Conservationist and founder/CEO Johnny Morris serving as Honorary Chair
Springfield, MO -(AmmoLand.com)- Bass Pro Shops is excited to sponsor National Hunting and Fishing Day this Saturday, September 24 with activities taking place across the country.
The 2016 event marks the tenth year Bass Pro Shops has supported National Hunting and Fishing Day, which was established by Congress to recognize hunters and anglers for their leadership in fish and wildlife conservation.
This year noted conservationist and Bass Pro Shops founder/CEO is serving as honorary chair. A lifelong sportsman with a passion for hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation, Morris is one of the country’s foremost leaders working to ensure natural habitats, wildlife and the outdoors remain healthy for future generations to protect and enjoy.
“America’s sportsmen and women are among our nation’s most active conservationists and it’s important we recognize and celebrate everything they do to protect outdoor habitat and ensure thriving populations of wildlife,” said Morris. “I’m proud to lend my support and raise awareness for hunters and anglers, America’s conservation heroes through National Hunting and Fishing Day and I encourage everyone to get outside and enjoy it!”
Morris joins a distinguished group that has included Jim Shockey, Eva Shockey, Craig Morgan, Bill Dance, T. Boone Pickens, Louise Mandrell, Hank Williams Jr., Jeff Foxworthy, Wade Boggs, Arnold Palmer, the USA Olympic Shooting Team, Tony Stewart and others.
Led by avid sportsman President Theodore Roosevelt, early conservationists urged sustainable use of fish and game, created hunting and fishing licenses, and lobbied for taxes on sporting equipment to provide funds for state conservation agencies. These actions were the foundation of the North American wildlife conservation model, a science-based, user-pay system that would foster the most dramatic conservation successes of all time.
Each year sportsmen and women are funding more projects that enable more public access areas to be open. Through license sales and excise taxes on equipment, hunters and anglers pay for most fish and wildlife conservation programs. On average, hunters spend $1,638 every year on the sport. Portions of these funds are allocated to support conservation.
Other National Hunting and Fishing Day 2016 sponsors include National Shooting Sports Foundation, Yamaha, Bass Pro Shops, Realtree, Smith and Wesson, Gunbroker.com, Keep America Fishing, Ducks Unlimited, National Wild Turkey Federation, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, Safari Club International, National Rifle Association, Berkley and Izaak Walton League.
For more information, visit http://www.nhfday.org.
About Bass Pro Shops:
Bass Pro Shops, which specializes in outdoor fun, operates 98 stores and Tracker Marine Centers across America and Canada that are visited by more than 120 million people every year. Bass Pro Shops stores, many of which feature restaurants, offer hunting, fishing, camping and other outdoor gear while their catalogs and website serve shoppers throughout the world. The company’s Tracker Marine Group (www.trackermarine.com), a leading brand of fishing boats for more than 37 years, manufactures and sells a variety of boats for fishing and cruising. Family fun is on tap at Bass Pro Shops resort Big Cedar Lodge (www.bigcedar.com), voted by Travel + Leisure as one of the top 50 Best Hotels for Families in the U.S. To request a free catalog, call 1-800-BASS PRO. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bassproshops.
For more information, visit www.basspro.com.