ActionPlanHuntingandAnglingHeritageWorkgroup

ThesteeringcommitteeisacrosssectionofrepresentativesfromtheHuntingandAnglingHeritage Workgroup.TherepresentativesincludeCraigMcMullen,AZGFD;SteveClark,ArizonaElkSociety; DeWaneTabbot;YouthOutdoorsUnlimited;KathleenMurphy/ScottCarney,BigBrothersBigSisters Yavapai;DavidPower,YumaValleyRodandGunClub;BrainPinney,AnglersUnited;RichWilliams, NationalWildTurkeyFederationArizonaStateChapter;EddyCorona,OutdoorExperience4All;Clint Lawton,BoyScoutsofAmericaGrandCanyonChapter;SeanGrayMyCampUSA;andScottLavin DicksSportingGoods. Purpose ThepurposeoftheHuntingandAnglingHeritageWorkingGroup(HAHWG)istogatherleadersin industry,conservationgroups,youthgroups,andwildlifemanagementprofessionalstosynergistically preservethehuntingandanglingtradition. EachgroupbringsacriticalelementtotheHAHWGandhasaslightlydifferentviewofsuccess.Industry benefitsfromrecruitmentandretentionbyincreased,perpetualrevenuestreams;conservationgroups benefitbyhelpingsolidifytheNorthAmericanmodelofconservationandbyincreasingmembershipin theirorganizations;youthdevelopmentgroupsenhancetheirprogramsbybecominginvolvedin programsbeneficialtotheiryouth,andthewildlifemanagementagencybenefitsbysolidifyingworking relationshipswithpartners,andsolidifyingthefutureofwildlifeconservation. DesiredFutureCondition ThedesiredfutureconditionoftheHAHWGistohaveincreasedparticipationinhunting,angling, wildlifeviewingandshootingsportsrecreation,inordertohaveastablewildlifeconservationeffortfor thebenefitofallArizonans.Participationinwildliferelatedrecreationwillbematchedwithbroad supportandinvolvementofnonparticipantswhoacknowledgethecontributionsofsportspersonsto wildlifeconservation. CurrentConditions BiologicalBoththequalityandquantityofwildlifehabitatisdiminishinginArizonabecauseofimpacts ofhumans.Theamountofwildlifeiscontingentuponthecarryingcapacityofthathabitat. Consequently,thehuntingandanglingopportunitiesthatArizonaGameandFishcanprovide toitsconstituentsisindirectlydeterminedbyhabitat,particularlybiggamehunting opportunities. ParticipationTherearecurrentlymorebiggamehuntersthanbiggamehuntingopportunities,asour Departmentnecessarilyturnsawayapproximately44%ofthedrawapplicants.Yet,while smallgamehuntingopportunitiesareabundant,fewerhuntersaretakingadvantageof them.Participationinhuntingandanglinghasbeendecliningformorethantwodecades. Decliningparticipationinhuntingandanglingrepresentsasignificantthreattowildlife conservationinArizona.Finally,thisgroupacknowledgesthatthereisalargecontingentof Arizonans,suchaswildlifeviewers,thatbenefitfromwildlifebutdonotcontributetoits conservationthroughtraditionalmeans,suchasthepurchaseoflicensesorhuntingorfishing equipment.Althoughtheydonotcurrentlypaytheirfairshareofcosts,theenthusiasmthey haveforwildlifeidentifiesthemasstrongpotentialalliesforwildlifeconservationinthe future. Societal Broad,irreversiblesocietalshifts,suchasurbanization,modernization,demographic changes,anddisintegrationofthenuclearfamilyhavenegativelyaffectedparticipationin CreatedFriday,March4,2011.*Amended,Jan.12,2012. Page1of4

