Bullet points

[NSSF]

Vol. #4 No. #49 December 08, 2003



The Great Outdoor Games moves to the Midwest this summer for the fifth edition.

NSSF-SUPPORTED SUMMER SHOOTING SPECTACLE VIEWED BY MILLIONS MOVES TO MIDWEST SITE
The world’s best outdoors athletes will converge on Madison, Wisconsin next summer to compete for the ultimate championship of outdoor sports in 2004's ESPN Great Outdoor Games. Athletes are showcased in disciplines ranging from rifle, shotgun and archery target sports to fishing, sporting dog and lumberjack events. While entertaining large crowds on site July 8-11, the ESPN Great Outdoor Games will also draw a worldwide television audience airing on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC Sports in more than 20 hours of original television programming that will highlight the head-to-head competitions.
LAWSUIT DISMISSED . . . Newark, New Jersey's lawsuit against the firearm industry has been dismissed, though the city has until next March to re-file the action. Attorneys for the industry were unsuccessful in arguing that a lack of cooperation from the city in providing necessary information to the defendants should have prevented any chance of a re-filing. To track the various lawsuits against the industry, you can check a regularly updated "Municipal Lawsuit Scorecard" on the Internet at http://www.hsshf.org/legal/, Web site of the Hunting and Shooting Sports Heritage Foundation.
HUNTING HABITAT IMPROVEMENT . . . President George W. Bush signed legislation last week to improve wildlife habitat and minimize devastating wildfires with enhanced active forest management techniques. The Healthy Forests Restoration Act (HR 1904), passed by the House by a vote of 286 - 140 and by voice vote in the Senate, was the product of months of negotiations and compromise. Many wildlife, hunting and conservation groups worked to help pass this important legislation with support from the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus.
BRADY CAMPAIGN'S MISSING MONEY . . . The Federal Election Commission reports the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence just agreed to pay a $26,000 fine for failing to properly disclose money it spent in attempts to unseat two members of Congress during the 2000 election. Alan Gottlieb, founder of the Second Amendment Foundation, reacted to the admission by asking, "Can you imagine the outrage that anti-gunners would be spewing if a gun rights organization failed to report more than $211,000 in campaign expenditures, especially if the money was spent to unseat some gun control fanatic?" In a news release about the admission, Gottlieb observed, "If nothing else, this disclosure certainly bares one more hypocrisy of the extremist gun control movement."
NOW HERE'S AN INTERESTING SPIN . . . According to a Washington Post article, the National Rifle Association is considering purchasing a mainstream media outlet to exempt it from restrictions on campaign spending created by recent "campaign reform" legislation. While already publishing several of the most widely circulated monthly magazines in the nation, owning a newspaper or broadcast facility would put the NRA in the same position as AOL/Time-Warner or Viacom, owner of the CBS network; General Electric, NBC's owner; and Disney, ABC's parent company, which are not restricted from candidate advocacy within a month of a national election. The NRA, the nation's oldest civil rights organization, has also joined with other issue advocacy organizations in a lawsuit to overturn what it says are unconstitutional provisions of the "reform" legislation that abridge its First Amendment right to support Second Amendment supporters in elections.
STEPPING OUTSIDE SUCCEEDS . . . Seventy-five percent of those recently responding to a poll on Tom Gresham's Gun Talk radio show Web site reported introducing hunting or shooting to someone this year. Research by NSSF's STEP OUTSIDE® shows 48 million Americans would accept an invitation to go shooting, if only they were asked!
END OF AN ERA . . . Becky Maddy, Executive Director of the National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers, who has been with NASGW for more than 30 years, is retiring. RSR Management Corp. a subsidiary of the wholesaler located in Winter Park , Florida , will assume responsibility for day-to-day operation of the NASGW until a suitable replacement is found. Inquiries about NASGW should be directed to Tracy Kolojeski at 407-677-1333, ext. 646, or Bob Steger at 407-677-1333, ext. 601. Interested applicants for the position of Executive Director of the NASGW should submit a resume and qualifications via fax to 407-677-5804 or via e-mail at nasgw@nasgw.org.
SHOT SHOW
BE SURE TO ATTEND . . . Dwight Yoakam, the Grammy award-winning performer renowned for his live concerts, celebrates the shooting sports at the SHOT Show on Thursday, February 12, in Las Vegas. Tickets are limited in number, and only credentialed attendees of SHOT are eligible to purchase tickets at http://www.shotshow.org/2004/concert/ or by calling (203) 426-1320. Be sure to be a part of this prestigious event, including the NSSF State of the Industry multi-media presentation and banquet, by making your reservations as soon as possible.
WHAT's NEW AT SHOT . . . The SHOT Show Retailer Services Pavilion will house several significant new features right on the show floor in a "store of the future" setting. This state-of-the-art store will feature inventory-control software and scanners, burglar-resistant display cases and other examples of modern technology particularly suited to the firearms retailer. The New Product Showcase, adjacent to the Retailer Services Pavilion, will allow exhibitors on stage briefly to display their products, not only describing their items to a seated audience, but also giving tips on how to best use and sell them, and exhibiting companies can field questions from retailers too. Locating the new attractions right on the show floor will allow retailers to stay close to where the action is, and require only a short commitment of time to take in any of these new features.
MEDIA CREDENTIALS . . . Working members of the outdoor media are urged to pre-register for credentials to cover the industry's annual trade show by completing the application recently mailed to previous attendees or at http://www.shotshow.org/press_room/body.htm. Media who have already completed their registrations can expect to receive credentials in a few weeks, so if you've already sent in your application, your registration packet is in process now.
AROUND THE STATES
NEW JERSEY BEAR HUNT . . . Hunters today are dealing with about a foot of new snow and perhaps a dozen animal rights protestors to take part in New Jersey's first black bear hunt in 33 years. The state issued 5,200 permits following a couple of attacks by bears on humans earlier this year. Anti-hunting groups lost their bid to stop today's hunt in the least populated portions of New Jersey, though the state's Superior Court prevented children younger than 16 from participating. “Obviously, we are pleased that the bear hunt will be permitted on state land,” said Rob Sexton, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation vice president for government affairs. “But, we are bitterly disappointed that the court would reward the threat of intimidation by anti-hunters by denying hunting opportunities to youth.” Additionally, a federal judge has delayed until tomorrow his decision about whether to allow bear hunting on federal land in the Delaware water gap portion of the state.

MICHIGAN HUNTERS RECOGNIZED . . . An article in The Detroit News by reporter Edward Cardenas makes note of the estimated $1.2 billion contribution to the Michigan economy by that state's hunters in a story that also details the generosity of hunters and the importance to residents of hunting's traditions.

SUNDAY HUNT BAN LIFTED . . . Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm last week signed a pair of bills to permit hunting seven days a week in Michigan.


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