TRCP News

1. Open Fields, Sodsaver in Senate Farm Bill
2. TRCP's Escape to the Wild Returns for and All-New Season on VERSUS
3. New Opportunities to Shape Forest Management
4. A New Year's Resoultion for Sportsmen:  Speak Up About Energy Development on Your Public Lands
5. TRCP Readies for "Wetlands at Risk" Campaign in 2008
6. TRCP Leaders on Heroes of Conservation Roundtable
7. TRCP Gathers Sportfishing and Conservation Leaders for Northwest Salmon Summit
8. First-Ever Climate Change Bill Includes Major Funding for Fish and Wildlife

1. Open Fields, Sodsaver in Senate Farm Bill
   
   
   

   The TRCP will fight to keep the 'Open Fields' provision, which helps counterdecline in hunter numbers, in the final version of the Farm Bill.

   Days before Christmas, the Senate passed its version of the Farm Bill. Thanks to the efforts of sportsmen to communicate the importance of a strong conservation title, the Senate version of the bill contains funding for the majority of programs that affect hunting and fishing.
   
   The TRCP and its Agriculture and Wildlife Working Group (AWWG) are especially pleased that our efforts have borne fruit with the inclusion of new “Open Fields” and “Sodsaver” provisions. As one of the TRCP’s signature issues since its inception, Open Fields will help abate the recent declines in the numbers of hunters and anglers by expanding your access to places to hunt and fish. It will provide $20 million per year to states to expand voluntary public access programs or to get fledgling programs off the ground. Sodsaver discourages the destruction of pastureland and grassland habitat by making any native sod acreage that is converted to production ineligible to receive federal crop insurance or disaster relief payments.
   
   In response to calls from the sporting community the Senate also paid heed to other vital programs. The Senate bill provides an increase of roughly $4 billion to conservation programs over a five-year period.
   
   

   • Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP): Reauthorized at $1.9 billion over five years
   • Grassland Reserve Program (GRP): Reauthorized at $240 million over five years
   • Conservation Reserve Program (CRP): Reauthorized at 39.2 million acres
   • Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP): Reauthorized at $85 million per year

   
   The House and Senate versions of the bill will be taken up in a conference committee in the coming weeks to work out the differences between the two. The TRCP and its AWWG will be working closely with representatives from both the House and Senate who participate on the conference committee to make sure that the gains made for conservation programs are preserved. Now is the time for you to contact your senator and representative; let them know that conservation of quality fish and wildlife habitat remains a priority in the final version of the 2007 Farm Bill.
   
   

    

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2. TRCP’s Escape to the Wild Returns for an All-New Season on VERSUS
   
   
   

   Host Tom Ackerman and winner Kelly Bingham in Africa.

   TRCP’s Escape to the Wild returned to VERSUS on January 4 for an all-new season of making ordinary sportsmen’s extraordinary dreams come true. New episodes of the series will air every Friday at 7 p.m. ET, with encore airings each Sunday morning at 10 a.m. ET. This week, a dedicated Utah steelworker heads to South Africa’s plains to hunt wildebeest, kudu and other dangerous game.
   
   In this groundbreaking original series produced by Orion Mulitimedia, VERSUS, the TRCP and its union partners honor hardworking Americans with expenses-paid trips to world-class hunting or fishing destinations. Tom Ackerman will be guiding this year’s winners on their adventures as the series’ new host. Ackerman, an accomplished fly fisherman, wing shooter and big game hunter who is passionate about sharing the outdoor experience with others, brings a rare energy to the new season.
   
   “It’s truly an honor to host season two of Escape to the Wild,” says Ackerman. “There’s just something right about the show. The winners are hardworking Americans who have gone the extra mile in their community, at home or on the job.”
   
   Tune in to VERSUS and join this season’s lucky winners as they travel across the country and around the world to escape to the wild.

   To find your VERSUS channel number, click here.

