|
47th Annual Conservation Achievement Awards Celebrate the Protection of Wildlife and Habitat NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Each year since 1965, the Tennessee Wildlife Federation (TWF) has honored a select group of leaders in the conservation and stewardship of wildlife and their habitat in Tennessee. "These awards recognize those individuals and organizations that have made truly meaningful contributions to conservation in Tennessee and to TWF," says Michael Butler, the Federation's chief executive officer. "The current generation is building upon the great work of our past winners, and we are proud to honor their contributions." The 47th Annual TWF Conservation Achievement Awards were held Wednesday, April 18, at the War Memorial Auditorium in downtown Nashville. Colonel Patricia Jones, Director of the Tennessee National Guard’s J9 Military and Family Readiness Operations, and Sergeant Major Darrell Allen with the Tennessee Army National Guard Recruiting and Retention Battalion accepted a TWF Davis P. Rice Scholarship on behalf of Jarvis Kinnie-Shaw, son of the late Sergeant First Class David James Shaw of Jackson. Kinnie-Shaw, who attends the Tennessee Technological Center in Jackson, was unable to attend because of finals. The scholarship program was created to honor the life of Davis P. Rice, son of former TWF Chairman Tom Rice and a passionate outdoorsman who lost his life in an automobile accident while in college. The Tennessee Army National Guard is the presenting sponsor of TWF’s Tennessee Scholastic Clay Target Program. The Rocky Fork Partnership was named Conservation Organization of the Year for leading an effort to raise $40 million to protect the iconic Rocky Fork tract of land in the Cherokee National Forest. |
|
Read more...
|
|
TENNESSEE BRINGS HOME SEVEN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS FROM SCHOLASTIC SHOOTING EVENT
TN Scholastic Clay Target Program’s Teams Outshine 36 Other States with 23 Top Five Finishes
SPARTA, Ill. – Twenty one teams from the Tennessee Scholastic Clay Target Program competed in the sport’s national championship event, held July 12-16 in Sparta, Ill. The result was seven national championships, 23 top-five finishes across all divisions, and the high overall shooter of the tournament. |
|
Read more...
|
|
 Fifteen-year-old artist Joanna Rush of Chattanooga won the Best of Show in the 2011 Tennessee Federal Junior Duck Stamp art contest. Her winning acrylic, colored pencil and water color artwork titled Let’s Get Together depicts a male and female cinnamon teal with stunning realism.
|
|
Read more...
|
|
 Shooters Compete for Chance at National Junior Olympics Championship In August
PARIS, Tenn. – More than 125 youth trap and skeet shooters competed in the 5th Annual Tennessee Junior Olympic State Championships, an event of the Tennessee Wildlife Federation’s Tennessee Scholastic Clay Target Program held May 17th – 22nd at the Holly Fork Shooting Complex in Paris, Tenn. The competition was held in conjunction with the Henry County Youth Shooting Sports Association and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.
Athletes reaching the qualifying score of 110 out of 125 targets broken in the trap or skeet divisions automatically receive an invitation to compete in the National Shotgun Junior Olympic Championships August 2nd – 8th in Colorado Springs, Colo. On Sunday, two skeet and two trap shooters had earned automatic invitations to the National Junior Olympic Championships.
|
|
Read more...
|
|
|
The following statement was issued by Tennessee House Speaker Beth Harwell on May 21, 2011: Speaker Beth Harwell (R-Nashville) today assured sportsmen across the state that the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Commission (TWRC) will be extended until 2016. Tennessee’s "Sunset Law" requires that each agency, board and commission be reviewed at certain intervals by the legislative Government Operations Committees. The reviews and subsequent approvals take the form of a bill, which then extends the entity. In 2012, the TWRC will be extended to 2016. "I can confidently assure Tennesseans that the TWRC will continue to lead the way for outdoorsmen and conservationists in our state," said Speaker Harwell. "The legislature appreciates hearing from concerned sportsmen and constituents. I look forward to continuing this dialogue between the legislature, the TWRC, and citizens." She continued, "The commission will not shut down, and will continue to serve Tennesseans. The State House will be acting in January to ensure the extension of the TWRC," Speaker Harwell concluded. |
|
 Founder of Tennessee Wildlife Federation’s Great Outdoors University First in State to Win Award
RESTON, Va. – The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) has named the first Tennessean ever as its national Volunteer of the Year.
|
|
Read more...
|
"The White-tailed Deer Breeding and Farming Act" was withdrawn from the House general conservation and environment sub-committee yesterday, which effectively killed the bill. The separate bill to which the deer-farming language had been attached as an amendment was withdrawn from the agriculture committee last week.
The Tennessee Wildlife Federation led the charge, but it was our members and supporters who deserve all the credit.
More than 1,500 emails and phone calls were directed to members of the Tennessee General Assembly as the bill was being considered. Hunters and wildlife lovers across the state made it clearly known that, considering the scientific evidence, the concept of allowing the breeding and sale of white-tailed deer as livestock is bad business. It would be foolish to risk our priceless natural resources for the prospective benefit of a few.
The measure is expected to be filed again in the 2012 legislative session. |
|
Young Hunters Treated to Scholarships, Prizes and the Thrill of Mass Waterfowl Migration
More than 160 student-athletes from Tennessee’s Scholastic Clay Target Program assembled in Dyersburg the evening of February 4 with their parents, coaches, sponsors and guides to kick off the 3rd Annual Tennessee Wildlife Federation Davis P. Rice Youth Waterfowl Hunt. |
|
Read more...
|
The Tennessee Wildlife Federation, along with other conservation organizations, condemns the spending cuts in conservation programs passed this week by the U.S. House of Representatives. The cuts affect wetlands conservation to the tune of nearly $2 billion, including the loss of $47 million in funding for the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) grants. The proposed cuts would eliminate all (100%) NAWCA funding and also eliminate the match for a total loss of $200 million in habitat work.
The cuts also remove all (100%) of the $90 million for the highly successful State Wildlife Grant program – the nation’s core program for preventing future endangered species listings and the implementation of voluntary conservation actions to stabilize declining fish and wildlife populations.
|
|
Read more...
|
|
