Brown County, S.D.
In August of 2006, the South Dakota Friends of NRA was recognized by the South Dakota Wildlife Federation with the Youth Conservation award.
Since its inception in 1993, the Friends of NRA program in South Dakota has raised $330,000 for projects in this state. Of this amount, 69 percent has been directed toward youth-oriented projects. These projects include 4-H shooting sports programs, Boy Scout Camp range development, equipment purchases for South Dakota Hunt Safe classes, NRA SportsFest programs, the South Dakota Youth Hunter Education Challenge (YHEC), promotion of youth competition programs, and hosting an attendee at the National Youth Education Summit (YES) at NRA Headquarters.
NRA heavy hitters of South Dakota stand with their prominent
award. Pictured here (from left to right) are: South Dakota
State Fund Committee (SFC) Chair Ron Walgamuth, Secretary of
the Great Plains Friends of NRA Myrtle Candall,South Dakota
SFC Co-Chair Clay Pederson, NRA Field Representative
for North and South Dakota Bruce Plate, and Northeast Friends
of NRA Chair Arnie Goldade.The first SportsFest camp in South Dakota was held in 1997. Since then, several sportsman’s groups in South Dakota have made this camp an annual event attended by hundreds of youth across the state.
The Sportsman’s Club of Brown County nominated the South Dakota Friends of NRA for this recognition. Lori Goldade, secretary of the committee, stated in the nomination, “The youth award is given for outstanding conservation effort by an individual or group toward the guidance of young people in purposeful environmental projects. We feel the Friends of NRA practices this theory through the SportsFest camps.”