Multistate Conservation Grants
The Multistate Conservation Grant Program annually provides $11 million dollars from the Wildlife Restoration Account and the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund. This program is jointly administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA). These high priority projects address problems affecting states on a regional or national basis. Projects include species population surveys, outreach, data collection regarding hunter or angler participation, hunter or aquatic education, economic value of fishing and hunting, and regional or multistate habitat needs assessments.
Below are listed the abstracts for the most recent grant abstracts awarded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. These grants are currently active. Interested parties can visit the AFWA Multistate Grant website for final reports for all grants that have been completed in the past.
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A Regional Health Assessment of a Native Semi-aquatic Rodent: Surveillance for Pathogens and Toxicants in Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) in the Eastern United States
A long-term decline in muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) populations across the United States is of increasing concern to state fish and wildlife agencies. To date, causes underlying these declines have yet to be identified. Muskrats are a valuable furbearer as they contribute to biodiversity, play an important role in wetland quality, and provide economic benefits from the sale of fur and meat. This study will examine the prevalence and distribution of pathogens that could be contributing to declines of eastern muskrat populations. Additionally, we will also determine the exposure of muskrats to toxicants including organic compounds and neonicotinoids. This regional assessment of muskrat health will provide valuable new data and inform wildlife professionals as to whether there are pathogen and toxicant threats to muskrats that could impact their fecundity, immunity, or survival. Results of this study will guide future management efforts and the conservation of muskrat populations.
ACI Engage New Adult Hunters with YouTube Advertising Year Two
YouTube has become the go-to location for learning how to do nearly everything. Regardless of their demographics, if you ask any group of adults where they go to learn a skill, most of them answer “YouTube.” According to Omnicore, a team of data-driven digital marketing experts:
- 81% of U.S. adults use YouTube.
- 95% of 18–29-year-olds in the U.S. use YouTube.
- 91% of 30–49-year-olds in the U.S. use YouTube.
- 62% of U.S. YouTube users say they visit the site daily.
YouTube advertising tools provide an opportunity to target these viewers by age, gender, location, and interests. While many states already utilize YouTube to provide educational opportunities to their audience of new and existing hunters, its use as a marketing tool is underutilized and not well-known. If the hunting community can capitalize on this opportunity to reach more people, it could be an effective tool for communicating with a larger audience.
Using a 2023 MSCG, we worked with Idaho, Tennessee, Maryland, and Iowa to develop and place YouTube ads to drive interested parties to learn-hunting content. In this project, we will develop YouTube advertising for four new states using lessons learned from the previous MSCG. In addition to introducing new participants to hunting in four states, this second effort will be designed to provide even deeper understandings of YouTube as a marketing platform for communicating with a state’s hunting population.
We will place the ads to reach adult residents who are interested in outdoor recreation, food, and sustainability. As the ads run, we will study conversion rates and make mid-course adjustments to maximize campaign success. In other words, we will let real people in our target audiences show us by their actions what makes a successful campaign. All this new understanding will be captured in recommendations and best practices to be shared throughout the R3 community.
ACI Increasing Shooting Sports Participation by Introduction and Education through Schools
Within the last decade, two major initiatives and multiple toolkit packages have delivered strategic frameworks, guidance, and practical training tools on R3 effort evaluation to R3 practitioners. The evaluation theory, tools, and resources developed by these initiatives have been largely accepted by the professional R3 community as the standards by which R3 programs, efforts, and interventions should ideally be measured for their effectiveness and efficiency.
The Outdoor Recreation Adoption Model (ORAM) is a fundamental theoretical framework that facilitates many of these standards of efficiency. The ORAM has succeeded in offsetting a longstanding aversion to evaluation by the R3 community. Though the ORAM has proven useful, few of those who tout its merits fully understand its limitations, poorly validated assertions, or the elements of its logic that need further study before being put into practice; specifically, the ORAM’s ‘decision to continue‘ point and its direct association with individual identity formation. Though noted as a critical decision in the original text, few answers are provided to a modern R3 practitioner wondering “what to do next” for participants or what specific aspects of an R3 effort induced the participant to go hunting or fishing. This void in modern R3 evaluation has unintentionally halted many R3 practitioners from identifying how to design efficient pathways for various target demographics. Further, the R3 community remains unaware of how identity formation within a participant can be accelerated to convert them into an avid and independent hunter or angler who can “continue without support”.
Fortunately, the process of establishing a self-identity and its role in the “decision to continue” are well known to social science. Decades of Self-Identity Theory research has revealed how the ‘decision to continue’ is influenced by an individual coming to see what groups they belong to, and how that identity can be accelerated programmatically if understood by practitioners. Regrettably, this research is not yet integrated into R3 evaluation strategies or the decisions R3 professionals make on how to develop effective adoption pathways for various audiences. The purpose of this study it to remedy this hole in the ORAM by partnering with 4-6 state fish and wildlife agencies (SFWAs) who wish to benefit from measuring, and then developing, elements of the self-identity component of the ORAM.
Project leads will collaborate with SFWAs to integrate three principles of self-identity: Aptitude, Behavior and Community (ABCs) into preexisting pre- and post-event surveys. Project leads will then analyze to analyze the change in an attendee’s self-identity induced by an R3 effort, the effectiveness of the R3 effort in developing self-identity, which R3 efforts tend to attract different types of self-identifying hunters/anglers, and then chain successive R3 efforts tailored to the specific individual. By applying components of self-identity to R3 audiences, SFWAs can 1) capture higher ROIs on R3 efforts, 2) have more success achieving diversity, equity, and inclusion goals, and 3) attain higher conversion rates as would-be outdoor enthusiasts make the ‘decision to continue.’
ACI Increasing Shooting Sports Particpation by Introduction and Education through Schools
By 2020, approximately 11% of Americans 16 and older went target shooting annually, but only 9% of youth from 9 to 15 years participated. Similarly, 61% of hunters had started by the age of 17 (DOI, DOJ, Southwick). Recognizing most adults adopt their preferred recreational activities in their youth, the future of target shooting and its correlated conservation funding mandates that young people have safe opportunities to try the sport. However, considering a majority of youth live in urban and suburban areas, with most in non-shooting or non-hunting households, the opportunity for youth to try target shooting is limited. It is paramount we bring shooting education opportunities to youth where they live rather than expect them to find us.
To reach youths where they live, the Student Air Rifle Program (SAR) was created. Modeled after the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) and with their help, SAR works with state wildlife agencies to provide young people with a safe introduction to firearms. SAR employs a “teach the teacher” approach. Once trained, SAR’s instructors initiate safe and fun air rifle programs as part of schools’ physical education programs using SAR’s education materials and equipment resources. SAR continues to expand into parks and other recreation programs, scouting programs, and similar. The program is funded by sponsors, partners, equipment sales, and tournament participation. Focused on youth in grades 4 through 12 and launched in 2014, SAR now has nearly 500 trained Basic Air Riflery Instructors in eight states who have served over 18,000 youth, with annual participation growing rapidly. We currently have formal relationships with the wildlife agencies in KS, PA and TX with TN scheduled to come on board in 2023. Working in partnership with the Association for Conservation Information (ACI), the goal is to expand SAR into many more states, with the support and input from state wildlife agencies.
However, expansion will be difficult until states and potential partners know key points about SAR such as the conversion rates (students becoming independent target shooters), the sales of taxable product generated by students, if students later introduce others to the shooting sports, if participation actually or potentially leads to an interest in hunting, and more. Once these research tasks are completed through interviews and surveys of students, volunteers and state agencies, four states will be engaged to launch new SAR programs in part using the research results to evaluate effectiveness. These states will serve as models for other states to consider. The ultimate results will be increased number of youth target shooting participants via school-based programs.
ACI R3 through Marketing with Pilot States
Marketing is an effective way to accomplish R3. The fish and wildlife community is learning this and beginning to see what agencies can do and how much should be invested in marketing. Furthermore, with the new allowances in WSFR since PR modernization passed, there are new ways to fund marketing in states that have not been able to in the past. This makes information about what the most effective marketing techniques are to accomplish R3 very timely information.
ACI, with over 40 states fish and wildlife agency members who are practitioners of marketing and R3, is an organization that exists only to advance agency communication abilities. Since PR Modernization, ACI has garnered 3 grants to accomplish R3 through marketing. We have the 2020,2021 and 2022 case studies published and are in the midst of the 2023 campaigns being implemented. ACI has led 15 completed projects and is currently leading 5 more pilot states to innovate and continually improve R3 via new marketing techniques, has helped states with little to no resources directed toward marketing invest in these activities and see the value that marketing can bring to these efforts. The 15 states that have been involved so far have learned a lot through these pilot projects and are constantly sharing their case studies with others in the community. If we want all agencies to continue to adopt marketing as an integral practice to how we accomplish R3, we need to continue these efforts!
This project will further develop the practices for states to innovate and continually improve R3 marketing techniques. Over the 2020-2023 awarded R3 marketing grants we have an established committee and 20 states have been able to put $50,000 each toward marketing tactics that have accomplished R3. This year we will have an application process as we have in years past and the ACI Committee will chose 5 projects that rise to the top. We will strive to have one project from each AFWA region.
Over the past several years we have proven the benefits of this program through implementing effective, trackable campaigns that are tied directly to the revenue that the campaign returns. The investment of these grant dollars in marketing has been multiplied and returned to each agency that has been the recipient of this project’s grant funding for the last 4 years. There is still a great need to pilot new efforts and share the successes and challenges of doing those efforts with others working to use marketing to accomplish R3.
Attracting New Customers with a Social Media Video Marketing Campaign
This proposal builds on previous efforts to use visually and emotionally appealing recruitment materials created and tested under two prior MSCG (F19AP00100, F22AP00531). The aim is to attract potential customers aged 18 to 34 to visit agency “how-to-hunt/how to shoot” web pages. By employing cutting-edge marketing strategies, we will distribute these materials and monitor conversion rates in the Southeast region. These products are specifically designed to raise awareness about the vital role of hunting and shooting in conservation, with the goal of fostering emotional connections and engagement with our broader conservation system among the target audience. Our objectives are to significantly increase conversion rates among these generations and drive the sale of equipment and licenses, resulting in funding for state agencies. We will collaborate with four southeastern states to implement a regional marketing program in designated test markets, partnering with established marketing firms that have a proven track record with state wildlife agencies. The distribution of marketing materials will be evenly spread across the test states, enabling us to track their impact effectively. Anticipated outcomes include measurable increases in license sales and retention within the test markets, as well as an upsurge in product sales generating WSFR funding for states. These outcomes will yield tangible conservation impacts through increased funding from license and permit sales, as well as equipment purchases.