   
   
   TRCP’s Escape to the Wild Schedule
   (subject to change):
   
   South Africa Plains Game
   Jan. 11 at 7:00 p.m. ET & Jan. 13 at 10:00 a.m. ET
   
   Costa Rica Sailfish
   Jan. 18 at 7:00 p.m. ET & Jan. 20 at 10:00 a.m. ET
   
   Saskatchewan Black Bear
   Jan. 25 at 7:00 p.m. ET & Jan. 27 at 10:00 a.m. ET
   
   
   
   
   

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3. New Opportunities to Shape Forest Management
   
   The issue of how to manage roadless areas has been a highly debated topic over the course of the last few years. Hunters and anglers know roadless areas, commonly described as backcountry or unroaded wildlands, contain some of the finest fish and wildlife habitat. The TRCP believes that proper management of these sections our national forests can provide quality hunting and fishing opportunities for all Americans. To that end, making sure your voice is heard in discussions determining the fate of inventoried roadless areas in your state is imperative. For residents of Idaho and Colorado, your chance to weigh in is now.
   

   Mike Beagle and his elk in the Rapid River roadless area in Idaho

   
   Idaho
   
   The U.S. Forest Service released a draft plan for the future management of Idaho’s roadless backcountry mid-December, Idahoans will have 90 days to weigh in on the management of public lands they hunt and fish. The TRCP is urging sportsmen to make their voices heard. The draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) can be viewed here.
   
   The DEIS contain recommendations for the future management of all 9.3 million acres of Idaho’s roadless backcountry. These recommendations include reduced conservation guidelines from current levels on nearly 6 million acres. Additionally, more than 600,000 acres of Idaho backcountry could be stripped of current management guidelines that are designed to maintain the areas’ backcountry character. Sixty-five percent of Idaho lands proposed for removal of conservation guidelines are some of Idaho’s last, best mule deer and elk habitat located in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest in southeast Idaho.
   
   “Active involvement by hunters and anglers is necessary to ensure the future of quality big-game hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation in the Gem State,” said William Geer, a TRCP initiative manager. “If Idaho sportsmen want to secure the future of their outdoor traditions, they must make their voices heard during the upcoming public comment period.”
   
   The comment period, which ends April 7, 2008, includes 15 public meetings held in Idaho during January and February. To find meeting date and location information, click here and then on “Idaho Roadless Draft Rule - Public Meeting Information.”  To email your comments, click here.
   
   Colorado
   
   The Forest Service announced in mid-December that the agency and the state of Colorado will work together to develop a Colorado roadless rule to determine the future management of 4.4 million acres of Colorado’s backcountry national forests. The announcement kicked off a 60-day public scoping period, which will extend until Feb. 25, 2008.
   
   With legendary mule deer hunting, the nation’s largest elk population and renowned blue-ribbon trout fisheries at stake, it is important for sportsmen to be involved in determining the future management of Colorado’s roadless backcountry.
   
   For more information or to comment, click here.
   
   To learn more about TRCP’s Roadless Initiative, click here.

   
   
   
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4. A New Year’s Resolution for Sportsmen:
   Speak Up About Energy Development on Your Public Lands
   
   

   Several members of the TRCP energy team on a pheasant hunt in South Dakota.  Photo courtesy of Tom Wilmoth

   What’s your New Year’s resolution for 2008? The TRCP energy team resolves to continue its work to ensure that the needs of fish and wildlife are balanced with oil and gas development on our public lands. Doing so will further the TRCP’s mission to guarantee every American a place to hunt and fish.
   
   In order to maintain hunting and fishing opportunities in America, we need sportsmen like you to get involved. Stay informed about BLM energy lease sales, attend public meetings in your community, submit responses to TRCP actiongrams, and make your voice heard. Our remarkable record of success in 2007 demonstrates that the federal government will pay attention to American sportsmen. Your opinion matters. So, in 2008, resolve to speak up louder about public lands energy development.
   
