The new online Supporting Members Directory is finished and available on the website. Just click "Supporting Members" on the left-hand side of the front page. Why no mailing/physical addresses? Because they would have taken an extra two or three lines per listing, and when was the last time you made an initial contact with a company by mail anyway? If you'd like a hard copy of the directory, either:

a) highlight the whole thing, choose EDIT --> COPY, then open a new document in your word processing program, choose EDIT -->PASTE, format to taste, and print, or

b) email me, and I'll send you a clean, updated PDF of the directory for printing.

Regular Members Directory
Regarding the spirited discussion in Bishop of what form the new Regular Members Directory should take, I'm aware that many members really feel strongly about having a hard copy of the directory. But there are also many others, myself included, who are just as happy with an online version only.

To me at least, it seems like the best solution, rather than spending on the order of $1,500 to print directories for everybody, is to create an electronic directory that members can print for themselves in a reasonably handy format and without any special technical know-how. I'm thinking half-letter-size pages in a PDF document that could be printed, covered and spiral-bound for a few bucks.

Aside from saving money, the big advantage of this approach is the fact that an electronic directory can be quickly, easily and cheaply updated. Our membership changes constantly, as does our members' contact information, and a bi-annual directory just can't begin to keep up. Of the 151 members listed in the 2003-2005 Directory, fully 59 are no longer with us; 56 current members don't appear. An electronic directory can be updated monthly. Chuck your old hard copy and replace it with a new one as often as you want. It may not look quite as stylish as the old professionally printed directory, but there's no question it will be more useful.

Obviously, this is by no means a final decision -- just the way I see it. I welcome your suggestions, and I'll certainly make sure I have the board's and the membership's approval before going ahead with anything.

Awards Issues
There was also some minor strife in Bishop about the possibility of charging an entry fee for OWAC's annual contest, about the number of awards given, about the feasibility of Supporting Members sponsoring awards, and about what winners should receive -- a plaque, a certificate, a wad of cash, a commemorative teddy bear, a boot to the head, etc.

These issues all merit serious consideration, and in the next month or two, I'll be assembling several alternative proposals for consideration by the board and by the membership. One thing most members seem to agree on is that there should be no more than three awards given in each category, so I'll start there. I'll also calculate roughly how much money we'd save by giving plaques for first place and certificates for second and third, and what kind of entry fee we'd need to charge to break even with each option.

Please understand that no decisions whatsoever have been made about this. The entry fee -- like any other changes to awards procedures -- is no more than an idea to be considered. Again, I'll assemble a range of proposals for consideration. In the meantime, I welcome any and all comments and suggestions, all of which I'll pass along to the board.

• OWAC welcomes new member Bart Hall of Camarillo. Hall, Managing Partner of Fred Hall & Associates/American Sportfishing Association, LLC, is also a prolific writer and produces numerous radio and television spots. His work phone is (805) 389-3339; his email is bart@fredhall.com

• OWAC also welcomes new member Monica Prelle of Mammoth Lakes. Prelle is Contributing Writer to the magazine Mammoth Monthly; her other credits include MammothLocal.com, Mammoth Times, Mammoth Sierra Magazine, Surfergirl, and Happy. Email her at monica@sierrabackcountry.org

• Bud Neville's radio show, "The Fisherman's Forecast," returned to the air May 4 on Sacramento's new ESPN station, KCTC AM 1320. Prior 2005, Neville hosted the report-style show for six years supported by one sponsor for the entire span. The show's new sponsors are the Sportsman's Warehouse in Rocklin and the California Dept. of Boating and Waterways. click here

• Tom Wilmer recently learned that he had won the prestigious Henry Lawson Award for Travel Writing, sponsored by Tourism Australia and Qantas. The annual award is given to the author of the year's best travel story about Australia published in North America; the prize is a two-week trip to Australia worth approximately $15,000. Wilmer's winning story was the feature "Aussie Drovers: Making It in a Most Brutally Beautiful Land--The Great Australian Cowboy Tradition," published in the October, 2006 issue of Cowboys & Indians magazine. "Aussie Drovers" also won second place in the Magazine Feature category in this year's OWAC awards. Additionally, Wilmer's photos of the Outback will appear on Tourism Australia's international website. "As you can imagine," said Wilmer, "I'm elated." So are we--congratualtions!

