First, I’d like to thank past President Gary Graham, and the OWAC board of directors for helping me with an easy transition into my new role. While our very talented board members are the cogs that keep OWAC moving forward, it’s Executive Director Zack Thomas who provides the grease to keep us running smoothly.

Our new board members Rob Brown and Barbara Steinberg have hit the ground running, and are already vital members of OWAC's executive branch. Barbara is using her associations throughout the state to help on the site selection committee. Rob, a master marketer, has jumped onto the membership and marketing committees.

Our new Vice President is Alexia Retallack. She brings lots energy to the table and will surely keep all of us on our toes. Alexia is working with John Henigin on the Santa Barbara conference committee. We are searching for a spring ’09 conference site, so if you have a lead please pass it on.

I’d like to throw out a special thanks to everyone who participated in the Sonora conference. The hosts put a tremendous amount of work into these events, and deserve any payback we can offer. That includes any tear sheets, publicity or photos that may have been generated by OWAC members. Please pass these items on to Ken Jones, and he will make sure they find their way to our hosts.

Let's also not forget about supporting member Michael Dobrin of Toyota. He provided luxury vehicles for many of our Monday adventures, plus set up newsmaker Steve Williams and his wife with wheels while visiting the state.

One down note is Bill Ryan has unfortunately resigned from the board to spend time with his mother who is having health issues on the east coast. I’d like to thank Bill for his time and input on the board — plus wish mother the best.

As chair of the Craft Improvement and Newsmaker Committees, Bill has already put a lot of time and energy into the Santa Barbara conference. In his absence, Rob Brown has jumped in to take over both committees with help from Kathie Morgan.

The likely replacement for Bill’s seat is Paul Lebowitz. Paul ran for the board in a very close race, and was the next highest vote getter. If approved by the board, we would like to get his feet wet now, rather than wait for the Santa Barbara meeting. For this reason, I’m looking to call a special meeting of the board to bring him into the fold.

I see my job as a facilitator. Zack, your directors, past Presidents and Bill Becher are the workhorses. They coordinate the conferences, manage the awards, solicit new supporting members (Zack and Gary have done a terrific job with supporting members), and thanks to Kathie Morgan give us a sense of our history.

I want to keep the lines of communication open between the board and membership. As mentioned at the general meeting, we’re putting together a membership survey of basic questions to help us stay in touch with what you want and expect from OWAC. Please feel free to contact any board member with questions, comments or concerns.

We’re also looking into programs to encourage young writers and others looking for opportunities in the outdoor world. We’ll have more on this and other goodies in the coming months.

If you’ve read this far – thank you...it means you care enough to consider running for the board in next year. —Craig Hanson sfangler@mindspring.com

email archives

First of all, a huge THANK YOU to the Tuolumne County Visitors Bureau for throwing us such a great conference! I hope all of you who attended enjoyed it as much as I did. Now let's do our best to repay our hosts' generosity and hard work in our work...

Record-shattering Fundraiser
This spring's fundraiser, a combined raffle and silent auction, earned us literally three times our previous record of $1,000 set at the Bishop conference a year ago. Yep, we made just a little over $3,000 to fund our Outdoor Outreach grant program. Know an organization that deserves a grant? See "Outdoor Outreach" under the "Committee Updates" heading below.
            Of course, this was made possible by incredibly generous donations from Regular Members, Supporting Members and other companies. Although the following list includes only donors of "big-ticket" items, the many, many donors of smaller prizes deserve just as much thanks.

49er Mining Supplies, Sonora: Gold nugget, retail value $100
Abel Reels: TR/2 fly reel with custom rainbow trout finish, retail value $470
Calaveras Visitors Bureau: Two-day, one-night luxury Calaveras vacation with gift bag, retail value $475
The Coleman Co: RoadTrip Grill LXE, retail value $175, and 100-qt. Extreme Marine cooler, retail value $95
Fairfield Tourism Assn and Suisun Valley Vintners and Harvest Trails: Two-day, one-night "Vintners and Harvest Trails" tour with gift bag, retail value $500
Lodestar Farms, Oroville: Two-night stay in historic caboose, retail value $550
Remington Arms Co: Model 700 SPS Varmint rifle, retail value $660
Jonathan Roldan (Tailhunter International): Four-day, three-night fishing and snorkeling vacation in La Paz, BCS, Mexico, retail value $1,100
Seven Crown Resorts: Three-day Summit Houseboat Vacation, retail value $1,350
Ono's Trading Company: Two pairs polarized sunglasses with readers, retail value $109 and $129
Placer County Visitors Council: Wine and gift basket
WindWhacker Decoys: Three Double Wing Duck Packs, retail value $40 each

Congratulations, Award-winners!
Among the general comments from out judges were:
"I enjoyed reading the stories from the OWAC writers. You have some strong talent in your organization."