   An opportunity presents itself in the ongoing deliberations over future land use in Utah. From the Book Cliffs to Strawberry Reservoir, the future of energy development on some of Utah’s finest hunting and fishing destinations is being decided. Six national forests – Ashley, Caribou-Targhee, Dixie, Fishlake, Manti-La Sal and Uinta – are planning oil and gas development on 6.8 million acres of Utah’s public lands. At the same time, six BLM field offices – Kanab, Moab, Monticello, Price, Richfield and Vernal – are developing resource management plans for 10.5 million acres of public lands in the state. Decisions made over the weeks to come will impact 17.35 million acres of your public lands.
   
   Right now, the BLM is inviting public comment on the Kanab Resource Management Plan, which will chart energy development on crucial mule deer winter range on the world-renowned hunting grounds of the Paunsaugunt Plateau in southern Utah. Sportsmen should take this opportunity to voice their opinions and make sure that hunting and fishing interests are represented in the final management plan. Review the agency’s planning document now and submit your comments here.
   
   At the TRCP, we understand that your lives are busy and that the public lands energy issue is complex. That’s why we’ve created an advocacy program that makes getting involved as easy as possible. Become a Sportsmen for Responsible Energy Development and join other conservation-minded hunters and anglers who want to see energy development balanced with our fish and wildlife resources. The TRCP will keep you informed – about management plans currently being debated in Utah, as well as other energy-related developments across the Rocky Mountain West – and recommend the best ways to get involved.
   
   Taking an active role in upholding our hunting and fishing heritage will help make 2008 a great year for all American sportsmen.
   

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5. The TRCP Readies for “Wetlands at Risk” Campaign in 2008
   
   

   The U.S. loses 80,000 acres of wetlands every year. Photo courtesy VA DRC/ Gary P. Fleming

   We have reached a tipping point. The U.S. has lost 52 percent of its original wetlands and continues to lose more than 80,000 wetland acres each year. The vital habitat, clean water and flood control functions that natural wetlands provide continue to deteriorate steadily – at great public cost. Supreme Court decisions have compromised the federal protections benefiting our nation’s wetlands that had successfully been in place for close to 35 years.
   
   The TRCP looks forward to working with our partners in the sporting and conservation communities in 2008 to draw attention to this critical problem and educate policymakers, members of the media and the general public on what can be done to strengthen the protection of wetlands. Americans need decisive new statutory language so that everyone knows exactly what constitutes the wetlands and other waters in need of protection.
   
   Legislation that seeks to provide this fix has been introduced in the U.S. House and Senate. Known as the Clean Water Restoration Act (H.R. 2421/S. 1870), these bills would redefine the ‘waters of the United States’ and clarify what wetlands are protected under federal jurisdiction. The TRCP supports this legislation and looks forward to working with congressional leaders in efforts to successfully advance a much-needed legislative fix for wetlands conservation.
   
   During the next year, the TRCP will convene wetland summits along the Mississippi River corridor in the Midwest and Southeast. Science and policy experts will share ideas on wetlands protections with elected officials, the media and other sportsmen. We also will be mustering support through an online petition. Our goal is to have 80,000 sportsmen and –women (one for each acre of wetlands lost per year) sign the wetlands petition, so we can deliver this call for change to the new Congress and new President starting in 2009.
   
   Be on the lookout for more information from the TRCP on this important initiative throughout the year. We look forward to your help and support, as together we can protect the wetlands that provide valuable fish and wildlife habitat, clean water and flood control functions and recreational benefits to all Americans.
   
   
   
   
   
   

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6. TRCP Leaders on Heroes of Conservation Roundtable
   
   
   
   TRCP President & CEO George Cooper and Howard Vincent, a TRCP board member and President & CEO of Pheasants and Quail Forever, will be panelists at the Heroes of Conservation Roundtable Breakfast at the 2008 SHOT Show in Las Vegas, Nev. This breakfast and roundtable discussion will take place Sun. Feb. 3, 2008, with breakfast starting at 6:30 a.m. and the discussion running from 7:00 – 8:00 a.m.
   
