(Houston, TX- May 23, 2022) The Houston Safari Club Foundation (HSCF) is pleased to announce its “Hunting Matters” radio program/podcast was named a Silver Winner by the 2022 NYX Marcom Awards in the Audio & Podcasts-Nonprofit category.
NYX Awards is the leading international awards program that recognizes, celebrates, honors excellence in marketing, communication, and creativity across all facets of industries and mediums, to advocate valuable and significant projects. Since its establishment in 2018, NYX Awards has thrived tremendously, receiving thousands of exquisite entries, from more than 60 countries, each year.
“HSCF and the Hunting Matters team are proud to be recognized by NYX Marcom. Special thanks to our producer and co-host, Ramon Robles and HSCF Marketing & Publications Manager, Carla Nielsen. We truly appreciate the support of our guests, sponsors, iHeartMedia, and our listeners,” stated Joe Betar, Hunting Matters host and Houston Safari Club Foundation Executive Director.
NYX Awards is an International Awards Associate (IAA) competition. The IAA is a group of industry innovators, creators, designers and communications professionals whose commitment is to move the industry forward through discovery and recognition of new and existing talent. This award recognizes the projects, talents, and works of professionals at the forefront of the industry, in a variety of specialized fields, ranging from: marketing to communication, print to digital as well as creative industries.
The NYX Awards is an internationally acclaimed and prestigious awards program that discovers, celebrate, honor, and recognize the media works in the form of marketing to communication, print to digital as well as creative industries conceived by the most creative minds ranging from large, big-budget firms to independent solo creators. With a diverse selection of numerous category programs such as Marketing & Communication, Design & Print, Digital Media, Video Productions, Broadcast, Non-Broadcast, and many more, IAA wishes to push the boundaries and raise the bar in creativity and innovation in all forms of media.
About Hunting Matters
Tune in to “Hunting Matters” with Houston Safari Club Foundation Executive Director Joe Betar as he engages in conversations with guests, from various backgrounds, who have a passion for hunting and conservation. Great discussions, news, hunting legislation updates and more! “Hunting Matters” airs each Saturday, 6am-7am CDT on KPRC AM 950 – Real Texas, Real Talk, a Houston iHeartMedia station, and Houston’s longest running radio station. “Hunting Matters” is also available via podcast on Apple/iTunes, iHeartMedia, Google, Overcast, PodBean and Spreaker.
About Houston Safari Club Foundation
Houston Safari Club Foundation (HSCF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to preserve the sport of hunting through education, conservation, and the promotion of our hunting heritage. HSCF has awarded 638 scholarships totaling $2.77 million dollars. HSCF conducts youth outdoor education programs, career training, hunter education and field experiences throughout the year. HSCF has provided over $4 million in grants for hunter-funded wildlife, habitat, and various conservation initiatives. HSCF is an independent organization, is not affiliated with Safari Club International (SCI) or its affiliates and is not a chapter or affiliate of any other organization. Visit our website at wehuntwegive.org or call 713.623.8844 for more information. HSCF. We Hunt. We Give.
Houston, TX (May 18, 2022) – Houston Safari Club Foundation (HSCF) is proud to announce its quarterly publication, Hunter’s HornTM, was named a Silver Winner by the 2022 NYX Marcom Awards in the Design-Magazine magazine category. This is the third year in a row the publication has been recognized by Marcom.
NYX Awards is the leading international awards program that recognizes, celebrates, honors excellence in marketing, communication, and creativity across all facets of industries and mediums, to advocate valuable and significant projects. Since its establishment in 2018, NYX Awards has thrived tremendously, receiving thousands of exquisite entries, from more than 60 countries, each year.
“We are honored to be recognized by NYX/Marcom. Congratulations to Carla Nielsen, HSCF’s Marketing & Publications Manager, the team at Madavor Media, HSCF’s publishing partner, and the team at Alliance Graphics & Printing for continually producing an incredible publication,” stated Joe Betar, HSCF Executive Director.
NYX Awards is an International Awards Associate (IAA) competition. The IAA is a group of industry innovators, creators, designers and communications professionals whose commitment is to move the industry forward through discovery and recognition of new and existing talent. This award recognizes the projects, talents, and works of professionals at the forefront of the industry, in a variety of specialized fields, ranging from: marketing to communication, print to digital as well as creative industries.
The NYX Awards is an internationally acclaimed and prestigious awards program that discovers, celebrate, honor, and recognize the media works in the form of marketing to communication, print to digital as well as creative industries conceived by the most creative minds ranging from large, big-budget firms to independent solo creators. With a diverse selection of numerous category programs such as Marketing & Communication, Design & Print, Digital Media, Video Productions, Broadcast, Non-Broadcast, and many more, IAA wishes to push the boundaries and raise the bar in creativity and innovation in all forms of media.
