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About Us
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An exciting new organization has recently been created to reverse the trend of declining hunters in the State of Florida. Called “The Future of Hunting in Florida, Inc.,” the not-for-profit corporation was formed for the purposes of:
- Recruiting and retaining hunters in Florida
- Promoting and strengthening ethics and conservation
- Increasing access and opportunities for citizens and visitors to hunt on public & private lands in Florida; and,
- Building a unified, strong coalition of hunting organizations
- In August of 2005, more than 200 stakeholders convened in Orlando for a two-day Summit on the Future of Hunting in Florida. The Summit resulted in the creation of this new group.
“The Future of Hunting in Florida will be a strong voice for the overall hunting community in Florida,” said Bill Marvin, Chairman of the Board and also a National Board member of the National Wild Turkey Federation. “We hope hunters and those who want to learn how to hunt will join our organization to make sure our hunting heritage is passed on to future generations.”
The new organization already has the strong support of several key legislators and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
“As a gun shop owner in Florida, I have the opportunity to interact with hunters on a frequent basis and as a state senator and co-chair of our Sportsmen’s Caucus, it is very helpful to hear from our sportsmen constituents on matters of importance to them. It is refreshing to see folks like the founders of The Future of Hunting in Florida organization coming together to take action to help all sportsmen in Florida,” said State Senator Carey Baker (R-Eustis).
“As a co-chair of the Florida Legislators’ Sportsmen’s Caucus and an avid sportsman, I am extremely pleased that individuals and groups from around the state are uniting in their efforts to protect the future of hunting in Florida,” said State Representative Baxter Troutman (R-Winter Haven). He further added, “I encourage every hunter in this state to become involved in The Future of Hunting in Florida organization. The ability of your grandchildren to have a place to hunt could depend on it.”
“The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is very pleased to hear this announcement about a new organization called the The Future of Hunting in Florida. The tradition and heritage of hunting in Florida is highly important to this Commission and the state of Florida,” said Chairman Rodney Barreto of the Commission. He added, “Historically, hunters have been at the forefront of wildlife conservation efforts, and hunting is an economically important activity in Florida; however declining trends in hunter numbers indicates trouble on the horizon. We share the hope and optimism of this new organization and applaud their plans to bring all hunters and hunting organizations together to focus positive efforts and attention on a bright future for hunting in Florida.”
Executive Director Ken Haddad of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission stated, "I am very pleased to see the establishment of this new organization. The hunting community and associated industries are incredibly important to the long term conservation of Florida's fish and wildlife resources and maintaining this traditional activity along with passion for the outdoors is needed for the future."
The Future of Hunting in Florida will be sponsoring local events for youths and adults in communities throughout the State to teach the benefits of hunting and promote good ethics, sportsmanship, safety, and conservation. For more information about this exciting new organization, email info@thefutureofhunting.org or contact Mr. John Fuller at (850) 509-4099.
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