For more information, contact Pete Muller at (803) 637-7698

EDGEFIELD, S.C. — The National Wild Turkey Federation is pleased to learn Jim Hubbard was sworn in as U.S. Department of Agriculture Undersecretary for Natural Resources and Environment yesterday and looks forward to working with him.

Hubbard’s 20 years of service as the Colorado state forester and more than a decade as the U.S. Forest Service Deputy Chief for State and Private Forestry is clear evidence of his dedication to conserving and managing our nation’s forests for today and generations to come. Because of Hubbard’s wealth of experience and the respect he has across the conservation community, he will be able to quickly translate forestry legislation to work on the ground, positively benefiting our forests, wildlife and the rural communities that depend on those forests.

“Jim has an impeccable record and exceptional dedication to preserving our natural resources,” NWTF CEO Becky Humphries said. “We are excited to work with him to conserve our great natural resources, especially our national forests.”

The Senate confirmed Hubbard on Aug. 28, and he was sworn into his new position Sept. 5.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue said of Hubbard’s swearing in, “I’m very excited for Jim to finally join our team here at USDA. His decades of experience, both in Colorado and across the federal government, make him uniquely qualified for this role, and I’m confident that he will hit the ground running. I commend the Senate for its approval of Jim and urge senators to take up other USDA nominees as quickly as possible.”

About the National Wild Turkey Federation
When the National Wild Turkey Federation was founded in 1973, there were about 1.3 million wild turkeys in North America. After decades of work, that number hit a historic high of almost 7 million turkeys. To succeed, the NWTF stood behind science-based conservation and hunters’ rights. Today, the NWTF is focused on the future of hunting and conservation through its Save the Habitat. Save the Hunt. initiative – a charge that mobilizes science, fundraising and devoted volunteers to conserve or enhance more than 4 million acres of essential wildlife habitat, recruit at least 1.5 million hunters and open access to 500,000 acres for hunting. For more information, visit NWTF.org.