In spite of the pandemic, BHA Utah has remained active through the fall of 2020 and into a fresh 2021:
- The Wild Utah Project (@wildutahproject) held their End-of-Summer Volunteer Celebration, and three Utah BHA members were presented Volunteer of the Year Awards. Melissa Early (Utah BHA board member) was awarded Stream and Riparian Restoration Volunteer of the Year, and Ian and Spencer Schofield were awarded Overall Volunteer of the Year. The Wild Utah Project is an organization that supports implementing science and data-driven strategies to facilitate conservation goals. Through the community science aspects of their projects, they engage and train volunteers with a passion for wildlife, thereby increasing their capacity to support data-driven conservation and foster important community ties with unique Western landscapes and wildlife. We are very proud of Melissa, Ian and Spencer!
- Despite COVID-19, Utah board members were able to make a difference in Utah by calling 70 members to speak with them or leave messages about the importance of speaking up on the Great American Outdoors Act.
- In September, board members hosted a virtual “Public Land Waterfowl 101” night to discuss tactics, Utah’s waterfowl hunt outlook and more. We had a Utah DWR waterfowl manager join for the discussion and Utah chapter’s Vice Chair Perry Hall presented some extremely great hunting tips for beginners. We had 86 RSVP’s for the event.
- In July, Utah board members hosted a virtual event: “Women in the Woods- Big Game Hunt Prep.” There were 76 RSVP’s and two great presentations on mountain fitness and gear preparation. We look forward to engaging members this fall and winter by hosting more hunting related virtual events.
- The Utah chapter and BHA headquarters partnered on a billboard in a prominent section of Salt Lake City, Utah aimed at calling Senator Mike Lee out for his vote against the Great American Outdoors Act. The billboard ran from September 22nd through October 21st along the I-15 corridor.
About Zack Williams
Backcountry Journal editor