ActionPlanHuntingandAnglingHeritageWorkgroup
huntingandanglingandoutdooractivities.Thesechangeshavemadepeopleinteractwith wildlifeandwildlifeconservationverydifferentlythantheeraunderwhichhuntingand anglingproliferated.Inparticular,theyouthareseparatedfromnatureandoutdooractivities formyriadreasons.Today,increasinglymorepeopletendtoconnecttowildlifeonemotional terms,wheretherightsofanimalsaresimilartotherightofhumans.Thisworldview precludesparticipationinconsumptiveactivitiessuchashuntingandanglingthatsupport utilitarianvaluesandattitudestowardwildlife.
EconomicWildlifeconservationhashistoricallybeenfundedbyhuntingandfishinglicensesandexcise

taxesonhuntingandfishingequipment.Thereductionofhuntingandanglingparticipation resultsinreducedfundingforwildlifeconservation.Simultaneously,industriesthatsupply equipmenttosustaintheseactivitiesarenotrealizingpotentialrevenuesthatcouldbe capturedwereitnotforthereductioninparticipation.Thereisabilliondollarindustry relatedtohuntingandfishinginArizona.Hundredsofbusinessesandthousandsof employeescanbenegativelyimpactedbydeclinesinparticipation. FundamentalObjectivesandAssociatedActivities ToaccomplishtheHAHWGdesiredfutureconditionandtoovercomethechallengespresentedbythe currentconditions,thesteeringcommitteesuggestsadoptingthefollowingfundamentalobjectivesto preserve,enhancethehuntingandanglingtraditions: 1) Educatenonparticipants a) IntegratetheNorthAmericanModelcurriculumintothegradeschoolcurriculum b) Utilizethehuntingbackgroundofthoseinvolvedineducation c) Developacollaborativepublicrelationsprogramtohighlighttheroleindustry,sportsmen,and sportsmensorganizationsplayinconservation,andkeepthemajorityofpeopleonthepositive sideofneutralwhenitcomestohuntingandangling. 2) Recruitnonparticipants/increaseinvolvement a) UtilizeapeertopeerrecruitingprocessthatBoyScoutsofAmericahasusedeffectivelytohave youthengageotheryouth. b) Workasanalliancetopromoteopportunitiesforpeopletoparticipateinoutdooractivitiessuch ashuntingandfishing. c) Howtogetstartedprogramthatincludescamping,angling,archeryandtheshootingsportsas anintroductiontotheideathathuntingandanglingarefunactivity d) Definecamp/activitystandards e) Mentorprogram f) Marketopportunitiestounderrepresenteddemographics 3) Reducebarriersfornewparticipants a) Definebarriers b) Makeiteasierandmoreappealingforpeopletoparticipate c) Makeinformationeasiertounderstandandeasiertoaccess. 4) Reducebarriersforenhancedretentionofexistingwildliferecreationists a) Createandpromoteopportunitiesforparticipation b) Recruitforopportunitiesfocusingonsmallgame c) Improveaccesstoplacestogohuntingandfishing CreatedFriday,March4,2011.*Amended,Jan.12,2012. Page2of4

