MISSOULA, Mont.—The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation knows how much premier elk tags can generate for conservation, and RMEF reps on Friday night helped Pennsylvania’s first-ever special elk tag raise $28,500.

The tag was auctioned at the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) convention in Nashville.

“Congratulations to NWTF. We’re always pleased when good money is raised to conserve habitat for elk and other wildlife—and it was gratifying for us to be there, participate in the auction and help this tag bring a respectable amount,” said David Allen, president and CEO of RMEF.

The tag appeared seconds away from selling for $8,500 when RMEF reps jumped into the bidding to ensure the tag brought a worthy sum. When the auctioneer finally finished, the cheering crowd erupted at the total raised for conservation in the Keystone State.

Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever support creation of Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund 

Des Moines, Iowa – February 20, 2009 – Iowa voters will decide in November of 2010 whether to amend the state Constitution to set up a protected account to improve the state's water quality and water resources. The fund would also improve wildlife habitat, soil conservation, lake restorations, parks, and trails. This week, the Iowa Senate approved the idea with a 49-1 vote; the Iowa House passed it 82-14. The amendment now goes straight to voters. Pheasants Forever (PF) and Quail Forever (QF) join a host of other conservation organizations, hunters and anglers in support of the amendment's passage. 

If Iowans approve, the next time lawmakers raise the sales tax, three-eighths of the money raised by a one-cent increase would go into the new account – a Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund – at an estimated $150 million a year.  

Iowa would join Missouri, Arkansas and Minnesota as states to approve Constitutional amendments to dedicate funding for natural resource conservation. This past November, Minnesota voters approved The Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment. The measure will raise the state sales tax by three-eights of one percent - from 6.5 to 6.875 percent - beginning July 1, 2009, and will generate an estimated $300 million a year in today's dollars, or around $11 billion over the next 25 years.

We are proud to be working in partnership with Altus Brands.

http://store.altusbrands.com/?Click=262

The Youth Shooting Sports Alliance (YSSA) recently announced that Taurus International Mfg., Inc., Miami, FL, has generously donated Rossi matched pair 20 ga./.22 LR guns in support of priority youth shooting sports programs.  The Rossi matched pair consists of a single shot rifle with an interchangeable shotgun barrel.  The firearm operates with a single shot, break-open design. 

Taurus donated six Rossi matched pairs to the Heart of Virginia Council of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), Richmond, VA; six Rossi matched pairs to the Tukabatchee Area Council, BSA, Montgomery, AL; six Rossi matched pairs to the Gerald R. Ford Council, BSA, Grand Rapids, MI; and two Rossi matched pairs to the Longs Peak Council, BSA, Greeley, CO.  These programs were among those selected by an industry panel convened to review proposals submitted by youth organizations in response to the 2008 National Youth Shooting Sports Program Needs Assessment conducted by YSSA. 

Taurus has been recognized as a passionate supporter of youth shooting sports programs and has provided noteworthy leadership and support in restoring Camp Seminole, the primary camping facilities of the South Florida Council, BSA, which were devastated by Hurricane Wilma in 2005.  Taurus has tirelessly worked in partnership with the Council to rebuild Camp Seminole and provide the Scouts with a quality camping facility to include a safe, structured shooting program and range for them to reengage in the sport of shooting. 

READ MORE...

Iowa PF State Council kicks off campaign with $100,000 donation

Des Moines, Iowa – February 19, 2009 – Iowa Pheasants Forever (PF) and Quail Forever (QF) announce an ambitious new campaign to restore the state's pheasant and quail populations. "Reload Iowa" adopts an aggressive strategy for establishing and improving 1 million acres of wildlife habitat, increasing the number of upland hunters and increasing hunting-related revenue to local communities.
 
