Foundation Honors State Hunter Education Leader

The National Shooting Sports Foundation has recognized Joe Huggins, Arkansas Game & Fish Commission hunter education coordinator, as a Local Champion for his efforts to promote firearm safety in the state.

The recognition comes as the foundation continues its "Safe Summer Across America" campaign as part of its ongoing Project ChildSafe program.

The program emphasizes the importance of responsible firearm storage, particularly while children are home from school and more likely to be unattended.

"As the hunter education coordinator, it's my job to ensure we promote safety year-round," Huggins said. "Firearms and other outdoor equipment are used year-round, which makes practicing safe storage important no matter what season it is."

Huggins was selected for his work across the state to raise awareness on gun safety, during the hunting season and in the off-season. During spring break 2014, he arranged for all four of the Game & Fish nature centers to provide free Project ChildSafe gun locks and firearm safety kits.

This effort encouraged people to visit the nature centers, but enabled the centers to discuss gun safety in the home with whole families and provide thousands of free gun locks and safety materials to visitors.

Project ChildSafe provides us with an opportunity to actually put something [cable gun locks] in the hands of people, Huggins explained. "The locks are something we are able to give to residents who we wouldn't be able to provide otherwise. We have a lot of people who hunt, fish, target shoot and own firearms and we want to promote safe handling of those," he said.

Safe Summer Across America is an extension of NSSF's Safe Summer campaign that was launched last year.

Outdoors on 07/31/2014

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