07/12/2010
Youth Access Program Securing Future of Conservation
EDGEFIELD, S.C. — Sportsmen are the driving force behind America's conservation efforts, but overly restrictive regulations have made it more difficult to introduce new individuals to hunting and other outdoor activities.
These restrictions are not only impacting a long-standing part of America's heritage but also reducing the number of people with a vested interest in responsible conservation and wildlife management.
The Families Afield program is designed to counteract this trend by helping states create opportunities for those new to hunting. Vermont recently became the 30th state to pass legislation in line with the Families Afield mission. Though specifics vary in by state, the legislation allows newcomers to try hunting under the close supervision of an experienced mentor prior to the completion of a hunter education course.
This latest success, when combined with the states that already provide adequate access, leaves only a quarter of the states that still have unreasonable barriers to providing hunting access to new sportsmen.
"As our society becomes more sedentary, it is even more important that we break down the barriers for those who want to get out into the field," said George Thornton, CEO of the National Wild Turkey Federation. "Without opening the door for future sportsmen, we will lose the next generation of gloved hands and booted feet that actively work to improve habitat and preserve wildlife throughout the nation."
The Families Afield initiative is a joint effort of sporting and conservation organizations that reduces barriers to new hunters entering the field. The NWTF, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) and the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance (USSA) created the program in 2004.
Other organizations, like the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation (CSF), have also played a role in the widespread success of the program.
"CSF, NWTF, and other members of the sportsmen's community, along with state legislators of the National Assembly of Sportsmen's Caucuses (NASC) recognized early on the need to promote youth hunting opportunities," said CSF President Jeff Crane. "The issue is a top priority for state caucuses around the nation and through the combined efforts of NWTF, the NASC, individual state legislators, and many other sportsmen's organizations, apprentice hunting license legislation has now passed in 30 states."
To date, Families Afield-style measures have allowed 418,000 new hunters to purchase mentored licenses, making it one of the most successful programs of its kind. Not only does this program get new people into the outdoors, but the people who first purchase a mentored license are far more likely to return to the outdoors than people who were exposed to hunting through other outreach programs.
"Not only does this program give more young Americans the opportunity to get outdoors, but it helps keep them there," said Bud Pidgeon, USSA president and CEO. "We thank the countless people that have helped make this program a success across the country."
In addition to Families Afield's success in exposing new people to the outdoors, the mentored hunting program has an impressive safety track record. In 2005 there were 16.5 million hunters in the field and 770 hunting incidents, a ratio of one incident for every 21,000 hunters. The Families Afield program has resulted in 418,000 mentored hunters and only three incidents, a ratio of one incident for every 140,000 hunters.
"Mentored hunters are about seven times less likely to be involved in a hunting incident than the general hunting population. In fact, hunting is statistically safer than many common sports like football and horseback riding," said Chris Dolnack, senior vice president of NSSF. "The best safety tool for novice hunters is having a seasoned hunter by their side and Families Afield helps make this partnership a reality."
Through dynamic partnerships with state, federal and provincial wildlife agencies, the NWTF and its members have helped restore wild turkey populations across the country, spending more than $306 million to conserve 14 million acres of habitat for all types of wildlife.
The Federation works to increase interest in the outdoors by bringing new hunters and conservationists into the fold through outdoor education events and its outreach programs - Women in the Outdoors, Wheelin' Sportsmen, JAKES and Xtreme JAKES.
For more information about the NWTF and its outreach programs, visit www.nwtf.org or call (800) THE-NWTF.