About Houston Safari Club Foundation
Houston Safari Club Foundation (HSCF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to preserve the sport of hunting through education, conservation, and the promotion of our hunting heritage. HSCF has awarded 638 scholarships totaling $2.77 million dollars. HSCF conducts youth outdoor education programs, career training, hunter education and field experiences throughout the year. HSCF has provided over $4 million in grants for hunter-funded wildlife, habitat, and various conservation initiatives. HSCF is an independent organization, is not affiliated with Safari Club International (SCI) or its affiliates and is not a chapter or affiliate of any other organization. Visit our website at wehuntwegive.org or call 713.623.8844 for more information. HSCF. We Hunt. We Give.
(Houston, TX- May 12, 2022) Houston Safari Club Foundation (HSCF) and “Hunting Matters” welcomes Heidi Lyn Rao, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Hunter Education Specialist for Southeast Texas.
Heidi Lyn Rao was hired by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) in 1998 and has recruited, trained, and retained volunteers, as the Hunter Education Specialist for Southeast Texas. In 2010 she also assumed the role as statewide Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) Coordinator.
During her TPWD career, she developed many partnerships and organized many education & outreach events. She started “Take Me Outdoors Houston” in 2009, when the Texas Wildlife Expo ended, and this will be the 14th year. She hosts wildlife workshops ranging from alligators to big game. She promotes hunting and outdoor safety to groups ranging from elementary school aged to flying offshore via helicopter to speak to oil and gas employees in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico on a platform. From teaching firearm safety to Rodeo Clowns during the Houston Rodeo, to hosting Hunter Education classes at the Sam Houston (horse) Raceway, conducting National Archery in the Schools Program and Student Air Rifle certifications, and partnering with many hunting, shooting and conservation organizations across Texas.
She has coordinated 25 statewide BOW workshops across Texas, including the first-ever VIRTUAL BOW in 2020. She has reached over 6,000 Ladies who have attended BOW and continued their outdoors skills ultimately becoming hunters, anglers, and archers, especially through mentored BOW hunts. To date, 10 Texas Outdoor Women Network (TOWN) groups have launched across the state because of the statewide BOW.
She received IHEA’s Professional of the Year; IHEA’s Executive Director’s Award; Houston Safari Club Educator of the Year and she is also in the Texas Hunter Education Halls of Fame.
She and her (now retired) TPWD Game Warden husband of 23 yrs., John, have 4 boys: Dominic is 20 and works for Laser Shot Simulations in Houston; Matthew is 18 and is a graduating Senior; JohnJohn is 16 and will be a Sophomore; and Luke is 13 and will be in 7th grade. The Rao’s are avid hunters and enjoy trapping and the shooting sports together.
About Hunting Matters
Tune in to “Hunting Matters” with Houston Safari Club Foundation Executive Director Joe Betar as he engages in conversations with guests, from various backgrounds, who have a passion for hunting and conservation. Great discussions, news, hunting legislation updates and more! “Hunting Matters” airs each Saturday, 6am-7am CDT on KPRC AM 950 – Real Texas, Real Talk, a Houston iHeartMedia station, and Houston’s longest running radio station. “Hunting Matters” is also available via podcast on Apple/iTunes, iHeartMedia, Google, Overcast, PodBean and Spreaker. Subscribe, listen and provide a review and rating. Hunting Matters is a 2022 Gold AVA Digital Awards winner!
About Houston Safari Club Foundation
Houston Safari Club Foundation (HSCF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to preserve the sport of hunting through education, conservation, and the promotion of our hunting heritage. HSCF has awarded 638 scholarships totaling $2.77 million dollars. HSCF conducts youth outdoor education programs, career training, hunter education and field experiences throughout the year. HSCF has provided over $4 million in grants for hunter-funded wildlife, habitat, and various conservation initiatives. HSCF is an independent organization, is not affiliated with Safari Club International (SCI) or its affiliates and is not a chapter or affiliate of any other organization. Visit our website at wehuntwegive.org or call 713.623.8844 for more information. HSCF. We Hunt. We Give.
HSCF’s annual convention is a 3-day gathering of HSCF members and outdoor enthusiasts from around the world. Hundreds of exhibits, fundraising banquets, auctions, raffles, and entertainment complete the weekend. Celebrities, dignitaries, and policy makers from the outdoor world are often in attendance. HSCF’s Worldwide Hunting Expo & Convention is their largest fundraiser each year. Proceeds go towards fulfilling HSCF’s mission of preserving hunting through education, conservation, and the protection of hunters’ rights. The funds raised are used for scholarships, youth outdoor education, youth fishing and hunting trips and conservation grants to protect wildlife and habitat.
