Stuart N. Ray Elected as Chairman of Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission
Stuart N. Ray is the new chairman of the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission.
An avid angler, hunter and licensed falconer, the Louisville businessman was elected in June by his fellow Commission members and chaired his first meeting last Friday at the start of the Commission’s August meeting.
In 2010, Ray was appointed Commissioner of the Third Wildlife District, which includes Breckinridge, Bullitt, Jefferson, Meade, Oldham, Shelby and Spencer counties. He succeeds Sixth Wildlife District Commissioner Stephen M. Glenn, who served as chairman the past two years.
“I’m honored by the trust my fellow Commissioners have placed in me to lead our Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission,” said Ray. “Although we have outstanding fish and wildlife resources in our state, there are always areas for improvement. Continuing to engage young people in hunting and fishing opportunities through mentoring programs – such as our Fishing in the Neighborhood (FINS) program and our newly created pheasant hunt scheduled at Yellowbank Wildlife Management Area (WMA) this fall, are only a few ways to get the youth into the field.”
“Enhancing small game is an important initiative going forward, both habitat improvement and potential quail restoration projects can help in these areas,” he said. “If we can be successful in Northern bobwhite restorations, other species will benefit significantly from these projects.”
The Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Commission, a nine-member citizens board selected by licensed hunters and anglers, and appointed by the governor and confirmed by the state senate, meets quarterly in Frankfort to make policy decisions. With input from the agency’s director, program administrators and staff biologists – and sportsmen and women of the Commonwealth, the Commission adopts fishing and hunting regulations that must meet with the approval of the Kentucky General Assembly.
A lifetime member of the NRA, Ray is co-founder of the George Rogers Clark Chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation – and a member of several conservation organizations including the National Wild Turkey Federation, Ducks Unlimited, Trout Unlimited and the League of Kentucky Sportsmen. Ray and his wife, Michele, have five children.
The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, an agency of the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, is responsible for the conservation of fish and wildlife resources and for boating projects in the state. A commissioner appointed by the Fish and Wildlife Commission heads the department. The commission, which is responsible for department policy, is a nine member bipartisan body appointed by the governor from a list of candidates voted upon by sportsmen's organizations in each of nine districts.