In the early 1970s, Iowa hunters harvested 1.9 million pheasants and 1.1 million quail, which compares with an estimated 400,000 to 500,000 pheasants this past year and 54,000 quail last year. The decline is due to long-term changes in agricultural practices and most recently the loss of over 280,000 acres from the federal Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). Recent harsh winters and spring flooding have exacerbated the loss of habitat. "Reload Iowa" is a campaign outlining a three-year statewide plan to improve available wildlife habitat; establish new, high quality nesting cover and brood-rearing habitat; expand wildlife habitat delivery systems and offer increased habitat education and training for landowners. The goal of "Reload Iowa" is to raise $11.5 million to establish and improve 1 million acres of wildlife habitat on private and public land in the state. Not only will these habitat improvements benefit wildlife, they will provide additional benefits such as improving water quality, preventing soil erosion and sequestering carbon which is important in offsetting greenhouse gasses.

READ MORE...

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with BowTech Archery of Eugene, Oregon yesterday announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: "The General" Compound Bows

Units: About 8,000

Manufacturer: BowTech Archery, of Eugene, Ore.

Hazard: The ends of the bow's limbs can unexpectedly break during use and send fragments of the bow in the direction of the user or bystanders, posing a risk of injury.

These animals were photographed just north of the Wisconsin border on a highway near Marenisco , MI .
   
 Once in awhile there is an opportunity to take in a piece of nature that you may never see. In these days of unrest and turmoil it is great to see that Mother Nature can still produce some wondrous beauty.

 SEE MORE...

WASHINGTON - This past weekend symbolized a missed opportunity for waterfowl, wildlife, and taxpayers when the deadline to opt-in to Sodsaver passed. Governors of North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Minnesota, and Iowa declined to participate in the provision of the 2008 Farm Bill, which would remove incentives to cultivate native prairie.

"Native prairie is one of our most fragile ecosystems, and we need to ensure that it is not lost forever," said Don Young, Executive Vice President of Ducks Unlimited. "While we are disappointed that this opportunity to promote healthy land stewardship has passed, we are hopeful that this can be the beginning of a new discussion about protecting our last remaining native prairie habitats."

Ducks Unlimited biologists have estimated that more than 3.3 million acres of native prairie could be lost during the next five years without Sodsaver - the equivalent of 15 percent of the remaining 22 million acres. Native prairie conversions will ultimately reduce fall waterfowl migrations across North America.

Fairfax, Virginia - NRA Publications will present its annual Golden Bullseye Awards and Golden Bullseye Pioneer Award at an invitation-only reception during the 2009 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits, May 15-17, in Phoenix, Arizona.

"The Golden Bullseye Award honors our winners for bringing to market products remarkable in their utility to shooters and hunters," said Joe H. Graham, Executive Director of NRA Publications. "The award, now in its seventh year, has become a symbol of excellence and innovation in firearms, accessories and related equipment. We are confident shooters and hunters will receive this year's winning products with enthusiasm, and we congratulate the winners."

The Golden Bullseye Pioneer Award specifically honors outstanding personal achievement. "The award spotlights the exemplary achievement and cumulative body of work of an individual, members of a team or partnership, or family who were responsible for the development and introduction of shooting equipment that has made a profound, positive and enduring impact on the way Americans shoot and hunt," said Joe Graham. "This year's winners are legend in our industry."

AUSTIN, Texas – Innovation and affordability are two buzzwords that in reality rarely coincide. The American Deer & Wildlife Alliance (ADWA) announces Blackpowder Products (BPI), a provider of innovative and affordable products, as their latest sponsor. Founded in 1999 and through brand expansion, BPI is known today as a parent company to many highly successful brands in the hunting and shooting industry.

ADWA director of operations Annie Jones says: “One of our main objectives at ADWA is to increase participation in hunting, and we realize that a big roadblock can be simple economics. We support businesses, like Blackpowder Products, who provide quality products that are affordable enough for the average hunter.”

“BPI is excited to work with ADWA in increasing our exposure to their member organizations and individual members, but mainly we want to support their efforts in promoting our industry through education,” says David Meredith, Customer Service Manager and Public Relations for BPI Inc. “They are making tremendous strides in promoting everything we love about hunting and shooting in a positive light.”

READ MORE...