ATA, MN Elevate Archery

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ATA, MN Elevate Archery
By Kelley Kellley
May 8, 2006, 05:54

from left, Joe Broneak of Carlton, Minn.; Minnesota DNR Commissioner Gene Merriam; Minnesota DNR Director of Enforcement Colonel Mike Hamm; Minnesota DNR Director of Fish and Wildlife Dave Schad; ATA CEO/President Jay McAninch; ATA Board Member Bruce Hudalla, President of Hudalla Associates of Perham, Minn.; and April Broneak of Carlton, Minn. Joe and April excelled in the 2006 Minnesota school archery tournament.

A comprehensive effort by the Archery Trade Association and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is boosting archery and bowhunting statewide by building ranges, training instructors for school-based programs, educating and training bowhunters, and expanding archery and bowhunting in urban settings.

After signing a Memorandum of Understanding in late 2004, the ATA and Minnesota DNR embarked on this ambitious, multi-pronged effort, which – among many things -- has already produced or launched efforts to upgrade or build four ranges in city and county parks. The program also hired a statewide school-archery coordinator, Kraig Kiger, in the DNR's Division of Wildlife. The school-archery program is already in 106 Minnesota schools, and more than 100 teachers have been certified to teach the course. In addition, more than $60,000 was spent the past 12 months to include archery in physical education classes in 50 schools.

For bowhunting, the DNR's Division of Enforcement has increased the number of certified National Bowhunter Education Foundation instructors in Minnesota to 126, up from 47 two years ago. This will address the rising number of bowhunters in Minnesota, which appears to be on a record-setting pace. Minnesota estimates its bowhunting numbers will soon reach 80,000, with some of them taking part in expanded metro bowhunting opportunities in cities like Duluth, New Ulm, Rochester, Red Wing, Sandstone, Mankato, Ortonville and Granite Falls.

"These are just a few of the projects under way in Minnesota," said Jay McAninch, President and CEO of the ATA. "By working together, state agencies like the Minnesota DNR and our industry can make archery a mainstream recreational activity. The ATA considers itself an investment partner with the DNR, which means we try to provide whatever is missing to achieve results for projects and programs. Sometimes it's providing equipment, other times it's funding staff time. On many occasions we can provide expertise that's critical to advancing a program. The key is that we can devise a plan and pool resources to produce measurable results. Clearly, this joint effort is working."

Michelle Doerr, the ATA's Education & Research Coordinator, said the Minnesota DNR's commitment helps demonstrate archery's wide range of benefits. "We all know shooting archery is fun in its own right, but it's important to provide recreational programs like Junior Olympic Archery Development, 4-H and Becoming an Outdoor Woman," Doerr said. "In many locations we're working to create community archery programs, which aim to bring families into archery.

"We also have tried to emphasize the recreational and deer-management benefits of bowhunting," Doerr continued. "Minnesota gives bowhunting a lot of positive media exposure," she continued. "It shows bowhunting's practical application as a wildlife-management tool by working with municipalities, landowners and bowhunters to manage deer in urban and suburban settings."

On April 8, the ATA and Minnesota DNR held a joint ceremony to dedicate and help publicize their cooperative efforts. McAninch said the ATA is planning similar launches soon with the wildlife agencies of Tennessee and Michigan. He said the Minnesota agreement demonstrates how successful archery programs can be when private and public entities combine their efforts.

Dave Schad, director of Minnesota DNR's Division of Wildlife, agreed. "Budgets are tight everywhere, but by working together as partners with the ATA we're able to make maximum use of public funding by sharing staff and expertise," Schad said. "Archery and bowhunting are important to the Minnesota DNR. Nearly 80,000 Minnesotans bowhunt, and the state has a strong, important bowhunting tradition. Archers play an increasingly vital role in helping the DNR manage deer populations, especially in urban areas where firearms hunting is limited by local ordinances. In 2005 we had 17 archery-only hunts in the Twin Cities metro area, and at least eight other bowhunting programs in other urban areas."

Schad believes the state's partnership with ATA will encourage and expand opportunities for new and current archers. "The Archery in Schools program puts bows and arrows into the hands of more than 40,000 students in over 100 schools in 2006," he said. "ATA is also providing technical and funding assistance to identify and develop opportunities for new archery ranges, especially near population centers. We hope these programs help recruit and retain new archers and archery hunters. That would help stem the loss of hunters that many states are already experiencing."

For more information about the Archery Trade Association and its two nonprofit foundations, ArrowSport and the Bowhunting Preservation Alliance, contact Kelly Kelly at (507) 877-5300, kellykelly@archerytrade.org.