In January, Lt. Governor Casey Cagle and Sen. Tyler Harper, chairman of the Senate Natural Resources Committee, introduced the Georgia Youth Outdoors Passport Act, aimed at encouraging youth to experience the abundance of rich outdoor resources and recreational opportunities Georgia offers. The legislation establishes discounted license programs, creates an outdoor mentor training program at the Georgia DNR and encourages mentors to share their knowledge with the next generation.

"It's concerning that every year fewer Georgians are participating in hunting and fishing activities across our state," Cagle said in a press release. "This program will help create a pathway for new hunters and anglers to learn the sport and develop a lifetime of recreation that will teach them the importance of the natural world and help them put food on the table."

In conjunction with the DNR, Cagle and Harper held the Georgia Youth Outdoors Firearm Training and Shooting Day on March 3. Approximately 80 high schoolers from across the state attended the event at Tom Lowe Shooting Grounds in Atlanta. The family event included lunch and skeet shooting, free of charge.

"Promoting these sports through an experienced network will teach more Georgians how to perform these activities and how to do them in a safe and respectful way," Harper said.

Georgia Ducks Unlimited was there to speak with participants about the DU Varsity chapter program and provide duck calls, DU visors, decals and copies of the Beginner's Guide to Waterfowling.

"We signed up some new DU Varsity members and have leads on three new chapters," said Georgia DU Youth and Education Chair Jeff Barnes. "We were also invited to come out to other high school shooting sports events. That will be a huge opportunity to get the DU Varsity message in front of like-minded parents and students. This was a terrific event."