CONTACT:
Kristine Rines, (603) 744-5470
Steve Weber, (603) 271-2461
Jane Vachon, (603) 271-3211
July 25, 2006

NOTE TO MEDIA: Click on the thumbnail below to download a print-quality image. Credit: NH Fish & Game

N.H. Fish and Game Wildlife Biologist Kristine Rines was named "Distinguished Moose Biologist of the Year" by the North American Moose Conference in 2006.

Rines Named "Distinguished Moose Biologist" at North American Moose Conference

CONCORD, N.H. -- Wildlife biologist Kristine Rines, the Moose Project Leader for the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, was awarded the prestigious title of Distinguished Moose Biologist of the Year at the 42nd annual North American Moose Conference and Workshop held recently in Baddeck, Nova Scotia. Rines (formerly Bontaites) is a resident of Tamworth. She is a graduate of Michigan State University and a New Hampshire native.

For more than 20 years, Rines has shaped New Hampshire's moose management and research into a nationally and internationally known program. Although nominations are accepted annually, the Distinguished Moose Biologist award is given only periodically to the most deserving candidates. Nominees are reviewed by a committee of previous winners, who consider the caliber and scope of their published works (both refereed journals and popular magazines); excellence and advancement in field management and research on moose; and how candidates have shared their knowledge and experience with the public, peers and administrators.

During Rines' leadership, a moose-hunting season was reinstated in New Hampshire in 1988, after an 87-year hiatus. Public awareness and knowledge about moose has been improved through written, radio, TV and public speaking efforts, as well as the formation of New Hampshire's internationally renowned "Brake for Moose" campaign to lower numbers of moose-vehicle collisions. Rines has helped develop and implement New Hampshire's most recent moose study - a comprehensive look at the cause and rates of mortality, habitat needs and use, and the most efficient, beneficial monitoring methods. Her work also has helped guide other moose managers in improving population monitoring efforts through the use of infra-red aerial surveys and hunter observation rates. As part of her outreach efforts, Rines helped create the Northeast Moose Group, an annual meeting of moose biologists from the northern and eastern parts of the United States that allows researchers to compare data, recommend solutions to problems and share knowledge.

Rines' hard work and dedication to the advancement of moose management in New Hampshire has earned her the respect of colleagues at the top of her field. "Kristine has been a steady force in the scientific management of moose in New Hampshire for the last 20 years," said Steve Weber, Chief of N.H. Fish and Game's Wildlife Division. "We are confident that we have a great moose management program -- with a combination of research, sound data collection and analysis, public involvement in decision-making and education. Kristine is a tireless worker, a professional in her field, an excellent communicator and is not willing to give up without a fight on moose management initiatives she believes in."

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