Bullet Points - Vol. 2

Bullet Points
Vol. 2 - No. 23

HERITAGE FUND GETS BIG BOOST FROM TURKEY FEDERATION . . . Following through on its historic commitment of a $1 million donation to protect hunting and shooting sports traditions, the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWFT) presented a $250,000 check to the Hunting and Shooting Sports Heritage Fund June 5 during the Outdoor Writers Association of America’s (OWAA) annual meeting in St. George, Utah. The NWTF, dedicated to the conservation of the wild turkey and to preserving America’s outdoor hunting heritage, will donate $250,000 per year over the next four years to the Fund. Contributions are from a combination of support from its 315,000 members and its 1,800 state and local chapters. Responding to why his organization made such a substantial commitment, NWTF CEO Rob Keck said, “To us it’s simple. Without firearms there would be no hunting, without hunting there would be no conservation and without conservation there would be no wildlife – in our case the wild turkey.” The four-year $1 million pledge will help the Heritage Fund finance a major educational campaign to introduce the general public to the historic role of hunting and shooting sports traditions in America, and to publicize the wholesome recreational values that hunting and shooting provide for millions of men, women and youth across the U.S.

MEDIA EDUCATION SEMINARS SLATED FOR BOSTON AND SEATTLE . . . Following a successful seminar for Washington D.C.–based journalists last month NSSF’s media education seminar series will roll into the Boston area on June 21 and Seattle in July. The seminars provide influential journalists with hands-on instruction in the shooting sports from national champions with the goal of providing a better understanding of firearms and the people who use them plus establishing NSSF as “the place to go” for accurate information about firearms issues. The recently held seminar for D.C. media at Fairfax Rod and Gun Club in Manassas, VA was attended by nine journalists including Matt Bai, Newsweek correspondent; Clare Duffy, NBC Nightly News correspondent; Ed Stack, NBC producer; Helle Berring, editorial page editor of The Washington Times; and novelist Stephen Hunter (Point of Impact). “This is really, really fun,” said Helle Berring. Instructors included Glock’s Chris Edwards, Brian James, and Sharon Edington, and handgun champions Kay Clark Miculek and Jerry Miculek. The Boston media seminar ,which is being organized with gun owner’s action league (GOAL), will be held at Hopkinton Sportsman’s Association Range in Hopkinton, MA. For more information about the Media Education Seminars contact Bill Brassard at bbrassard@nssf.org.

ESPN POSTS “GREAT OUTDOOR GAMES” ON THE ‘NET . . . Now, shooting sports enthusiasts all over the world can log on to the Internet and get an exciting view of ESPN’s premier outdoors sporting competition on the network’s newly launched website: www.greatoutdoorgames.com. The Great Outdoor Games, first held last summer and broadcast on ESPN, feature rifle, shotgun, archery, fishing, timber and sporting dog competitions. The National Shooting Sports (NSSF) will once again manage the shooting portions of the event. The inaugural Games drew more than 18,000 spectators and over 200 competitors from around the world. This year’s Games in Lake Placid, NY, are set for July 12-15. With the new web site, viewers will get a complete list of competitors, a description of events with on-air commentators, event results, event times and broadcast schedules. The web site also offers video clips from past competitions, a photo gallery of athletes in action, features and columns on outdoor sports, and a section dedicated to headline news in the outdoor industry. “We have successfully taken the premier outdoor event inside to the Internet,” said Jim Downs, director of the Great Outdoor Games. “With this site, outdoor enthusiasts all over the world will be able to keep up year round on information about our event.”

NATIONAL SHOOTING RANGE SYMPOSIUM PROCEEDINGS NOW AVAILABLE . . . The proceedings of the Fourth National Shooting Range Symposium are now available from the Wildlife Management Institute (WMI). A hard copy is available from WMI for $25 and excerpts will soon be available on the National Association of Shooting Ranges (NASR) Website www.rangeinfo.org . This 388-page compendium provides a wealth of up-to-date information on all aspects of shooting facility development, management and business issues. A valuable resource for anyone involved in shooting ranges, the proceedings cover everything from environmental issues, and recruiting and retaining customers to indoor and outdoor range design, and key financial information. For more information about obtaining a copy please contact Hannah Kirshner at 812-723-0088.

ANTI-GUN GROUP TO SUE ATTORNEY GENERAL ASHCROFT ... The anti-gun Violence Policy Center (VPC) is reportedly about to file legal action against U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft over his suspension of a federal regulation dealing with government's National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) on firearm purchasers. The regulation in question involves the FBI's retention of background check records for 90 days. Soon after taking office, Ashcroft suspended the regulation for 60 days, and when that time period expired he extended it another 60 days. The Bureau claims it needs the time in order to conduct internal audits of the NICS program. Critics, including the National Rifle Association, point out that federal gun control laws do not authorize the retention of the records which amounts to a form of national gun registration, and that the records should be destroyed immediately following the successful completion of a background check. A Justice Dept. official said the regulation had been suspended because "there are serious issues regarding the ability to audit the system and questions regarding the invasion of privacy for citizens lawfully purchasing guns." The VPC's lawsuit, expected to be filed in federal court in Washington, DC on Monday, June 4, contends that Ashcroft's action violates federal law and is an attempt to weaken the background check system.

Vol2-No21 BULLET POINTS

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