Post by Deleted on Dec 3, 2016 6:28:51 GMT -5
“Thank you.”
That short statement sums up the appreciation I have for Indiana’s hunters and my fellow conservationists.
It’s often said that hunters were America’s first conservationists. They recognized more than a century ago that unregulated market hunting and habitat destruction were wiping out some of our nation’s most treasured wildlife species. The time had come to reverse that trend.
The grassroots buy-in of everyday citizens made it happen. Hundreds of small hunting and conservation clubs sprang up across Indiana out of this mutual desire to see wildlife survive and thrive. National organizations – the Izaak Walton League of America, Ducks Unlimited, National Wildlife Federation among others – soon followed. State agencies, like our own Department of Natural Resources, were created and tasked with managing the public’s natural resources.
This year, the state of Indiana celebrates its bicentennial and your Indiana State Parks are celebrating a century of showcasing and preserving our state’s natural wonders. From the establishment of our first state park — McCormick’s Creek — in the summer of 1916, the system has grown to 32 properties that host nearly 16 million visitors each year.
But it’s you, the hunter, who has supported Hoosier conservation by buying a license.
Your investment not only grants you the privilege to pursue white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, pheasants or some other game, but also supports research, programs, and our public lands. You are part of the Hoosier conservation tradition every time you buy an Indiana license.
The future of Hoosier conservation looks bright with your continued support. Thank you.
Mike Pence
State of Indiana Governor
That short statement sums up the appreciation I have for Indiana’s hunters and my fellow conservationists.
It’s often said that hunters were America’s first conservationists. They recognized more than a century ago that unregulated market hunting and habitat destruction were wiping out some of our nation’s most treasured wildlife species. The time had come to reverse that trend.
The grassroots buy-in of everyday citizens made it happen. Hundreds of small hunting and conservation clubs sprang up across Indiana out of this mutual desire to see wildlife survive and thrive. National organizations – the Izaak Walton League of America, Ducks Unlimited, National Wildlife Federation among others – soon followed. State agencies, like our own Department of Natural Resources, were created and tasked with managing the public’s natural resources.
This year, the state of Indiana celebrates its bicentennial and your Indiana State Parks are celebrating a century of showcasing and preserving our state’s natural wonders. From the establishment of our first state park — McCormick’s Creek — in the summer of 1916, the system has grown to 32 properties that host nearly 16 million visitors each year.
But it’s you, the hunter, who has supported Hoosier conservation by buying a license.
Your investment not only grants you the privilege to pursue white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, pheasants or some other game, but also supports research, programs, and our public lands. You are part of the Hoosier conservation tradition every time you buy an Indiana license.
The future of Hoosier conservation looks bright with your continued support. Thank you.
Mike Pence
State of Indiana Governor