   In addition to Cooper and Vincent, the roundtable will include Dale Hall, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director, and Jeff Crane, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation President, and be moderated by Field & Stream conservation editor Bob Marshall. It should prove a fascinating discussion for all in attendance.
   
    
   
   
   

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7. The TRCP Gathers Sportfishing and Conservation Leaders for Northwest Salmon Summit
   
   

   The TRCP hopes to help facilitate policy coordination and communication among Northwest recreational fishing interests in 2008. Photo courtesy USGS/ E.R.Keeley

   The TRCP’s Northwest Salmon Summit, held in Tacoma, Washington in mid-December, provided a successful first step toward improved communications and policy coordination in the Northwest sportfishing community.
   
   For either sport or substenance, it’s tough to best the salmon. In too many watersheads, however, there are too few salmon returning. “While almost everyone sees this as a problem, almost no one agrees on a solution,” said Jim Martin, Conservation Director for the Berkley Conservation Institute and TRCP board member. “It makes sense that recreational anglers should lead the charge on this issue.”
   
   To this end, almost 50 sportfishing and conservation leaders from Oregon, Washington, California, Texas, and Washington, DC attended the salmon summit on a snowy Friday afternoon, including representatives from the American Sportfishing Association, Coastal Conservation Association, Trout Unlimited, National Wildlife Federation, Federation of Fly Fishers and a number of local and regional organizations.  Participants emerged with an improved understanding of both the challenges to lasting reform and the range of potential partners willing to help make it a reality.
   
   For questions, please contact Joe La Tourrette, TRCP West Coast Policy Consultant, by email dipodomy@qwest.net or phone 360.754.2594.
   
   
   
   

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8. First-Ever Climate Change Bill Includes Major Funding for Fish and Wildlife
   
   

   Many different species are feeling the effects of climate change.

   From coast to coast, America’s sportsmen are witnessing the effects of climate change. Many waterfowl are migrating at different times and along different routes, often avoiding hunters’ blinds that had been productive for decades. Saltwater fishermen are catching new – and not necessarily welcome – species in their favorite fishing holes. And altered vegetation patterns can cause fish and game populations to shrink, shift and shy.
   
   It is therefore a significant development for sportsmen that a Senate committee for the first time ever has advanced a measure designed to quell not only the causes of climate change, but also its effects on fish and wildlife.
   
   In early December, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee passed a climate change bill, known as the Climate Security Act of 2007, sponsored by Senators Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut and John Warner of Virginia. The bill would establish a cap-and-trade system for carbon emissions similar to those used to limit other airborne pollutants. A major portion of the proceeds generated by the sale of emissions permits would be devoted to federal, state, local and tribal fish and wildlife agencies to address threats to species vitality posed by climate change. This funding stream would be guaranteed, not subject to the whims of the annual congressional appropriations process. What’s more, the funding stream would be substantial. One estimate has placed the amount of money for fish and wildlife that would be mobilized by the Climate Security Act in its first year at around $9 billion, and about $175 billion in the first two decades of the bill’s life.
   
   The schedule for Senate floor debate of the Climate Security Act has not yet been determined, nor is passage of a similar measure imminent in the House of Representatives. But as we have seen on numerous other issues, determined calls from the community of American sportsmen can lead to immediate and lasting change. By contacting your elected officials with calls for progress on climate change legislation, you can aid the future of hunting and fishing. In future editions of the Square Dealer, we’ll keep you posted on specific ways in which you can do so.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

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Updates from TRCP Partner Organizations - News from the National Conservation Community

