I graduated from USU in December of 1996 with an M.S. in aquatic ecology. After leaving USU, I became a database manager for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR). In that position, I was responsible for managing and distributing tabular and GIS data pertaining to Utah's native fish, amphibian, reptile, and mollusk species.

After about nine months in that position, I became the information manager for UDWR's Utah Natural Heritage Program. The Utah Natural Heritage Program acts as the central repository for Utah biodiversity information. As such, we develop, manage, and distribute life history and occurrence information for Utah's vertebrate, invertebrate, and plant species, concentrating on species of conservation concern. As information manager, my duties focused primarily on the management and distribution of Utah Natural Heritage Program data.

I was later promoted, and I am currently UDWR's conservation data / GIS coordinator. My job now consists of setting direction for the Utah Natural Heritage Program and UDWR's GIS Program, managing personnel, monitoring budgets, and negotiating contracts. In addition, I work on impact analysis issues, coordinating with UDWR staff, state agencies, federal agencies, and developers to formulate appropriate mitigation measures for a variety of resource development projects that impact fish and wildlife.		 mike_canning.jpg