NRA Hunters Rights: Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies

Three NRA staff members — Director of Education and Training Bill Poole, plus Justin McDaniel and J.R. Robbins of NRA Hunters Rights — are in Saratoga Springs this week for the Annual Meeting of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA).

AFWA's roots go back to 1902, when wildlife managers from six states met in Yellowstone National Park to address critically dwindling fish and wildlife populations. Today, AFWA stands as the point of coordination and support for all state fish and wildlife agencies. They work closely with federal agencies and conservation groups as well, and NRA is a longtime supporter.

Issues on the table at this year's conference range from the effects of climate change on wildlife to bringing conservation curricula into our school system. Some of the key topics of interest to hunters include:

• Hunting and Shooting Sports Participation
• Chronic Wasting Disease
• Federal Lands Access (more than 50 million acres of federal land has inadequate access for hunters, according to one report)
• Energy and Wildlife Policy
• Conservation Reserve Program
• Lead and Fish and Wildlife

Many of the agencies admit they are having problems creating awareness of their programs, and J.R and Justin offered NRA Hunters Rights as a vehicle to reach hunters. Recruiting and retaining hunters is a persistent concern, and Bill Poole discussed NRA's hunter recruitment programs and passed out new information on YHEC.

One unique thing about the conference is the number of different specialty areas it brings together. Making decisions based on sound wildlife science is fundamental to this group, and biologists of every stripe are present. Law enforcement officers, survey researchers, the firearms and archery industry, policy makers, educators, administrators and communications professionals are all there. Keep your eye on www.nrahuntersrights.org for more on this conference once the staffers are back.