Norm HaleyAlabama Extension

An Alabama Extension Agent whose work frequently brings him to St. Clair County recently received recognition at both national and state levels for his communication efforts.

Norm Haley, a Regional Extension Agent for Forestry, Wildlife, and Natural Resources Management who serves St. Clair County, received the National Feature Story Communications Award for a piece he authored for the cover of the September 2014 issue of Buckmasters Whitetail Magazine. The National Association of County Agricultural Agents (NACAA) presented the award.

The article, titled “The Co-op Advantage: You could be one handshake away from having quality deer,” outlined the benefits and steps towards forming deer management cooperatives among neighboring properties to better manage deer health and hunting quality. Haley said he’s seen extensive interest locally in the topic.

“It’s why I host deer and turkey management workshops here,” Haley said. “St. Clair County is pretty forested, and a lot of work is being done to preserve those natural resources.”

In addition, Haley and Regional Agent Spenser Bradley were recognized at the state level, winning the Video Communications Award from the Alabama Association of County Agricultural Agents and Specialists for their work on video series on beaver control and trapping. The series has been viewed more than 7,000 times on Alabama Extension’s Fresh from the Field YouTube channel at aces.edu/go/489.

Haley said both projects have a similar mission — to educate the public and generate awareness for the Extension System. He said one of the biggest issues facing agents right now is that much of the younger generation doesn’t know the extent of the Extension’s programs or how it can provide person al benefit.

“If it’s brown or green or it swims or crawls, you can call me about it,” Haley said. “I’m readily available and accessible.”

Haley said he is available to schedule site visits. Those interested can reach him at nvh0001@aces.edu.

To see more examples of the work and information that the Alabama Cooperative Extension System provides, follow them on Facebook, visit aces.edu or call the St. Clair County Extension Office at (205) 338-9416 or stop by for a visit.