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W.J. McCabe Chapter Izaak Walton League of America

For immediate release: April 4, 2000

For more information: Tim Richardson 301-770-6496

HUNTERS HOLD STRONG VIEWS ON NATIONAL FORESTS

Washington, DC - Hunters who hunt on National Forests share strong views on a variety forest values and on the role of roads within the 192 million acre National Forest System. According to a recent national survey commissioned by the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Alliance (TRCA) hunters view National Forests as highly important for protecting the nation's water supply, improving fish and wildlife habitat, providing solitude and remote hunting opportunities. Hunters also emphatically want existing roads maintained before new roads are built and strongly support keeping existing roadless areas roadless.

The survey found that hunters who hunt on National Forests place a high value on National Forests for:

· protecting water quality - 98%

· improving fish and game management - 97%

· providing places for solitude and natural experiences - 88%

· providing hunting opportunities in remote areas with few roads andfew other people - 87%

When asked direct questions about current forest roads and roadless areas, hunters who hunt on National Forests strongly feel forest policy should:

· repair and maintain existing roads before building new roads - 85%

· keep existing roadless areas in their current roadless state - 83%

The TRCA survey was drawn from a sample of 600 licensed hunters who have hunted on National Forests in the last two years. Fifty-two percent of the hunters had hunted on forests west of the 100th meridian, 48% had hunted east of the 100th meridian. Responsive Management, a Harrisonburg, Virginia polling firm specializing in natural resources and outdoor recreation issues, conducted the TRCA survey in March of 2000. The survey has a margin or error of plus or minus 5 percent.

TRCA is an alliance of conservation groups and individuals whose mission is to inform and engage Americans to foster our conservation legacy while working to nurture, enhance and protect the fish, wildlife and habitat resources on the 192 million acre National Forest System. Six founding conservation groups serve as trustees of TRCA, including Izaak Walton League of America, Mule Deer Foundation, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Trout Unlimited, Wildlife Forever and Wildlife Management Institute.

For additional information, contact TRCA, 10365 West 70th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55344, 1-877-770-TRCA, www.trca.org.

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