Virginia Receives $75,000 Grant from NSSF to Promote Hunting

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May 24, 2011, 11:53 ET

NEWTOWN, Conn., May 24, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries has been awarded a grant for $75,000 from the National Shooting Sports Foundation to expand opportunities for hunters.

The state is one of nine to receive funding from NSSF through its Hunting Heritage Partnership program. NSSF, the trade association for the firearms, ammunition, hunting and shooting-sports industry, has provided more than $4.3 million in grants to 38 state agencies over the past nine years to support programs that promote hunting and target shooting.

The agency will take the lead on a multi-state research project that will determine the motivations of apprentice-hunting license holders for obtaining a first-time license; their expectations related to hunting; and their satisfaction with their hunting experiences. Research from Virginia, Alabama, Kentucky, Georgia and South Carolina will be part of the project. Such information can be used by state agencies to help encourage apprentice license holders to become active hunters.

"The apprentice hunting license is a great tool to recruit new hunters, and Virginia is very pleased to have the opportunity to enhance the value of this popular program," said Bob Duncan, executive director of VDGIF. "We look forward to working with our partner states and Mark Duda with Responsive Management to focus on the challenges of removing barriers to hunting and identifying ways to secure the future of our rich hunting heritage."

Responsive Management is a Harrisonburg-based outdoor recreation research firm.

NSSF developed the Hunting Heritage Partnership grant program to assist state agencies nationwide in their attempts to help hunters locate land on which to hunt and easily access state hunting information plus encourage newcomers to start and then continue hunting.

"NSSF grants to state agencies are making a difference," said Chris Dolnack, senior vice president and chief marketing officer of NSSF. "Programs are being launched to benefit hunting and target shooting that otherwise might never have gotten off the ground in these challenging economic times."

The grant program is helping NSSF fulfill its goal of increasing participation in hunting and target shooting by 20 percent by 2014.

About NSSF

The National Shooting Sports Foundation is the trade association for the firearms industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of more than 6,000 manufacturers, distributors, firearms retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen's organizations and publishers. For more information, log on to www.nssf.org.

NSSF is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2011. Learn about the Foundation's history at www.nssf.org/50.

SOURCE National Shooting Sports Foundation