"It was extremely hard to pick the winners ... because of all the good entries. You have some very talented members!"

"This category was difficult to judge because there were so many great articles ... California obviously has a talented collection of writers."

Complete results of the 2008 Craft Awards are posted here.

Fall 2008 Conference
The fall conference will be hosted Sunday, Oct. 12 through Tuesday, Oct. 14 in Santa Barbara, "The American Riviera," by the Santa Barbara Conference and Visitors Bureau (www.santabarbaraca.com). Tentative activities include fly fishing in the surf, ocean fishing on the Stardust, a Channel Islands cruise aboard the Condor Express, Lake Cachuma trout fishing, Solvang wine-tasting, a nature hike in Los Padres National Forest, and bass fishing at an exclusive "pay-to-play" guest ranch. Monday night's barbecue will be at the Santa Barbara Carriage and Western Museum.

—Zack Thomas, owac.director@gmail.com, (775) 562-4585

•           OWAC welcomes new member Chris Collard of Rocklin. Collard is a photojournalist specializing in off-roading, international and adventure travel and wildlife. His work has appeared in numerous U.S. magazines, including National Geographic Adventure, Cigar Aficionado, Heartland USA, Off Road Adventures, Four Wheeler, American Way and others, as well as foreign magazines in Russia, Spain, France, South Africa, Australia, the Czech Republic, Portugal and elsewhere. He also does commercial catalog work for companies like Hummer, Jeep/Chryseler, ARB and Mile Marker. To learn more about Collard and his work, visit www.adventurearchitects.com. Collard's email is chris@adventurearchitects.com; his work phone is (916) 952-3630. He was sponsored by Del Albright.

•           OWAC also welcomes as a new member Frank Medicine Wolf Springer of Eagle Point, Oregon. Springer is a prolific freelancer with writing and photography published in Western Outdoor News, the Upper Rogue Independent, California Hunter, Oregon Hunter, Oregon Bowhunter, ESPN Outdoors, National Wild Turkey Federation publications and Fishing & Hunting News publications. Springer's daytime phone is (541) 840-3698; his email is maddog@ccountry.net. He was sponsored by Gloria Jones, Shirley Miller and Randy Case.

•           The third new member we welcome this month is food columnist Bruce Biron of Copperopolis. Biron's work is published in the (Tuolumne County) Union Democrat, the Cupertino Daily, Sierra Signature and California Tour & Travel. He was also a major contributor to the book California Healthy: Southern California Edition, by another new OWAC member, Patricia Hamilton, who sponsored Biron. Biron's phone number is (209) 785-2975; his email is chefbiron@yahoo.com.

•           Carrie Wilson now has her own weekly column, "California Outdoors Q&A" published by CDFG. The column, which can be found at www.dfg.ca.gov/QandA/ , is available for use by any media outlet. In particular, take a look at the June 12 column, a fascinating discussion of the physiology of hibernation in black bears — and how what we're learning may offer health benefits to humans.

•           Ken Jones was awarded a Randy Fry Award June 14 by the Recreational Fishing Alliance. The award is named after the late RFA NorCal activist, Randall G. Fry, who blazed new paths in fishery advocacy for anglers and divers. Randy Fry Awards are given each year to those volunteers who have given the most to further the RFA mission: "To safeguard the rights of salt water anglers, protect marine, boat, and tackle industry jobs, and insure the long-term sustainability of our nation's marine fisheries."
                        Jones, an OWAC board member and former vice-president, is also president of the United Pier and Shore Anglers of California. He received the award for his year and a half of service on the North Coast Regional Stakeholder Group for the MLPA Initiative. Jones and fellow Fry Award winners Milo Vukovich of Rancho Cordova and Bill Bernard of Stockton "have brought a new perspective to the Marine Life Protection Act process," said the RFA.

