May, a resident of Warrenton and an active member of the Rainland Flycasters, has been volunteering for ODFW for more than 10 years. During that time he contributed more than a 1,000 hours to various projects, including steelhead spawning surveys, riparian vegetation planting, stream nutrient enrichment, data collection, fish passage improvements, public outreach and fund-raising for the acquisition of critical fish habitat.

“Bob is the epitome of the word volunteer,” said Elicker. “Rarely is the word ‘no’ in his vocabulary when he is approached with a project and/or program need.  “His infectious personality, hard work ethic and no-nonsense approach to tasks at hand are what set him apart from the many other volunteers who are deserving of recognition.”

Ettner is a resident of the Applegate Valley in southwest Oregon who has served for seven years as a board member and technical specialist on the Williams Creek Watershed Council. He has worked extensively at an ODFW fish trap on Williams Creek, using it as a showpiece to the local community illustrating the value of the stream as fish producer.

“If not for Bob’s valuable work at the trap, ODFW would have not had the time or resources to implement this project,” said Elicker.

Merrill is a resident of Lake County and long-time advocate for the outdoors and good stewardship. Over the years he has helped new ODFW biologists locate important roads, lakes and springs.

“In short, Woody has made the world a much better and more pleasant place for anyone interested in the outdoors to live and work,” said Elicker.

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