November 6, 2014
RMEF Donates Youth Knives to Illinois Department of Natural Resources
MISSOULA, Mont.— The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation donated 4,000 knives to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to support the DNR’s youth hunter education classes.
“Reaching out to youth and ensuring the future of our hunting heritage is an important part of RMEF’s mission,” said Kurt Flack, RMEF regional director. “We feel it is vital to inspire the next generation to be engaged in hunting and conservation and this is a great way to do it. Those who receive the knives also receive a free RMEF Youth Membership.”
The Illinois Hunter Safety Program is required for anyone born on or after January 1, 1980. It consists of a minimum of ten hours of instruction and covers the basics of hunter responsibility and ethics, treestand and field safety, bowhunting, firearms and ammunition, first aid, wildlife conservation and identification, muzzleloading and state regulations.
“The IDNR is grateful to the RMEF for the organization’s support of the Illinois Hunter Education Program and efforts to promote hunting programs for youth,” said Marc Miller, director of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. “One of our primary missions at the Illinois DNR is to ‘Leave No Child Inside’ – to get youth outdoors. Illinois has a great hunting heritage, and getting more youth interested in hunting and outdoor recreation is our goal.”
The Browning fixed knife features a four-inch blade, rugged RMEF logo handle, sturdy protective plastic sheath with a rubberized lock and belt clip, and a striker for starting fires.
Funding for the donation comes from the Torstenson Family Endowment (TFE) in honor of Bob Torstenson, an Illinois native who had a passion for elk, hunting and sharing our hunting lifestyle and traditions with our children and grandchildren.
In 2013, its first year in existence, the TFE provided nearly a million dollars to accelerate mission priorities. TFE funding is solely used to further RMEF’s core mission programs of permanent land protection, habitat stewardship, elk restoration and hunting heritage.