April 10, 2013 — Youth shooting sports were in the limelight Monday, April 8, when some 50 athletes involved in the Tennessee Scholastic Clay Target Program (TNSCTP) — a program of the Tennessee Wildlife Federation — were honored on the floors of the Tennessee House of Representatives and Senate.

Teams from Fayette Academy in Somerville, Hardin County High School and Middle School, Rossville Christian Academy, and the 4-H programs in Haywood and Henderson counties were recognized in a joint resolution sponsored by Rossville’s Sen. Delores Gresham, who represents Tennessee District 26.   Gresham invited a group of athletes and their coaches representing the District 26 TNSCTP teams to stand with her in the galley as she explained the program.

“This [resolution] is especially meaningful for me because I’ve spent some time on the trap field, both international and American,” said Gresham.  “In the spirit of Tennessee’s great marksman — Davy Crockett, Alvin York, and Herb Parsons — we salute these teams.”

Gresham also pointed out that the TNSCTP has become a “national model for youth shotgun sports,” with more than 2,000 athletes on some 100 Tennessee teams participating in 2012.

“The program promotes the life skills of self-discipline, focus, teamwork, and safety in a family atmosphere,” she said.  “It also encourages excellence in scholarship and personal responsibility, sportsmanship in competition, and the development of a passion for Tennessee’s great outdoors.”

A program of the Tennessee Wildlife Federation in cooperation with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, the TNSCTP provides youth ages 5-12 an opportunity to compete in shotgun shooting sports with peers from across the state.  It is the No. 1-ranked competitive youth shooting program in the U.S. and has recorded the highest level of participation over the past 10 years among the 44 states with Scholastic Clay Target programs.

Nearly a Million Residents Hunt and Fish, According to a Recent National Report

Recent data on the impact of hunting and fishing show Tennessee sportsmen have a nearly $3 billion ripple effect annually on the state’s economy, according to the Tennessee Wildlife Federation (TWF). 

Approximately 375,000 hunters and 826,000 anglers spend more than $1.8 billion each year on their respective sports and associated equipment, based on numbers released in late February as part of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation study titled America’s Sporting Heritage: Fueling the American Economy. 

That spending supports 26,000 jobs across the state, $971 million in salaries and wages and $167 million in local and state tax revenue.

“One in seven Tennesseans enjoys hunting and fishing, usually with family and friends,” said Mike Butler, CEO of the Tennessee Wildlife Federation. “The sales and fuel taxes alone could fund 3,600 teachers’ salaries or cover the annual education expenses for more than 18,000 students. That’s an incredible impact, and it really underscores the value of our wildlife and natural resources."

As a point of comparison, that annual spending figure is larger than the total cash receipts from all of the state’s agricultural commodities ($1.8 billion vs. $1.03 billion), and sportsmen support more jobs in Tennessee than Nissan North America and the University of Tennessee combined (26,389 vs. 16,500).

Butler says the sound management and responsible use of Tennessee’s natural resources are what foster a thriving outdoor economy.

Since 1946, the non-profit Tennessee Wildlife Federation has served as champions for the state's great outdoors.

Tennessee Wildlife Federation Program Will Provide a Half a Million Meals in 2013

Food banks and soup kitchens across the state continue to cite increasing need and decreasing donations. The lean, healthy, safe protein provided by the state’s Hunters for the Hungry program is often the only meat available. Thankfully, officials from the Tennessee Wildlife Federation (TWF) say that hunters continue to be willing to help address hunger, in spite of the recession.

“In the midst of the economic downturn, it’s incredibly rewarding to be able to say we’ve grown this program each of the last five years,” said Matt Simcox, TWF’s Hunters for the Hungry coordinator. “Programs in other states have not been as successful, and it goes back to that Volunteer spirit—Tennesseans are willing to help their neighbors.”

The program posted growth of 8.3 percent over the 2012 numbers, collecting a total of 136,162 pounds of donated venison. Over the life of the program, hunters have donated nearly a million pounds of lean, healthy meat—more than 3.7 million meals!

Volunteer State Wins Most Gold Medals Among 31 States Represented

SPARTA, Ill. – The best competitive scholastic shotgun shooters in America came together July 17-21 for the National Scholastic Clay Target Program Championships in Sparta, Ill. In the end, Tennessee teams and individual participants had earned 13 national titles in skeet, sporting clays and trap.

Among the 31 states participating, no other had more gold medals.

“Tennessee has earned a reputation for bringing top-flight shooters each year to compete against the best in the nation,” said Andrew Peercy, statewide manager for the Tennessee Wildlife Federation’s Tennessee Scholastic Clay Target Program. “These kids, their coaches and parents have worked tirelessly to prepare for this event, sometimes years worth of preparation. On the world stage, USA shooters won Olympic gold medals this year, and the sky’s the limit for some of these kids.”