•           Bart Hall was awarded the Bill Ray Memorial Award — the United Anglers of Southern California's highest conservation honor — May 18 during UASC annual fundraising dinner in Newport Beach. click here

•           Check out Barbara Steinberg's stories on Sonoma County in LUXLIFE and on Isleton in Delta Explorer (p. 45).

Supporting Member Notes

•           OWAC welcomes as a new Supporting Member Bass Pro Shops, headquartered in Springfield, Missouri. Bass Pro Shops, an international catalog and Internet retailer, is also America's most popular outdoor store. Bass Pro Shops retail stores are rated high as tourist-destination picks with 100+ million visitor annually. Bass Pro Shops stores also offer Outdoor Skills Workshops for adults, kids and families. Bass Pro Shops currently has 49 retail locations in 27 states and Canada. OWAC's primary contact is Brand Communications Specialist Brent Lawrence at (417) 873-5000 or blawrence@basspro.com. Visit www.basspro.com for more information.

•           Our second new Supporting Member this month is the California Outdoor Heritage Alliance, a partnership of wildlife conservation organizations, outdoor industry, other related interests, and individuals who support science-based wildlife management and the promotion of hunting rights in California. COHA serves to effectively counter the growing threats and challenges to our outdoor traditions by working all levels of government. OWAC's primary contact is Bill Gaines at (916) 643-4607 or bill@outdoorheritage.org. Visit www.outdoorheritage.com for more information.

•           Our third new Supporting Member is Know DeFeet Publishing Co. of Sausalito. Know DeFeet publishes hiking books, including owner Tom DeMund's Feather River Country Adventure Trails, now its fourth edition, with more than 9,000 copies of the first three editions sold. Contact DeMund at (415) 331-2516 or knowdefeet@aol.com.

•           OWAC members invited by Sierra Institute for Community and Environment to participate in 11 different one-day educational tours focusing on the achievements of local forest and watershed management groups and their connection to the health of rural communities (release from Plumas County). click here

 •          Y explore's three-day "Exploring Yosemite's Points, Peaks, and Domes" tour named top "Active Vacation for the Fitness-Conscious" by U.S. News & World Report. Click here, then choose "Hiking."

•           Bishop Creek Canyon Summer Classic Trout Derby runs through end of June; only 15 of 35 prizes claimed so far. click here

•           Free audio CDs produced by Eastern Sierra Institute for Collaborative Education available to help travelers along Highway 395 step back in time and discover  area's rich history (release from Bishop Area Chamber and Visitors Bureau).  click here

•           American Fly Fishing Trade Association and International Sportsmen's Expositions announce partnership to promote fly fishing in key western markets. click here

•           California Watchable Wildlife to hold inaugural statewide conference Sept. 29 in Santa Rosa (release from Nature Media Network). click here

•           National Shooting Sports Foundation announces $250,000 Range Partnership Grant Program to help local public and private ranges increase participation in the shooting sports. click here

•           Smith & Wesson newest sponsor of National Hunting and Fishing Day (release from National Shooting Sports Foundation). click here

•           Sportfishing and boating community honors steadfast supporter, Rep. Norm Dicks of Washington (release from American Sportfishing Association). click here

•           California Waterfowl Association offers full schedule of fundraising events for summer and fall. click here

I love my 10-20mm wide-angle zoom for adding depth and perspective to "grab-and-grin" shots. Nevada Department of Wildlife Western Region Education Coordinator Chris Vasey with a big, ugly fly-caught carp from Indian Lakes, near Fallon. Hey, don't knock it 'til you try it...

Committee Update

Tear sheets: Ken Jones — Judy Zimmerman was the winner of the drawing for a free conference. We'll do another drawing at Santa Barbara in October from among all members who have sent in tear sheets from Bishop, Calaveras or Tuolumne AND who weren't entered in this most recent drawing. The free conference voucher given at Santa Barbara is non-transferable and will be good for either the Spring 2009 or Fall 2009 conference. So keep the clips coming to Ken Jones, 1701 Lakeshore Dr., Lodi, CA 95242. Published photos count too.

