Wildlifer Memorial Garden
Dedicated to those who have lost their lives working for
Arizona’s wildlife resources.
Wildlifer Memorial Garden
dedicated October 17, 2003
located at the
Arizona Game and Fish Department
5000 W. Carefree Highway
Phoenix, AZ 85086
Donation Form In the decades since the advent
of modern wildlife management, seven Arizonans have lost their lives in the line
of duty in our state. The Wildlifer Memorial Garden ensures that their
sacrifices are never forgotten. Six deaths were associated with aerial
flights, the main cause of death for wildlife-related jobs nationwide, one death
resulted from a motor vehicle accident.
William (Bill) Edwin Smith (1949)
Ross Moores (1949)
Donald Miller (1954)
Allen (Al) Severson (1980)
Richard (Rick) F. Seegmiller (1983)
Estevan Escobedo (1994)
Mark Whitney (2004)
William (Bill) Edwin
Smith. Wildlife Technician. Bill was a new wildlife technician for the
Arizona Game & Fish Department. He had recently moved to Arizona only a month
earlier from California, where the 28-yr old had completed a wildlife management
course. Bill died along with pilot Ross Moores on February 19, 1949 in a small
plane crash between Williams and Perkinsville. They were attempting to feed wild
turkeys trapped in the area by snow after a series of major storms blanketed
northern Arizona. [top] Ross
Moores. Pilot. The 39-yr old pilot and wildlife technician for the Arizona
Game & Fish Department died in a small plane on February 19, 1949, along with
wildlife technician Bill Smith. Ross was both a pilot and wildlife technician
for the Arizona Game and Fish Department. He and wildlife technician Bill Smith were completing an
emergency turkey feeding flight after a series of major snow storms across
Arizona’s high country. Ross had moved to Phoenix from his birthplace of
Okmulgee, Oklahoma in 1936. [top] Donald Miller.
Pilot for Anderson Aviation Company. Don was a contract pilot with Anderson
Aviation Company assisting the Arizona Game & Fish Department and the U.S. Fish
& Wildlife Service conduct waterfowl surveys. Ross died in a plane crash on January 4,
1954 in Apache Lake. He and Waterfowl Biologist Wes Fleming of the Arizona Game
and Fish Department were conducting waterfowl surveys during the morning and hit
a steel cable that spanned across Apache Lake. Fleming was able to escape the plane as
it was sinking into the lake. Donald was not able to escape and
perished in his aircraft. [top] Allen
(Al) Severson. Wildlife Manager. Al was a 11-yr veteran of the Arizona Game
& Fish Department at the his time of death. The 34-yr Wildlife Manager for the
Pinetop District started with the Department in 1969. On February 7, 1980 Al
died in a helicopter crash during an elk survey flight near Alpine. The pilot
and another observer escaped death after the aircraft hit a power line. In Al’ s
memory, The Commission and Department dedicated the Allen Severson Memorial
Wildlife Area at Pintail Lake, a prime waterfowl nesting area, on September 18,
1982. [top]
Richard (Rick) F. Seegmiller. Ph.D.
candidate. Rick was a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Arizona’s School of
Renewable Natural Resources, studying desert bighorn sheep in the Harquahala
Mountains near Salome. The 31-yr old had previously completed his Bachelor of
Science degree in wildlife management and a Masters of Science in Zoology at
Arizona State University. He was already well published and respected on the
ecology of desert ungulates, particularly bighorn sheep. Rick died on February
6, 1983 in a small plane crash in the Harquahala Mountains when he was
radiotracking the collared sheep. The pilot and another observer on the flight
escaped fatal injury in the crash. [top]
Estevan Escobedo. Wildlife Manager. The 34-yr old
Wildlife Manager for the Arizona Game & Fish Department was a 10-yr veteran,
joining the Department in 1984 after graduating from the law enforcement
academy. Estevan died on January 4, 1994 during a deer and javelina survey
flight near Winkelman. The helicopter, out of Southwest Helicopter in Tucson,
hit a power line in the rugged mountains between Winkelman and Coolidge Dam. The
pilot and two Department observers escaped fatal injury. Estevan was the
Wildlife Manager in Globe for six years, and previously in Bullhead City and
Casa Grande. Born in Mesa, Estevan’s early interest in falconry resulted in a
chance encounter with an old game ranger, and fueled his desire to work for
wildlife. In Estevan’s name, an award was created in 1994. The Estevan Ortiz
Escobedo Citation of Honor is awarded to dedicated professionals of the Arizona
Game & Fish Department in recognition of acts of heroism, bravery, or valor in
support of the Agency mission.
