From: "Goergen, Joseph" <jgoergen@safariclub.org> To: "Hebert, Samantha" <samantha_hebert@ios.doi.gov> Cc: A Alvarez <aeric_alvarez@fws.gov>, Leila Getto <leila_getto@ios.doi.gov>, Skyler Zunk <skyler_zunk@ios.doi.gov>, "SIO, Scheduling" <scheduling_sio@ios.doi.gov>
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Re: OFFICIAL INVITATION: 17th African Wildlife Consultative Forum 1115 November 2019 Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Date: Thu, 26 Sep 2019 18:50:36 +0000 Importance: Normal Attachments: DB_Event_Information_Request_Form_AWCF.pdf Inline-Images: image001.png; image002.png
Hi Samantha,
I want to follow up here with the scheduling request and make sure it went through the right channel. Please let me know if you need anything else beyond the completed form.
Thank you, Joe
Joseph Goergen Conservation Manager Safari Club International Foundation 501 2nd St. NE Washington, DC 20002 Office: (202) 609-8171 Cell: (202) 774-0440 jgoergen@safariclub.org
From: "Goergen, Joseph" <jgoergen@safariclub.org> Date: Thursday, September 5, 2019 at 9:29 AM To: A Alvarez <aeric_alvarez@fws.gov>, "Cogliano, Mary" <mary_cogliano@fws.gov>, "Butzler, Julia" <julia_butzler@fws.gov>, "Gnam, Rosemarie" <Rosemarie_Gnam@fws.gov>, "Babij, Eleanora" <eleanora_babij@fws.gov> Cc: "Hebert, Samantha" <samantha_hebert@ios.doi.gov>, Leila Getto <leila_getto@ios.doi.gov>, Skyler Zunk <skyler_zunk@ios.doi.gov>, "SIO, Scheduling" <scheduling_sio@ios.doi.gov> Subject: OFFICIAL INVITATION: 17th African Wildlife Consultative Forum 11-15 November 2019 Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Dear Eric and USFWS team,
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I hope you traveled home safely and are recovering well from the CITES CoP. Thank you for introducing me to Rob while in Geneva.
Following receipt of our Save the Date, Safari Club International Foundation (SCIF) and the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks) formally invite you to the 17th African Wildlife Consultative Forum (AWCF) from 11-15 November in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. Please see the official invitation letter attached.
As I mentioned, we want to submit the attached scheduling request to the Secretary and his list of surrogates. We are hoping that His Excellency President Mnangagwa will open the ceremony, if not Minister Mupfumira. Several other Ministers may even attend the opening day and we will have Permanent Secretaries or Director Generals present from most of the southern and eastern African countries.
The attendance response at the CoP was overwhelmingly positive. AWCF will be an important follow up to discussions had there on future CITES strategy and the engagement of rural communities. I recall last year that the USFWS' presentation on the status of permitting for various African species was extremely valuable to AWCF attendees.
To support the development of this year's agenda, SCIF is sharing a call for select country reports and presentations. Please submit your ideas with speaker nominations. We are also including a new travel information document to assist your planning needs. Please see the attached materials for more information. We will again be using a WhatsApp group for important announcements, on-site coordination and general information sharing. If you would like to join, please message me at +1(202)-774-0440.
Along with this invitation, each attendee is required to register. Please visit AWCFinfo.org and follow the instructions. The deadline for registration is October 11th. Please also include your flight itineraries by October 25th so we can get an accurate attendance number for hotel accommodations and airport shuttles. Note while making travel arrangements that the PHASA AGM is directly before and AWCF is immediately followed by the Africa Protected Area Congress. I hope that the CITES CoP18's rescheduling in late August will not impact your travel plans to AWCF.
SCIF, along with your African government peers, really appreciate the US' participation as it adds so much value to AWCF. I know that you are already planning to combine the trip with a field visit to South Africa, but please let me know if you are also available to spend some time in Zimbabwe before the forum begins. ZimParks would like to separately invite the US on a pre-conference tour to see the status of conservation across various land use types.
A draft agenda and cultural program will be shared soon. Please reach out to me with any questions. I am looking forward to a productive week engaging in the future of sustainable use, communities and wildlife conservation in Africa.
Sincerely, Joe
Joseph Goergen Conservation Manager Safari Club International Foundation 501 2nd St. NE Washington, DC 20002
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Office: (202) 609-8171 Cell: (202) 774-0440 jgoergen@safariclub.org
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U.S. Department of the Interior -- Office of the Secretary
Event Information Request Form
To ensure that the appropriate individual within the Department of the Interior is participating at your event and because the Office of the Secretary is committed to maintaining the highest ethical standards, we need the information requested below before we can agree to confirm a speaker'.