Conservation Relevency Toolkit
This one-year project will gather, review, and refine materials and tools that will assist all 51 state conservation agencies improve awareness and value of and support for conservation by engaging and serving broader constituencies. These materials and tools have been tested on a public website (Wildlife Management Institute) for anyone to access and use. The materials are customizable to suit the interests m resources and contexts of any agency (e.g., survey instruments, slide decks with narratives, discussion questions, planning tools) to help them improve relationships with current and currently underserved constituencies and co-create desired programs and services for them.
Continued Revision and Updates to the AFS Blue Book: Standard Methods for Aquatic Pathogen Identification and Fish Health Management
The AFS Fish Health Section (FHS) “Blue Book” – procedures for the detection and identification of finfish and shellfish pathogens – is an essential reference for state fisheries agencies and other professionals assessing the health status of aquatic animals. Although it is primarily used by fish health practitioners and laboratories, Blue Book methods help determine the health status of wild and cultured fish, with far reaching implications. Most states require the use of Blue Book methodology by explicitly referencing the document in administrative codes or regulations. The Blue Book is a critical resource for the safe production and movement of aquatic animals, and a Blue Book Revision Steering Committee has been recently established to direct the amendments.
Continuing to Expand and Improve the Real-time License Data Dashboard
The National Hunting and Shooting Sports Action Plan was published by the Wildlife Management Institute and Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports (Council) in 2016. The work on the plan started years before, involved a workgroups of 20 professionals (nonprofits, industry, and agencies), and resulted in the guiding document under which R3 capacity has increase exponentially. The immediate recommendation in the plan was to, “Complete the hunting and fishing participation scorecard on an annual (or more frequent) basis.” This scorecard is what is now referred to as a dashboard and the R3 community embraced the concept whole-heartedly with state-level hunting and fishing license dashboards. Agency, industry, and nonprofit R3 practitioners soon realized the need to look at these data at macro level and demand for regional and nation-level data became apparent. This demand led to a groundbreaking partnership between agencies, nonprofits, and industry to create the first regional and nation level dashboard with MSCGP support. This dashboard increased R3 staff competency and capacity to evaluate, manage, and interpret data by summarizing state-level license sales for comparisons at the regional and national levels. While useful, semi-annual updates limited the on-the-ground implication of the data as there was significant lag time.
In 2022, the dashboard was upgraded from semi-annual updates to reporting on a daily basis with MSCGP and partner support. Reported elements include the number of unique license buyers by day/month/year. Numbers of newly recruited license and churn rates in total and by age, gender, and residency. As of May 30, 2023 seven states were live, six in production, two more have signed the data security and participation agreement and 16 more were in process. Progress was slower than expected due to unforeseen circumstances (e.g., new data security legislation in states). The project team anticipates 20 states being live by the end of 2023 and for it to be live for public use.
Buy-in has increased among numerous states and it is time to make the final push to ensure there is a national Buy-in has increased among numerous states and it is time to make the final push to ensure there is a national representative number of states contributing data by the end of 2024. With MSCGP support, more states will be added to the dashboard and the current ones maintained, thus providing greater accuracy and insights. The goal remains to host 35 reporting states. Please not the vendor, Southwick Associates, and its technical partner, Pragmatim, are using the latest data transfer and security standards. To participate states do no share personally identifiable information (PII). The Council took over facilitation of this project in 2023 on behalf of 12 partner, keeps no funds from the award, and intends to ensure it is brought to completion. The Council has communicated to all partners that this will be the last request for build funding for the dashboard and 2024 will be the make or break year to get a nationally representative number of states involved. In early 2024, the Council will evaluate the dashboards long term operational prospects and if realistic, will initiate efforts to secure the lesser cost of maintenance funding for future years.
Coordination of Farm Bill Program Implementation to Optimize On-the-Ground Fish and Wildlife Benefits to the States
The grantee represents the consensus interests of state fish and wildlife agencies to ensure that fish and wildlife habitat conservation needs are properly incorporated into the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Bill conservation programs. In 2022, these USDA funds provided $1.83 billion for the Conservation Reserve Program, protecting 1.8 million acres of land by taking marginal cropland out of production and 2.4 million acres into grassland conservation. In addition to this “bread and butter” program for most wildlife agencies, the NRCS spent nearly $5 billion dollars on conservation programs the same year. Additional investments in conservation through the Inflation Reduction Act of 2023 will also allow state agencies to leverage these funds for fish and wildlife. The grant will support collaboration and coordination of state fish and wildlife agencies across all regions to provide input during the rule-making process of these USDA programs and feedback on how program implementation and rollout of the 2023 Farm Bill is functioning in each state, including recommendations for further actions. The grantee will facilitate working groups that represent each of the farm bill programs impacting wildlife to ensure state members are aware of updated policies and have an opportunity to voice professional opinions, ensuring that these federal dollars are used as effectively as possible. Those working groups include the: Bioenergy, Conservation Reserve Program, Environmental Quality Incentives Program/Conservation Stewardship Program, Farm Bill Easements, Forestry, Public Access, Regional Conservation Partnership Program, and Private Lands working groups.
Coordination of National Scale Conservation Efforts by State Fish & Wildlife Agencies
The proposal will focus on three priorities with the objective of enabling state fish and wildlife agencies to coordinate their conservation efforts across state borders on a regional and national scale:
- Participation by senior state and Association staff in regional and national level meetings where planning and coordination are performed with federal, NGO, and industry partners. The focus is on meetings of regional and national significance, including but not limited to regional association meetings, the North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference, the AFWA Annual meeting, NGO meetings, industry trade association meetings, and other events and meetings. State Directors and their designees and Association staff will attend major industry events to maintain open communications and coordinate on important and often sensitive issues that determine the success or failure of conservation and management initiative important to the Association’s members.
- Strategic communications. Association of Fish & Wildlife Staff will be responsible for implementing a communications plan and maintaining a communications infrastructure that allows state fish and wildlife agencies to effectively coordinate with each other and with their NGO and federal partners on regional and national importance issues.
- Regional Landscape Conservation Coordination: Provide planning, coordination, facilitation, and support to the AFWA/FWS Landscape Conservation Joint Task Force.
Coordination of State Fish and Wildlife Agencies Authority to Manage Wildlife Resources in Concert with Federal Actions Required by International Treaties, Conventions, Partnerships, and Initiatives
Decisions made in international for a, such as the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES), can positively and negatively affect the management authority or practices of state, provincial, and territorial fish and wildlife agencies. However, it is not realistic nor economically viable for all state fish and wildlife agencies (states) to participate in CITES, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), or other international for a. At the same time, U.S. federal agencies, foreign governments, and NGOs are at the table and have input in decisions. Therefore in 1994, the CITES Technical Work Group (Work Group) was created. It includes a member from each state regional association and AFWA. The Work Group has been highly effective in supporting the state’s (and, where appropriate, Canadian Provinces and Territories) ability to manage and conserve wildlife and in influencing decisions through science-based positions that encourage the sustainable use of wildlife. Without the Work Group, the states do not have a voice in decisions, nor can they bring science-based, on-the-ground expertise to help guide decisions. Considering the recent pandemic and the spotlight it has put on fish and wildlife use and consumption and One Health, having a voice in international for a is even more critical.
The goal of the Work Group is to ensure that positions are presented in international for a that support sustainable use and the conservation and management of native species, utilize the best available science, and support state management authority, and that the states and the U.S. government collaborate on international conservation issues. Additionally, the Work Group coordinates with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to ensure that processes for the implementation of treaty decisions are practical to implement by the states. To accomplish this, the Work Group must participate in CITES and IUCN meetings and work closely with the USFWS and other federal agencies. This grant will allow the Work Group to ensure that the state’s ability to manage wildlife is not negatively impacted by actions taken at CITES, IUCN, or other for a, and where appropriate, the Work Group will support Canadian Provinces and Territories. The Work Group will also serve as the state contact point for the USFWS and other federal agencies, providing an efficient way for the U.S. government to implement its international obligations cooperatively. The impact of grant outcomes continues beyond the life of this grant by impacting fish and wildlife conservation and management.
CWD Information Tools: Giving Agencies What They Need
Since its discovery in North America, Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) has created unprecedented challenges to state and provincial agencies in battling both the management of the disease itself as well as conflicts in public expectation, discourse, and cooperation related to that management. Prior to 2022, all attempts to address the latter by better and more accurate communication with the public at a national scale had largely failed due to inconsistencies in agency data collection, inaccurate/out-of-date content on agency websites, and a reticence by leadership to organize and share their agency’s CWD-related information on a common platform. Fortunately, a powerful partnership between NGOs, state fish and wildlife agencies, and industry overcame these barriers by creating a consensus-driven, ArcGIS Esri CWD Information Sharing Community Hub in 2022. For the first time, state and provincial agencies have access to a platform that easily collects, organizes, shares, and publishes their complex suite of CWD-related regulatory and surveillance data in a standardized format while allowing the agency full control and ownership of the data itself.
The success of this initiative stemmed from an exhaustive assessment process that was implemented to discover the breadth and depth of needs, opinions, concerns, and wishes of the North American CWD management community. This assessment resulted in the creation of a very clear set of CWD data and information priorities, the most critical of which were encapsulated in the current public-facing products of the CWD information community hub. However, many more of the agency identified priorities remain uncompleted due to the fiscal and time constraints imposed by the project funding sources.
This proposal seeks to complete the remaining CWD information priorities outlined by CWD managers who guided the formation of the initial information community hub. These priorities can be address by the completion of the following three objectives: 1) Development of best practices for CWD data capture, use, and communications that support applications capable of contextualizing county/GMU-level prevalence and surveillance data, import/export regulations, and tribal CWD data integration; 2) Establish an agency-to-agency (capable by password-protected ArcGIS Esri HUB accounts) CWD data resource repository that aggregates existing geospatial tools that other agencies use to relay CWD-related information and provide a community learning/collaboration forum that helps agencies expand their CWD data communication capacity; 3) Development of a CWD response package that provides an agency with a“ shovel ready” package of data applications (embeddable CWD presence map, sample and disposal site application, hunting regulations application, etc.) that can be mobilized when CWD is found in a new area, state, or province.
