CELEBRATION, Fla. — Ken Salazar, Secretary of the Interior, has appointed B.A.S.S. owner Jerry McKinnis and B.A.S.S. Conservation Director Noreen Clough to the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council (SFBPC), representing freshwater recreational fishing and conservation interests.
The council offers advice to the Secretary regarding nationally significant recreational fishing, boating and aquatic resource conservation issues, and encourages partnership among industry, the public and government.
“B.A.S.S. is honored to be able to continue our role with the Council,” said Clough, “working with the other members of the sportfishing and boating community to ensure that the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service understand and emphasize their commitment and responsibilities to America’s anglers.”
B.A.S.S. has had a long history with the SFBPC, starting with the council’s inception in 1993. The creation of the SFBPC was spearheaded by then-B.A.S.S. owner Helen Sevier and Tom Bedell, then-owner of Berkley and Pure Fishing. In the years since, other B.A.S.S. leaders have been active participants on the council.
This term will be Noreen Clough’s third on the SFBPC, twice as an alternate and once as a principal representing B.A.S.S. She has been deeply involved with the SFBPC for many years. In 2000, Clough, under contract to the council, was the principal editor of “Saving A System in Peril: A Special Report on the National Fish Hatchery System.” Since then, she has participated in two additional Council assessments of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Fisheries Program.
This is Jerry McKinnis’ first term on the council. McKinnis and two partners, Don Logan and Jim Copeland, purchased B.A.S.S. from ESPN in November 2010. All three are avid anglers.
Other members of the SFBPC are James C. Adams of the States Organization for Boating Access; James Anderson, Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission; Lynne M. Borden, University of Arizona; Douglass Boyd, Coastal Conservation Association; Jeffrey Crane, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation; Thomas J. Dammrich, National Marine Manufacturers Association; F. Ned Dikmen, Great Lakes Boating Federation; Roy Elicker, Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife; David Graham, Ohio Division of Wildlife; Betty Huskins, Southeast Tourism Policy Council; Scott Kovarovics, Izaak Walton League of America; Ryck Lydecker, BoatU.S.; Michael Nussman, American Sportfishing Association; Geoffrey Ratté, Ratté Co.; John Sprague, Marine Industries Association of Florida; Rowan Gould, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service; and Curtis Taylor, West Virginia Division of Natural Resources. Learn more about the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council on its website.