Service Signs MOU to Recruit, Retain and Retrain Hunters in Partnership with NRA

Ensuring the legacy of an American outdoor tradition, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and the National Rifle Association (NRA) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding to assist in the recruitment, education and retaining of sportsmen and women through NRA’s vast hunter education and outreach programs.

“This MOU creates a powerful partnership that leverages the strengths of the Service and NRA. It underscores the importance of the contributions hunting, hunters and the shooting sports make to wildlife and natural resource conservation,” said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Aurelia Skipwith. “This collaborative effort supports the Trump Administration and Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt’s priority of increasing access to public lands and expanding hunting opportunities for the American people while promoting the safe, responsible use of firearms.”

“Together with the Service, the NRA has worked for decades to ensure as many outdoorsmen and women as possible can safely and responsibly enjoy our hunting heritage,” said Jason Ouimet, Executive Director of NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action. “We look forward to a formalization of this longstanding relationship and thank Director Skipwith for her tireless work on this effort.”

Formalizing an anticipated 10-year partnership, the MOU outlines the agreements and responsibilities of both parties, including a commitment to science-based strategies for wildlife conservation that take into account land boundaries, private property rights and multiple-use requirements of federal and state land management agencies. The MOU will also foster collaborative efforts to educate the public on the benefits of the Service’s Partners for Fish and Wildlife program and maintaining and upholding existing voluntary agreements with landowners to preserve and protect wildlife habitat on private lands. The NRA also pledges under the MOU to help enhance hunter safety, marksmanship, and shooting safety through its free online hunter education program, Hunters’ Leadership Forum, Youth Hunter Education Challenge, Women’s Wilderness Escape, and its magazine, American Hunter.

The signing followed all relevant CDC and Commonwealth Covid-19 guidelines.