Determining Why Cultural Support for Hunting and Sport Shooting is Declining
Cultural support for legal hunting and recreational sport shooting in America is declining at a rapid pace. Since 1995, Responsive Management has tracked public opinion on hunting and sport shooting through periodic national trends surveys. The latest trend survey, Americans Attitudes Towards Legal, Regulated Fishing, Sport Shooting, Hunting and Trapping 2023, marks the first time in recent decades there has been statistically significant decrease in Americans approval of both activities. Results show hunting losing support of 9.9 million adult Americans, aged 18 and over, and recreation sport shooting losing support of 8.4 million adult Americans in just the past two years. These national results are not an anomaly, as recent state level surveys conducted by Responsive Management in Arizona, Maine, and Washington reflect the same trend of declining overall support. This trend is particularly worrisome given that hunting and recreational shooting remain uniquely vulnerable to attacks from opponents and subject to new restrictions on access and opportunities. The R3 community recognizes the importance of ensuring that hunting and sport shooting remain acceptable in the eyes of the public: a recent survey of stakeholders of the Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports found that maintaining and increasing, cultural acceptance of hunting is the R3 community highest priority. The latest national and state-level trend data make clear that cultural support for hunting and sport shooting is waning what is not clear at this point are the reasons why. This project involved new research to identify the why and understand the specific reasons driving the declines in support for hunting and sport shooting. Following the research, the grant team will take action and work directly with the R3 community, as well as the outdoor industry, to explore application of the research funds to existing campaigns and programs. Outdoor Stewards of Conservation Foundation and Responsive Management will disseminate the insights from the research through webinars that focus on how current messaging campaigns and outreach programs can be strengthened to address and, as necessary, combat harmful misperceptions affecting public support for hunting and recreational shooting.
Developing eDNA tools for use in Aquatic Invasive Species detection to improve conservation efforts for sportfish and waterfowl
Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) can have drastic impacts on populations of waterfowl and sportfish through a variety of environmental impacts including habitat alternations, outcompeting native prey items, and altering food web dynamics. In 2020, it was estimated that AIS cost the US at least $23 billion dollars. Early detection of AIS can be critical in enabling managers to provide rapid response measures in order to prevent establishment or further spread of AIS along with directing limited restoration funds. Detecting AIS can be a very costly and time-intensive endeavor when traditional sampling methods are used. Environmental DNA (eDNA) is a powerful took for biodiversity assessments and the early detection of AID, but eDNA assays are missing for most aquatic plants. Aquatic plants are key indicators of ecosystem health and popular targets for biodiversity monitoring and restoration worldwide. Invasive plants are often accidentally introduced into new waterbodies at distinct points of use, like boat landings. At new invasive sites, traditional field-based plants survey typically detect the invasive only after the plant is established in high abundance and therefore difficult or impossible to eradicate. Using eDNA metabarcoding can providing detection data simultaneously for entire communities, including invasives. The MinION is a portable sequencer that allows multiple species identification completely in the field, with results available within 1-2 days, can be conducted by field personnel with appropriate training. We propose to identify metabarcoding markers and optimize MinION protocols to detect up to 40 invasive plants so resource managers could quickly and cost-effectively conduct eDNA surveillance of waterbodies with high invasion risk or management needs. The tool would aid early detection and rapid response of AIS, as well as initiate eDNA biodiversity assessments.
Developing Firearm Ownership and Sport Shooting R3 Communications for Black Americans
The purpose of this project is the develop targeted R3 strategies, communications, and outreach materials for Black Americans regarding their purchases of firearms and their participation in target and sport shooting activities.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Workshop, Academy Evaluation, Internship, Honorariums and Coffee Talk Grants
Our fish and wildlife agencies are finding it harder to stay (or become) relevant in today’s world and must learn how to better serve broader constituencies to ensure the future of North America’s conservation legacy. The 2023 Multistate Conservation Grant, Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in Conservation Academy, Coffee Talk, and Fellowship grant (F23AP00485-00), organized a focused DEI Academy that provided meaningful guidance on how to build DEI into the fabric of conservation organizations. This Academy was designed to focus on state agencies specifically, and with limitations on capacity and effective learning environments, participation was limited to one participant per state. There is a need to bring the shared learning and outcomes from this focused Academy to the broader conservation community. We propose to accomplish this through a one-day workshop in association with the 2024 AFWA Annual Meeting.
An ongoing and successful discussion space exists in AFWA’s DEI’s Coffee Talk Series. These virtual discussion forums offer the conservation community a safe and courageous space to engage in vulnerable conversations surrounding DEI. Coffee Talks have high attendance, with over 100 participants regularly tuning in. Participants continue to provide positive reviews, suggest news topics, and continue to request we hold them.
By offering an honorarium to DEI subject matter experts as speakers at both our AFWA DEI Coffee Talks and expanding that to possible conference venues, as appropriate, we will be able to provide a richer set of learning opportunities for all participants. We propose to continue offering and expanding this space in the next year.
With the completion of the inaugural DEI Academy in November 2023, we propose an evaluation to examine the effectiveness of the Academy and where improvement could be made if funding were provided for a 2025 Academy. This will include a survey of the 2023 Academy participants and a look as to how they’ve been able to start implementation of their DEI plan.
The Association recognizes participation in our work by people with diverse views, backgrounds, cultures, and experiences are necessary t fulfill our mission. Supporting the AFWA DEI Intern program and providing DEI training to AFWA Staff is in line with AFWA’s Mission, creates a more welcoming and inclusive culture, and better supports our members in their efforts around relevancy and creating a more diverse workforce.
Ensuring the viability of the American System of Conservation Funding: improving the understanding of excise-tax based funding for conservation
The WSFR program allocates approximately $1.5 billion each year to state wildlife agencies for conservation. This funding also has positive ripple effect on local economies through wildlife-related recreation. Furthermore, it creates and sustains opportunities for everyone to appreciate and engage with nature, including fish, wildlife, and the great outdoors. However, there exists a growing disconnect between the public and the natural world. Many people fail to grasp the intricacies of our unique conservation system and the funding model that sustains it. It is crucial for our community to effectively involve our customers, industry partners, and the public by effectively communicating the captivating narrative of conservation funding and the unprecedented successes that have resulted from it. By strengthening relationships among industry, agencies, and other collaborators, we can efficiently promote our success stories in conservation and collectively engage our partners and customers to ensure the long-term stability of conservation funding. Furthermore, by leveraging resources through partnerships, we can raise awareness among influential individuals and the public, allowing our conservation model to thrive for years to come. The objectives of this project are to clarify the role of industry partners in fish and wildlife conservation, highlight the benefits of conservation to our partnerships and customers, and increase awareness among key influencers regarding the crucial contributions made by states, manufacturers, and the sporting public. These efforts aim to shed light on what has long been our best-kept secret and our most remarkable conservation success story.
Exploring R3 Opportunities in State Parks
State parks across the Midwest (MAFWA) attract more than 300 million visits each year. State parks visitors already have an interest in the outdoors and some skills, knowledge, and familiarity with natural places. Since the Covid 19 pandemic, attendance at most state parks has increased (in some cases dramatically) straining park personnel and financial resources. Given the interest and abundance of park visitors, we hypothesize that there may be interest in hunting, fishing, and the shooting sports among their ranks parks may be the segue to other outdoor activities. There is paucity of quantifiable information to evaluate this hypothesis. Similarly, information on park use by hunters and anglers is sparce. Therefore, this project will conduct surveys of park visitors, and hunters and anglers in Midwest states to determine the existing level of crossover participation and the level of interest of park visitors in hunting, fish, and the shooting sports and vice-versa. The report generated from this survey will identify the resources and tools that could be provided to park visitors to encourage start up and/or increase participation in hunting, fishing and shooting sports. The management implications of the results of this first phase will be to design marketing campaigns and implementable actions that result in more efficient and effective R3.
Fish and Wildlife Agency Digital Experience Index: Individual Agency Website Assessment and Enhancement Reporting to Improve Recruitment, Retention, and Reactivation
Recent R3 research suggests that many new and prospective hunters and anglers find state fish and wildlife agency websites difficult to navigate. These new license buyers — especially younger generations that agencies are trying to attract — expect to find whatever they are looking for online within a few clicks. If they cannot buy a license or find how-to information quickly and easily, they are highly likely to abort the attempt and just find something else to do. Many agencies recognize this is a problem, but may not have the resources to determine how to address it. The Fish and Wildlife Agency Digital Experience Index will provide all state and U.S. territory agencies with individualized assessments of their websites along with recommendations for potential improvements to increase recruitment, retention, and reactivation. Reports will be shared individually with each agency. Reports will not chasten or demean agencies’ digital delivery efforts, and they will not compare performance between states. Rather, the tools will be offered as guidance and advocacy for improving online experiences and agency R3 effectiveness across the nation.
Grow Diversity Among Archery Instructors Nationwide to Increase Participation from Under-Represented Populations
USA Archery wants to expand archery into all communities across the United States; however, the vast majority of current instructors and coaches are white male individuals from traditional backgrounds. This gap in diverse and inclusive instructors leaves many potential shooting sports and outdoors enthusiasts without a relatable and comfortable learning environment and/or leader. USA Archery will recruit a diverse pool of new instructors and coaches, ultimately resulting in more diverse audiences and archers. USA Archery will partner with multisport organizations, municipal park and recreation departments, and state and federal agencies to create a nationwide effort that will result in a scalable and sustainable approach to expanding archery programming to underrepresented communities.
Growing Collegiate Archery Programs to Recruit and Retain 18-24 year-olds
In 2021 and 2022 nearly half (48%) of all target archery participants were under the age of 25. There has been a slow and steady growth within this demographic, which is often difficult to recruit and retain, which demonstrates that focused efforts on a specific audience has long-term return on investment. However, without consistent maintenance and attention, we risk losing target archers, and potentials hunting license buyers, under the age of 25 once they attend college or enter the job market. USA Archery has a Collegiate Archery Program (CAP) that serves as a viable next step and retention opportunity for archers who participate in the NASP, OAS, and S3DA. The CAP includes target and 3D archery and holds annual regional and national championship events. In recent years, hunting and shooting sports has seen a small but significant increase in diversity and female participants among hunters and recreational target shooters and a collegiate-based program can continue that trend with USA Archery’s CAP having 48% female and 42% non-white participants. By recruiting new colleges and universities to the CAP, the R3 community also recruits new stakeholders and partners to assist in long-term sustainable R3 efforts via the connection to next step programs, events, partner organizations and advocacy.