Please respond to the questions below and send your response to schedulinEaios.doiegov. If you have any questions you may contact the Scheduling Office at 202-208-7551.
Title of the Event (please note if the event is a weekly, monthly, annual, etc.):
17th African Wildlife Consultative Forum (AWCF, annual)
Date of Event (please note if the date is flexible):
Event Location (city and state):
11-15 November 2019 (Tuesday, November 12th official opening, bulk of agenda through Thursday, November 14th) Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
Point(s) of Contact (Name, Email, Phone): Briefly describe the event in detail including the purpose and desired role of the Acting Secretary:
Please describe any specific request of the Acting Secretary at the event (i.e. deliver keynote remarks, attend an event, meet with attendees etc.):
Is the event a fundraiser? If yes, please explain who it is benefiting (i.e. specific charity, a political candidate, etc.):
Joseph Goergen, jgoergen@safariclub.org +1(202)-774-0440 AWCF is unique meeting that brings together senior government delegates to collaboratively discuss sustainable use wildlife issues across Africa. The Secretary's role is to represent the United States at a high level, interact and establish relationships with peers in Africa and inform the AWCF group on U.S. policy on wildlife conservation and hunting trophy importation. The Secretary is welcome to give remarks as part of the opening ceremony, which will also include the President of SCIF, CEO of SCI, Chair of the Operators and Professional Hunting Associations of Africa, the Director General of ZimParks, the Minister of Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry and possibly His Excellency, the President of Zimbabwe. The USFWS team will be invited to present on importation permitting, U.S. policy any other agenda items. No.
Event Host and Sponsor Who is the event host? (Please identify and provide background on the Event host as well
Safari Club International Foundation (SCIF) and the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife
1Per the Administration Ethics Pledge, the Acting Secretary agreed that he will not for a period of two years from the date of his appointment participate in any particular matter involving specific parties in which a former employer or client of his is or represents a party, if he served that former employer or client during the two years prior to his appointment, absent a waiver under Section 3 of Executive Order No. 13770. This includes recusal from any meeting or other communication with such a former employer or client unless (1) there are five or more different stakeholders present and (2) no particular matters involving specific parties are discussed.
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as any other organization involved in the Event.)
Is the event host a registered lobbyist or lobbying organization, and/or registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act? (If yes, please identify.)
Management Authority (ZimParks) are jointly hosting as noted on the invitation letter.
No.
Is the event host a partisan political candidate, No. a representative of a political party or a registered political action committee (PAC)? (If yes, please identify.)
Is the event host a 501(c)(3) organization or a media organization? (If yes, please identify.)
Yes. SCIF is a 501(c)(3) organization.
Is the event host seeking or currently have any No. business interests with the Department such as permits, contracts, litigation, grants, etc.? (If yes, please describe.)
Who are the sponsors of the event? Please identify and provide background information on the individual and/or entity.
Are any event sponsors seeking or do they currently have any business interests with the Department such as permits, contracts, litigation, grants, etc.? (If yes, please describe.)
SCIF is the primary sponsor. ZimParks. the Safari Operators Association of Zimbabwe (SOA) and Zimbabwe Professional Hunters and Guides Association (ZPHGA) will sponsor the welcoming reception and field trip. No.
With which Bureau or Agency does your agenda most align? Please list all, if more than one.
USFWS, International Affairs, Management Authority Permitting Branch and Scientific Authority
Audience Approximately how many people are expected to attend the event?
Ai
--100 (exact attendance TBD)
Please describe the target audience of the event (elected officials, local community leaders, academics, industry representatives, public sector representatives, etc.).
The target audience is African government delegations (Permanent Secretary or Director General level), Professional Hunting Association leadership, European Commission, CITES Secretariat, IUCN specialists, CBNRM support organizations, other wildlife NGOs, other hunter advocacy groups, international policy experts and wildlife biologists.
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Will the attendees at the event include persons with a diversity of views or interests, or representatives from throughout an industry or profession, or the range of persons interested in a matter? (If yes, please describe.)
Yes, attendees represent the wildlife or tourism sector of their country and the professional hunting industry, with a general interest in sustainable use wildlife conservation in Africa.
Is the event open to the public? If not, please describe who is invited.
No, AWCF is invitation only. However. the official opening will be open to local media.
Who are other VIPs or speakers confirmed and in what role? Who are other VIPs or speakers invited?
Remarks If you are requesting remarks, are there any specific issues you would like the Acting Secretary to highlight/address in his remarks? What is the desired format of his remarks (will he be delivering the keynote, sharing the stage, participating in a panel or roundtable, etc.)?