American Sportfishing Association The fishing education arm of the ASA, the Future Fishermen Foundation, has appointed a new executive director, Anne Danielski. More>>
Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Stay up to date by reading the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies blog, Conservation News. More>>
BASS/ESPN Outdoors Get a 2008 BASS daily planner and fishing guide. More>>
Coastal Conservation Association Read the latest edition of TIDE Magazine.  More>>
Delta Waterfowl Canadian Minister of Public Safety Stockwell Day introduced legislation that would see the requirement for gun owners to register shotguns and rifles abolished. More>>
Ducks Unlimited Ducks Unlimited is concerned about the tremendous loss of CRP acreage. More>>
Federation of Fly Fishers The National Fly Fishing expo will be held March 28-30, 2008 in Lakeland, Fla. More>>
Izaak Walton League of America The Izaak Walton League of America is accepting applications for their National Conservation Scholarship program, which aims to further encourage, promote and recognize conservation leadership among future natural resource managers and professionals. More>>
Mule Deer Foundation Farley Hicks, Bob Jacobs and Patrick Crank have been elected to the Mule Deer Foundation’s (MDF) Board of Directors. More>>
The Nature Conservancy Northwest Airlines has joined with The Nature Conservancy to conserve land in Tennessee.  More>>
Pheasants Forever Saint Paul, Minnesota Mayor Chris Coleman has proclaimed Friday, January 18th, 2008, "Pheasants Forever Day."  More>>
Quail Forever Good woody cover may be what you need to increase your quail population. More>>
Quail Unlimited The winner of the Chevrolet and Quail Unlimited Silverado Sweepstakes has been announced.  More>>
Quality Deer Management Association Learn more about QDMA events coming up in 2008.  More>>
Trout Unlimited TU is encouraged by the Forest Service decision to protect trout and restore water quality in North Carolina and Tennessee. More>>
Trust for Public Land Florida Governor Charlie Crist approved the State purchase of a 2.3 mile trail in Gainesville. More>>
Whitetails Unlimited There is still time to buy Deer Camp tickets at the Whitetails Unlimited Web site. More>>
Wildlife Management Institute The 73rd North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference will be held Mar. 25-29, 2008 in Phoenix, Arizona. You can register for the event on the Wildlife Management Institute’s Web site. More>>
The Wildlife Society The Wildlife Society’s annual conference will be held on Nov. 8-12, 2008 in Miami, Florida. More>>

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Grassroots Action

Photo courtesy WDFD/Ginger Holser

As you know, it is critical for sportsmen and -women to share their opinions on the issues that affect the outdoor community with decision makers, but it is also important to thank them when they do things well. We had a strong 4.4% response rate to our call to thank Sen. Barrasso for his comitment to the Wyoming Range.    Click here to check out our current campaigns.

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Featured Conservation Leader

Leah Elwell, Conservation Coordinator, Federation of Fly Fishers

Leah Elwell TRCP Policy Council Member

Who got you involved with hunting and/or fishing? When?

As a kid my best friend and I were inseparable, which meant that I did everything with her family. This included the first time I went fishing on a small lake in northern Canada for sunfish. Fishing is now an ordinary way to spend my days off.

What is your most memorable experience afield?

I am fortunate enough to live on the Yellowstone River. Every summer,myhusband and I load up the drift boat and take an extended “float and camp” tripdown the river. There is nothing like being on the water for days, seeing thefish action change throughout the day and falling asleep to the sound of theriver.

What do you think are our most pressing conservation issues today?

To put it simply, water conservation. Many other conservation issues (i.e. mining, energy development, development in riparian areas and wetlands) overlap with protecting water and fisheries resources and stem from a need to ensure we have ample clean water. With increased pressure from drought, human population growth, development from various industries and agricultural needs – all must be balanced with the goal of using our water resources wisely. We must look after our rivers and oceans to ensure that they will support thriving fish and wildlife. I think there are multitudes of ways that we could improve upon our water uses and conservation. The bottom line is, we need more people engaged in the idea that water is a precious resource, which sustains us and the fish we value so highly.

What is your approach to facing conservation challenges?