How governance, regulation presentation, and regulatory outliers affect hunting regulation complexity
With hunting participation declining since the 1980s, this study will examine how governance, regulation presentation, and regulatory outliers affect hunting regulation complexity. Such factors have implications for hunter recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) objectives. Specifically, we will use surveys, focus groups, an in-depth state-by-state regulation review, and an analysis of state governance structures to 1) catalog how hunting regulations are promulgated in each state; 2) investigate how the presentation and delivery method of hunting regulations influences the perception of regulation complexity among prospective and current hunters; and 3) summarize hunting regulation outliers in each state. This research builds upon the Analysis of Hunting Regulation report (available in the National R3 Clearinghouse and funded by the MSCGP) we released in 2023 which encompassed a review of literature related to hunting regulation complexity and a state-by-state analysis of hunting regulations. For the current study we will add a critically useful human dimensions component through focus groups and surveys. The results of our research will provide tangible recommendations to state agency stakeholders and interested in mitigating regulatory barriers to achieving R3 objectives – from reducing barriers to hunting for diverse, non-traditional hunting demographics, to bolstering hunter satisfaction and retention. Research will be conducted at the University of Montana and through two subawards built into our grant budget. One sub-award will be for the State University of New York’s College of Environmental Science and Forestry, which will provide support for Dr. Millspaugh’s involvement given his co-appointment at that institution and the University of Montana. A second subaward will be issued to the Boone and Crockett Club which will be used to fund cooperator involvement, travel, and logistics, as well as administrative support for the project.
Human Costs and Impacts of Losing Hunting & Trapping as Wildlife Management Tools
As human and wildlife populations increase, so do human-wildlife conflicts with demands on state wildlife agencies for relief. However, state budgets remain constrained, placing additional strain on all state agency functions. At the same time, states are continually pressure to reduce the use of hunting and trapping as wildlife management tools, eroding states’ abilities to maintain an acceptable balance between wildlife and associated damages. There is a critical need to increase public awareness of the need for modern, scientific wildlife management tools including hunting and trapping. If conducted, not only will the management of human-wildlife conflicts be maintained, but states will be better positioned to request and received increased resources for wildlife management. To produce this critical information, data produced 20 years ago by the AFWA Animal Use Committee will be updated and expanded through two surveys of wildlife management and damage experts regarding nuisance wildlife trends, current damage levels, expected outcomes in 5 to 10 years if hunting and trapping were lost, plus the expected public and financial costs associated with alternatives to hunting and trapping, if available. Also, a careful review of published literature and secondary sources will be conducted to locate available estimates on current impacts associated with human-wildlife conflicts. Finally, communications efforts will be led by the Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation to communicate the results with the general public and media outlets to raise awareness and support for modern, scientific management methods. Care will be taken to not vilify wildlife, but to communicate the need for active wildlife management including the use of hunting and trapping for the benefit of both wildlife and humans alike.
Identifying the Types of Shooting Range Activities that will Attract the Most People
As state agencies construct and improve more shooting ranges, many different types of shooting activities can be offered. Public ranges generally consist of the typical 25-yard rimfire and 100-yard centerfire ranges, along with some form of shotgun sports. But just as preferences for restaurants, movies, and music varies, different people are attracted to different types of shooting opportunities. This begs the questions: “are we constructing ranges that best meet public demand?” and “do our ranges offer the types of shooting activities that will attract the most new shooters and keep them returning?” In partnership with the Association of Conservation Information (ACI), this project will examine emerging preferences regarding shooting opportunities. The results will identify the types of shooting that best attract avid and occasional shooters, as well as new participants. Results will be provided by demographics (age, gender, race/ethnicity, et al), shooting disciplines (shotgun sports, archery, rifle/handgun), and urban/suburban versus rural locations. We will also explore preferences for on-site services, the importance of convenience and distance people must travel, indoor ranges for growing suburban/urban communities, interest in emerging shooting opportunities, on-site services, and locations preferred by under-represented demographics and communities.
Implementing Recommendations from the Wildlife Viewer Survey: Inclusion in Wildlife Viewing for People with Disabilities
Approximately one in four Americans have a disability – a proportion anticipated to rise with the aging population (CDC, 2018). In 2021, with the support of a Multistate Conservation Grant, Virginia Tech found that 38% of wildlife viewers (people who participate in observing, feeding, or photographing wildlife, or maintain plantings for the benefit of wildlife) reported experiencing accessibility challenges, defined as “the difficulties someone experiences in interacting with or while using the physical or social environment while trying to engage in a meaningful activity (such as wildlife viewing). This may be a result of a mobility challenge, blindness or low vision, intellectual or developmental disabilities (including Autism). Mental illness, being Deaf or Hard of Hearing, or other health concerns.”
Despite the large number of Americans and wildlife viewers with disabilities, little is known about best practices to cultivate their participation in wildlife viewing. Many agencies do not have the capacity to explore best practices for universal design (principles used when designing environments, products or communications to be as equitable and user-friendly as possible), the resources to conduct focus groups to hear from these constituents about their needs and experiences, or the training or expertise around disability or accessibility. This project will enable wildlife viewing staff nationwide to more effectively include a significant portion of the wildlife viewing community interested in engaging with wildlife agencies.
If state agencies wish to broaden relevancy by creating equitable opportunities for wildlife viewing, it is vital that they work proactively to reduce – or better yet, eliminate – barriers that disabled wildlife views experience where possible. Not only will this create opportunities for participation that are more accessible and inclusive for wildlife viewers with disabilities, by increasing accessibility nondisabled wildlife viewers too, such as expectant mothers who also benefit from intentional bench placement, and small children who also cannot see through solid safety barriers at observation platforms. The more relevant and engaging we can make wildlife viewing for the broadest possible audience, and especially for diverse historically underserved audiences, the more people will connect deeply with nature and act to support conservation efforts across North America.
If funded, a disability-led research team will develop a literature review and an accompanying webinar about disabilities and outdoor recreation to provide easy-to-understand information for state wildlife agency staff about these topics. Next, a webinar with detailed findings from our initial survey of wildlife viewers with disabilities will further highlight the experiences of this audience. A workshop covering and expanding on these topics will be given in-person at the Wildlife Viewing and Nature Tourism Academy 2024. To amplify the voices of wildlife viewers with disabilities and to ensure future recommendations are relevant, we will conduct focus groups of wildlife viewers with various disabilities across all the regions of the US. Finally, results from these focus groups, combined with insights from a co-production workshop with state agency personnel, will be packaged into a report and webinar made available to staff state agencies and the general public.
Each of these deliverables will build upon the last to enhance skills and empower staff at state agencies to understand, identify, and reduce barriers to access at the wildlife viewing locations they manage, and improve their programming and communications efforts to the disability community. Each improvement state agencies make towards increasing access and inclusion is one step towards making the state agencies, and wildlife viewing as an activity, more relevant to people with disabilities and other health concerns, and their communities.
Integrative Modeling to Predict the Distribution of Essential Fish Habitat Under Future Climate Change Scenarios in the Southeastern USA
Highly migratory fishes like sharks, tuna, and billfish are important for many recreational sport fisheries, but their broad movements, use of inshore coastal areas, and low overall genetic diversity make them vulnerable to extinction. Of major concern is how such fishes will respond to climate change, particularly among essential fish habitats (EFH) that are critical for the health of the young, and how this will affect the future sustainability of these stocks. Genetic diversity metrics have shown to be powerful contributors to and predictors of species’ health and resilience, and while DNA samples are taken as part of regular biomonitoring efforts, genetic data are widely underused because no template exists to integrate them with traditional conservation metrics. We are developing a series of models for coastal fishes to identify EFH in the southeastern US, gauge population health, pinpoint hotspots of diversity, and predict the distribution of future EFH based on current climate scenarios. Specifically, we are developing genetic Species Distribution Models (gSDM) and genetic Population Viability Analyses (gPVA) for coastal sharks and bony fishes, which we are expanding to incorporate Climate Vulnerability Analysis, a method of directly estimating how fish populations will respond to warming based on habitat and life history. These models will be made openly available to users at state wildlife agencies as a template for combining existing genetic datasets with the products of ongoing biomonitoring efforts, to better assess and predict the health and viability of sportfish populations in response to climate change.
Leadership Training for State Fish and Wildlife Agencies and Conservation Partners
The public has come to rely on effective, cost-efficient, and trustworthy management of our natural resources from our state fish and wildlife management agencies. The Management Assistance Team (MAT) at the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) goes beyond the science of managing species; we take agency staff to the next level pf performance. Increasingly, we see that conservation professionals must be equipped to deal with the intricate and complex natural resource management issues that cross state and national boundaries. However, recruiting and retaining talented pools of employees continues to impact and put conservation gains at risk. Data reveal the tenure of a State Director is an average of three years. This staggering loss of leadership, coupled with the challenges facing state agencies to remain relevant, adapt to changing landscapes and constituencies, and secure stable funding sources, requires consistent leadership at all levels within an agency. Empowering agency staff with the skills, knowledge, and efficacy to manage projects with diverse stakeholders across geographic ranges and within their own agencies is essential to a well-managed and thriving organization.
The Management Assistance Team offers in-person and virtual professional development to people at all stages of their careers, all at a reasonable cost. From online synchronous courses, multi-day webinars, and asynchronous options to long-term, in-depth, and comprehensive leadership training, the MAT and the National Conservation Leadership Institute (NCLI) contract with leaders I the field to deliver high-quality training. We’ve reached thousands of state agency personnel, empowering them to make last organizational changes.
Managing Cutthroat Trout Rangewide Status Assessments: a need for new database
The distribution of Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii) ranges includes 12 western states from New Mexico to Alaska. This diverse species includes 14 recognized sub-species, two of which are now extinct, three others are listed as ESA-threatened, and each of the remaining nine is named as either a candidate for ESA-listing, or a state or federal species of special concern because of low or declining numbers (Trotter et al. 2018). This project aims to improve collaborative conservation tools for multiple states for both Westslope and Yellowstone Cutthroat trout, two sub-species that are of concern but are not currently listed under the ESA.
New database platforms are needed to store rangewide data and develop rangewide status assessments. Current rangewide status assessment documents form the basis of planning conservation actions, which are coordinated across multiple states within the species’ range. These status assessments are often “the best available science” on species distribution, abundance, and conservation efforts, which is critical in reviewing any potential petitions for listing under the Endangered Species Act. Unfortunately, several of the status assessments for these sub-species are grossly out of date. Additionally, the platforms that store rangewide distribution and abundance information rely on cumbersome and outdated local databases, making status updates cumbersome and limiting the ability to share data between conservation partners.