ActionPlanHuntingandAnglingHeritageWorkgroup
d) Makeinformationeasiertounderstandandeasiertoaccess. e) Specificallymarketinformationtolapsedhuntersandanglers,wintervisitors,andnewArizona residents 5) Collaborateamongststakeholdersandleveragerelationships/partnerships(11212:Amended#5 toclarifyandprovidemoredetails) a) Improveeventefficiencyandattendanceofparticipantsthroughpartnering,sharingresources, manpowerandoutreacheffortswithinterestedpartners. b) Increaseeventinteresttoawiderangeofparticipantsbyofferingmultipleoutdoorrelated activitiesbypartneringwithmultipleorganizationswithdifferentareasofexpertise. c) Provideasupportsystemandpathwaytohelpnewpartnerswithconductingeventsthatmeet theirobjectives,capacityandinterests. d) Buildacommunicationnetworkthroughamultitudeofplatformsfrommeetings,directoneon one,socialnetworking,centralrepositoryofactivities,andothermeansinawaytokeep connected,energizedandbuildingonsuccesses. e) Motivatesportsmen,industryandsportsmensgroupstoeducatelegislatureonconservation issuesthroughparticipationinthelegislativeprocess. MeasuresofSuccess TheAdoptionSequence(AdaptedFromNSSFBestPractices) Literaturehasattemptedtodefinethesequenceofeventsthatoccurswhenapersonadoptsanew activity.Thisissometimesreferredtoastheadoptionsequence.TheHAHWGrecognizesthatmakinga nonhunteroranglerintoahunteroranglerdoesnotoccuratthesamepaceforeveryindividual.But generally,eachpersonfollowsaprocesssimilartotheoneoutlinedbelow.TheHAHWGwillprovide wildliferecreationprograms,productsandservicesthatfulfillthestagesincludedintheadoption sequencefromawarenesstoproponentincludingprogramsfocusedonretentionofexistinghunters andanglers.Ingeneraltobecomeahunterorangler,apersonmusthavemorethanonepositive experienceinordertobecomefullyrecruitedandretained. Stage1:Awareness Individualsrecognizethathunting,orangling,orwildlifeviewingisanacceptablerecreationalactivity. Stage2:Interest Individualsdeveloppositivethoughtsassociatedwiththeoutdooractivitythatrelatetothepotentialfor personalinvolvementintheactivity. Stage3:Trial Individualsdecidetoinvestigatefurther,actingonadesiretoacquiremoreknowledgeand/orskillin theactivity. Stage4:Continuationwithsupport Individualshaveenoughtrialexperiencestoviewthemselvesasahunter,shooter,angler,orwildlife watcher,butdonotconsidertheirlevelofknowledgeadequatetosupportparticipationintheactivity withoutsupport. Stage5:Continuationwithoutsupport Individualsfeelconfidentintheirknowledgeandskillsandexpectthemselvestobecompetentto participateintheactivitywithoutsupport. Stage6:Proponent Individualsstronglysupporttheactivitybothsociallyandpolitically. Stage7:TemporaryCessation CreatedFriday,March4,2011.*Amended,Jan.12,2012. Page3of4

ActionPlanHuntingandAnglingHeritageWorkgroup
Individualstemporarilylosetheirconnectionwiththeactivityforavarietyofreasons,butintendto participateinthefuture. PossibleTargetsatwhichtheHAHWGCanAim Followingisalistofmeasuresandtargetsforasuccessfulrecruitmentandretentionprogram. MaintainthepercentageofArizonaresidentswhosupportregulatedhuntingat76percent. IncreasethepercentageofArizonaresidentswhorecognizetheDepartmentsresponsibilityto managewildlifefrom41percentto61percentby2020. Increasegeneralorcombinationresidenthuntinglicensesalesby20percentby2020(34,000 licenses). Increasegeneralorcombinationresidentfishinglicensesalesby20percentby2020(55,000 licenses). IncreaseUrbanFishinglicensesalesby200percentby2020(135,000licenses). IncreaseUrbanFishingparticipationby200percentby2020(180,000individuals). Increasethepercentageofresidentswhoparticipateinrecreationalshootingto25percentby 2020(currently20percentparticipation). MaintainexistingandidentifynewpartnerswithintheHAHWGwithsportsmensgroups, industry,andyouthdevelopmentorganizations. Decreasethepercentageoflapsedanglersby25percent. Decreasethepercentageoflapsedhuntersby25percent.(1in5buysalicenseeveryyear) Establisharecognizablehuntingoranglingrecreationalopportunitywithin30minutesofeach residentinArizona. Increaseparticipationinsmallgamehuntingby20%by2020 TheHAHWGwillknowthatwehaveachievedsuccessbyseeingafundamental,lastingreversalof trendsinparticipation,andthegeneralpublicofArizonaacceptingofhuntingandangling. Forreference:ThekeyareasoffocusunderFundamentalObjectivesandAssociatedActivitiesfor thefirstyearofthecommitteeare1C,2B,2C,2D,3B,3C,4A,4B,5A,5B,5C,5Dand5Easindicated byyellowhighlighting.

CreatedFriday,March4,2011.*Amended,Jan.12,2012. Page4of4