Each year, the FishAmerica Foundation gives out nearly $1 million in grants to groups that support or enhance fisheries conservation.
“The FishAmerica Foundation is the conservation arm of the American Sportfishing Association,” said Janet Tennyson, ASA communications director. “Over the last 20 years, FishAmerica has empowered citizen conservationists across the country by providing $5 million for more than 600 grassroots conservation projects. Foundation grants help do such things as build fish ladders, stock fish, create fishing opportunities, improve habitat and restore stream banks.”
Each year, FLW Outdoors and the FishAmerica Foundation team up to provide fishery-enhancement funds for Wal-Mart FLW Tour host sites. Past projects ran the gamut from fish feeders to release boats. The typical donation is $5,000 per host site, but in some cases, such as New York’s Lake Champlain, that amount is raised. The city of Plattsburgh, N.Y., where the 2002 Lake Champlain event was held, received a $10,000 donation to construct a new boat ramp, build a weigh station and enhance fisheries resources.
The alliance between FLW Outdoors and the FishAmerica Foundation has continued into the 2003 season, where the first beneficiary was Lake Okeechobee out of Clewiston, Fla. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission received $5,000 to purchase fish feeders to attract a higher concentration of fish to improve fishing conditions in targeted areas. All seven stops on the 2003 FLW Tour will receive at least $5,000 to improve local fisheries.
The wealth is spread to other tournament-trail destinations besides the Wal-Mart FLW Tour. In October 2002, the Mississippi River in Red Wing, Minn., host of the Wal-Mart RCL Walleye Championship, received a $5,000 donation to benefit the Gemini Aquatic Management Area on the Cannon River. The project is designed to improve habitat and water quality by reducing sediment buildup.
“We’re supporting quite a range of fisheries-restoration projects, and what’s most impressive about all of them is the can-do attitude and enthusiasm of citizens in these communities,” said Mike Nussman, ASA president. “That energy from partners and volunteers makes FishAmerica investments go a long way for fish in prime habitats across the country.”
“In partnering with FishAmerica, our goal is to have a positive impact on the fisheries and host cities where our tournaments are held,” said Charlie Hoover, president and CEO of FLW Outdoors. “We always strive to leave our host lakes in better condition than when we arrive for both the current and next generation of anglers.”
These represent just a few examples. For more information, visit FishAmerica online or call (703) 519-9691.