This project supports the relevancy and inclusion and participation strategic priority by helping states broaden support for hunting, recreational shooting, and wildlife conservation through the…

This project supports the relevancy and inclusion and participation strategic priority by helping states broaden support for hunting, recreational shooting, and wildlife conservation through the engagement of people who otherwise may not be invested in these issues, but support efforts to boost jobs and economic prosperity for families and communities. This is accomplished by communicating the economic benefits generated from healthy, professionally managed wildlife and associated recreational opportunities to both the general public and to public officials. Recognizing that most of the U.S. Population and policymakers do not hunt or target shoot and engaging these people by matching their interests with ours, is imperative if hunting, recreational shooting, and conservation issues are to garner necessary public support and resources. The project will help broaden public awareness, engagement and support for hunting, recreational shooting, and professional wildlife management by providing the funds to properly quantify hunters and target shooters expenditures, match them with statistically valid economic models, and report the resulting jobs, tax revenues, retail sales, income, and other economic benefits. To help states and their supporting ngos better communicate the importance of wildlife conservation, results will be provided for each state, US congressional district, specific species, by type of hunting and target shooting, by resident status, and gender. Objectives develop hunting and target shooting expenditure profiles for each state and district. Develop economic models for each unit. Report, share and communicate resultsresults and benefits deliverables will focus on 485 non technical, four color one page reports one per state and congressional district to maximize use and readership. A technical report will also be provided to support and defend the results but is not intended as the primary deliverable nor principal communications tool. To help ensure all state agency professionals receive the results, the deliverables will be sent to all state directors and deputy directors, and wildlife, communications, and information education chiefs. The deliverable will be a one page summary for each state and congressional district complete with sound bites matching each state shunting and target shooting impacts to well known business, entertainment, government, and demographic topics. Results will also be promoted via presentations at national and regional afwa conferences and other invited venues, plus will be shared widely by posting to safs website. SAF will also promote the results through its social media platforms and campaigns. We will also offer results to the R3 clearinghouse. SAF will promote the results via a press release and its multiple members and government affairs newsletters, videos, and web blogs. We will directly deliver the results to long time hunting and target shooting proponents and conservation ngos on behalf of state agencies. Southwick associates will also assist by promoting via its newsletters, press releases and website. The results of the distribution evaluation process will be included in the final performance report. SAF will also share the results with all afwa committees, either in person at the march afwa meeting and or directly with each committee chair. Committees that have an interest in public outreach and communication will be engaged, especially the hunting and shooting sports committee that has historically advanced this effort, plus the education, outreach and diversity committee to identify how to better connect with audiences traditionally not well engaged in wildlife management, conservation, or outdoor recreation.