Alabama Wildlife Group Honors NRA President with "Conservationist of the Year" Award

The Alabama Wildlife Federation recently held its AWF Governor's Conservation Achievement Awards banquet.  These awards are the most respected conservation honors in the state of Alabama.  Over the past 30 years, the AWF has presented these awards to individuals and organizations that make great contributions to the conservation of Alabama's wildlife and related natural resources.  

According to the AWF website, the purpose of the Governor's Conservation Achievement Awards program is to promote leadership by example and, in turn, increase conservation of the natural resources of the State of Alabama. The program is designed to bring about a greater knowledge and awareness of conservation practices and projects, and to give proper recognition to those persons and organizations that make outstanding contributions to the natural resource welfare of the community and the state.  This year, the "Conservationist of the Year" award was presented to NRA President James W. Porter II.  Governor Robert Bentley (R) presented the award.

The AWF site further notes that Mr. Porter's family has owned land in Alabama for more than 100 years, and that throughout that time, has actively managed those lands to provide quality timber, productive wildlife habitats, and hunting opportunities for family and friends.  

In the early 1990's Mr. Porter was heavily involved in drafting and developing legislation to create the Forever Wild program, leading to legislative passage of the original Forever Wild Constitutional Amendment in 1992.  He later served on the Forever Wild Land Trust Board and was instrumental in key Forever Wild land purchases.

As the AWF site concludes, Mr. Porter has demonstrated a history of, respect for, and commitment to, hunting heritage, firearms freedoms, public access to the outdoors, and the conservation of natural resources, and is therefore a well-deserving recipient of the 2013 "Conservationist of the Year" award.