The National Rifle Association’s Eddie Eagle GunSafe® Program will be celebrating its 20th anniversary this year in Louisville, Kentucky, this May. To commemorate his birthday, Eddie will be traveling to schools to teach his important lifesaving safety message to children throughout the greater Louisville area. In Eddie’s 20 years of outreach, more than 21 million children in the United States have been taught NRA’s simple, effective, firearm accident prevention program.

Eddie’s celebration also extends into the NRA’s 137th Annual Meetings and Exhibits in Louisville from May 15-18 at the Kentucky Expo Center. Attendees will be treated to giveaways like the Eddie Eagle DVD, and have the opportunity to have a photo taken with Eddie.

The Eddie Eagle GunSafe® Program is a groundbreaking firearm accident prevention program designed for children in pre-kindergarten through third grade. It was created in 1988 by past NRA President Marion P. Hammer, and was developed in consultation with law enforcement officers, elementary schoolteachers, and child psychologists. Eddie Eagle gives children a simple, effective action to take if they encounter a firearm in an unsupervised situation: “If you see a gun: STOP! Don’t Touch. Leave the Area. Tell an Adult.” The program does not teach gun handling, nomenclature, or use, and makes no value judgment whether guns are good or bad.

“The NRA takes great pride in being the leader in firearms safety programs. Our commitment to the prevention of firearm accidents and the Eddie Eagle GunSafe® Program is unequaled. It is not only a major part of our Association’s mission, it is a part of who we are,” Hammer said. “Eddie Eagle has taught millions of children what to do if they see or find a firearm when they are not under the supervision of an adult. No other organization and certainly no government can match that accomplishment.”

Over the years, the program has been praised by numerous groups and elected officials, including the National Sheriffs’ Association, the U.S. Department of Justice (through its Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency), the Association of American Educators, the Youth Activities Division of the National Safety Council, and 26 state governors.

Reaching approximately a million children a year, the program has been utilized by more than 26,000 schools, law enforcement agencies, and civic groups. With no sign of slowing down, Eddie Eagle plans to be around for at least another 20 years, thanks to donations made to the NRA Foundation’s Eddie Eagle Endowment.

Funds raised through Friends of NRA and distributed through The NRA Foundation (www.nrafoundation.org) enable schools and police departments to teach the program at minimal or no cost. The NRA encourages citizens nationwide to participate in heightening firearm accident prevention awareness within their local communities. For more information about The Eddie Eagle GunSafe® Program, or to find out if free Eddie Eagle materials are available, call NRA’s Eddie Eagle Department at (800) 231-0752 or visit its Web site at www.nrahq.org/safety/eddie/.

The Hunting Heritage Trust has joined the growing list of hunting and shooting sports groups that have committed their support to the 2008 Shooting Sports Summit.

“The NSSF’s Shooting Sports Summit provides an extremely important platform for the exchange of ideas and for the creation of alliances in support of our hunting and shooting sports heritage,” commented Bob Delfay, President of the Trust. “The Board of Directors of the Hunting Heritage Trust is impressed with the planning that has obviously gone into this 2008 Summit and by the quality of the official program that awaits Summit participants. We look forward to the event and feel privileged to play a small role in such an important industry gathering.”

The Summit will bring together leaders from fish and wildlife agencies, conservation organizations and the shooting, hunting and outdoor industry for an educational and interactive exploration of the issues and challenges that face the future of the shooting sports, and will seek to develop coordinated solutions. To make plans to attend the summit, visit www.nssf.org/08summit. Tell them Bob Delfay sent you.

Missoula, Montana—Different kinds of bulls, same kinds of people. That’s the spark in a new partnership to synergize growth between the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and Professional Bull Riders (PBR).

“The demographics of PBR fans are a classic match with wildlife conservationists and Elk Foundation members. This alliance will allow both organizations to reach out to a larger base of potential supporters. We’re calling it ‘Cowboys for Conservation,’” said David Allen, president and CEO of the Elk Foundation.

Before leading the Elk Foundation, Allen’s career focused on marketing the PBR tour, pro rodeo and NASCAR.

He said, “I have had the privilege of working with the PBR since they began some 15 years ago and I’m proud of what they have become and more proud to marry them with our mission. They are our kind of folks and I thank them for their willingness to help us work for wildlife in elk country.”