Policy and decision making for managing species at rangewide or population scales require access to fish distributions, abundance, genetic, and habitat data. Migrating the Westslope and Yellowstone Cutthroat trout databases from their current, localized Microsoft Access databases to Web-based modern platforms will greatly improve our ability to produce species status assessments and the conservation plans based upon them. Web-based applications with integrated GIS capabilities can quickly display species distributions, barriers, and restoration actions, allowing multiple users to easily access data for planning and conservation actions. Data can then be easily updated, accessible, and shareable for other management and research needs, improving our ability for collaborative research among partners. These platforms could expedite rangewide summaries across multiple partner agencies in several states and present a watershed improvement over current database systems. In the absence of federal funding support, state fish and wildlife agencies managing the multiple rangewide Cutthroat Trout databases have struggled to upgrade them to modern platforms. Funding for database infrastructure shared among multiple states is difficult to negotiate, while an AFWA multi-state grant is perfectly suited to accomplish this.
Measuring the Importance of Youth Fishing Programs to Future Participation
With adult onset R3 programs providing greater short term returns to states, WMI and Chase Chase, 2022, these programs are increasing interest. However, participation as an adult may be dependent to an unknown degree on first being exposed to fishing in ones younger years. USFWS reports that two thirds of young anglers were 11 years old or younger when they first fished, suggesting that exposure to fishing prior to high school could enhance recruitment at later ages. Considering the significant funds being invested by state agencies and industry in adult and high school angling programs, and the need to maximize effectiveness of R3 programs across the board, a better understanding of when youth are most open to fishing programs and the importance of exposing people to fishing in their younger years is needed.
Through a partnership between the American Sportfishing Association, ASA, and Outdoor Stewards of Conservation Foundation, OSCF, this project will use surveys and interviews to examine longtime anglers, adults who recently started fishing, and past participants in youth fishing programs, to understand if and how early exposure to youth fishing programs factors into eventual adult participation and license buying. The results will help guide the design and focus of current and future youth fishing programs, and how to structure these programs to maximize both short and long term returns on state ROI investments.
This project responds to strategic priority 5B R3 Engaging Participants in that the findings from this project will the impact youth mentoring programs have on future participation.
Midwest Walleye Challenge
Walleye culture, stocking and management represents one of the most intensive and expensive aspects of fisheries management for many Midwestern water bodies. Monitoring of these efforts is a critical part of these management programs in order for biologists to assess he statues of their management strategies. However, these methods are resource intensive, which means only a small number of priority water bodies can be surveyed each year, leaving most walleye fisheries unmonitored. In Iowa, around 100 aquatic systems are annually stocked with or provide Walleye fisheries, yet less than 10% of those systems can be regularly monitored to assess the outcomes of the investment of hatchery resources.
MultiState Conservation Grant Program Management
The Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 777 et seq.) and the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act (16 U.S.C. 669et seq.), as amended by the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Programs Improvement Act of 2000 (Pub. L. 106-408, 114 STAT. 1766 113 and 114 STAT. 1722 122) authorize the Secretary of the Interior to make up to $6,000,000 available annually under the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program (WSFR) to fund multistate conservation project grants. In addition to the traditionally $6,000,000 available funding ($3,000,000 for Wildlife Restoration and $3,000,000 for Sportfish Restoration), the President signed the Modernizing the Pittman-Robertson Fund for Tomorrow’s Needs Act (Modernizing PR Act) (Public Law (Pub. L.) 116-94) into law on December 20, 2019. This law, among other measures, created a new “Modern Multistate Conservation Grant Program” to support “R3” projects for hunting and shooting sports. The M-MSCGP makes up an additional $5,000,000 available for the hunter and recreational shooter recruitment-related grants, including related communication and outreach activities.
In 2023, the Association was awarded a one-year Multistate Conservation Grant that currently supports through December 2023, the Multistate Conservation Grant Program Manager. The primary objective is to continue meeting the responsibilities of the Association as required under the Federal authorizing legislation for administering and coordinating the MSCGP. These Acts did not provide any administrative funds for the Association’s use in administering and implementing its significant responsibilities under this grant program.
As a program manager/facilitator, the MSCGP Manager will maximize the benefits to the State Fish and Wildlife Agencies throughout the grant cycle and proposal selection process. However, additional emphasis will be placed on program evaluation, communication of program results, and outreach by developing meaningful relationships with individuals and groups that have been marginalized and/or underserved to/achieve mutually beneficial outcomes. Professional development will also remain a priority, and the MSCGP Manager will continue to attend pertinent grant administrative training.
The MSCGP Manager manages the activities that implement the grant program. This project would provide continued program manager funding and support those administrative responsibilities necessary to implement the Multistate Conservation Grant Program.
National Survey Technical Workgroup Coordination
The National Survey of Hunting, Fishing, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation is the premier survey for the collection of hunting and fishing participation data, which is integral to planning and communications at State Fish and Wildlife Agencies, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and a myriad of groups involved in conservation. It also represents a significant funding investment by the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies through the MultiState Conservation Grant Program. Ensuring the statistical validity and rigor of the survey is of utmost importance and is the responsibility of the Association through the national survey technical workgroup, which consists of members of state fish and wildlife agencies and a technical consultant.
This Grant is intended to support the continued efforts of the NSTWG, currently being chaired by Director Curt Melcher (OR), who was also the co-chair of the AFWA President’s Task Force charged with creating a vision for future National Survey efforts. The NSTWG is charged with overseeing the implementation of the 2022 survey being performed by NORC, ensuring that the survey meets all applicable statistical standards and to evaluate the effectiveness of this survey and incorporate lessons learned into new surveys.
NEAFWA Hunt for Good Regional Advertising Campaign
The Hunt For Good (HFG) Campaign is a comprehensive and customizable advertising campaign designed to increase nationwide cultural support for legal, regulated hunting amongst non-hunters through a wide variety of ads that make it easy to see and understand the broad spectrum of benefits that hunting, and the shooting sports create. MSCGP grant dollars have been key in helping to establish this initiative and, importantly, the work had been informed by extensive research and qualitive testing from industry experts.
A coalition of conservation partners and advertising agencies, led by the NWTF, have been working together to launch the HFG Campaign. The campaign is low live and can be seen at www.HuntForGood.com.
There are several aspects to the HFG Campaign that make it unique and well-positioned for sustained success. It is a PSA (Public Service Announcement) for Hunting. The path to engagement and participation in hunting and the shooting sports starts with awareness. The campaign has been built to function as a national gateway into hunting and the shooting sports by taking a lead role in education the general public. It is Broad, Inclusive and Scalable. The campaign features dozens of different benefit messages and content that are universal and can apply to every state in the Union. And it is designed to incorporate new messages while maintaining the cohesive look and feel of the campaign. It is Compatible with Existing State Level Campaigns. The HFG Campaign is designed to connect the general public into campaigns, content and resources at the state level. This will help ensure that those who have an interest in learning more have the ability to do so. It is Proving to be Effective. Not only was the campaign chosen as the most appealing in qualitative testing, the launch of the campaign assets through a test and learn media buy showed promising results. It is Shovel Ready. The campaign is built for National scale and can function as a universal point of entry into the world of Hunting and the Shooting Sports, regardless of where you live. Every state can deploy the campaign and even customize messaging and content. In addition, other NGOs and businesses who are concerned about the future of hunting and the shooting sports can leverage the assets could not come at a better time. Responsive Management, a key partner in the development of the campaign, recently documented overall societal approval of hunting decreased by approximately 10 million Americans over the last few years. This is a concerning trend and if ever there was a time a leverage this campaign and the tools at our disposal to create positive change, that time is now. This is the next step in fulfilling the HFG Campaign destiny of being used in a full scale national media buy. This implementation will not only continue to reach broader audiences with market tested messaging but will continue to help the campaign collect critical data points for the R3 community about which messages, techniques and strategies are most effective in bolstering support within the non-hunting community for hunting as a lifestyle choice.
NEAFWA Non-Lead Hunting Agency Outreach
NEAFWA will support a Non-lead Hunting Agency Outreach project to support state fish and wildlife agencies by ensuring that personnel are well informed about hunting ammunition. This program is intended to support agency staff in the development of appropriate messaging on non-regulatory programs related to the use of non-lead ammunition. This project will focus on messaging that continues to support hunting and other regulated take of wildlife. NEAFWA will partner with the North American Non-lead Partnership and the International Hunter Education Association to develop a comprehensive outreach strategy for state personnel, and to assist hunter educators in understanding and delivering class content on this important issue.
No One is an Island: Quantifying the R3 “Ripple Effect”
Since the inception of R3, many programs have focused on activities designed to increase hunting, target shooting, fishing, and other outdoor recreation behavior across diverse population demographics. Typically, the benefits of these behaviors have been researched, documented, and evaluated using metrics of license sale and excise tax revenue generated directly by the individuals who engage in an R3 effort. Somewhat surprisingly, very little exploration has been made into the secondary or indirect benefits of creating a new hunter, angler, or recreational shooter. Despite this lack of formal inquiry, R3 experts have long hypothesized that the effects of R3 efforts might reach well beyond individual program participants; effects like additional recruitment of friends and family by the new hunter, angler, or target shooter or an increased in public awareness and acceptance of the social and conservation benefits of hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting. These “ripple effects” likely extend the value and broader benefits of a particular R3 effort and hold the potential to amplify its known return on investment by potentially creating more advocates for – and participants in – hunting, fishing, and shooting sports. To better document these “ripple effects” and understand which mix of R3 efforts might generate the greatest benefits possible, this project will identify and quantify the secondary effects of select hunting and shooting sports R3 efforts and their impact on different audiences. The project research team will first gather input from R3 professionals regarding how they interpret the ripple effect and their perspectives on how it occurs. Recent adult-onset hunters will also be queried about their interactions with non-hunters during their introduction and socialization process into hunting, fishing, or recreational shooting. Using the results of these inquiries and in conjunction with state fish and wildlife agency R3 professions, the research team will construct and deliver a national survey targeting specific subsets of new hunters or target shooters to quantify their interactions with, and impacts on, others in their proximal social networks. The results will be shared within professional R3 communities nationwide in addition to special webinars to educate R3 professionals on how to best estimate ripple effects associated with their R3 efforts.