What is the public registration/ticket fee to attend/participate in the event?
Communications Is the event open or closed to press? If open, are you expecting local, trade, state, or national news coverage? If this is an annual event, which news outlets typically cover the event?
His Excellency President Emmerson Mnangagwa and or Hon. Minister Prisca Mupfumira will officially open the meeting. SCIF President, SCI CEO, ZimParks Director General, OPHAA Chair, Professional Hunting Association leadership, African government delegates, KAZA Secretariat, UN Environment, CITES Secretariat, CMS Secretariat, IUCN SULi Chair, European Commission Directorate General for the Environment, Country Directors of NGOs. All presentations on agenda TBD.
Yes, remarks may highlight or address U.S. policy towards African wildlife conservation, hunting trophy importation, sustainable use and community-based programs. Remarks will be part of the opening ceremony, which will also include the President of SCIF, CEO of SCI, Chair of the Operators and Professional Hunting Associations of Africa, the Director General of ZimParks, the Minister of Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry and I ossibl the President of Zimbabwe. SCIF accommodates 2 African government and 1 professional hunting representatives from each country. Other attendees are requested to reimburse SCIF. $1,350 full package (includes round trip airport transfer, 5 hotel nights, all meals, coffee/tea breaks, conference materials and field trip) or $275 per day.
Yes, the opening ceremony will be open to the 'ress. Yes, local news coverage is expected, along with invited international media. National coverage will depend on the President's attendance. There are no regular news outlets that cover the event.
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Will you be advertising or live streaming the No. event on any social media outlets? (If yes, please explain.)
Logistics/Other* What does the invitation include: registration/conference event fee; meals or refreshments; receptions or other entertainment; informational materials; memento or token of appreciation; and/or travel (ground or air transportation, hotel, etc.).
Does all or part of the invitation to the Acting Secretary extend to other Department staff such as security, advance, and/or those staff essential to the Acting Secretary's participation in the event? (If yes, please identify.)
The invitation includes round trip airport transfer, welcoming reception, field trip, 5 hotel nights, 5 conference days registration and materials, all meals, coffee/tea breaks, other social programs TBD and a cultural gift for attendees. The United States has historically reimbursed SCIF for these ex enses. Yes.
Does the invitation extend to the Acting Secretary's spouse or other guest? If yes, will others in attendance generally be accompanied by a spouse or other guest?
Yes, though attendees are not generally accompanied by a spouse or other guest. There is an additional cost for guest meals of $50 per day.
What is the monetary value of the invitation to the Acting Secretary, etc.? Please identify how the costs were determined. (Please attach separate sheet if necessary.)
The value of this invitation is $1,350 for the full package or $275 per day. This cost is determined by accommodation rates at The Kingdom Hotel in Victoria Falls.
Please supply any other pertinent background information for the event (history of the event, prior attendance by DOI officials, draft agendas, event website, promotional/ advertising materials, outreach plan, etc.):
This is the 17th meeting of AWCF, representing over two decades of high-level discussion on African sustainable use wildlife issues. The forum is co-hosted by a different country each year. Last year's forum was held in Kampala, Uganda for the first-time. USFWS staff including Director of International Affairs, Chief of Permitting Branch and Chief of Consultation and Monitoring Branch attended. Previous USFWS Director Greg Sheehan attended the 15th AWCF in Arusha, Tanzania in 2017. The AWCF was last held in Zimbabwe in 2010. Please note, the United States' African government peers and the professional hunting industry expects and appreciates high level participation from the United States, representing the majority of international tourist hunters and a major player in international policy on wildlife conservation. Please see the official invitation letter, call for country reports and presentations and travel information document attached. A social program and draft agenda will be
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If the Acting Secretary is not able to attend, is a surrogate desired? If yes, anyone specific?
Any additional notes or information?
distributed soon. More information and registration can be found online at: www.AWCFinfo.org. Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks, Rob Wallace USFWS Director, Aurelia Skipwith, USFWS Principal Deputy Director, Margaret Everson Please note, the Director of International Affairs, Eric Alvarez, Chief of Permits Branch, Mary Cogliano and Julia Butzler, Chief of Scientific Authority International Affairs, Rosemarie Gnam and Chief of Consultation and Monitoring Branch, Eleanora Babij are also invited. We encourage the Secretary to take advantage of this opportunity to engage with his African peers. The meeting is extremely value to bridge communication gaps and build relationships.
*IMPORTANT NOTE: The purpose of these questions is to elicit information relevant to the ethics analysis and is not a solicitation or request for anything of value by the Department or any ofits employees.
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