11-21-2006, 07:10 PM
The Sportsperson of the Year and Sportsmen's Organization of the Year for 2006 were announced by West Virginia Division of Natural Resources Director Frank Jezioro during the recent West Virginia Celebration of National Hunting and Fishing Days at Stonewall Resort State Park.
The prestigious 2006 Sportsperson of the Year Award went to Dave Truban of Morgantown, who currently is vice president of the West Virginia Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation. He is past president for the Chestnut Ridge Longbeards chapter, where he organized the chapter's first JAKES event and chaired all three it has sponsored. He helped Senior Regional Director Bob Farkasovsky reorganize the Prickett's Fort Limbhangers Chapter and has assisted with their JAKES events. Truban also organized the North Central Chapters in Morgantown, Fairmont, Clarksburg and Kingwood set up their first Women in the Outdoors event. He has been instrumental in setting up and organizing Web sites for the West Virginia Chapter and helping the West Virginia Wildlife Federation reorganize and update its Web site. He has been in the forefront of organizing a West Virginia Camo Coalition to build unity among the various sportsmen organizations in the state.
"Dave has been a leader in keeping sportsmen informed about important wildlife-related issues, including the deer pen issue and key proposals that affect both fish and wildlife," said DNR Director Frank Jezioro. "He is an active turkey, deer and grouse hunter, and loves to fish for trout and bass. He is an active member of many outdoors organizations, and devotes many hours to helping local organizations. Dave Truban is a rare person who cares about our natural resources and is not afraid to get involved. He is a lifelong West Virginian who knows his way around the mountains and knows how to advocate for his love of the outdoors."
The 2006 Sportsmen's Organization of the Year Award went to the West Virginia Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation. "This organization always does an outstanding job of supporting our state's outdoors sportsmen and the DNR with their programs and contributions," Jezioro said. "Over the past 20 years the West Virginia chapter has donated more than half a million dollars for habitat enhancement, equipment, wildlife management area projects, educational programs for young people all over the state, and many other worthy projects."
The state chapter has a Wild Turkey Super Fund that raises money for projects that support the conservation of the wild turkey and the preservation of the hunting tradition. Among the major contributions made this year were $194 thousand that went toward the Little Indian Creek Wildlife Management Area in Monongalia County and $9,000 for the state gobbler study. Other efforts supported by the state chapter include the Hunter Safety Education Program; wild turkey research, management and restoration; women's programs such as Women in the Outdoors; rewards for the prosecution of turkey poachers; law enforcement equipment; land purchase; and Wheelin' Sportsman, a program for disabled outdoorsmen.
"DNR would not be able to perform as well as it does without the remarkable support of individuals and organizations such as these," said DNR Director Frank Jezioro. "Our agency thanks this year's winners and all the other organizations and citizens who work so hard to improve our environment and quality of outdoor recreation."
The prestigious 2006 Sportsperson of the Year Award went to Dave Truban of Morgantown, who currently is vice president of the West Virginia Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation. He is past president for the Chestnut Ridge Longbeards chapter, where he organized the chapter's first JAKES event and chaired all three it has sponsored. He helped Senior Regional Director Bob Farkasovsky reorganize the Prickett's Fort Limbhangers Chapter and has assisted with their JAKES events. Truban also organized the North Central Chapters in Morgantown, Fairmont, Clarksburg and Kingwood set up their first Women in the Outdoors event. He has been instrumental in setting up and organizing Web sites for the West Virginia Chapter and helping the West Virginia Wildlife Federation reorganize and update its Web site. He has been in the forefront of organizing a West Virginia Camo Coalition to build unity among the various sportsmen organizations in the state.
"Dave has been a leader in keeping sportsmen informed about important wildlife-related issues, including the deer pen issue and key proposals that affect both fish and wildlife," said DNR Director Frank Jezioro. "He is an active turkey, deer and grouse hunter, and loves to fish for trout and bass. He is an active member of many outdoors organizations, and devotes many hours to helping local organizations. Dave Truban is a rare person who cares about our natural resources and is not afraid to get involved. He is a lifelong West Virginian who knows his way around the mountains and knows how to advocate for his love of the outdoors."
The 2006 Sportsmen's Organization of the Year Award went to the West Virginia Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation. "This organization always does an outstanding job of supporting our state's outdoors sportsmen and the DNR with their programs and contributions," Jezioro said. "Over the past 20 years the West Virginia chapter has donated more than half a million dollars for habitat enhancement, equipment, wildlife management area projects, educational programs for young people all over the state, and many other worthy projects."
The state chapter has a Wild Turkey Super Fund that raises money for projects that support the conservation of the wild turkey and the preservation of the hunting tradition. Among the major contributions made this year were $194 thousand that went toward the Little Indian Creek Wildlife Management Area in Monongalia County and $9,000 for the state gobbler study. Other efforts supported by the state chapter include the Hunter Safety Education Program; wild turkey research, management and restoration; women's programs such as Women in the Outdoors; rewards for the prosecution of turkey poachers; law enforcement equipment; land purchase; and Wheelin' Sportsman, a program for disabled outdoorsmen.
"DNR would not be able to perform as well as it does without the remarkable support of individuals and organizations such as these," said DNR Director Frank Jezioro. "Our agency thanks this year's winners and all the other organizations and citizens who work so hard to improve our environment and quality of outdoor recreation."