PHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Department and Tread Lightly! will host their third annual “Respected Access in Arizona” fundraising event, presented by RideNow Powersports, on Oct. 15 to help raise awareness of the importance of protecting access and enhancing outdoor recreational opportunities, such as recreational shooting, off-highway vehicle (OHV) use and camping.

A fun-shoot, barbecue dinner, raffles and auctions are planned at the OneAZ  Credit Union Pavilion, located at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility in Phoenix. Proceeds will be used to help fund the long-term implementation strategies of the “Respected Access is Open Access in Arizona” campaign.

Tickets are available online at http://tinyurl.com/hchxtg8. The cost of the fun-shoot (which includes targets and two boxes of ammunition) and dinner, catered by Bobby Q restaurant, is $65. The cost of only the dinner, which includes beverages and a door-prize raffle ticket, is $40.  

The department and Tread Lightly!, a national organization that promotes responsible recreation through stewardship, communication and education, along with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and U.S. Forest Service, are helping to keep Arizona’s public lands healthy and open through the successful “Respected Access is Open Access in Arizona” campaign.  

The objective is to implement education, outreach and engagement strategies that promote stewardship and foster site-stewards through volunteerism. It can’t be done alone, however. That’s why the support of outdoor recreationists, and industries that serve them, is important.

For more information about the fundraiser, call (800) 966-9900, Ext. 13, or e-mail respectedaccess@treadlightly.org. For more information about the “Respected Access is Open Access in Arizona” campaign, visit www.respectedaccessarizona.org.