In the skeet competition, the Haywood County Young Guns team won the Intermediate Entry category, with Henry County winning gold in the Rookie division. Individually, Haywood County’s Haynes Kirby won the national Intermediate Entry title, and Carah-beth Maddux was named national champion in the Ladies Varsity Skeet division.

More than 75 Teams Participate; Winners Named in Skeet, Sporting Clays and Trap

More than 1,500 athletes from across Tennessee spent last week competing in skeet, sporting clays and trap shooting, as part of the Tennessee Scholastic Clay Target Program’s (TNSCTP) state championship event in Nashville.

TNSCTP is a program of the Tennessee Wildlife Federation, with key partner support from the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. Approximately 200 school-based teams—from elementary through high school—participate in local, regional and statewide competitions, and the program is considered to be among the best in the nation.

“This has been the biggest year yet for our program, with four Junior Olympians named and the competition getting stronger at every event,” said Andrew Peercy, the Tennessee Wildlife Federation’s statewide TNSCTP manager. “Several of these teams could be in the running for national championships.”

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 47^th 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.

TWF Provides Professionally Processed Venison Donations to Hungry Families

Hunger relief agencies statewide are seeing record numbers of individuals and families seeking food assistance, and the demand is stretching limited resources. The Tennessee Wildlife Federation is helping to meet this need with a renewable resource in plentiful supply – venison, donated by hunters.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Andrew Peercy to Oversee Nationally Recognized SCTP, with 105 Teams Statewide

The Tennessee Wildlife Federation (TWF) has named Andrew Peercy as Manager of its Tennessee Scholastic Clay Target Program (TNSCTP), one of the largest and most successful programs of its kind in the nation. Peercy has served as the head coach of the TNSCTP team at Battle Ground Academy in Franklin since 2006.

“Andrew served this past year as the Region 2 trap director and did an exemplary job,” said Chad Whittenburg, TWF’s director of outreach. “With more than 100 teams statewide, the program has grown to the point where it deserved a statewide manager, and we’re excited to have Andrew’s leadership as we continue to build this sport in Tennessee.”

Phillip Fulmer to Join Advisory Board

The Tennessee Wildlife Federation (TWF) announced today that L. Daniel Hammond, a long-time TWF board member and benefactor, will serve as chairman of the organization’s board of directors in 2011. Hammond founded American Hometown Publishing in 2007, where he serves as chairman and chief executive officer.

“The Tennessee Wildlife Federation has a 65-year track record of success in protecting the interests of wildlife, habitat and those who care about them, and I have been honored to be a part of it for the last decade,” Hammond says. “In 2011, we look forward to the continued expansion of our award-winning programs in advocacy, education and stewardship.”

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.

TWF, in partnership TWRA, the Tennessee Forestry Association, the U.S. Forest Service, Project CENTS and the Tennessee State Chapter NWTF will sponsor an educators workshop at the National Wild Turkey Federation's Annual Convention in February.  

Educators will have the opportunity to participate in the day-long seminar at the Gaylord/Opryland Resort and Convention Center.  Attendees will receive over $75 worth of educational materials including a Wild about Turkey Education Box, hands-on curriculum based activities for teaching about wildlife conservation, and a Project WILD K-12 Activity Guide.  The workshop is limited to 25 participants on a first come first serve basis.  For more information or to register, download a flyer by clicking here.

The new TWF Hummingbird license plate is now available at your local county clerk's office!  Thanks to a generous gift to the Capital Campaign by TWF board member Dan Hammond, TWF  pre-sold the required 1,000 plates to place our new hummingbird plate into production. The artwork was generously provided by renowned wildlife artist Phillip Crowe of Franklin, TN.  The featured ruby-throated hummingbird is one of the most beautiful and commonly found varieties of the species found in Tennessee. 

For more information on getting a specialty plate, click here.  Thanks to all of you that helped support wildlife by pre-purhasing this plate! 

With TWF's free E-newsletter, you will learn more about work that TWF is conducting, wildilfe and conservation issues across Tennessee, and current events taking place.

The Tennessee Wildlife Federation is proud to present its latest Special Report titled, "Development, Land-use Policy, and the Future of Agriculture, Forestry and Hunting in the Southeast Cumberland Plateau." Please click here to download the report.

Appendicies will be uploaded soon.

Learn all about the establishment and management of native warm season grasses and managing early successional habitat for wildlife in this feature article from TWF's Tennessee Out-of-Doors Magazine (TOD). TOD is one of the many benefits of membership you can receive by joining TWF. Click here to read the article.