“Hunting and firearms are synonymous, the HSCF and Boyds share a common ground in their dedication to preserving our traditions and passions. It was an easy decision to expand Boyds sponsorship with HSCF to help ensure future generations can share our love for the outdoors. Boyds is excited and honored to continue working with the HSCF and its members,” states Dustin Knutson, co-owner of Boyds Gunstocks.
“HSCF is proud to once again partner with Boyds Hardwood Gunstocks. As the Presenting Sponsor for our 2023 annual convention, this is the second year Boyds has partnered with HSCF as a major convention sponsor. Boyds continues to demonstrate their commitment to the future of hunting, conservation and shooting sports,” said Joe Betar, HSCF Executive Director.
The 2022 event will be held January 20-22, 2023, at the George R. Brown Convention Center, Hall A. For more information, visit hscfdn.org/convention/, or contact Nancy Oka CMP, CPCE, HSCF Director of Events & Membership at 832.804.8959 or [email protected].
About Boyds Hardwood Gunstocks Boyds Gunstocks are American made, innovative gunstocks, manufactured to the highest quality standards and at an affordable price. These are the foundational principles that have guided Boyds Gunstock Industries for over 4 decades. Boyds continues to utilize input from customers, industry experts, and our own experience to provide relevant and functional products for the firearms owner. This unwavering commitment to quality, craftsmanship, and performance allow Boyds to enjoy the title of “World’s Largest Aftermarket Gunstock Manufacturer”.
About Houston Safari Club Foundation Houston Safari Club Foundation (HSCF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to preserve the sport of hunting through education, conservation, and the promotion of our hunting heritage. HSCF has awarded 625 scholarships totaling $2.8 million dollars. HSCF conducts youth outdoor education programs, career training, hunter education and field experiences throughout the year. HSCF has provided over $4 million in grants for hunter-funded wildlife, habitat and various conservation initiatives. HSCF is an independent organization, is not affiliated
with Safari Club International (SCI) or its affiliates and is not a chapter or affiliate of any other organization. Visit our website at wehuntwegive.org or call 713.623.8844 for more information. HSCF. We Hunt. We Give.
A letter was sent to Deb Haaland, Secretary, Department of the Interior, to express our optimism for the Administration’s interest in recognizing the continuum of science-based conservation as it develops the American Conservation and Stewardship Atlas and the inclusion of many of the priorities shared by hunters and anglers in the “Conserving and Restoring America the Beautiful 2021” report released in May 2021. HSC looks forward to working with the Administration to advance these priorities as part of the America the Beautiful Initiative.
Federal Excise Tax Slippage Engagement
Federal excise taxes collected under the Wildlife and Sportfish Restoration Programs from archery, sportfishing, and firearms industries are the foundational funding source for state fish and wildlife agencies that support conservation initiatives across the United States. Last year alone, these excise taxes generated roughly $1.5 billion in conservation funding and are extremely important to the entire conservation community. There is a potential avoidance of paying the required federal excise tax (FET) on fishing and archery equipment, coming into the United States, from foreign manufacturers and distributors. Such “leakages” threaten the financial underpinning of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation by providing an unfair advantage to foreign-based manufacturers selling in US markets made convenient through internet marketplace facilitators because of an antiquated tax collection model. The total unpaid tax projected across all taxable archery and fishing tackle sales, not being paid as a result of sales by overseas vendors directly to U.S. consumers via online marketplaces, is estimated at $17.2 million per year, and growing. If this loophole is not addressed expeditiously, the situation will worsen and may lead to an erosion of support for the excise tax program from the fishing and archery industries and will continue to negatively impact conservation investments across the country. HSC urges the Senate Committee on Finance and the House Ways & Means Committee to explore this excise tax slippage issue and identify a fix that will serve to protect this critical funding source and ensure that federal excise taxes collected under the wildlife and sportfish restoration programs are fair and equitable to American manufacturers. HSC strongly supports immediate and corrective action and stands ready to work in collaboration with these committees and our industry partners in seeking a legislative solution that will have a long-lasting positive effect on conservation, hunting, angling, associated businesses, and the American citizenry.
Hunting and Wildlife Conservation Council Charter Renewal
Correspondence was relayed to Tom Vilsack, Secretary, U.S. Department of Agriculture and Deb Haaland, Secretary, Department of the Interior, to express gratitude for the renewal of the Hunting and Wildlife Conservation Council (HWCC) Federal Advisory Committee. Renewal of the HWCC demonstrates the Administration’s continued support for America’s 55 million sportsmen and women and recognizes the significant role that hunters and recreational shooters maintain in conservation.