Randy Bernard, PBR president, added, “We are very excited and eager to be associated with the Elk Foundation. This year over 100 million people will watch PBR around the world and over 50 percent of our fans have expressed a love for the outdoors. We believe this is a great way to better expose the Elk Foundation and show how it really does make a difference for elk, wildlife and their habitat.”

In the Cowboys for Conservation partnership, PBR will provide the Elk Foundation with:

• Fundraising Packages. PBR will provide the Elk Foundation with ticket/hotel packages to the PBR World Finals in Las Vegas. Packages will include event tickets, lodging, VIP tickets or “backstage passes” to meet the pros, and select PBR merchandise. Packages will be auctioned or raffled at many of the 500 fundraiser banquets held around the country. Proceeds will fund the Elk Foundation’s conservation mission.
• Conservation Funding. Future plans include contributions to the Elk Foundation each time a designated pro bull rider scores 90 points or more. PBR fans will be challenged to match or exceed these gifts. Additional challenge gifts will be made to the Elk Foundation in the name of PBR star competitors.
• Visibility. Booth space at 29 major PBR events, Cowboys for Conservation receptions, online ads and a special sweepstakes will give the Elk Foundation a major presence with PBR fans at various PBR events each year.

In turn, the Elk Foundation will provide PBR with:

• Sponsor Rewards. Utilizing its network of outfitter members, the Elk Foundation will host a number of hunts or outdoor adventures for PBR sponsors and VIPs.
• Outdoor Adventure Sweepstakes. The Elk Foundation and PBR will create an Outdoor Adventure Sweepstakes offered to PBR fans at PBR events, online, though both groups’ publications and general media outlets. Through its merchandise and licensing programs and network of corporate partners, the Elk Foundation will provide outdoor gear as sweepstakes prizes.
• Visibility. Banner space promoting PBR events at 500 fundraiser banquets around the country, along with print and online ads, will increase PBR visibility among Elk Foundation supporters.

About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
Founded in 1984 and headquartered in Missoula, Mont., the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring the future of elk, other wildlife and their habitat. The Elk Foundation and its partners have permanently protected or enhanced over 5.2 million acres, a land area larger than Connecticut, Delaware and District of Columbia combined. More than 500,000 acres previously closed to public access are now open for hunting, fishing and other recreation. To help protect wild elk country or learn more about the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, visit www.elkfoundation.org or call 800-CALL-ELK.

Bogart, Georgiaa – David Wambold of Mascoutah, Illinois thought his $30 would cover the standard one-year membership in the Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA). But when he joined through the QDMA Web site on March 31, he pushed the nonprofit conservation organization to 50,000 active members and earned himself a complimentary Life Membership in the process.

“I was looking for help with food plots and habitat improvement, and a friend suggested I join QDMA. He loaned me a couple of his Quality Whitetails magazines, and I also saw the QDMA television show, and I was extremely impressed,” said David, a retired aquatic biologist, whose family jointly owns a 100-acre hunting property. “I never win anything, so it was a complete surprise when I learned I had won a Life Membership. From what I’ve seen of QDMA’s materials and message, this is a fantastic prize.”

“David’s story is a perfect example for explaining QDMA’s continued growth,” said executive director Brian Murphy. “It is a reflection of the growing interest in deer management, habitat improvement, and land and wildlife conservation. Many deer hunters like David are managing land, especially small tracts, to create quality deer habitat and better deer hunting. QDMA has the information, expertise and support to help them achieve these goals.”

With 50,000 active members in all 50 states, Canada and several foreign countries, QDMA is now one of the fastest growing conservation organizations in North America.

The milestone in membership was reached just six months short of QDMA’s 20th Anniversary this October, but the majority of QDMA’s growth has occurred in the last decade. When Murphy took the reins of the organization in 1997, QDMA had just 3,000 members, and Murphy was QDMA’s only employee. By 2000, QDMA reached 10,000 members, and momentum was beginning to build. Eight years later, QDMA has 50,000 members and more than 30 full- and part-time employees. Murphy first operated QDMA out of a spare bedroom in his Georgia home; the organization is now headquartered on a 23-acre site just outside Athens, Georgia, that was donated to the organization in 2004.

“Our growth is also made possible by an expanding network of volunteers and QDMA Branches across North America,” said Murphy. “We’ve grown from just over 30 active Branches to 175 Branches in the last four years alone. These volunteers are critical to continued membership growth and achieving the association’s educational mission.”

