Second quarter grant applications were presented and voted on at the May 28th AZSFWC Board meeting. Funding for the grants is available through sales of our special Conserving Wildlife license plate. More information about the license plate and how you can obtain one can be found HERE.
Six grants were approved in the amount of $19,490 and included the following:
$1,320 was awarded to Munds Park Trail Stewards for their Horse Park Fence Habitat project. Horse Park is a grassy meadow in which elk and deer graze regularly. Off-highway vehicles have been using the meadow as a shortcut to traverse from an OHV trail to Forest Rd 700, causing damage to vital vegetation. The Stewards will be extending the existing log fence along the OHV trail to prevent vehicles from crossing the meadow.
$3,800 was awarded to Mohave Sportsman Club for their annual Fishing for Smiles event, which is a cooperative effort to provide an opportunity for Mohave County children to learn about all aspects of fishing. The Club anticipates some 700 children to attend, who will be provided with equipment and education, and volunteers will teach them to cast, bait a hook, reel in the catch, and how to clean the fish they have caught. Additional partners include Kingman Elks Lodge 468, Kingman Regional Medical Center, Mohave County Sheriff’s Department Volunteer Posse, and AZ Game & Fish Department. Local rancher Scott Dunton will be providing his two stock ponds for the event.
$10,500 was awarded to Arizona Outdoor Adventures for their summer youth camps. These camps introduce youth to and foster a lifelong connection with nature, exposing them to the peace and quiet of the outdoors. Campers experience tent camps situated in the back country of Arizona’s White Mountains, and participate in activities that include fishing, hiking, wildlife education, backpacking, jeep rides, outdoor cooking, horseback riding, and much more. Campfire talks and “teachable moments” while hiking and fishing provide opportunities for the youth to connect with knowledgeable and caring adults who model stewardship and impart information about the natural environment. The campers learn respect for themselves, others and the environment; how to make constructive life choices; and responsibility and cooperation with their families and authority figures.
$1,000 was awarded to the AZ Chapter of NWTF for their annual Robbins Butte Youth Dove Hunt. This one day event accommodates up to 100 children, who will be provided with necessary equipment and mentors who will teach them how to hunt dove.
$1,000 was awarded to Kahuna’s Kids for the Mentoring Kid’s Fishing Derby at Patagonia Lake. This event benefits youth from Mentoring Tucson’s Kids, which is a Tucson nonprofit organization who pairs at-risk youth with adult mentors. The derby hosts 30 pairs of children & mentors with 1 seasoned angler from Del Norte Bass Anglers or Arizona Bass Nation for a fun-filled day of fishing at Patagonia Lake, Arizona. The children are provided with everything they need for their day of fishing: rod & reel, life jackets, tackle packs with bait, lunch and snacks for the day. They all get to keep their equipment, and receive a t-shirt and plaque with their picture on it from the day.
$1,870 was awarded to the Southern AZ Chapter of Quail Forever for their Family Day/Youth hunt. The goal of this event is to promote the future of hunting and other outdoor activities as well as conservation by getting more youth, women and novices involved. Attendees will be provided with breakfast, lunch, safety brief, orange hat & shirt, and will participate in BB gun shooting, archery, fly casting, GPS navigation, trap shooting, hunting quail over pointing dogs, and learning to clean and cook the birds. Additional partners include Southern AZ German Shorthair Club, National Wild Turkey Federation and AZ Game & Fish.
Click here to see a list of other projects funded through the license plate grant program.