See the Joint Administrative Operations (JAO) Conference and Event Management SharePoint site for the latest information on approvals.
2.1 Redelegation. Regional and Assistant Directors are redelegated the authority delegated to the Director pursuant to 242 DM 2 (also published as 031 FW 2) and 205 DM 2 as they pertain to sponsoring, selecting sites for, attending, and traveling to meetings and conferences, and accepting contributions related to such meetings and conferences, except as indicated below.
2.2 Scope.
A. This chapter pertains to all Government and non-Government meetings and conferences, except Service management meetings (050 FW 2.4) and training courses or workshops (231 FW 4.2).
B. In addition, meetings of groups or organizations of any kind devoted exclusively to discussion or resolution of problems, or to the formulation or modification of official plans or programs or courses of action directly related to ongoing work are outside the scope of this chapter. Participation in such meetings by authorized employees is considered to be performance of regularly assigned duties (205 DM 2.4). Officials are cautioned, however not to violate the requirements of Parts 211 FW (Political Activity) and 212 FW (Ethics).
2.3 Sponsoring Meetings and Conferences. Authority to approve Government sponsorship or co-sponsorship of a conference involving travel of 30 or more Service employees is reserved to the Director and the Assistant Secretary - Fish and Wildlife and Parks (205 DM 15.6A).
2.4 Selecting Sites for Meetings and Conferences. Authority to approve a site selection for a conference involving 30 or more Service employees is reserved to the Director and the Assistant Secretary - Fish and Wildlife and Parks (205 DM 15.6B).
2.5 Attendance at Meetings and Conferences. The determination of which meetings and conferences should be attended and which employees should attend will follow the provisions and criteria contained in 370 DM 410, 8. This redelegation is not intended to restrict the normal authorities or responsibilities of supervisors to approve or disapprove an employee's attending a local professional meeting during working hours when there is no direct expense to the Government (205 DM 2.1A, 2.3).
2.6 Travel to Meeting and Conferences.
A. Authority to approve travel to conferences involving 30 or more Service employees is reserved to the Director and the Assistant Secretary - Fish and Wildlife and Parks (Assistant Secretary memorandum) (205 DM 15.6B).
B. Authority to approve travel to the following annual conferences is retained by the Director. Requests to attend these conferences will be coordinated by the Office of Public Affairs in Washington.
(1) International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.
(2) North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference.
(3) American Fisheries Society
(4) The Wildlife Society
C. Procedures for securing approval by the Director or Assistant Secretary are provided in 265 FW 6.3 (Travel to Meetings).
2.7 Acceptance of Contributions Related to Attendance at Meetings and Conferences. Contributions, awards, and payments from non-Federal sources may be accepted for meetings and similar functions, including training and conferences, under circumstances prescribed in Part 212 FW, Ethics (205 DM 2.1B).