MONTGOMERY-National Hunting and Fishing Day will be celebrated across the nation Saturday, and Alabama will join the festivities with special access to the abundant natural resources in the state.
At a news conference Tuesday at Lower Wetumpka Shotgun Sports Club outside Montgomery, Chris Blankenship, Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), announced that to honor the vast economic and cultural impact of hunting and fishing on Alabama, DCNR will waive boat launch fees at Alabama State Parks and offer a free day of fishing at Gulf State Park Pier on Saturday.
“We are blessed to live in a beautiful, beautiful state,” Blankenship said. “We live really in the best state for outdoors activities anywhere in the country. We have hundreds of miles of rivers and dozens of beautiful lakes. We have the Mobile Bay estuary and the Mobile Delta. We have the largest artificial reef system in the country. We have unbelievable hunting for deer, turkey, squirrel, doves and ducks on private and public land. Hunting and fishing is a way of life in Alabama.
“One of the beauties of living in this state is to be able to enjoy the outdoors that God has so gifted us with.”
Blankenship said one of DCNR’s main goals is to provide outdoor recreational opportunities in a variety of ways. Alabama now has 21 state parks, 20 state lakes, 33 wildlife management areas (WMAs), dozens of boat ramps, 12 shooting ranges, 12 archery parks, 20 physically disabled hunting areas, thousands of artificial reefs and thousands of acres of Forever Wild land available to the public.
“Hunting and fishing have a huge impact on our state economically,” Blankenship said. “It’s a $2.6 billion industry. That’s billion with a b. That means a lot of jobs for Alabamians. It’s not only the recreational opportunities but it puts people to work in the hunting and fishing industry. We’re a fairly small state, but we rank seventh in all of the nation in hunting expenditures. We rank 24th in fishing.
“Even though it’s such a big part of our state, only about 4 percent of our residents have hunting licenses. There are plenty of opportunities to enjoy the outdoors. That’s one of the reasons we have this National Hunting and Fishing Day – to get people to understand and take advantage of the opportunities in the state and encourage them to get out and enjoy the outdoors.”
Blankenship said saltwater license sales are on an upward trend, probably from increased tourism along the coast and the extension of red snapper season.
“But we need to encourage participation and provide opportunities for people to have places to hunt and fish throughout the state,” he said. “I’m very thankful for the people who work for the Conservation Department, who maintain these areas and provide these opportunities for residents and visitors to enjoy our beautiful state.”
National Hunting and Fishing Day was established in 1971 by the U.S. Congress. On Saturday, Swanner said Alabama shooting retailers, public lakes, shooting ranges and Alabama State Parks are offering discounts and waiving fees for various services. Visit www.
“We encourage all Alabamians to get outdoors this Saturday,” Swanner said. “Encourage your sons, daughters, your grandkids or your neighbors to enjoy the benefits of nature. It’s good for your health. It’s relaxing, and, most of all, it’s a lot of fun.”
Media Release/Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources/DAVID RAINER