Patterns of Reservoir Susceptibility to Climate Change
There are nearly 4,500 major reservoirs (>100 ha) across the United States that serve various societal purposes, including fish conservation and recreational fisheries. Fish habitats in these reservoirs are threatened by a double whammy: aging and climate change. Geographically the susceptibility of reservoir fish habitats to climate change varies based on local reservoir characteristics, regional physiography, and climate. Knowledge of susceptibility patterns can assist with local and regional planning. This study will use scores of reservoir vulnerabilities to climate change, which are currently being developed in an ongoing project, to create a typology of susceptibilities and to identify large-scale geographical susceptibility patterns linked to climate. Recognizing patterns of susceptibility can promote understanding of how and why fish habitats are impacted by climate, how to best resist upcoming changes in habitat quality, how to direct change to maintain regional habitat diversity, how to use conservation resources more effectively to achieve large-scale management needs and when it may be necessary to accept change and refocus management goals and objectives to make the most of fish habitat management funds.
Practitioners Guide to R3 Hunting & Shooting Messaging
This project proposes to collect and catalogue the hunting and shooting R3 messages and campaigns that have been developed and tested in the past 5 years, summarizing them into a single document with links to the resources necessary to implement them. In addition, we will test these messages and campaigns against one another via one-on-one interviews with new hunters, new shooters, and individuals likely to consider those activities. At the end of this process, we will develop a report containing samples and summaries of each campaign, along with recommendations for the best situations to use each campaign and how it tested in the interview process. This document will be invaluable for R3 professionals searching for the best campaign strategies and creative for their particular situation.
Predicting Risk and the Long-Term Trajectory of Highly Pathogenic H5 Avian Influenza Virus on North American Nesting and Wintering Geese Based on Population Immunity
Currently, there are questions than answers regarding potential impacts and risks associated with highly pathogenic (HP) H5N1 influenza A virus (IAV). Since introduction into North America via wild birds late in 2021, HP H5N1 IAV infections and morality in wildlife continue to be reported throughout North America. In addition to spreading rapidly across the continent and now, into South America, this virus has demonstrated an extremely broad host range that includes many wild mammal and bird species, most of which had not previously undergone IAV-associated disease or death. We know that HP H5N1 IAV has been detected in over 150 wild avian species and in many cases, including in Arctic-nesting geese, has led to alarming levels of morbidity and mortality. We know that HP H5N1 IAV has been confirmed in all US states (except Hawaii) and in all Canadian territories and provinces. Finally, we know that HP H5N1 IAV has drastically changed the IAV landscape in North America, likely forever. The extent of potential population-level impacts, and risks to wildlife domestic animal, and human health associated with HP H5N1 IAV, however, are still unknown.
Arctic-nesting geese, including snow geese (Anser caerulescens), Ross geese (Anser rossii), and greater white-fronted geese (Anser albifrons), comprise some of the most numerous waterfowl species in North America and represent important recreational and subsistence food resources. Additionally, many have proven to be highly susceptible to fatal HP H5N1 IAV disease. This susceptibility, coupled with their broad distribution and large population numbers, position Arctic-nesting geese as an excellent model system in which to start to better understand population immunity to IAV across different seasons, age cohorts, and species as a predictor of potential infection and mortality/morbidity associated with HP H5N1 IAV.
By linking retrospective and prospective virologic (evidence of active infection with IAV) and serologic (evidence of previous IAV exposure, and potential protection from future infection) data with specific Arctic-nesting geese species and age cohorts at multiple spatial and seasonal scales, we can start to unravel what the long-term effects of HP H5N1 IAV might be on North American geese, and other waterfowl species. Further, we will characterize IAV diversity in North American Arctic-nesting geese on their wintering grounds and explore species-related differences in pathology. The information gained from this proposed work will provide a data driven approach to not only inform managers and policy makers of the risk of HP H5N1 IAV infection and mortality/morbidity in Arctic-nesting geese, but also provide a predictable framework for public and hunter outreach related to risk (including potential hunter exposure to this virus). Although this research is focused on geese, the information generated will lend itself to a risk assessment approach that can easily be applied to other waterfowl and wild avian species affected by this virus.
Promoting Awareness of State Wildlife Management Authority
The legal landscape of wildlife conservation is changing rapidly. Identifying emerging issues and implementing director-driven research programs is more essential than ever for state agencies and partners to keep current, coordinate nationally, and enhance relevance and responsiveness to constituents.
Goal 1 of AFWA’s Strategic Plan (2021-2025) calls for strengthening state-federal and non-governmental relationships for the benefits of fish and wildlife management consistent with the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation (“Model”). Similarly, Strategic Priorities 3(B) and 3(C) for 2024 are “Conservation Education” and Coordination of Conservation Policies” respectively. To address these priorities, AFWA proposes to continue three essential lines of work through its Legal Strategy Advisory Council (“Think Tank”):
1. Engage state and federal legal advisors to review legal issues for state wildlife directors and managers as they fulfill official duties in the field and implement legal and regulatory changes.
2. Increase member and partner understanding of management and jurisdictional issues.
3. Strengthen understanding of state management within the legal profession.
AFWA’s Think Tank includes approximately 20 state fish and wildlife agency attorneys and directors and convenes periodically to direct and assess the implementation of legal research projects by AFWA.
Supporting coordination of the Tink Tank through 2024 will benefit all state agencies by maintaining the current capacity to research, review, and respond to legal issues affecting state authority and build further capacity to identify emerging issues conduct outreach, and engage state agency directors in making use of products funded under this and prior grants.
AFWA will not use awarded grant funds to file amicus briefs, especially not to participate directly in litigation.
R3 Advertising Efficacy
Research released in early 2023 (Chase & Dunfee, 2023) unequivocally showed that state fish and wildlife agencies (SFWAs) will endure further declines in hunting and angling populations in the coming decade. Thus, now more than ever, SFWAs must accelerate the optimization of their R3 efforts to maintain, diversify, and ultimately increase their customer base before the most avid hunters and anglers age out in the early 2030’s.
Future success in this optimization will largely depend on how reliably SFWAs can correlate their R3 efforts to participant behavior objectives (i.e., going hunting, fishing, or target shooting as a result of the R3 effort) using reliable indicators like license or privilege purchases. Unfortunately, this outcome-focused approach remains uncommon in R3 effort design and delivery, and SFWAs need to integrate more rigorous methods of evaluation than current research has thus far provided them.
Fortunately, in R3 marketing, SFWAs have adopted more sophisticated tools and techniques which opens the door for a more rigorous approach to R3 effort efficacy to be developed and implemented. That said, most agencies still depend on recent R3 marketing research to guide the design and delivery of their campaigns and advertising. Though broadly insightful and even innovative, a significant limitation of this research is that it primarily utilizes conjoint analyses of self-reported preferences for success outcomes, not actual behavioral indicators. Without ties to participant behavior, it will be extremely difficult for agencies to optimize the specific content, format, delivery, and frequency of their marketing efforts that resonate with the audiences a specific agency would most like to reach.
This project will solve this problem by comparing the license purchasing behavior (i.e., behavioral indicator) of lapsed hunters or anglers who receive a marketing effort (treatment) to a similar group who receive no such marketing effort (control). This rigorous social science approach of match-pairing dramatically increases the ability to draw statistical conclusions and definitively determine which elements of a marketing effort were impactful to participant behavior and how much of that behavior may be attributed to the marketing effort and not other, external variables. The results of this study will provide rigorous, statistical information that can optimize the evaluation techniques for all SFWA marketing principles and R3 marketing efforts.
Ranking and Visualizing Eastern Brook Trout Climate Refugia to Guide Their Range-Wide Management
Brook trout is a popular sportfish and an indicator of coldwater habitats in the eastern USA, but their populations have declined in their native range and climate change poses an additional threat for their persistence. Conservation and restoration action is underway throughout the eastern USA, which necessitates resource inventory and management decisions about where to prioritize and invest effort at multiple jurisdictional levels. Based on our recent project in the southeastern USA, we propose a Multistate Conservation Grant project to develop databases of brook trout count surveys and stream temperature data, model and rank National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) stream segments for trout habitat suitability, and visualize this spatial information and make it available for trout managers in the 16 states encompassing the native range in the eastern USA (from Georgia to Maine). The spatial products rank brook trout habitats at multiple scales from major watersheds to stream segments, so that the product can be used by various stakeholders such as multistate consortiums needing to identify priority regions for conservation (e.g., Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture), state wildlife agencies managing watersheds, and local river organizations interested in identifying locations for habitat restoration and connectivity projects. By aggregating information and making it available and updateable, this multistate project will result in more coordinated effort to conserve this iconic native salmonid range-wide and consequently use limited resources more efficiently.
Rebranding, Repiloting, and Reevaluating the National Conservation Outreach
The States’ conservation store has mainly gone untold on a national scale, leaving the public unaware of our goals and accomplishments. Consequently, state fish and wildlife agencies are often misunderstood, their influence and support are suppressed, and opportunities to expand public advocacy for increased funding and resources are missed – especially among non-fishing and non-hunting audiences.
AFWA’s Education, Outreach, and Diversity (EOD) Committee created the National Conservation Outreach Strategy in 2018 to increase state agency public relevancy. This strategy provided a toolkit that enabled each state wildlife management agency to raise awareness of its role in protecting and conserving wildlife. In 2019 “Making it Last” campaign was piloted to help learn how to best “tell the story” to boost agency public relevancy, followed by a second phase to fine-tune and further test the initiative. However, states’ limited budgets and uncertainty regarding the campaign’s effectiveness reduced the numbers of states able to implement and evaluate the campaign. With the relevancy topic becoming more critical every year, the need exists to field a rebranded and tested campaign accompanied by improved toolkit materials and evaluation.
This project will advance the public case for why agencies matter. This third phase will focus on engaging more states by rebranding away from the “Making it Last” theme to a more directly relevant brand and messaging content. These will be developed using public testing and best practices, and lessons previously learned. We will focus on updating and upgrading the story of state-based conservation through messaging and materials designed to resonate better with the public and the agency staff. Phase 3will also revise the campaign in part through the lens of employee recruitment to help states better understand how we can be more relevant in the eyes of perspective future staff. We will also implement the new toolkit in at least two pilot states to evaluate public reactions and receptiveness. The result will be a campaign that more state agencies will utilize to increase public awareness and support, especially among audiences not traditionally engaged in conservation or fish and wildlife-based recreation.
Recruiting Females and Ethnically Diverse Youth Participants into Shooting Sports Phase 2
Youth shooting sports programs are some of the fastest growing youth sports programs in the country. These sports do not require you to be the fastest, biggest, or strongest, and all youth can participate equally, even those with physical limitations. However, the participation in the programs by females and minorities does not directly reflect the general population. Furthermore, participation by females or minorities between different shooting sports disciplines is not the same. For example, in Iowa the female participation rate for NASP (National Archery in the Schools Program) is 50%, SASP (Scholastic Action Shooting Program) is 29% and SCTOP (Scholastic Clay Target Program)is 18%, which is representative of what other Midwest states are seeing. Phase 1 of this project sought to understand the sources of these participation discrepancies through the use of focus groups of coaches, students enrolled in the programs, and students who chose not to participate in the programs. Understanding the barriers to participation within both female and minority populations will enable us to develop strategies to increase participation.
