New York State Conservation Council, Inc.

Fred Evans is an ambassador for wildlife, hunting, scientific wildlife management, and the wild turkey. He accomplished the first trap and transfer of birds in New York State in 1959, and advocated for using only wild trapped birds for restoration. He pioneered and refined the use of cannon nets to capture wild turkeys, and modified traditional waterfowl holding crates to make them better suited to minimize injuries to turkeys. Throughout his career as Principal Fish & Wildlife Technician in DEC’s Region 9, Fred gave countless presentations on turkey restoration, natural history, hunting techniques, calling, and safety. He was instrumental in establishing nesting structures and hacking towers for restoring osprey and bald eagle populations to western NY.

Robert Ewald is a retired teacher who never retired from teaching. Bob arranged to have fly tying classes included in the Middletown School System’s curriculum and its 4H Program. From that beginning came the natural expansion of teaching about the environment and conservation. To address the younger generation’s lack of interest in outdoor opportunities, Bob was able to have fly tying and fishing included in the physical education program at the Pine Bush School System. The “Outdoor Adventures” program eventually expanded to include firearm safety and marksmanship; and today students go on school-sanctioned field trips that include fly fishing, archery, sporting clays, and trap shooting at various sportsmen’s club facilities. This sports program includes participation for severely handicapped students.


                                                                                            President's Award
                                                                                           New York Bowhunters Inc.

New York Bowhunters arranges at least five educational summer archery camps each year for youth ages 11 – 15 that teach proficiency, safety and ethics. NYB donations provide equipment for the National Archery in the Schools Program. The organization supports U.S. troops both stateside and overseas through its Camo to Camo program that provides archery supplies and gift boxes to those serving in the military and arranges expense-paid hunts for war veterans. Members assist with removing deer from urban areas where firearms hunting is not allowed. Each year since 1997, NYB has held a hunt for

physically challenged persons to enable them to take part in an outdoor pastime.  NYB was awarded the Pope and Young Club Stewardship Award for coveying a positive, good-citizen image to the hunting and non-hunting public. 


                                                                  Volunteer Conservationist of the Year
                                                                                               William "Bill" Conners

Bill Conners has written a weekly outdoors column since 1992, advocating for the interests of sportsmen, promoting the Habitat/Access Stamp, commenting on current events, and encouraging people to get out and enjoy the outdoors. Bill led efforts in the county federation to acquire property for public fishing access to several bodies of water, and sought grants to provide parking areas for those access sites. Bill organized an annual striped bass fishing trip on the Hudson River for public officials and legislators from several counties along the Hudson; this offers a prime chance to introduce lawmakers to fishing opportunities and opens dialogue with sportsmen, whose interests can best be explained by involving legislators directly. The Dutchess County Hunters Helping the Hungry venision donation program was established by Bill’s efforts in 1996. He is an honorary member of, and serves as dispatcher for, the founding chapter of Deer Search in the Hudson Valley. 


                        CONGRATULATIONS!