ATHENS, GA - The Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA) increased advocacy on behalf of whitetails and deer hunters to a record level in 2019, engaging on 169 policy items, the most ever in a single year for the organization. The 2019 list of action items also meant QDMA was active on issues in all 50 states, another first.

“We strive to advocate for wise policy and management of whitetails at the local, state and national levels, but 2019 was our most active year to date,” said Kip Adams, QDMA Director of Conservation, who leads QDMA’s advocacy work. “We will continue to fight in every arena to ensure the future of white-tailed deer, wildlife habitat and our hunting heritage as we go into a new year of legislative activity.”

Some highlights of QDMA’s advocacy efforts in 2019 include:

• Partnering with Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters to fight for the preservation of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in Minnesota.

• Involvement in the passage of Senate Bill 47, the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management and Recreation Act.

• Involvement in the lifting of the ban on Sunday hunting in Pennsylvania.

• Numerous issues related to access and habitat management on public lands throughout the United States.

• Addressing management of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, and Wisconsin, and helping prevent CWD in Alabama, Louisiana, Maine, New Jersey and Oregon.

To read the complete list of issues and positions by state and province, visit: https://www.qdma.com/qdmas-2019-advocacy-issues/

QDMA regularly engages in policy discussions that concern white-tailed deer, including legislation and regulations proposed at the local, state and federal level. QDMA evaluates policy matters on a case-by-case basis, and the organization’s position on each is based on what is best for the whitetail resource, hunting rights, and the future of our hunting heritage. For more information, or to make us aware of a policy issue in your area, contact QDMA Conservation Director Kip Adams.

Media Contact: Kip Adams, QDMA Director of Conservation, 814-326-4023

About QDMA

QDMA is dedicated to ensuring the future of white-tailed deer, wildlife habitat and our hunting heritage. Founded in 1988, QDMA is a national nonprofit wildlife conservation organization with 50,000 members in all 50 states and Canada. To learn more about QDMA and why it is the future of deer hunting, call 800-209-3337 or visit www.QDMA.com. QDMA can also be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheQDMA and Twitter at www.twitter.com/TheQDMA.