LaFreniere Earns National Conservation Award
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Longtime NWTF volunteer Ron LaFreniere received national recognition from the National Wild Turkey Federation as one of the recipients of the Roger M. Latham Sportsman Wild Turkey Service Awards for his extraordinary dedication to the organization’s mission.
LaFreniere received the Roger M. Latham Sportsman Wild Turkey Service Award during the NWTF’s 49th annual NWTF Convention and Sport Show, sponsored by Mossy Oak.
LaFreniere is the co-founder of the Lake Champlain Longbeards Chapter that started in 1996, and he has served on the Vermont State Board of Directors since 2000. Currently, he is the board’s secretary and treasurer. While he was state chapter president, he helped grow the state’s Super Fund to help support mission-essential projects and habitat work.
He also helped start the Vermont State Turkey Calling Contest in 1999, which has been held almost every year since. LaFreniere started the Lake Champlain Longbeards’ annual JAKES event, which is now entering its 10th year. This event introduces young hunters to turkey hunting and
the outdoors prior to youth weekend.
LaFreniere has worked with Vermont State Forest and Parks Department on Camels Hump State Forest, which has led to apple tree releases, pruning, food plots and pollinator plots. He also partners with the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department for a learn-to-hunt program and a WITO event that has been happening for three years, growing each year.
He was inducted into the New England Turkey Hunters Hall of Fame, representing Vermont, in their first ever cohort of 2017.
“Ron is well known in the Green Mountains and beyond for his passion for the wild turkey and the preservation of our hunting heritage,” NWTF co-CEO Jason Burckhalter said. “Whether it be helping raise funds for mission delivery or rolling up his sleeves on a conservation project, Ron does what it takes to move the mission needle forward. We are proud to distinguish Ron for his decades of contributions to the NWTF’s mission in Vermont.”
About the National Wild Turkey Federation
Since 1973, the National Wild Turkey Federation has invested over half a billion dollars into wildlife conservation and has positively impacted over 24 million acres of critical wildlife habitat. The NWTF has also invested over $10 million into wild turkey research to guide the management of the wild turkey population and to ensure sustainable populations into perpetuity. The organization continues to deliver its mission by working across boundaries on a landscape scale through its Four Shared Values: clean and abundant water, healthy forests and wildlife habitat, resilient communities, and robust recreational opportunities. With the help of its dedicated members, partners and staff, the NWTF continues its work to provide Healthy Habitats. and Healthy Harvests. for future generations.