CEO Meeting Paints Bright Future for NWTF, Collaborative Efforts
Ahead of the official opening of the NWTF’s 48th Annual Convention and Sport Show, NWTF co-CEOs brought together state and federal agency leaders, conservation-minded corporate partners, non-profit leaders, NWTF National Board of Directors and other industry pioneers for an early-morning meeting to discuss everything from addressing the wild turkey decline to increasing social approval for wildlife management and hunting.
“We have brought you here because partners are crucial to our mission delivery,” NWTF co-CEO Jason Burckhalter said. “We couldn’t accomplish alone what we do collectively.”
NWTF conservation leaders kicked off the meeting by presenting an overview of the NWTF’s mission delivery, which – in addition to eliciting a thought-provoking discussion – painted a bright future for the organization as it aggressively increases its investment in wild turkey research and its efforts in landscape-scale conservation.
NWTF National Director of Conservation Programs, Tom Spezze, spoke about the NWTF’s evolution over the years to deliver conservation at a landscape scale; that is, a heightened increase on projects that don’t just exist within the boundaries of a state or on a specifically owned land, but that address challenges beyond land ownership and state lines.
One of the key elements of Spezze’s presentation was that the NWTF’s work is, and always will be, centered around the wild turkey, but that it reaches many other venues that improve our lives as sportsmen and women and as Americans. He used the NWTF’s involvement in the USDA Forest Service’s Wildfire Crisis Strategy as an example.
Spezze spotlighted how the NWTF is making our nation’s forests and surrounding communities safer from the threat of catastrophic wildfire and improving watershed health, while also increasing the quality of the habitat for wild turkeys.
Landscape-scale conservation, as Spezze expanded on, presents unique opportunities to work with new and non-traditional partners — both in the conservation and corporate sectors — to leverage resources and expertise and make the most significant possible impact on wild turkeys, wildlife habitat and overall ecological health; the NWTF’s ability to impact 1 million acres in 2023 was a testament to that.
NWTF’s National Director of Education and Outreach Programs, Mandy Harling, presented on the NWTF’s role in building support for hunting and increasing hunting and shooting sports access.
Like the NWTF’s conservation work, Harling discussed how the NWTF’s outreach and education programming goes beyond state lines and addresses challenges on a landscape scale, utilizing partnerships and programs to maximize the NWTF’s work to preserve our hunting heritage.
Notably, Harling pointed out that recent research found that not only are hunter numbers decreasing, but that support for hunting from the American public is also decreasing. To combat that, Harling stated, the NWTF has been leading the Hunt for Good national ad campaign designed to increase social support of hunting among potential supporters, including:
- People who enjoy the outdoors but would probably not be interested in hunting and shooting.
- People who enjoy the outdoors but would probably not be interested in hunting and shooting.
- People who enjoy the outdoors but would probably not be interested in hunting and shooting.
One of the state directors in the meeting was so inspired by Hunt for Good that he said, “How do we get involved now?”
To wrap up the overview of NWTF’s mission delivery focus, NWTF’s National Director of Science and Planning, Mark Hatfield, presented on the NWTF’s efforts in supporting critical wild turkey research.
Hatfield explained how, since the inception of the NWTF, research has been at the heart of driving the organization. He also explained why the NWTF has aggressively renewed its efforts in supporting much-needed wild turkey research, citing the many new questions surrounding population declines, hunting season frameworks and more.
Hatfield pointed out that in the last two years, the NWTF has invested more than $1.2 million toward wild turkey research from June 2022 to the present, resulting in nearly $12 million with matching funds from partners. He said the NWTF is not letting its foot off the gas and alluded to the heightened efforts in supporting wild turkey research across the country.
The following discussions among NWTF leadership, agency partners and conservation visionaries demonstrated the passion that exists in our industry, the bright future of the NWTF and the work that still needs to be done.
“These are the type of meetings that catalyze our collaborative efforts,” NWTF co-CEO Kurt Dyroff later said. “We thank all that attended our annual CEO meeting and look forward to what we will accomplish together.”