QDMA’s growth has allowed the organization to diversify its outreach efforts. QDMA’s message of sound deer management and wildlife stewardship is now conveyed through a multimedia effort that includes Quality Whitetails magazine, Quality Whitetails TV on the Outdoor Channel, publications like the landmark book Quality Food Plots, the QDMA Web site, and QDMA’s Deer Steward certification courses. Additional outreach initiatives under the umbrella of the REACH program include funding for whitetail research, advocacy of sound deer management in public policy, and QDMA’s Mentored Hunting Program for hunter recruitment and retention.

“Number 50,000 is just the tip of the iceberg,” said Craig Dougherty, chairman of QDMA’s Board of Directors. “QDMA is all about better deer and better deer hunting, and there are about 10 million deer hunters who have not discovered us yet. When they do, we will see an increase in wildlife conservation activity of historic proportions, with white-tailed deer being the big winners.”

Founded in 1988, QDMA is a national nonprofit wildlife conservation organization with more than 50,000 members in all 50 states and Canada, and several foreign countries. Membership in QDMA is open to anyone interested in better deer and better deer hunting, and committed to ethical hunting, sound deer management and the preservation of the deer-hunting heritage. To learn more about QDMA and why it is the future of deer hunting, call (800) 209-3337 or visit www.QDMA.com.

Washington, DC - America’s premier sportsmen’s rights organization testified before U.S. Senators yesterday on the key connection between hunting and successful wildlife conservation.

United States Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA) Director of Federal Affairs William P. Horn testified before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works on the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and why the proposed listing of polar bears as threatened throughout its range will prove detrimental to healthy and presently sustainable polar bear populations.

Horn was invited to testify by Senator Barbara Boxer, Chairman of the Committee and Senator James Inhofe, the ranking Republican on the Committee. Horn served as Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Fish, Wildlife and Parks, the agency responsible for the ESA, from 1985 to 1988, before joining USSA. He is considered one of America’s top lawyers on endangered species law, and also serves on the Board of Environmental Sciences and Toxicology of the National Academy of Sciences.

Environmental organizations want polar bears listed as threatened because of projections that Arctic sea ice will diminish in 50-plus years as a result of greenhouse gas emissions and global warming.

In his testimony Horn pointed out that listing polar bears as threatened based on a 50-year prediction would produce adverse consequences, not only for polar bears, but for all wildlife. Environmentalists plan to use the listing as a means to force reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles and power plants among other things. The groups will likely bring lawsuits to force the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to enforce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions regulations. The enormous costs of overhauling and fundamentally changing the FWS mission will leave little if any money for actual endangered species or other traditional fish and wildlife programs.

“The USSA is committed to making sure that lawmakers are aware that sportsmen continue to be the key element in the conservation of wildlife,” said USSA president Bud Pidgeon. “Listing the polar bear as threatened will stop limited hunting, and cut off key revenues that fund vital polar bear research. We are proud to represent sportsmen before Congress on this critical issue.”

Science shows that many polar bear populations are at historic highs and that there are no imminent threats to the healthy, huntable populations.

It is well established that many polar bear populations are at or near record highs, have increased substantially since the 1960s, and sustain carefully managed subsistence and sport hunting programs. The latter programs, conducted primarily in Canada, generate important local income and ensure that Native communities are vested in polar bear conservation. The partnership between these communities and Canadian wildlife officials has yielded effective scientific bear conservation and management resulting in improved sustainability of 11 of 13 polar bear populations in Canada.

American sportsmen comprise approximately 90 percent of the foreign hunting clientele in Canada, pouring millions of dollars into polar bear conservation and management, not to mention the financial benefits to the local communities. American hunters are the primary source of essential funding for conservation and research that allows for continued success of the populations.

The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance is a national association of sportsmen and sportsmen’s organization that protects the rights of hunters, anglers and trappers in the courts, legislatures, at the ballot, in Congress and through public education programs. For more information about the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance and its work, call (614) 888-4868 or visit its website, www.ussportsmen.org.

Issues that will shape the future health of hunting and fishing focal point

Branson, Missouri - From Alaska to Florida and from New Mexico to New Hampshire and states in between, hunters and anglers were represented by their state legislators at the National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses (NASC) Fourth Annual Sportsman-Legislator Summit - From Crawling, To Walking, Preparing to Run, held last week in Branson, Missouri.