The second phase of this project will utilize information from the initial phase to focus on the development of specific marketing and communication tools and strategies, coach education and tools, and participant/coach/mentor recruitment and retention strategies.
Sharing the HERitage: Connecting Women & Girls One Hunt at a Time
First Hunt Foundation’s proposal aims to address the underrepresentation of females generally, and more specifically Native American females, in hunting activities by developing and implementing a comprehensive program that promotes inclusivity, skill development, and community building. Through the provision of grant funding, our initiative seeks to empower Native and non-Native females by creating a supportive and welcoming environment that fosters their participation and success in the traditionally male=dominated field of hunting.
The objectives of this proposal outline a multifaceted approach where a=our Share the HERitage program will establish female-only hunting workshops and events, providing a comfortable and encouraging environment to learn essential hunting skills. These will be conducted on private, public, and tribal lands to increase access for all participants. Each event will cover topics such as firearm safety, ethical hunting practices, tribe specific post-harvest traditions, game identification, tracking field dressing, meat processing, and wild game recipe suggestions. Additionally, we will organize mentorship programs pairing new and novice hunters with experienced female hunters to facilitate knowledge transfer and personal growth.
To ensure the sustainability of our efforts, we will continue to establish partnerships with a local businesses, tribes and both private and governmental organizations to secure funding, equipment, and resources. These collaborations will enable us to provide financial assistance to females who face economic barriers to participation, making hunting accessible to a diverse range of individuals.
Ultimately, this project will contribute to a more inclusive and equitable hunting landscape, benefitting both females and the broader hunting community.
Strategic Development Tool for the Western Motus Network
Being able to answer questions about Pacific Flyway migratory species of concern is paramount for their conservation especially considering climate change. Yet, the migratory life stage is understudied in most species. An ideal system for tracking movements and survival of avian species of concern for the purpose of identifying high-value conservation sites is the Motus radiotelemetry receiver network. This network is an international collaborative that successfully identifies stopover site duration, connected migratory routes, post-fledging dispersal and survival, and adult survival and fidelity on a landscape-scale; parameters that cannot be easily estimated using non-tagged birds. While the Motus network is highly connected in the eastern United States, the western United States is seriously lagging in coverage and connectivity, limiting the ability to obtain sample sizes large enough to robustly model demographic parameters from tagged birds, thus, the expansion of the motus network is a high priority for Pacific Flyway State Agencies. However, to date, no tool exists for determining optimal locations for new Motus receiving stations. Together with collaboration and input from a majority of Sates in the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA) region, which overlaps the Pacific Flyway, we propose to use eBird citizen scientist data to prioritize and identify strategic locations for Motus receiving stations throughout the Pacific Flyway. To this end, we will build a novel multi-species multi-state multi-scale dynamic occupancy model to determine co-occurrence of priority species while accounting for multiple abundance states (i.e., absent, present, abundant), survey effort, and habitat covariates affecting detection, occupancy, and abundance states, weather covariates over time, and random effects associated with detection and occupancy. Many of the biases associated with citizen science data can be overcome with occupancy modeling. Using predictions from our novel occupancy model, we will identify areas that receive high use by co-occurring priority species. These will be marked as priority locations for establishing Motus receiving towers that would have high probabilities of intercepting high abundance of multiple species of interest. Without such a predictive model, resources for the construction of new receiving towers would be less strategically allocate, resulting in sub-optimal detection rates of tagged individuals of species of concern. Our models will yield a series of species distribution maps that will be developed with input and used by States in the Pacific Flyway to prioritize locations of receiving stations to strategically develop a coordinated Motus network. We believe such a priority map can be used for outreach and stimulate action on development of the Motus network. Furthermore, the map will provide a basis for starting a conserve climate resilient migratory stopovers through stakeholder engagement.
Strengthening Conservation Education Online Training and Development
Project Wild (PW) is an interdisciplinary conservation education program focusing on wildlife and habitat. Since 1983, the program has delivered high-quality, well-tested conservation education to the public by equipping and training teachers and other educators. Over the past 40 years, over 1.5 million educators have been training in PR activities, reaching over 100 million young people. The goal of the program–which was collaboratively developed by state wildlife agencies and state education agencies–is to develop awareness, knowledge, skills, and commitment resulting in informed decisions, responsible behavior, and constructive actions concerning wildlife and the environment.
This proposal outlines our request to create one online course based on a series of activities we have on the North American Model for Wildlife Conservation and two additional online courses. This request also includes developing two thematic united based on existing PW activities. These thematic units will help expand our business model by creating more professional development opportunities for formal and non-formal educators.
PW has been a respected name among educators and wildlife professionals alike. Educators consistently rate PW training and materials as engaging, relevant and useful. In a time when state fish and wildlife agencies focus on the relevancy of conservation to the public, the PW program represents a valuable tool to reach young people in diverse settings, connect them to the outdoors, and instill sound conservation concepts.
While the content of PW curricula and activity guides remains much sought after, the delivery method has become a barrier to meeting the needs of today’s educators. Educators have attended a one-day professional development training for decades to receive a printed copy of the PW guide, experience activities from the guide, and learn more about wildlife and conservation in their state. In recent years, various factors have caused national training numbers to decline, including industry changes in educator professional development and book printing and increasing demand for online learning and resources exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.
In 2019, PW piloted its first online course and has since developed five additional courses with the support of other grans. Similarly, in2022 PW started publishing a new wildlife education unit. Climate & Wildlife is a 64-page module that provides middle and high-school-level educators with a collection of PW lessons created for the National Fish, Wildlife, and Plants Climate Adaption Strategy.
This 2024 MSCGP project will allow PW to build on this momentum with an additional three courses and three thematic wildlife education units using existing PW activities. Online Wild professional development training allows educators to access modules at their own pace without waiting for a training events at a convenient time and location. Beyond the online training, the education units will keep printing costs low so that price is not a barrier to our partners. These additions to the PW suite of offerings will allow the program–and messages of fish and wildlife agencies–to stay relevant to educators and students across the country.
Supporting Agency Regulated Trapping and Furbearer Management Programs by Communication and Education
This project will have two primary objectives, each of which is designed to support and assist state fish and wildlife agencies with their regulated trapping and furbearer management programs.
First, the AFWA will contract with Responsive Management to conduct a national survey of trappers. The survey will gather information on:
1) Characteristics (demographics, economics, motivations) of the public who participate in trapping
2) Trap types being used for the capture of various furbearer species
3) Trapper knowledge and use of Best Management Practices for Trapping, and
4) The number of trappers in the U.S.
Information gathered in this survey will be used to guide the national program to develop Best Management Practices for Trapping so AFWA can continue to provide our member agencies with trap type/technique recommendations on the most humane, safe, selective, effective, and practical traps to use for the capture of furbearers. Agencies use trapping to achieve many wildlife management objectives, and all agencies want to ensure the “best” traps are being used. AFWA needs to know what trap types are currently in use, so we can scientifically evaluate those devices against the International Organization for Standardization standards. Since 1997 the BMP program has tested over 725 trap types on 23 species of furbearers, conducted over 500 individual field projects to capture furbearers across 41 states, and conducted necropsies on over 10,000 animals to help evaluate the humanness of traps. We recently published some of these results in Wildlife Monographs. But AFWA needs the information that will be collected in this survey to maintain the BMP program’s cutting-edge relevance and support agencies’ desire to recommend the most humane/safe/selective traps for trappers to use.
Supporting Students Study of Legal Principles & Professional Experience and Providing Opportunities for Practicing Professionals Continuing Legal Education in Conservation Law/Policy
The Center for Conservation Excellence / Conservation Law Program educates students, legal practitioners, and additional audiences on the history and foundation of conservation law and policy, as well as threats to conservation efforts. These threats are largely against Americans’ rights to hunt and fish and are predominantly narrated by the animal rights movement. The animal rights movement has unfortunately seen substantial growth- in the late 1990s, there were only one or two animal law courses being taught at U.S. law schools; by 2007, there were approximately seventy, with most of the nation’s elite law schools represented. Today, there are an estimate 167 law schools in the U.S. and Canada that offer at least one animal law course- a majority of which indicate teaching the concepts of animal rights and animal personhood.
To combat special interest groups and an ill-informed society who threat modern conservation, the Program offers students, strengthen the legal conservation community, preparing them to contribute to conservation professionally on the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, public trust stewardship in state wildlife management, and beyond. This is incredibly important because decisions based on the court of public views wildlife. The Program strives to foster the change necessary to influence American decision makers by teaching the fundamentals and importance of conservation law and policy to help America’s wildlife and Americans’ rights.
The core objectives to create and maintain informed conservation professionals are: 1) provided undergraduate/graduate level education with wildlife law and policy courses; 2) post-graduate and supplemental education with continuing legal education seminars on conservation law and providing educational videos to the general public through social media and website resources; and 3) creating professional opportunities in the form of conservation-based internships, careers, and educators.
The Public’s Perceived Importance and View of State Fish and Wildlife Agencies
Effective fish and wildlife management requires meaningful interaction with all segments of society, not just the people who buy hunting and fishing licenses. States’ mission statements often reflect their broad responsibilities on behalf of all residents; however, significant segments of the public may not be aware of their state fish and wildlife agency at all, much less its responsibilities, services, and benefits provided. Considering most people believe fish and wildlife agency funding is shared equally between licenses sales and general tax dollars (Manfredo et al., 2018), there is considerable room to improve states agencies’ interactions with the broader public. Similarly, state agencies have a limited understanding of how they are perceived by the public, especially non-traditional stakeholders. Together, these issues hinder states’ abilities to effectively communicate and engage with the public and make it difficult to deliver programs relevant to the diverse range of communities served. This project will help state fish and wildlife agencies understand the public’s awareness of their core functions and perceived effectiveness, the importance of public places on states’ missions, responsibilities, funding structures, legal limits, and more. The results will enable states to better engage with their many diverse publics. Eleven of the MAFWA states (1) will be engaged to identify their public programs and responsibilities, along with their current management challenges. For each state, two online surveys will be developed to capture the opinions and perceptions of: 1) residents not engaged in traditional state-managed activities (fishing, hunting, boating and similar), and 2) residents who identify as traditional stakeholders, for comparative purposes. We will target up to 1,000 responses from non-traditional stakeholders to gather insights for unique geographic, demographic, and socio/cultural audiences, and another 1,000 responses from traditional audiences. The methods will replicate and build upon the currently funded MSCG project, “The Public’s Perceived Importance and View of State Fish and Wildlife Agencies”, currently underway in the SEAFWA states, Project methodology, results, and insights gained will be shared with NEAFWA and WAFWA for replication. (1) MAFWA is comprised of 13 states; however, Missouri and Kentucky participated in the 2023 MSCG-funded SEAFWA Agency perceptions project.
