03/08/2010
Middlebrook Resident Earns National Conservation Award
EDGEFIELD, S.C. — Volunteers are the driving force behind the National Wild Turkey Federation's conservation successes, and each year the NWTF recognizes the best of the best with the Roger M. Latham Sportsman Wild Turkey Service Awards.
 For his contributions to the National Wild Turkey Federation's conservation legacy, Virginia's Rick Layser received a Roger M. Latham Sportsman Wild Turkey Service Award. He was presented the award during the Federation's national convention in Nashville, Tenn. Click image for print quality version |
This year the NWTF presented a Latham service award to Rick Layser of Middlebrook, Va., for his contributions to the NWTF's conservation legacy. Layser received the award in Nashville, Tenn., during the NWTF's 34th annual National Convention and Sport Show, themed "Conserve. Hunt. Share. - Live the Tradition." The convention was sponsored by MidwayUSA.
"Rick Layser shows tireless dedication to promoting conservation and hunting and sharing his passion for the outdoors," said James Earl Kennamer, Ph.D., the NWTF's chief conservation officer. "We are pleased to honor his commitment to excellence with this award."
The Latham service awards are given to NWTF members who are not employed as professional wildlife managers, but have made significant contributions to wild turkey conservation. Winners are chosen from a field of the NWTF's nearly 350,000 volunteers.
"To be honored in front of so many people who care about hunting traditions, conservation and improving habitat, and to be able to share the moment with my wife, is pretty special," said Layser, who was joined at the 2010 convention by his wife Linda.
Layser serves as vice president of the NWTF's Virginia State Chapter and has given hundreds of hours to the Conservation Volunteer Program at Virginia's Quantico Marine Corps Base to create turkey habitat and increase turkey populations in the area.
He's a volunteer NWTF Habitat Pro Staff Member and represents the Federation as an associate director on the Headwaters Soil and Conservation District in Virginia. Layser and his wife also established a habitat demonstration area at a local elementary school, which won an award through the NWTF's Hunting Heritage Super Fund.
"Rick Layser knows conservation, hunting and introducing people to the outdoors go hand in hand," Kennamer said. "He is one of our most dedicated volunteers, and we are proud to recognize all he does to ensure that our children and grandchildren can live the hunting tradition for many years to come."
Gary Watts of Arkansas, Harold Runge of Illinois, Robert Cotiaux of Maine and Tim Blum of New Jersey also were recognized with Latham service awards at this year's NWTF convention.
The National Wild Turkey Federation is a nonprofit conservation organization that works daily to further its mission of conserving the wild turkey and preserving our hunting heritage. Through dynamic partnerships with state, federal and provincial wildlife agencies, the NWTF and its more members have helped restore wild turkey populations across the country, spending more than $306 million to conserve 14 million acres of habitat for all types of wildlife.
For more information about the Roger M. Latham Sportsman Wild Turkey Service Awards or other convention highlights, call (800) THE-NWTF or visit www.nwtf.org.
2010 Convention Sponsors: Affinity4, ATK/Federal Premium Ammunition, Bank of America, Bass Pro Shops, Benelli, Browning, Call Makers and Collectors Association of America, CamoFX, Chevrolet, Farm Service Agency, Foxy Huntress, Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center, HuntVe, Knight Rifles, Leupold & Stevens, Marlin Firearms Company, MeadWestvaco, MidwayUSA, Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau, National Band & Tag Co., O.F. Mossberg & Sons, Inc., Mossy Oak and The Pursuit Channel, The Outdoor Connection, Remington Arms Company, Inc., SHE Outdoor Apparel, TriStar Sporting Arms, USDA Forest Service, Weatherby, Inc., Wild Turkey Bourbon, Winchester Division/Olin Corp.
