NFF Sporting Clays Invitational supports habitat restoration

National Forests are a key component of America's sporting heritage. These public lands harbor world-class fisheries, millions of acres of wild turkey habitat, and 80 percent of all the elk, mountain goat, and bighorn sheep habitat in the lower 48 states. Thanks to National Forests, generations of Americans have called for turkey deep in the Ozarks, listened to elk bugle in the Northern Rockies, or cast a fly over a pristine fishing hole.

However, devastating wildfire, past uses, invasive species, and other threats pose challenges to these public lands. "I've seen wildfire and beetle outbreaks dramatically change our National Forests over the past two decades," says Jeff Paro, NFF board member and CEO of InterMedia Outdoors. "The NFF is doing amazing work to keep waterways running cool and clear, improve wildlife habitat, and restore the lands that belong to all of us."

In Oregon, where the NFF is enhancing native fish habitat, steelhead salmon returned to the headwaters of the famed Deschutes River for the first time in decades. In Colorado, where the forest is suffering in the wake of the devastating 2002 Hayman Fire, NFF's projects focus on preventing sediment from eroding into streams. In the Ozarks, projects to provide habitat openings will increase forage for wild turkey and elk. Each of the NFF's restoration projects improves America's public lands - for the wildlife and wild places that millions of outdoors enthusiasts enjoy each year.

The NFF's 18th Annual Sporting Clays Invitational provides an excellent opportunity to support these habitat restoration efforts on National Forests. The event will begin Friday, May 11, with a cocktail reception at GlenArbor Golf Club in Bedford Hills, N.Y., featuring guest speaker Brigadier General Craig Nixon and a live auction. On Saturday, May 12, more than 180 shooters will gather in teams of four at the Beretta-rated Dover Furnace Shooting Grounds in Dover Plains, N.Y., for a day of competitive shooting. Learn more and register at www.nationalforests.org/sportingclays.

The event's title sponsor is the Outdoor Roadmap, a nonprofit that promotes increased public enjoyment of the outdoors by providing support for new and existing hunters, target shooters, and archers. Their Web site, www.OutdoorRoadmap.com, provides information and services related to hunting and conservation, and can be customized to provide personalized information and rewards.

About National Forest Foundation
Founded by Congress in 1991, the National Forest Foundation works to conserve, restore and enhance America's 193-million-acre National Forest System. Through community-based strategies and public-private partnerships, the NFF enhances wildlife habitat, revitalizes wildfire-damaged landscapes, restores watersheds, and improves recreational resources for the benefit of all Americans. The NFF's Treasured Landscapes, Unforgettable Experiences national conservation campaign is uniting public and private partners to conduct large-scale forest and watershed restoration and revitalize ecosystem resiliency in iconic National Forest System sites around the nation. To learn more, visit us at www.nationalforests.org.

About Outdoor Roadmap
Outdoor Roadmap is a 501c3 nonprofit that encourages the recruitment, education, retention and engagement of new and existing hunters, target shooters and archers. The foundation provides support for conservation, training and safety, as well as support for military and troops returning from active duty. Outdoor Roadmap partners with leading state fish and wildlife agencies, conservation and wildlife management organizations, outdoor industry companies and retailers to provide fresh, timely information to help increase public enjoyment of the outdoors. Via www.OutdoorRoadmap.com, the public can create custom pages that provide up-to-date personalized local information on hunting, target shooting, archery and conservation, as well as special rewards and offers at nearby retailers.