Being passionate about what I do in my work life translates to who I am as a person. My thoughts on water and fish conservation don’t stop at the end of the work day. I live a simple life, but take a proactive approach to conservation challenges. Getting involved at a local level is a consistent theme that is important and one that I constantly stress to our FFF members. Talking with friends, family and anyone who will listen about the fisheries issues the FFF deals with on a daily basis is an important way to engage others in protecting our water and fisheries for the future.

Why are you involved with the TRCP?

I joined the TRCP policy council over a year ago and have been actively involved in the Fish, Wildlife and Energy Working Group. It has been a thoroughly educating, exciting and gratifying way to contribute to the highly political issue of oil and gas development. I feel that the collaborative work we do has helped to protect a future for fish and wildlife.

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Bookshelf

Man vs. Fish:  The Fly Fisherman's Eternal Struggle by Taylor Streit

Man vs Fish comprises the highlights of Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame guide Taylor Streit's fifty years of fly-fishing. From New Mexico to Argentina we follow Streit, and his sidekick "superfly," from hooking the tail of a great marlin to getting hooked, barefoot, to the living room carpet. Reading these dramatic tales will inspire the armchair angler to thrash their way to a wild place, don waders, and become part of the action. For more information, please click here.

The Wild Game Cookbook by Anna and David Kasabian

For hunting enthusiasts, participants, and “foodies,” finding ways to prepare, cook, and enjoy the game they’ve bagged is a large part of the enjoyment of the sport. This book is a unique collection of approximately 80 fully tested game recipes culled from the U.S. and Canada’s outstanding hunting lodges and resorts. Keen game hunters will love this book, which allow home cooks to recreate dishes from some of their favorite hunting location. The recipes appeal to all skill levels, and include dishes that are baked, grilled, roasted, slow cooked, pressure cooked, pan fried, sautéed, deep fried, stewed, and barbequed, as well as casseroles, sauces, marinades, and other cooking methods that work well with various game species.

For more information, click here.

Photo Gallery

Check out How Your Fellow TRCP Partners Fared this Season

Send us your photos. We are working to expand the photo gallery on our Web site and would love to include your photo. Please send the photo with information on how and where you got what’s in the shot. If we pick yours for our next newsletter, we’ll send you a TRCP hat too. Send photos to info@trcp.org. Electronic photos only please. Ted Lake, of Buchanan, Mich., shows us his 24 pound turkey, with an 11 inch beard and 1 1/4 inch spurs.

View the rest of the TRCP Partner Photo gallery here.

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Roosevelt Reflections

T.R.’s Lands Without Roads
by Ken Barrett

Theodore Roosevelt, 1885

The farthest you can get away from a road in the continental United States is just over twenty miles. It’s a place called the Thoroughfare. Located in a remote area of Wyoming, bordering Yellowstone National Park, it’s famous for its elk hunting. Today 98 % of the lower 48 states are covered in roads. Only 2 % of our land remains undeveloped, and a big piece of what we term ‘roadless area’ is found in our publicly accessible national forests, home to some of the best deer, bear and elk hunting in the United States.

T.R. loved big game hunting because it fit perfectly with his ideal of a strenuous life. Teddy wrote, “The wilderness hunter must not only show skill in the use of the rifle and address in finding and approaching game, but he must also show the qualities of hardihood, self-reliance and resolution needed for effectively grappling with his wild surroundings.” In Teddy’s day, big game hunting meant leaving behind the comforts of civilization and striking out on horse or foot into the wildest and remotest corners of the nation.

Most hunters recognize that there is a direct correlation with access and hunting pressure. The easier the access, the greater the hunting pressure; the more difficult the access, the lighter the pressure, and along with it a better chance for a trophy animal.

