Sportsmen’s coalition sponsors essay contest for youths 15-19; winners to receive expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., to meet with leaders
DENVER – A national sportsmen’s coalition working for the balanced use of our public lands and the continuation of hunting, angling and other outdoor traditions wants to hear from youths on what public lands mean to them.
Sportsmen for Responsible Energy Development is sponsoring an essay contest with the theme “the importance of public lands to me.” The contest is open to youths 15 to 19 years old. The deadline for submissions is Jan. 15. Five winners will receive an expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., to meet with members of their congressional delegations and other officials.
“We hunters and anglers are the beneficiaries of farsighted leaders and conservationists who realized the importance of conserving public lands for future generations. We are determined to keep the legacy alive and believe it’s crucial to encourage young people to explore our public lands and speak up for what is important to them,” said Brad Powell, senior policy director of the Sportsmen’s Conservation Project at Trout Unlimited.
Interior Secretary Sally Jewell has talked about the importance of connecting young people to nature to build the next generation of conservation leaders, noted Ed Arnett, director of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership’s Center for Responsible Energy Development.
“Secretary Jewell is right to focus on youths and the vital role they will play in making sure there will always be enough space to sustain our big game herds, plenty of clean, clear water to support fisheries and landscapes that nurture our connection to the natural world,” Arnett said. “Conserving public lands are critical to that as well as to fueling local economies nationwide that benefit from recreation, tourism and people seeking a high quality of life.”
Essays should be submitted to Powell, bpowell@tu.org. For more details, go to http://www.sfred.org/.
SFRED invites youths to speak out on public lands
