Beattie announced the grant at the first meeting of the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council, a newly formed group of sport fishing and boating advocates from both the public and private sectors.
"National Fishing Week not only promotes the sport of fishing but also helps people understand and appreciate the importance of healthy aquatic ecosystems," she said.
National Fishing Week occurs the first week in June each year. A wide variety of organizations, including the Service, state fish and game agencies, fishing supply companies, and sportsmens organizations sponsor events to promote the sport of fishing and teach children how to fish. Events also are held to educate the public about aquatic resources.
The grant was made through the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration program, which the Service administers. The fund, which is supported by the motor boat fuel excise tax, a 10-percent excise tax on fishing equipment, and a 3-percent tax on electric trolling motors and sonar fish finders, provides grants to support aquatic resource, fishing, and recreational boating projects.
Beattie endorsed the goals of the council, which was created to coordinate the activities of National Fishing Week and provide advice to the Director on matters concerning angling and recreational boating. These goals include educating the public about the value of healthy aquatic ecosystems, fostering ethics and stewardship in angling, and increasing participation in angling.
The members include Council Chairman Steven N. Wilson, director of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission; Council Vice Chairman Helen Sevier, corporate executive officer of the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society; Jerry Conley, director of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game; Walter W. Fondren, III, president of Gulf Coast Conservation Association; Mike Sciulla, vice president of Boat-US; Veronica Floyd, Washington representative of Brunswick Marine Group; Phil Jensen, president of Luhr-Jensen; Joseph F. Kuti, president of Sportfishing Promotion Council; John Morris, president of Bass Pro Shops; Mark Reeff, chairman of Aquatic Resource Education Council; James Duke, president of States Organization for Boating Access; George Stewart, Washington representative of the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators; Gilbert Radonski, president of Sport Fishing Institute; Dallas Miner, president of Congressional Sportsmens Caucus Foundation; Tom McClernon, senior buyer for K Mart Corporation; Joe Rice, tourism director for Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism; Tom Bedell, president of Outdoor Technologies Group; and Duncan Barnes, editor of Field and Stream magazine.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 93-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System which encompasses more than 530 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 66 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 78 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies. For further information about the programs and activities of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region, please visit our home page at: http://midwest.fws.gov