Record breaking attendance of 40 state legislators, including an unprecedented number of legislators from new states, signaled that sportsmen’s issues have moved up the legislative priority list at the state level. In total, the Summit brought together a collective group of more than 100 highly recognized individuals from state legislatures, state and federal wildlife agencies, national conservation organizations and private industry to zero in on issues that will shape the future health of hunting and fishing in America.

Issues examined included, better management practices for wildlife, the need for dedicated state funding and the emerging and important issue of Marine Protected Areas, as well as creative tactics being deployed by the anti-gun and anti-fishing/hunting lobbies.

“I have attended this meeting since it first took place in 2004 and every year I learn about trends in other states that I can implement back in Idaho to benefit sportsmen, as well as being made aware of legislation that I need to be on the look out for,” commented Idaho State Caucus Co-Chair Rep. David Langhorst, who serves on the NASC Executive Council.

Attendees left Branson, Missouri with a more tangible realization that hunting and fishing are not just outdoor activities, but are also economic drivers in every state, creating jobs and contributing to the state and local tax base. With this in mind, sportsmen caucus legislators vowed to return to their home states with a concentrated effort on introducing pro-sportsman legislation during the 2008 legislative session. It is no coincidence that since NASC was launched the number of pro-sportsmen’s bills introduced and passed has more than doubled. With 34 affiliated state legislative sportsmen’s caucuses, the strength and synergy of NASC is rapidly increasing.

“The commitment and cooperative nature of this year’s summit was unparalleled by any year before, setting the stage for NASC and state sportsmen’s caucuses around the country to be more proactive than ever before,” commented Jeff Crane, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation president.

The NASC 4th Annual Legislator-Summit was hosted by the Missouri Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus and the Missouri Conservation Federation, in partnership with Bass Pro Shops. The title sponsor was the National Shooting Sports Foundation. Presenting sponsors were Anheuser Bush and American Forest Foundation.

About NASC: Launched in December 2004, the National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses serves as the umbrella organization for affiliated state legislative sportsmen’s caucuses and has quickly become the most respected and trusted hunting and fishing organization working with state legislators. NASC is the leader in promoting sportsmen’s issues with state legislators. The NASC assists in the formation of new sportsmen’s caucuses and provides the venue for focused interaction and idea exchange among state caucus leaders, sportsmen’s groups, industry, media and other potential partners. For additional information, visit the NASC website at www.statesportsmenslink.org or call 202-543-6907.

Studies by the National Shooting Sports Foundation show that one of the top reasons hunters give up the sport is that they can’t find quality places to hunt.

The National Wild Turkey Federation’s More Places to Hunt program is designed to curtail this trend and help keep more hunters in the field.

Tell Us How Can We Help

To improve our efforts, we need to understand your issues and concerns, as a hunter, in your favorite hunting areas. Please take a few minutes to complete the More Places to Hunt Survey at:

http://www.zoomerang.com/recipient/survey-intro.zgi?p=WEB2277H5ZRVBC

The information provided will be used to help the NWTF develop projects, and will be shared with our state and federal wildlife agency partners to help them better manage hunter access.

About the Program

For years, the NWTF has worked to improve access to hunting lands with great success. At both local and national levels, the NWTF and its volunteers have developed partnerships with landowners, and worked with state and federal agencies to help improve hunter access.

The NWTF’s membership is concerned about the impacts of declining hunter access, not only to hunting but also to wildlife conservation if this trend continues.

“Losing a place to hunt is bad enough, but the ripple effect from such losses are immense,” said Joel Pedersen, NWTF’s More Places to Hunt coordinator. “As hunter numbers decline, state agencies lose revenue used to support wildlife habitat and management projects as well as places to hunt. Without quality habitat and places to hunt, wild turkeys and hunters lose again.”

At the core of this access program will be NWTF state and local chapter volunteers. Just as the NWTF’s volunteers helped state wildlife agencies bring the turkey back from near extinction, they will be a big part of grassroots efforts in increasing public and private access for hunters.

In fact, NWTF chapters and their state and corporate partners have already experienced tremendous success in affecting hunter access in a variety of ways, including recent land acquisitions such as those in Ohio, West Virginia and North Carolina; funding conservation easements that provide public access in Montana; funding a walk-in hunting area program in Kansas; holding landowner appreciation days in Wisconsin; and active involvement in legislative issues.

