Contact: Ellary TuckerWilliams, Inter-Mountain Western States Coordinator
On August 3, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation’s (CSF) Inter-Mountain Western States Coordinator attended the Arizona Sportsmen for Wildlife Conservation’s (AZSFWC) 3rd Annual Summit and Banquet at the Ben Avery Clay Target Center Pavilion in Phoenix.
Composed of 40 member groups located throughout the state, AZSFWC’s mission is to educate and inform sportsmen, wildlife conservation organizations, and the public at-large on important issues related to wildlife and wildlife habitat. In doing so, AZSFWC aims to further Arizona’s hunting and angling heritage for future generations.
“Arizona Sportsmen for Wildlife Conservation was pleased to have our new CSF Coordinator Ellary TuckerWilliams join us at our Sportsmen’s Summit. Everyone in attendance had an opportunity to meet her, and she was able to connect with many of the leaders in our Arizona wildlife conservation and sportsmen/women’s network,” said Jim Unmacht, Executive Director of AZSFWC.
“The Arizona Sportsmen for Wildlife Conservation has been very effective in communicating important wildlife issues throughout the sportsmen and women community and advocating for state authorities to manage wildlife and maintain access to recreational opportunities in Arizona,” said Ty Gray, Director of Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD). “ASFWC is a vital partner in supporting our efforts to conserve wildlife and habitats, recruit new hunters, anglers and shooters, and educate the public on the need for and benefits of the Department’s professional wildlife management activities.”
“It was a pleasure to join the Arizona Sportsmen for Wildlife Conservation for their summit this month. The AZSFWC is doing great work educating sportsmen, wildlife conservatists, and the public on how to best conserve the state’s wildlife populations and enhance their habitat. The AZSFWC has been a great ally at the Capitol, helping us implement some important legislation this year, like providing money for the eradication of saltcedar, improving the laws on trophy hunting, and establishing a Public Lands Day,” said Speaker of the House Representative Russell Bowers. “Our focus now is to ensure sportsmen have full support of their responsible firearms use as they set the example for the entire state in this critical area. I am personally grateful for the teaching opportunities afforded to the public by you and all other sporting groups. I and many of my colleagues support you and will need your help in the future.”
Studies conducted at both the state and federal level have found that the number of hunters and trappers have been on a generally declining trend over the past several decades. To increase recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) of hunters and trappers, which initiative do you think would have the greatest impact?