Center for Biological Diversity v. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Potential Settlement
HSC was a party included in a letter to Martha Williams, Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service related to court filings in litigation, that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is engaged in settlement discussions with the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD). The lawsuit arises from the 2020 expansion of hunting and fishing on over 2.3 million acres of National Wildlife Refuges across the country. The plaintiff alleges that the Service violated the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), because additional hunting and fishing on these public lands poses a threat to endangered species through potential lead poisoning from ammunition and tackle. Several of the challenged hunting opportunities were requested by state wildlife agencies and intended to manage overly abundant or invasive species. The letter requests that the Service reject any settlement of pending litigation that would undermine or reduce the expansion of hunting and fishing opportunities on National Wildlife Refuges. Any settlement would be inconsistent with the Service’s responsibilities under the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 (Improvement Act). The Improvement Act directs the Service to prioritize the expansion of hunting and fishing on refuges. The letter concludes with a strong urging that the Service cease settlement discussions with CBD, vigorously oppose their baseless lawsuit, and defend the lawful and appropriate expansion of hunting and fishing on over 2.3 million acres of National Wildlife Refuges across the country.
Gray Wolf Delisting
A letter was sent to Deb Haaland, Secretary, Department of the Interior to request that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service appeal the February 10, 2022, decision from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California vacating the 2020 rule removing the gray wolf from the Endangered Species Act (ESA) lists of endangered and threatened species. The Court’s decision misinterprets the ESA and creates a situation in which recovered species are prevented from being delisted even when the best available science determines that delisting is consistent with the ESA. HSC requested that the Secretary uphold Congress’ express intention for the ESA to recover species “to the point at which the measures provided pursuant to this Act are no longer necessary,” and appeal this erroneous decision.
HSC Weighs In On Wild Horse and Burro Management
Houston Safari Club joined other conservation organizations in supporting recent commitments by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to gather 22,000 wild horses and burros across the Western range in 2022. HSC views the BLM’s actions and commitments in 2022 as a crucial step forward and encourage the BLM to prioritize significant gathers and fertility control in future years. This includes proposing significant funding for these efforts in the President’s Fiscal Year 2023 and future budgets. Unbranded and unclaimed free-roaming horses and burros are nonnative, feral livestock that lack natural predators and can have significant detrimental impacts on native ecosystems and wildlife habitat. There are an estimated 86,000 wild horses and burros on BLM and national forest lands, exceeding the agencies’ own appropriate management Levels by more than 320 percent. Wildlife habitat is declining in quality across many areas in the West due to the explosion of wild horse and burro populations, impacts that are being exacerbated by warmer and drier conditions as well as nonnative invasive plants. Native species are being negatively impacted across much of their range. Mule deer, for example, have declined in many areas over the past three decades while horse and burro populations have increased annually by 15 to 20 percent.
H.R. 5608, the Chronic Wasting Disease Research and Management Act
HSC, in conjunction with thirty other conservation organizations, issued a letter to Debbie Stabenow, Chairwoman, U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry and John Boozman, Ranking Member, U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry, requesting that the Committee take up and pass H.R. 5608, the Chronic Wasting Disease Research and Management Act. Years of bicameral, bipartisan interest has now culminated in H.R. 5608, which moved quickly through the House last year on voice vote in committee and an overwhelming 393-33 floor vote. This bill is the result of a partnership between Congressman Ron Kind and Congressman Glenn Thompson, who merged the several bills introduced in both chambers of the 116th Congress. Those bills, including bills sponsored by Senators Tester, Hoeven, and Hyde-Smith, sought the common purpose of joining Federal support with the ongoing efforts of states and tribes for the essential tasks of research and management. H.R. 5608 complements Senator Barrasso’s bill on CWD last Congress that was enacted in the America’s Conservation Enhancement Act. That measure established a federal Chronic Wasting Disease Task Force supported by research into how CWD is transmitted.
Houston Safari Club (HSC) is a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization dedicated to legislative and policy initiatives that may affect the future of hunting. HSC supports initiatives that protect the tradition of hunting and hunters’ rights. We take an active role in efforts to effect policy, protocols, and legislation. Our mission is to protect the rights of hunters and the hunting heritage through advocacy, policy, and legislation. Houston Safari Club (HSC) is a non-profit organization, exempt from federal income tax, under section 501(c)(4) of the United States Internal Revenue Code. Payments to HSC are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. Please contact your tax advisor concerning deductibility of any payments as business deductions. HSC EIN: 76-0082197. HSC is an independent organization, is not affiliated with Safari Club International (SCI) or its affiliates and is not a chapter or affiliate of any other organization.
Houston Safari Club Foundation (HSCF) is a non-profit organization, exempt from federal income tax, under section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code. The charitable deduction for contributions to HSCF is the cash amount of the contribution, less the value of goods and services received, to the extent permitted by law. HSCF EIN 74-2177975. Please contact your tax advisor concerning deductibility of any payments as business deductions. HSCF is an independent organization, is not affiliated with Safari Club International (SCI) or its affiliates and is not a chapter or affiliate of any other organization.
(Houston, TX- May 12, 2022) 