For more information about the NWTF or the More Places to Hunt program, contact the NWTF at (800) THE-NWTF or www.nwtf.org .

About the NWTF: In 1973, when the National Wild Turkey Federation was founded, there were an estimated 1.3 million wild turkeys and 1.5 million turkey hunters. Thanks to the work of wildlife agencies and the NWTF’s many volunteers and partners, today there are more than 7 million wild turkeys and nearly 3 million turkey hunters. Since 1985, the NWTF and its cooperators have spent more than $258 million upholding hunting traditions and conserving more than 13.1 million acres of wildlife habitat.

The NWTF is a nonprofit organization with 584,000 members in 50 states, Canada, Mexico and 14 other foreign countries. It supports scientific wildlife management on public, private and corporate lands as well as wild turkey hunting as a traditional North American sport.

The Safari Club International Foundation (SCIF) proudly announces the 2008 American Wilderness Leadership School (AWLS) program schedule. SCIF is now seeking student and teacher applicants to attend AWLS at four sites throughout the United States. This program has successfully instructed 4,728 educators and 1,233 high school age students through its workshops.

In 1976, an effort to promote conservation through education and experience laid the foundation for the American Wilderness Leadership School program. The mission of the schools is to offer outdoor instructional education, concentrating on natural resource management while also providing participants a working knowledge of present and future conservation issues.

Each 7 and 8-day session is designed to provide successful applicants with challenging experiences in the fields of wildlife ecology, management and conservation, together with instruction in firearm safety, fly tying, wilderness survival, archery, outdoor interpretive techniques, Project WILD© and outdoor ethics. In utilizing a wilderness setting, participants are exposed to the skills necessary to have a safe, enjoyable learning experience in the outdoors. The cost of placing individual participants is $800 for high school students, as well as teachers and interested adults. The sponsor or parent is responsible for arranging round-trip transportation expenses.

Iowa: AWLS - Central, Springbrook Conservation Center; Guthrie, IA
Maine: AWLS - East, Greenland Point Center, Princeton, ME
Minnesota: AWLS - North, Laurentian Environmental Center, Britt, MN
Wyoming: AWLS - West, SCIF’s AWLS site, Jackson, WY

The 8-day sessions scheduled for 2008include one student session, June 28-July 5 for ages 15-18, and six teacher/educator workshops, June 10-17, June 19-26, July 12-19, July 21-28, July 30-August 6 and August 8-15, at AWLS - West in Wyoming. One 7-day teacher session at AWLS - East, Maine, July 7-13, one 8-day session at AWLS - North, Minnesota July 20-27, and one 5-day session at AWLS - Central, Iowa ,July 21-25. As an option, teacher workshops at all four sites are available for graduate credit.

Learn more about AWLS and all SCIF opportunities for wildlife education at http://www.safariclubfoundation.org/. If you are interested in applying for a sponsorship by a local chapter, please visit www.safariclub.org, Chapters, Chapter Locater, to find an SCI Chapter in your area.

The USSA will roll into its 30th year with a team of innovative leaders who will take the sportsmen’s movement to a new level.

USSA supporting graphicVeteran board member Mason Lampton is renewing his commitment to the organizations as he assumes the role of vice chairman. Lampton, owner and chairman of a major construction industry firm, will continue to recruit new donors and help the sportsmen’s movement to prosper. He has been involved in the foxhunting community for many years and his influence will continue to be an asset to the USSA.

Lampton is transitioning into a role that had been filled by longtime USSA board member C. Martin Wood. Wood, who has been on the USSA board since 1991, served as vice chairman from 2001-2007. He supported and advocated the name change from the Wildlife Legislative Fund of America to the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance in 2002, has actively recruited USSA supporters, and himself made significant financial contributions to protect sportsmen’s rights.

Three newcomers to the USSA Board of Directors and USSAF Board of Trustees include Deb Cunningham, Houston, Texas; John Kanas, Mellville, New York; and Tommy Millner, Madison, North Carolina.

USSA supporting graphicDeb Cunningham began hunting nearly 30 years ago, and is deeply-involved in wildlife conservation and education, and efforts to protect hunters’ rights. She has hunted on six continents, and was selected as the Safari Club International Diana recipient for 2002.

Tommy Millner is a sporting goods industry leader and hunter-conservationist. President/CEO of Remington Arms Company, he is a veteran international hunter and supporter of many conservation endeavors.

