DNR honors longtime hunter education instructors for volunteer service
Michigan Department of Natural Resources sent this bulletin at 10/14/2014 11:40 AM EDT|
Volunteer instructors are critical to teaching new hunters about staying safe in the woods. |
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Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 14, 2014
Contact: Sgt. Tom Wanless, 517-284-6026 or Ed Golder, 517-284-5815
DNR honors longtime hunter education instructors for volunteer service
For nearly 70 years, Michigan has conducted hunter education classes, teaching new hunters firearms safety and the regulations behind having a safe and successful hunt. This year, the Department of Natural Resources has honored those longtime instructors who have been with the program more than 40 years with special recognition at a series of Natural Resources Commission meetings, including the Oct. 9 meeting in Cadillac.
“Our hunter education program has trained over 1 million hunters since its start in 1946 and currently trains about 20,000 students a year,” said DNR Director Keith Creagh. “We could not do this without the help of our hunter education instructors who volunteer because of their love of the outdoors and their deep interest in passing that interest along to the next generation of conservation leaders.”
There are at least 40 active hunter education instructors who have more than 40 years of service to the program, including Charles Duncan of Bay City who is the longest-serving instructor, having volunteered now for 49 years. Instructors honored at the Oct. 9 NRC meeting in Cadillac for their service include:
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James A. Johnson, Houghton Lake (46 years).
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John M. Seelman, North Muskegon (44 years).
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David E. Hansen, Cedar Springs (44 years).
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Joseph W. Primozich, Pentwater (43 years).
While having a crop of seasoned, veteran instructors is an advantage for Michigan’s hunter education program, there also is a need to recruit new instructors for the program in all regions of the state, said Lt. Andrew Turner, who manages the DNR’s Law Enforcement Division’s recreational safety program.
“We greatly appreciate our veteran instructors who have been with the program for more than 40 years. If you have an interest in passing along your interest in hunting to new hunters, we need you in our program,” Turner said. “This is a great way to ensure that the sport you enjoy today is enjoyed by future generations of hunters.”
For more information on Michigan’s hunter education program, visit www.michigan.gov/huntereducation.
/NOTE TO EDITORS: An accompanying photo is available below for download. Suggested caption information follows.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources this year is honoring its hunter education instructors who have each given more than 40 years of volunteer service to the DNR's hunter safety program. Four of those longtime instructors were recognized at the Oct. 9 meeting of the Natural Resources Commission in Cadillac. These instructors are among the more than 40 instructors statewide who have each reached that milestone of more than 40 years of service. Recognitions at past NRC meetings already have taken place in other meeting locations.
Pictured (L to R) are DNR Director Keith Creagh; instructor James Johnson; instructor John Seelman; instructor David Hansen; instructor Joseph Primozich; and DNR Law Enforcement Division Chief Gary Hagler./