Firearm Industry Helps Idaho Recruit Hunters
Press Release
July 19, 2006
For more information contact:
Steve Wagner (203) 426-1320
Firearm Industry Helps Idaho Recruit Hunters
Idaho Department of Fish and Game Receives $112,000 Grant
NEWTOWN, Conn.—The firearm industry says it wants more hunters in Idaho, and it's putting money where its mouth is.
The industry's trade association, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), has awarded $112,000 in a grant to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. NSSF says the grant recognizes the agency for developing one of the nation's most promising ideas for recruiting and retaining hunters.
"We rewarded the strongest concepts for strengthening America's hunting and conservation system into the future. Recipients this year have developed proposals that are creative and far-sighted and resolve some of the real barriers facing hunters today," said Doug Painter, president of NSSF.
Idaho's proposal: Survey hunters, landowners, program coordinators and steering committee members to evaluate overall success of Idaho's ACCESS YES! program. ACCESS YES! creates public hunting opportunities on and across private lands, with a goal of using easements and leases to acquire access to 700,000 acres of public land through private property by March 2007.
"The National Shooting Sports Foundation is a wonderful partner, and I know we will convert that support into significant and direct benefits for sportsmen through long-term public land access and for landowners with our Responsive Management Survey. We sure appreciate this opportunity," said Jim Unsworth, wildlife bureau chief for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.
The grant was made through NSSF's Hunting Heritage Partnership program, which this year awarded $365,000 in grants to nine state conservation agencies. This is the fourth year of the granting program. To date, the program has allocated more than $1.7 million to 33 states.
Painter said, "More and more, state conservation agencies nationwide are getting into marketing, youth programs, responsive management and human dimensions research. Our industry believes that's vital and we're willing to help pay for it."
Included among 2006 grantees are Idaho and Maryland which received a grant for the first time; Wisconsin which received a grant for the second time; Nebraska, Tennessee, Vermont and Wyoming which received a grant for the third time; and New Hampshire and Ohio which received a grant for the fourth time.
Nineteen proposals from 15 states were submitted this year to the Hunting Heritage Partnership judging committee of NSSF.
Formed in 1961, NSSF is celebrating its 45th birthday in 2006. The organization recently reached important new milestones, topping 3,000 members and hosting the largest annual trade show (SHOT Show) in the history of the firearms industry.
July 19, 2006
For more information contact:
Steve Wagner (203) 426-1320
Firearm Industry Helps Idaho Recruit Hunters
Idaho Department of Fish and Game Receives $112,000 Grant
NEWTOWN, Conn.—The firearm industry says it wants more hunters in Idaho, and it's putting money where its mouth is.
The industry's trade association, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), has awarded $112,000 in a grant to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. NSSF says the grant recognizes the agency for developing one of the nation's most promising ideas for recruiting and retaining hunters.
"We rewarded the strongest concepts for strengthening America's hunting and conservation system into the future. Recipients this year have developed proposals that are creative and far-sighted and resolve some of the real barriers facing hunters today," said Doug Painter, president of NSSF.
Idaho's proposal: Survey hunters, landowners, program coordinators and steering committee members to evaluate overall success of Idaho's ACCESS YES! program. ACCESS YES! creates public hunting opportunities on and across private lands, with a goal of using easements and leases to acquire access to 700,000 acres of public land through private property by March 2007.
"The National Shooting Sports Foundation is a wonderful partner, and I know we will convert that support into significant and direct benefits for sportsmen through long-term public land access and for landowners with our Responsive Management Survey. We sure appreciate this opportunity," said Jim Unsworth, wildlife bureau chief for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.
The grant was made through NSSF's Hunting Heritage Partnership program, which this year awarded $365,000 in grants to nine state conservation agencies. This is the fourth year of the granting program. To date, the program has allocated more than $1.7 million to 33 states.
Painter said, "More and more, state conservation agencies nationwide are getting into marketing, youth programs, responsive management and human dimensions research. Our industry believes that's vital and we're willing to help pay for it."
Included among 2006 grantees are Idaho and Maryland which received a grant for the first time; Wisconsin which received a grant for the second time; Nebraska, Tennessee, Vermont and Wyoming which received a grant for the third time; and New Hampshire and Ohio which received a grant for the fourth time.
Nineteen proposals from 15 states were submitted this year to the Hunting Heritage Partnership judging committee of NSSF.
Formed in 1961, NSSF is celebrating its 45th birthday in 2006. The organization recently reached important new milestones, topping 3,000 members and hosting the largest annual trade show (SHOT Show) in the history of the firearms industry.
posted by SHOOT! MAGAZINE | 10:18 AM
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