The National Rifle Association of America is pleased to announce the continuation of our partnership with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation thanks to the overwhelming use of NRA’s free Online Hunter Education course by Oklahoma residents and the utilization of the NRA Public Range Fund. These milestones were celebrated on December 2nd at the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission meeting with a ceremonial check presentation. During this meeting, the Commission honored Peter Churchbourne, managing director of NRA Hunting/HLF, with an award recognizing “outstanding contributions to the sportsmen and sportswomen of Oklahoma.”
"Thanks to our partnership with the NRA, more than 29,000 Oklahoma sportsmen and sportswomen took the free hunter education course provided by the NRA over the past two and a half years,” said Lance Meek, senior communication and education specialist for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. "I'd encourage other states to look at offering the NRA course.”
The matching funds that the NRA’s free course provided for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, totaling $731,225, can be used to apply for Pittman-Robertson grants that will result in $2,193,675 of real dollars for the department. Also celebrated was the $25,000 awarded from the NRA Public Range Fund to assist with the building of the new Copan WMA Shooting Range.
“We appreciate the continued support from the NRA Public Range Fund that helps us provide safe shooting ranges for Oklahoma residents," said Amanda Thomas, Oklahoma shooting range coordinator. "To date this fund has provided $93,000 to the state of Oklahoma.”
“We are pleased to partner with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation and applaud them for capitalizing on the opportunities that the NRA provides for state wildlife agencies and their state's residents,” said Peter Churchbourne. “I am honored and humbled to have received their award and enjoy working with their agency and staff."