John Kanas is a banking industry leader and worldwide sportsman. Past chairman of the North Fork Bancorporation and CEO and Vice President, Capital One banking subsidiary, he is an accomplished hunter and conservationist.

MISSOULA, Mont. - The National Shooting Sports Foundation, the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation, and Bass Pro Shops are among the newest supporting groups of Outdoor Writers Association of America (OWAA).

Supporting groups, businesses and agencies affiliate with OWAA to gain access to 1,300 of the nation’s best-known outdoors communicators.

“NSSF has a long history of being a supporter of OWAA, so it feels good to be back,” said Bill Brassard, NSSF managing director of communications, safety and education. “OWAA’s new policy regarding ’supporters’ is what made it possible for NSSF to rejoin.”

Kevin Rhoades, executive director of OWAA, said that OWAA’s board of directors and membership last spring instituted a new business relationship with supporting groups, businesses and agencies that will improve access to OWAA’s members and foster debate and dialogue.

“We see ourselves as a diverse outdoor media group aspiring to create a forum for the exchange of ideas about all things related to the outdoors. We hold the First Amendment in the highest regard,” Rhoades said.

Brassard said having access to outdoor communicators is of major importance to increase participation in the shooting sports to promote a better understanding of the firearms industry and its products.

“The NSSF and its industry partners sponsored two successful tactical rifle education seminars at outdoor writer conferences over the past year, and we’ll consider doing another at the OWAA Conference in Bismarck next June,” he said.

OWAA’s next conference is slated for June 21-24, 2008, in Bismarck, N.D. The 81-year-old organization will sponsor a shooting event on Monday, June 23, and OWAA supporters Smith & Wesson, Browning, the Bureau of Land Management and others plan to demonstrate products and instruct OWAA members in shooting safety.

OWAA is a nonprofit, international organization that was founded in 1927 by a small group of hunting and fishing writers. Since then, the organization has grown to approximately 1,300 communicators from the broad, modern spectrum of outdoor beats, from shooting to camping, backpacking to kayaking, wildlife watching and mountain climbing.

From these diverse backgrounds and disciplines, members gather beneath the OWAA banner to hone skills, share philosophies, develop profitable business strategies and network with peers, conservation policymakers and industry trendsetters. OWAA’s membership remains grounded in its historical roots - hunting and fishing communications. However, it continues to broaden its outlook and services to encompass all resource-dependent outdoor activities.

OWAA’s national headquarters is located in Missoula, Mont. To learn more about OWAA, “The Voice Of The Outdoors,” call 406-728-7434 or visit www.owaa.org.

Media Contact:
Kevin Rhoades (406) 728-7434 or krhoades@owaa.org

FAIRFAX, Va. – The National Rifle Association has selected three of its top Junior Members to receive the 2007 Outstanding Achievement Youth Award, recognizing them for their active participation in the community, the classroom, and the shooting sports.  Overall, $10,000 in scholarship money was awarded to the winners thanks to a generous donation from Brownells, Inc., the world’s largest supplier of firearms accessories and gunsmithing tools.

A $5,000 scholarship was awarded to first-place winner Juliann Terry, 18, of Newcastle, Wyo.  A member of the Rapid City Rifle Club, Terry placed first in .22 rifle at the 2006 Wyoming 4-H Shooting Sports competition and later represented the state of Wyoming at the 2006 4-H Nationals, placing fifth in the country in smallbore competition.  In addition to being a fine shooter, Terry is also active in her community, having presented the Eddie Eagle GunSafe® Program to local elementary school students and volunteering as a teen leader at 4-H workshops and summer camps in her home county.  She excels in the classroom as well, sporting a 4.0 grade point average while playing clarinet in the Newcastle High School Band.    

“Juliann exemplifies all of the qualities that we look for in awarding the Outstanding Achievement Youth Award,” said NRA Youth Programs Manager Larry Quandahl.  “She is an exceptional young person, one who has demonstrated extraordinary leadership qualities, complete dedication in the classroom, and an unwavering commitment to the shooting sports.”

The second-place award and its accompanying $3,000 scholarship went to eighteen-year-old Scott Thomas of Poca, W.Va.  Thomas, an NRA Life Member, is a member of the Putnam County Gun Club Junior Smallbore Team.  He is a three-time smallbore competitor in the National Matches at Camp Perry, Ohio, and he has served as a volunteer at numerous shooting camps.  Thomas was selected to attend the 2006 Youth Education Summit (YES) in Washington, D.C., earning a hunting trip for his exceptional performance at the event.  He hopes to one day shoot on the West Virginia University rifle team. 

