This past June, the Guide Outfitters Association of British Columbia (GOABC) hosted its second International Wildlife Management Symposium in Richmond, BC., with the theme, Stewardship in Action.
The event brought together a variety of experts to explore some of the most pressing and controversial issues in wildlife management. How will managers address the impacts of pipelines? How can wildlife managers balance science with social ideas and needs?
Despite some differing views, it was clear that attendees still shared many of the same concerns about the future of wildlife. Many of which concerns  maintaining habitat and how to balance resource development with the needs of wildlife.
Gray Thornton, President and Chief Executive Officer for the Wild Sheep Foundation provided this feedback on the event, “Once again GOABC has raised the bar for symposium that bring not only the like-minded but diverse users and stakeholders together to search 
for solutions to our mutual goal of wildlife and wild lands conservation for all. While we may not always agree, collaborative efforts towards resource management is key, recognizing majority and minority opinions on either side of an issue as worthy of discussion.”
Safari Club International‚Äôs Vice President Steve Skold wrote, “I was very impressed with the diversity of stakeholders with differing views that were presented. It certainly stimulated interesting discussions and some serious thoughts about where the future of wildlife management and the role of hunting is headed.”
Mark Werner, Past President of the GOABC and Chairman of the Symposium Planning Committee stated, “We have hosted several 
species-specific workshops in the past, but it was my vision back in 2011 to grow this to an international scale to see what can be gleaned from other jurisdictions. I was pleased to see the benefits of coming together to discuss shared concerns and the various ways that hunters can contribute to the future of wildlife management. It was an excellent event – truly stewardship in action!”