Training of Wildlife Officers to Effectively Investigate Hunting Incidents
When a hunting incident occurs, first responders and law enforcement officers are often called to the scene. Whether or not these individuals are certified to investigate a hunting incident comes down to their ability to attend the Hunting Incident Investigation Academy (MIIA), currently offered through a partnership with the International Hunter Education Association – USA (IHEA-USA) and the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC). It is vitally important to the future of hunting that the Conservation Industry continues to train Conservation Law Enforcement Officers and Game Wardens to accurately assess whether an incident is related to hunting, or it is not. Proper recording of these incidents provides insights to trends in safety and leads to the creation of safety standard delivered through Hunter Education thus providing each generation of new hunters with an education to create safer days in the fields.
The program is specifically designed to train wildlife law enforcement officers to investigate and report hunting incidents accurately. As this is a program of the IHEA-USA, the Academy also covers the importance of the North American Model and the connection between incident reports, the standards of hunter education that are created by examining these incidents, and the resulting reciprocity for hunting license purchases the standards provide when included in Hunting Education curriculums. The Academy is run by wildlife officers with special skill sets and expertise in this discipline. With very few exception, the Academy has been delivered once or twice per year to nearly 40 officers since 1993. Fourteen different states have hosted the Academy during that time. Host requirements, location availability, operational costs, and travel costs have made it difficult to reach more officers. For the last two years, dozens of interested officers have been turned away from participating due to challenges in sourcing new instructors and an ability to coordinate more than two training opportunities each year. A new scalable model involving blended learning is set to launch in 2024 to help agencies deliver their own learning Academy training with the help of HIIA Certified Trainers. States will be expected to choose two officers to become these certified trainers and send to a Train the Trainer (TTT) event in Missouri in 2024.
This grant proposal seeks funding to cover the travel, accommodations, and equipment costs of officers from four State Agencies in each AFWA Region to attend the first TTT in 2024. With 16 states and 32 officers qualified to deliver the new blended learning Academy format in their home states, expectations are that the number of certified wildlife officers would surpass the previous 30 years with the next 3.
Several state agencies have already expressed an interest in sending officers to the first TTT in Missouri next year, These include the following: CA, CO, MO, IA, MI, IN, CT, MD, TN, NC, MS, and SC.
Using Social Influencers to Drive R3 for Furbearer Trapping/Hunting in SEAFWA States
Social influencer efforts have been proven to be an effective way to accomplish R3 goals. This project will enable SEAFWA states to benefit from this marketing strategy with minimum time and resource commitment, which is critical since most states have limited staff, budgets, and experience with social influencers as a means of executing a campaign on their own. This project is specifically modeled after the successful multistate conservation grant project executed previously by SEAFWA on hunting R3 that produced the acclaimed “More to the Hunt” program.
This project will hire one ad agency to manage this social influencer campaign. The ad agency will hire 5-10 social influencers with ties to the Southeast (i.e., college athletes, hunters, outdoorsy folks, or anyone with strong followings on social media that could have a tie to trapping) to create authentic furbearer trapping/hunting content to share on their channels. The influencer would also provide text, images and videos that could be used by all state agencies into perpetuity. The R3 committee would work with each SEAFWA state to determine which influencer(s) they believe would be most effective in their state, and the ad agency would also boost these Influencer posts to reach lookalike audiences of the influencer’s followers. Social influencers would be identified and managed by an ad agency, MGH, which has a proven track record in the R3 hunting arena. MGH, along with SEAFWA R3 Committee and Fur Takers of America, would screen and recruit the most appropriate influencers, work with them to ensure they produce the right content, boost posts, track results and share creative content with states.
Our goal would be to create content with these influencers that has a shelf life of at least 5 years. States would be able to use (at no cost) this content organically on social media and any owned media channels, or as paid advertising. Without this grant and the coordinated social influencer content and marketing it would provide, most southeastern states will not be able to afford a social influencer campaign to help accomplish R3 for furbearer trapping/hunting. We will be able to track click-throughs to landing page, learn-to-hunt and state license sales pages, as well as engagement rates for this campaign. Each state will supply a URL that directly links to their agency’s learn-to-hunt/trap webpage or we will use the default campaign landing page which will direct people to taking the AFWA trapping course. SEAFWA agencies are really excited about this opportunity and the communications/marketing staff members especially think this will be a great project! We have never done this with a focus on trapping in a multistate marketing grant and we think this could truly make an impact.
Utilizing Public Service Announcement PSAs to Promote R3 and Positive Contributions of Agencies and Outdoorsmen and Women to Conservation
With thousands of dedicated staff from wildlife biologists to land managers working year round, federal and state wildlife agencies conduct more on the ground wildlife conservation and habitat management work than any other group. Through purchases of hunting licenses and excised taxed products such as firearms, ammunition, bows and arrows, along with donations to wildlife conservation organizations, Americas millions of hunters and target shooters contribute more than 2.6 billion dollars to fund wildlife conservation each year, making them primary funders of wildlife conservation. Even though agency staff do much of the work, and hunters and target shooters pay a large portion the bill, most Americans are unaware of how wildlife conservation is managed and funded in America. Agencies, industry, hunters and target shooters need, and deserve, more credit for all they are doing for wildlife conservation. Several terrific advertising campaigns such as, Making It Last, hug A Hunter, Plus One and Hunter For Good have been tested and developed to help promote recruitment and inform others how conservation is funded, however, they have yet to garner the national attention they deserve. A primary reason for this is funding. Unlike the fishing and boating industry that has dedicated more than 10 million dollars of excise taxes each year for national advertising campaigns, managed by a single organization, RBFF, the hunting and target shooting industry does not have any such funding. In an effort to circumvent the high costs involved to reach large parts of the general population, this grant proposes to use proven messages, such as those developed from the aforementioned campaigns, coupled with the grant teams expertise, to create TV and radio ads that will be promoted through free Public Service Announcements, PSAs, to reach the general population in masse. PSAs created for this grant will be promoted to a station distribution list that includes 1,640 local TV and local cable, 139 network and national cable and 9,471 radio stations. We are fortunate to have a grant team comprised of key staff from the largest social issues communications agency in the United States, The Plow Share Group, which delivered 1.5 billion dollars in donated, free, PSA media in TV, radio and out of home ads on behalf of their clients in 2022 alone. Additionally, we will utilize the talented team from Shine United to create the TV and radio PSA ads. Shine United is a leading ad agency for the outdoor industry. Among their many accomplishments is that they are the ad agency that creates the videos for the USFWS campaign, Partner with a Payer. Please see full gran team bios in the Qualifications of Key Personnel section below. Promoting nature and conservation is not new to PSAs. In fact, the USFWS utilized TV and radio PSAs a decade ago for a campaign called Get Some Nature Into Your Kids to promote visiting National Wildlife Refuges, and The Nature Conservancy uses PSAs to promote a campaign entitled Speak up for Nature. To better promote our message on how conservation is funded, this project will utilize a 135,000 dollar budget line item for TV and radio PSA media program costs to reach an estimated 215,000,000 and 309,000,000 TV and radio impressions which represents an estimated client return of 5,700,000 to 8,000,000 dollars.
Welcome New Shooters! Tactics to Increase Participation within Underrepresented Communities
Previous research from National Shooting Sports Foundation, Target Shooting Interests and Preferences Among Multi-Cultural Communities 2015, showed that women, Hispanics, African Americans, and Asian Americans have high rates of interest in getting started target shooting. In fact, Hispanics and African Americans had higher levels of interest, 26 and 27 percent respectively than Asians, 15 percent, and Caucasians, 13 percent, while women had the same interest levels as men.
State agencies and the outdoor industry have made some progress into diversifying target shooting since 2015, however, multiple sources show shooting sports participation remains overwhelmingly male and Caucasian. Considering a majority of the U.S. population is expected to be non Caucasian by mid century, this shows significant growth potential exists for target shooting and its associated conservation revenues.
The 2015 NSSF efforts, worked by current grant team members Jim Curcuruto and Rob Southwick, touched on the concerns and barriers preventing many of these under represented audiences from participating. Since then, public demand and participation patterns have changed considerably, especially since 2020. Also, the previous effort provided limited understanding of the types of progras, services, advertisements, and communication tactics needed to effectively recruit and serve these audiences. Until these shortfalls are addressed, recruitment and retention programs for diverse communities will underperform. It is past time for new and updated insights to be gained that will help industry and agencies better connect with this important segment.
This project will communicate with each of the major audiences described above to quantify:
- Their interest in target shooting
- The types of shooting activities of most interest
- The types of ranges where they would be most comfortable
- The types of welcome, services, and amenities that would increase the likelihood of them visiting.
- How to best reach them with information on where to shoot, requirements, and other information they are currently lacking but need in order to make the decision to visit the range.
Identical information will be produced regarding white males for comparison purposes. The results will be shared with state agencies, the firearms industry, other public and private ranges, and organizations working on behalf of target shooting to help them understand how to be more welcoming and accommodating towards segments of the US population that currently hesitate from participating in target shooting.
Why Anglers Quit and How Can We Improve Retention
Churn rates, or the percentage of anglers not renewing their licenses the next year, have averaged just under 50% for the past 10 years, according to the grant-funding license dashboard. Even the pandemic did not notably reduce churn rates, meaning we lose nearly half our anglers each year, with replacements coming from new anglers and those returning from previous years. Reducing this drop-out rate will result in significant increased license sales and excise tax revenues. Using state license sales data and top-level data security and analytical procedures, this project will identify and focus on anglers who bought in 2022, but dropped out in 2023. We will survey them to learn why they fished, what they liked and disliked, which recreational activities they engage in instead of fishing, the reasons why these activities are preferred, the message/imagery/support tactics we can field to win them back, and more. Results will be shared widely with all states and fishing NGOs as well as industry, working in close cooperation with RBFF and state R3 professionals. The results will allow the R3 community, including sportfishing businesses as well as states and NGOs, to increase the effectiveness of their license renewal and marketing efforts.