Jonathan Warhol, 16, of Leonardo, N.J., was the third-place winner, earning a $2,000 scholarship.  Warhol is an apprentice NRA Certified Shotgun Instructor and has achieved the rating of Distinguished Expert in the shotgun course of fire of the Winchester/NRA Marksmanship Qualification Program.  Warhol has distinguished himself on the skeet field, becoming the 2006 New Jersey Junior Champion in 28 gauge.  An honor student at New Jersey’s Mater Dei High School, Warhol teaches others the joys of shotgun shooting through the Women On Target® Program, youth day events, and the junior shooting program at the Central Jersey Rifle and Pistol Club. 

All NRA Junior Members (or NRA Regular or Life Members under age 18) who are current members of an NRA-affiliated club or state association and who have completed one NRA Basic Firearm Training Course are eligible for the award.  Applicants must also have earned at least one rating through the Winchester/NRA Marksmanship Qualification Program and submitted three letters of recommendation, a copy of their school transcript, and a 1,000-word essay entitled, “What the Shooting Sports has Taught Me.”

Aside from these core requirements, applicants must have participated in at least five NRA-sponsored programs.  These elective requirements include presenting the Eddie Eagle GunSafe® Program, attending the Youth Education Summit, competing in the Youth Hunter Education Challenge (YHEC), entering the NRA Youth Wildlife Art Contest, or participating in the National Matches at Camp Perry, Ohio, among others.

Applications for next year’s Outstanding Achievement Youth Award are due at NRA Headquarters no later than May 1, 2008.  To learn more about the program or how to apply, please contact NRA’s Youth Programs Department at (703) 267-1505 or visit www.nrahq.org/youth/achievement.asp.  To learn more about Brownells, Inc., visit www.brownells.com.

NEWTOWN, Conn. - The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) — the trade association of the firearms industry — applauded the decision by the United States Supreme Court to determine authoritatively whether the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution provides an individual right to keep and bear arms.

The U.S. Supreme Court granted a review of a decision from March by the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia in Parker, et al., v. District of Columbia (Circuit docket 04-7041) — a case that upheld the striking down of the District’s ban on private ownership of handguns while asserting that the Second Amendment provides an individual right to keep and bear arms. The case is now known as District of Columbia v. Heller. The mayor of Washington, D.C., Adrian M. Fenty, filed the appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, setting the stage for the high court to rule. According to FBI statistics, Washington D.C., with its gun ban, ranks as one of the most dangerous cities in the United States and maintains one of the highest per-capita murder rates in the country.

“The firearms industry looks forward to the Supreme Court putting to rest the specious argument that the Second Amendment is not an individual right,” said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF senior vice president and general counsel. “This intellectually bankrupt and feeble argument has been used by gun control advocates to justify laws and regulations that deny Americans their civil right to own and lawfully use firearms for protection, hunting, sports shooting and other lawful purposes.

“The firearms and ammunition industry is unique in that our products are the means through which the Second Amendment right is realized,” continued Keane. “If there were no firearms and ammunition manufacturers, then the Second Amendment becomes an illusory right.”

While the Heller case will be the first time since 1939 that the Supreme Court has addressed the Second Amendment (U.S. v. Miller), the nation’s leading historians, legal scholars and constitutional experts are on record as having concluded that the Second Amendment provides an individual right. Such renowned scholars as Lawrence Tribe of Harvard, Akhil Reed Amar of Yale, William Van Alstyne of Duke and Sanford Levinson of the University of Texas have been vocal in their assertion that the Second Amendment secures an individual right to keep and bear arms.

“The government has powers, not rights,” added Keane. “The contention that the Second Amendment is a collective right of the government is completely without merit.”

BACKGROUND:
In March, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, in striking down the District’s gun ban, held in Parker, et al., v. District of Columbia that “The phrase ‘the right of the people’ . . . leads us to conclude that the right in question is individual.” This was the second time in recent history that a federal circuit court upheld the longstanding belief that the Second Amendment was an individual right. In 2001, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled in the case of U.S. v. Emerson that “All of the evidence indicates that the Second Amendment, like other parts of the Bill of Rights, applies to and protects individual Americans.”