Today, as in Teddy’s time, there are those who would like to build even more roads into the remaining roadless areas of our public lands. Most hunters and anglers, however, do not want to see new roads, because they know that these places are becoming rarer with each passing year and the values the places encompass far exceed any attributable to a balance sheet and the bottom line. Sportsmen and -women also know that these remote locations are where the buck and bulls are the biggest, the waters the cleanest and the trout the wildest.
When it comes to protecting our remaining roadless areas there is no doubt what Teddy would do. It’s up to us to speak for him and for future generations.

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Holiday Special Feature

In previous editions of the Square Dealer you have met TRCP partner Maj. Brent Cummings. TRCP’s Life in the Open host Ken Barrett first met Brent one year ago, just before he deployed for Iraq. Maj. Cummings, a graduate of Norwich University and career soldier, showed Ken around Fort Riley, Kansas during a bobwhite hunt. Throughout his time abroad Maj. Cummings has kept the TRCP updated. We hope you enjoy his latest report with this “Holiday Special Feature.”

Rangers Ring in New Year with Cookout and Conservation
By 2nd Lt. Ryan Wood

Maj. Brent Cummings, Col. Ricky Gibbs and Command Sgt. Maj. James Champagne sport TRCP and PF hats.

New Year’s brought new excitement for the rangers of 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, as the home stretch of their 15-month deployment came into view and some supportive outdoorsman offered a taste of home to celebrate the close of 2007 during a BBQ and raffle on New Year’s Eve.

In addition to being a night of celebration, the rangers managed to promote outdoor conservation as well. Col. Ricky Gibbs, commander, 4th IBCT was in attendance and together with Command Sgt. Maj. James Champagne, 4th IBCT and Maj. Brent Cummings, XO, 2-16 IN, was able to distribute dozens of prizes including shirts, hats, calendars, magazine subscriptions and the main prize of the evening, four free bird hunting trips. The merchandise and trips were donated by Pheasants Forever and the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP) through the Fort Riley Outdoorsman’s Group, affectionately known as FROG.

The rangers of 2-16 IN were just the second combat brigade deployed in support of President Bush’s surge and have been fighting in one of the most dangerous portions of Baghdad for nearly a year. According to Cummings, the party was a way for his soldiers to both let off some steam, and remind themselves of the great things that wait for them when they return to Kansas in the spring.

“Many of our soldiers enjoy the tremendous outdoor activities available in Kansas, such as hunting, fishing, hiking or camping back home,” said Cummings. “This evening gave supporters such as the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership a way to show their appreciation for our soldiers and promote conservation though current and future Kansas outdoorsmen.”

Pfc. Joseph Semtak, HHC, 2-16 IN, an avid outdoorsman himself, assisted with the evening event and identified with the excitement soldiers who walked away with the hunt trips showed.

“This is something that gets guys excited about going home and reminds them of just one of the many things we fight for,” said Semtak. “For many of them, it was the first time they had heard of the various conservation and outdoor groups around the post and now they have more ways to support the environment and responsible outdoorsmanship when they get home. They can help protect what they love.”

Cummings acknowledged that on the outside, the merchandise and trips were a simply a way that groups in the

A U.S. soldier with his new TRCP hat.

U.S. could thank soldiers in Iraq for what they do every day, but he also saw it as more than just receiving a cool new hat or shirt.

“Soldiers see examples of what people can do to their environment every day as they walk down the streets. There is a total disregard for the future. The soldiers see the damage these people are doing to themselves and their environment spilling out into the streets and it gives them an extra reason to work at protecting what they have back home,” said Cummings. “We hope that not only will the soldiers know they are appreciated, they can also become involved in these programs back in the States and ensure that the environment we enjoy is protected for today and our children in the future.”

By the end of the party, Cummings, who along with Gibbs and Champagne, sit on the board for FROG, was able to give everyone who wanted one some sort of prize along with a free one year subscription to Pheasants Forever Journal of Upland Conservation. With happy stomachs filled with BBQ and a few lucky soldiers looking forward to fall hunting trips back home, the night served as a great way to ring in the new year.