2022 Reunion at Deadwood-Spearfish, SD

Over 80 retirees, spouses, guests and FWS employees attended the Association’s 19th Reunion in Spearfish and Deadwood, South Dakota, June 20-24. For a list of the retirees, spouses and guests attending click here. The reunion was held in conjunction with the Fish and Wildlife Service’s Broodstock and History committees. The choice of location for the reunion this year recognized that 2022 was the 125th Anniversary of the D.C. Booth Historic National Fish Hatchery (NFH) and Archives in Spearfish, as well as the 150th Anniversary of the NFH System. A copy of the Reunion Agenda can be found here.

The reunion started with the Greenwalt Walk for Wildlife, in honor of former Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) Director Lynn Greenwalt. Led by Board member Lew Gorman, the hikers ascended the Mt Roosevelt summit (0.5 mile hike) and viewed the Black Hills from the Mt. Roosevelt Friendship Tower. The Walk for Wildlife, which raises money each reunion for nearby friends’ groups, raised $245 for the Booth Society (the D.C. Booth Friends Group). The society is using the money for signage on the hatchery grounds.

Association Board Chair Cindy Barry and board members updated the group on some of the accomplishments of the Association. Board member Lew Gorman talked about Association outreach efforts and solicited ideas from membership. Board member Steve Rideout told us about Craig Brook NFH and the role of Charles Aikin in Atlantic Salmon restoration. A day and a half of presentations from the Service and other partners covered a variety of topics. A highlight was presentations from the Service’s Director Martha Williams and Region 6 Regional Director Matt Hogan and staff on priorities and important issues. It is good to know that the Service is in good hands. We also learned about the Service’s History Committee and the National Eagle and Wildlife Repository.

Several partner organizations also talked about some of their work. We heard from Ducks Unlimited, the National Wildlife Refuge Association and the Service’s Experienced Services Program. Retiree advocates, the National Association of Active and Retired Federal Employees and the American Association of Retired Employees, informed us about retirement legislation, policy and benefits and how to avoid fraud and scams, respectively. The program portion of the reunion was closed out by a surprise phone call! Lynn Greenwalt, former Director and Service legend inspired the group for a few minutes. He had planned to attend in person like he always does but was happy to be there with us on the phone.

We toured the D.C. Booth Historic NFH and Archives one afternoon and learned about the historic rail car and the items in the archives. When they saw all the items in the archives, a lot of the retired “fish heads” were reminiscing about their days with the Service. That was followed up by an evening barbeque and live music at a nearby park.

Thursday was a free day, but most attendees opted to take a bus trip to Mt. Rushmore National Memorial—a glorious tribute to four past presidents. On the way we stopped at Bear Butte State Park, a Native American Heritage site, where the park manager Jim Jandreau, a Lakota tribal member, passionately talked about the cultural significance of Bear Butte and the park.

The banquet on the last night featured a special appearance and performance by Mr. D.C. Booth, featuring Max G. Merchen, a Spearfish, South Dakota resident and community theater actor. Board Chair, Cindy Barry, formally recognized Life Members of the Association. The 2021 History Committee Award was presented to Board Member Jerry Grover, and Craig Springer received the 2022 History Committee Award. Dale Bast was honored as the 2022 inductee into the American Fisheries Society’s Fish Culture Hall of Fame.

Special thanks to Ducks Unlimited for their generous support of the reunion and to the staff of D.C. Booth Historic NFH and Archives and the Booth Society for their hospitality and enthusiasm.

Unless otherwise indicated, all photos below by Denise Baker, FWSRA Secretary.

Board Member Emeritus, Jerry Grover, coordinated and managed all of the logistical, hotel and site arrangements for the reunion. 

The last day of the reunion included a trip to Mt Rushmore and nearby Bear Butte State Park.

Reunion 2022 Attendees.