• Watch for a story by Glen and Lynn Pribus in Jet Setting magazine about a visit to the Sequoia High Sierra Camp. OWAC Supporting Member Catherine Boire Public Relations, which represents SHSC, arranged the stay. For an "almost final" proof, click here.

• Harry Medved sent the following just after the Bishop Conference: "I hope everyone had a terrific time in Bishop – and I am so sorry that I missed you all on Sunday – but I’ve been working non-stop since Friday, fact-checking, proofing and getting more interviews for our travel site since Friday – and we finally launched it a few hours ago." The site is a movie-related "Summer Road Trips Guide" featuring eleven suggested summer movie itineraries with recommended destinations, accommodations, restaurants, theaters, places to walk and stops along the way. The itineraries follow the cinematic paths of this summer’s big screen stars, visiting Matt Damon’s Morocco (to be seen in The Bourne Ultimatum), Johnny Depp’s Dominica and Guadalupe Dunes (in the latest Pirates movie), Shia LaBeouf’s White Sands (in Transformers), Steve Carell’s Blue Ridge Mountains (in Evan Almighty) and more. click here

Supporting Member Notes

• Ingrid Niehaus of Hobie sent the following: “Vince Console and I would like to thank all attendees who took the time to drop by our booth at the recent OWAC conference in Bishop. We enjoyed meeting everyone and look forward to the next time. Please don’t hesitate to contact me at ingridn2@mindspring.com for any press needs. I can coordinate information, images and/or fishing days with Vince so that you can check out a Hobie boat for yourself".

• California Parks Companies and Poimiroo + Partners announce "Camanche Cast 'n' Blast," following Fall Conference. click here

• May means great trout fishing at Big Bear Lake; media trips available! click here

• Coleman sends aid to Greensburg, Kansas in wake of devastating tornado. click here

• Coleman strengthens partnership with Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics. click here

• Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), USA, Inc. launches fishing website showcasing new series "Hooked".
  click here

• ICAST 2007, produced by the American Sportfishing Association, to celebrate 50-year anniversary in Las Vegas July 11-13. click here

Committee Update

Californian of the Year: Craig Hanson — TOP CALIFORNIAN

Who will be honored as Californian of the Year in 2007? Nominees should exemplify the spirit of the outdoors through contributions above and beyond the call of duty. Candidates are nominated by an OWAC member, and presented to the full membership for a vote.

With the fingers of OWAC stretching to the far reaches of the state, finding qualified nominees should be as easy as casting a line into a millpond. Think of someone who has dedicated his or her life to the betterment of the outdoors, or recently worked on a special project that benefited the industry.

Past recipients have been teachers, biologist, wildlife advocates, politicians and everyday citizens who have taken up a cause. We should continue this tradition with a stellar contingent of candidates. OWAC members are not eligible.

Deadline for candidate nominations is June 1, 2007.
It doesn’t have to be a dissertation of one’s life, just solid reasons why this person should be awarded OWAC’s top honor as Californian of the Year.
Any questions please email sfangler@mindspring.com, or call Craig Hanson (415) 753-3504.
Send your nominations to: sfangler@mindspring.com. I will confirm all nominations received.

Raffle: Carol Martens — Carol is still accepting donations. Bring the items you'd like to donate with you for Calaveras raffle, but please tell Carol about them ahead of time so she can be better organized at the conference

• New magazine Destination Fish: A Traveler's Guide to Sportfishing the Globe seeks queries. click here

• With new pike eradication effort set for Labor Day, trout daily bag limit increased to 10 at Lake Davis in Plumas County click here

• Non-member media invited to Professional Outdoor Media Association's 2007 Business Conference; attendees joining within 30 days get $75 credit toward dues click here

• CDFG announces launch of new quarterly publication California Hunting Digest. click here

• CDFG May events calendar click here