Following a tough but rewarding turkey season, we got right back to work in New York.
Chapter Chair, Todd Waldron, attended the NY Sportsmen's Legislative Breakfast at the Capitol in Albany which was a great networking opportunity with state legislators and potential conservation partners. Treasurer Garret Burback joined fellow public land badasses from across the country in attending the LWCF fly-in to DC on May 16. On May 19, we held an Access Our Waters cleanup in Ithaca, Monticello, and Altmar, NY. Board members John Armistead and David Gever were joined by our good friend Dave Colavito in Monticello to take part in an awesome Boy-Scout event that incorporated the #accessourwaters cleanup. They collected a ton of trash, and the kids got a chance to participate in a variety of activities.
A few members joined our PA brothers and sisters for the Total Archery Challenge Seven Springs. New York BHA board member, Kevin Koehler, walked away with some pretty sweet raffles prizes. Many of our members and officers also took part in the Hike to Hunt challenge which was a great opportunity to get in shape for hunting season, as well as raise money and awareness for public lands.
On June 21, we hosted a Pint night in Utica in collaboration with Trout Power, a group dedicated to protecting wild and native trout species in the Adirondack Park through citizen science and advocacy. On June 23, members Dan and Carla Denn hosted a cleanup at the Rogers Rock campground in the Lake George Wild Forest, which was being used as an illegal shooting range. Volunteers cleaned up an entire dump trailer worth of garbage and planted 100 trees and posted signage that was provided by the DEC. We hope this will be one of many collaborations with our state environmental agency.
On the horizon, we will be filling the vacant Vice-Chair seat, gearing up for future events, and boosting membership and engagement. Follow us on Instagram @newyorkbha and join our Facebook group - New York Chapter Backcountry Hunters & Anglers. Keep an eye out for our emails to stay involved!
About New York BHA
The New York Chapter is focused on bringing BHA's proven approach to conserving wild places and outdoor heritage to the Empire State. Join us to conserve our wilds!