Bass Pro Shops to Sponsor National Hunting and Fishing Day

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A perennial supporter of National Hunting and Fishing Day -- Bass Pro Shops -- has renewed its commitment to the most effective grassroots campaign ever undertaken to promote hunting, fishing and conservation.

With its 2008 sponsorship, Bass Pro Shops strengthens a growing national partnership to build energy for the annual celebration, set for Sept. 27.

To date, partners include Wonders of Wildlife, the renowned conservation museum and official home of National Hunting and Fishing Day, and the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), which founded the annual commemoration 37 years ago.

Congress, at NSSF's urging, formalized National Hunting and Fishing Day to educate the public about the vital conservation funding generated via traditional outdoor pursuits. Today, through fees and excise taxes, over 34 million hunters and anglers generate $100,000 every 30 minutes for fish, wildlife and habitat programs.

"Many people are surprised to learn that hunters, anglers and shooters contribute most of the funding for conservation in America. Bass Pro Shops is an important partner in delivering this message because its stores are tourism destinations that touch sportsmen and non-sportsmen alike," said Denise Wagner, who coordinates National Hunting and Fishing Day activities for Wonders of Wildlife.

Bass Pro Shops locations around the country will be hosting public celebrations surrounding National Hunting and Fishing Day.

"All of us at Bass Pro Shops are proud to be a part of this annual event that celebrates this nation's great heritage of hunting and fishing," said Bass Pro Shops Manager of Corporate Public Relations and Outdoor Education, Larry Whiteley. "It is important to get the message out about what hunters and anglers do to contribute to habitat programs for fish and wildlife and vital for all of us who love the outdoors to pass on these traditions to both kids and adults."

Located in Springfield, Mo., Wonders of Wildlife is the only hunting- and fishing-focused museum that's both affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution and accredited by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association.

For more information, visit www.nhfday.org.

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