The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies has given its inaugural citizen conservationist award to Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris. The association has named the annual honor the Johnny Morris Award.
The award, presented Sept. 10 during the association's annual meeting in Hilton Head Island, S.C., recognizes Morris' contributions to fish and wildlife conservation, according to a Sept. 25 AFWA news release.
“Johnny Morris is the epitome of the enlightened, able and progressive citizen conservationist who sees beyond the limits of one hometown or one state to the national or international scale, and works accordingly and effectively to produce results,” said Jonathan Gassett, commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources and former AFWA president who created the award, in the release. “The association dedicates the Johnny Morris Award in his honor, not only because of his passion for the outdoors, but specifically because his actions show that he is one of us.”
The AFWA release pointed to Morris winning the Teddy Roosevelt Conservationist Award, the International Conservation Achievement Award and AFWA’s President’s Award. Morris also was inducted into the International Game Fish Association’s Hall of Fame and has served three terms as chairman of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
The Johnny Morris Award will be awarded to citizen conservationists who demonstrate Morris' leadership qualities and an ability to solve large natural resource challenges.
Morris
grew Bass Pro from humble beginnings, starting out by selling fishing bait out of his dad's Brown Derby liquor store in Springfield during the early 1970s, according to Springfield Business Journal archives. Bass Pro, which now operates 77 stores and Tracker Marine centers in the U.S. and Canada, projects 120 million people will visit its locations this year.
The AFWA advocates for North American fish and wildlife agencies in Washington, D.C., according to its
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