Site Selection: Zack Thomas — Our "presumptive" Spring 2009 host backed out recently, so we're very much in the market for a site. Fairfield/Suisun, the Moss Landing area, and Bass Lake are seriously interested in the conference, and several other locations have expressed some interest. It's also time to start thinking seriously about Fall 2009. Thanks to all of you have suggested potential sites. We follow up on each and every suggestion, so please keep them coming to owac.director@gmail.com.

Publicity: Bill Becher — Bill is working to assemble a list of publications that should receive general-interest OWAC press releases about Outdoor Outreach recipients, Californian of the Year honorees, etc. Please send your suggestions to bb@becher.com.

Outdoor Outreach: Ken Jones — With so much money raised at the Tuolumne conference, we're looking more actively than ever for deserving recipients of Outdoor Outreach grants. Please, take a minute to think about any organizations you may know of or deal with — groups that preserve habitats, take kids fishing, improve outdoor recreation opportunities, educate people about the outdoors, or whatever. Please suggest that such organizations either contact Ken to learn more about the program or simply download and complete an application, which can be found here: www.owac.org/president/outreach.htm.

Californian of the Year: Craig Hanson —If you’ve been thinking about it, now is the time to get it together! DEADLINE FOR CANDIDATE NOMINATIONS IS FRIDAY, JUNE 20, but I can be flexible if you get your nomination to be by next Friday, June 27.
         We’ve all met someone who exemplifies the spirit of the outdoors through contributions above and beyond the call of duty. The nominee’s qualifications may be for a lifetime of work, or a recent accomplishment.
         A few paragraphs of solid reasons why your nominee should be awarded OWAC’s top honor will do. Most nominations are about 300 words.
         The presentation is scheduled to take place at the fall conference in Santa Barbara.
         Contact me at sfangler@mindspring.com with questions, and nominations.
         —Craig Hanson

Website: Gary Graham — WANTED: Links to members' blogs. If you have a blog, send the URL to Gary at bajafly@bajafly.com. We'll be adding a page to the website with links to all members' blogs.

Newsmaker: Rob Brown — At the fall conference in Santa Barbara, Lt. Lynette Shimek, coordinator of CDFG's new K-9 Program, will talk about the program and demonstrate the remarkable detection abilities of the department's dogs.

Craft Improvement: Rob Brown — We have a number of good suggestions for craft topics provided by members at the Tuolumne conference, but we're always looking for more. For one of the sessions at Santa Barbara, Bill Becher will be presenting a seminar regarding how to pitch new markets and media. He will discuss how to identify new markets, the type of communications required to reach decision makers, what information must be included in pitch letters that will catch an editor's eye, and he will share actual examples and experiences from years of successfully selling freelance stories.

OWAC's Sixth President: Rob Brown (1993-4)
NOTE: OWAC Historian Kathie Morgan will be contributing a series of brief pieces on former OWAC Presidents.

Newly elected board member Rob Brown took the OWAC reins at the memorable North Lake Tahoe conference in the spring of 1993. 
           By July he had published his goals in OWAC News: a craft improvement data bank by and for OWAC members; a membership marketing plan, with emphasis on increasing the radio and television sectors; increasing visitors bureaus’ attendance at conferences; expansion of the conference newsmaker panels; communication among members and board; and expansion of the awards program.
           The craft improvement data base apparently exists only in the pages of the issues of OWAC News produced during Brown’s term of office: a Craft Improvement column that carried short grammar and diction tips by Michael Hodgson and me (Kathie Morgan), marketing tips from Art Rudd, and legislative alerts.
           Board members were Secretary-Treasurer Phil Ford, Bel Lange, Terry Knight, Pete Ottesen, John Reginato, Don Vachini and Bill Karr. Michael Hodgson, appointed as newsletter editor by Gary Voet, became Brown’s vice president and stepped down as editor, succeeded by Shirley Miller. 
           During Brown’s term OWAC held conferences in Ventura and Redding. A scholarship program was created, and requirements for membership were made official. Hodgson won Writer of the Year, and OWAC named Congressman George Miller Californian of the Year

Additional Opportunities, Leads and Announcements

•           Wildlife groups celebrate centennial of Conservation Conference, set stage for 2008 North American Wildlife Policy Conference. click here