[top]
Mark Whitney. Fisheries Biologist. Mark was a
Fisheries Biologist with Coconino National Forest in Flagstaff. He died April
27, 2004 of injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident enroute to Fossil
Creek for a meeting on renovation and restoration of the creek associated with
decommissioning of the Childs and Irving Power Plants. Mark was passionate about
the Fossil Creek restoration project, which provided a rare opportunity to
restore stream flows and native fish to one of Arizona’s few perennial streams.
Mark worked tirelessly on planning and compliance documentation for the project.
In addition, Mark worked closely with high school students, involving them in
conservation activities and including them on field trips to Fossil Creek. A
native of Arizona, Mark had worked for the Forest Service for 32 years at the
time of his death.
[top]
The Wildlifer Memorial Garden concept was conceived and developed by a committee
of members of the Arizona Chapter, The Wildlife Society, in the mid to late
1990s. Arizona Chapter TWS has been the leader in fund
raising for the Memorial Garden since its inception. As part of that
fund-raising, donations were previously encouraged through purchase of engraved
bricks, approximately 70 of which were incorporated into the original garden.
For several reasons, including difficulties with actual placement of bricks in
the original garden and a new garden design, bricks will not be incorporated
into the new garden. There have also been a number of prior donors who never
were recognized with bricks. In the new garden, donors to date will be
acknowledged on 2 bronze plaques. The Arizona Chapter will purchase the donor
recognition plaques with existing funds in the Chapter’s Memorial Garden
account, but that will essentially deplete that fund. Arizona Game and Fish will
handle maintenance of the garden as part of their overall complex maintenance;
thus additional funds are not anticipated other than the hopefully very
occasional addition of a new memorial plaque.When you visit
the Phoenix office of Arizona Game and Fish, be sure to take a few minutes to
enjoy the garden, and to remember those who have lost their lives doing their
job working for wildlife - a job that many of us share, find important, and
hopefully enjoy.
The Dedication Ceremony 2003
Dedication Ceremony
Commission's Address
Roll Call of Honor
Arizona Chapter of The Wildlife Society's Address
AGFD Director's Address
Wildlifer Memorial Garden Sponsors
Arizona Chapter, The Wildlife Society
Arizona Game and Fish Department
Arizona Game Rangers Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 71
Criteria for the Wildlifer Memorial Garden:
The Wildlifer Memorial Garden is dedicated to individuals who have lost their
lives while working for Arizona's wildlife resources.
At such time that a person
dies while working for Arizona's wildlife resources, consistent with the mission
of The Wildlife Society, or through written petition to the Arizona Chapter of
The Wildlife Society Executive Board, a seven member temporary board shall be
established to decide upon the eligibility of that person for inclusion into the
Wildlifer Memorial Garden. The seven member board shall consist of a peer
representative of the deceased (e.g., student -student; agency biologist -agency
biologist), four members of the Arizona Chapter of The Wildlife Society, and two
members of the Arizona Game Rangers Lodge FOP 71. These representatives shall be
chosen by the executive board of each organization with the goal of broad
-diverse representation, and a timely decision.
The Mission of the Wildlife
Society is to enhance the ability of wildlife professionals to conserve
diversity, sustain productivity, and ensure responsible use of wildlife
resources for the benefit of society. | 
