Sportsmen for Fish & Wildlife and the Western Hunting & Conservation Expo partners (MDF and UFNAWS) have been awarded the 200 Utah Big Game Tags for five more years. The Utah Wildlife Board today voted unanimously to accept a review panel’s recommendation and award the 200 Expo Tags contract to SFW.
A four-member panel appointed by the Utah State Purchasing Department reviewed two formal proposals; one submitted by SFW and the other by RMEF. The final scores, based on 500 possible points and six specific criteria, were SFW 435 vs. RMEF’s 387.5.
In the judgement of the four panels members, it was clear that Proposal A (SFW) was superior to Proposal B (RMEF). There was “No doubt in that judgement,” according to Mike Canning, Assistant Director of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. “This process is not a popularity contest; it cannot be a popularity contest. The evaluations were done based on the criteria that were published, and those proposals that met those criteria fully, addressed all aspects of those criteria and justified their statements received a higher score that a proposal that did not justify all statements fully.”
The 6 Points of Scoring Criteria included:
– Business Plan, Expo Operations (20%)
– Economic Considerations (10%)
– Promoting of Hunting, Fishing & Trapping in Utah (10%)
– Ability to organize and conduct a secure and fair permit drawing (20%)
– Commitment to use revenue generated for wildlife conservation in Utah (30%)
– Historical contribution and previous performance of organization in Utah (10%)
What does this mean for wildlife conservation in Utah? According to Jon Larson, SFW President and CEO, “It means that nearly $3.5 million annually will continue to flow from the Expo into Utah’s wildlife conservation programs. It means another million acres of critical wildlife habitat can be restored and improved. And it means that Utah’s wildlife and wild places will continue receiving the proper attention these important resources deserve in a state that values so deeply the traditions of wildlife, hunting and outdoor pursuits.”
SFW’s executive team, staff and members are very gratified that the state of Utah has seen fit to continue participating in the Western Hunting and Conservation Expo by awarding SFW the 200 Tags.
We encourage everyone to apply for the 200 Expo Permits here.
Watch the Wildlife Board Meeting here.