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The National Wild Turkey Federation has reached a milestone, having donated more than $1 million to the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance and the fight to protect hunting in America.

On Oct. 5 at the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association Conference in Little Rock, Arkansas, Tammy Sapp, the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF)’s senior vice president of communications, presented a $100,000 check to Rick Story, senior vice president of the USSA.

The contribution makes NWTF one of the top donors of all time to the nation’s leading sportsmen’s rights advocacy organization.

“This benchmark speaks volumes about the NWTF and its deep and steadfast commitment to the defense of outdoor sports,” said Bud Pidgeon, USSA president & CEO. “Its investment in the battle to protect sportsmen’s rights has paid dividends for hunters from Maine to California.”

The NWTF and USSA have partnered on many projects to promote and protect hunting. The team, along with the National Shooting Sports Foundation, established the Families Afield program to eliminate unnecessary hunting age restrictions and ease hunter education mandates for first time hunters.

“Removing youth hunting barriers is one way to help ensure the future of our hunting heritage for generations to come,” said Rob Keck, CEO of the NWTF. “By fighting for sportsmen’s rights, the USSA is making a significant difference and we’re proud to support them.”

The NWTF has also fought alongside the USSA to ensure the defeat of ballot issues to ban bear hunting in Alaska and Maine and defeat legislation to ban dove hunting in California.

They have also defeated a bill that would have kicked sportsmen off of the New Jersey Fish and Game Council, replacing them with environmental and animal rights activists. In Ohio, the two organizations worked to protect dove hunting at the ballot box.

“The NWTF understands that the anti-hunting threats to dove hunting or bear hunting are the tip of the iceberg, and if one of those pastimes falls, the turkey hunters will be one of the next in line,” said Pidgeon. “Its support of the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance demonstrates its commitment to the future of all hunting and wildlife conservation nationwide.”

The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance is a national association of sportsmen and sportsmen’s organizations that protect the rights of hunters, anglers and trappers in the courts, legislatures, at the ballot, in Congress and through public education programs.

For more information about the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance and its work, call (614) 888-4868 or visit its website, ussportsmen.org.

Hunters are invited to send photos of themselves with downed game for possible posting on a new NRA Website, www.nrahuntersrights.org, set to launch Nov. 1.

The new site will have a section called Trophy Gallery, and all hunters are welcome to send photos in for consideration.

Simply email your picture to: huntersrights@nrahq.org, and put “Trophy Gallery” in the subject line. All photos should be sharp and display safe gun handling practices. Include the following information with your submission:

· Your name and hometown
· Date and location of hunt
· Firearm used
· Type of game species
· Any special details (first buck, record book animal, etc.)
Submission of a photo does not guarantee it will be posted.

The true test of success for a program designed to introduce beginners to the shooting sports is in how many participants return to the range and continue with the sport. NSSF’s First Shots® customer development program is clearly passing that test, according to recent survey results. The latest “Industry Intelligence Report” details some staggering findings about the two-year-old program. A few highlights: 40 percent of First Shots participants say they have returned to the host range; 50 percent had met their state’s requirements for handgun ownership; 61 percent had introduced someone else to handgun shooting; and 23 percent purchased a membership at the host range.

Developed by NSSF and hosted by independent shooting facilities, First Shots provides participants with a comprehensive introduction to handgun shooting by qualified range operators and instructors that includes handgun safety, local ownership requirements, shooting fundamentals, hands-on instruction and how and where to continue. The program is being adopted by shooting ranges around the country.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals , an animal rights group known for its outrageous campaigns to end animal use, has found a new forum in which to promote its anti-hunting agenda.
PETA has developed a website, http://helpingwildlife.com, which targets outdoor sports and wildlife population controls. The site urges visitors to print and post “No Hunting” and “No Fishing” signs and to join or form anti-hunting organizations. It calls on people to donate fishing tackle to the organization for use in anti-fishing demonstrations and “Fish Empathy Projects.”
The new website also attacks the traditional outdoor pursuit of trapping. It urges visitors to protest trapping, calling it a “cruel, barbaric, and immoral activity.”
“PETA is constantly making efforts to grab attention and impose its anti-hunting, anti-fishing and anti-trapping rhetoric upon people,” said Bud Pidgeon, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance President. “This website, with its inaccuracies and half-truths, is just one more way the anti’s are attempting to end our outdoor traditions.”