[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 68 (Tuesday, June 6, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S4561]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


      AMERICAN SPORTFISHING ASSOCIATION LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

 Mr. ASHCROFT. Mr. President, I am pleased to recognize the 
winner of the American Sportfishing Association's Lifetime Achievement 
Award, Mr. Johnny Morris, who is also a friend of mine. This award is 
being given to Johnny today in recognition of his outstanding lifetime 
contribution to sportfishing.
  Johnny Morris is the founder of Bass Pro Shops, which offers anglers 
and sportsmen the same equipment that the tournament professionals use. 
His business has expanded from its original store to include eight 
additional shops, a catalog, a line of Bass Pro products and a 
wholesale operation that supplies more than 7,000 independent sporting 
goods stores in the United States and several foreign countries.
  Since 1970, Johnny has provided a place for sportsmen, and the entire 
family, to outfit their outdoor and sporting activities. Because of my 
love for the outdoors and fishing, the Bass Pro Shops has long been one 
of my favorite places in Springfield to visit. I am not alone. The Bass 
Pro Shops is one of Missouri's top tourist sites, attracting over three 
and a half million visitors a year.
  In addition to outfitting anglers, Johnny donates ten percent of Bass 
Pro Shops' earnings to conservation efforts, which benefit fishing 
areas far beyond Missouri's borders. Johnny believes ``the future of 
the sport and of our business depends more on conservation and how we 
manage our natural resources than absolutely anything else.'' To 
further that belief, Johnny is an outspoken supporter of not-for-profit 
and youth organizations that support or raise awareness of conservation 
issues. Organizations such as the Missouri Beautification Association, 
which helps clean up trash along Missouri's roadways and riverbanks, 
and ``Operation Game Thief,'' a program launched to curb poaching in 
Missouri, have benefitted from Johnny Morris' support. In March 1998, 
the first ever World's Fishing Fair was hosted by Bass Pro Shops, and 
the proceeds were given to Missouri forests and fisheries. I personally 
have witnessed Johnny's commitment to his community through the many 
educational events which Bass Pro Shops hosts. Great Outdoors Day, for 
example, brings together families to learn more about hiking, fishing, 
archery, shooting and conservation through hands-on experience. He also 
hosts Kids' Fishing Fun Day in Springfield, an event that brings 
thousands of young participants to a local pond to try their hand at 
sportfishing. His efforts show that individual initiative to preserve 
one's local environment for future generations is not only responsible 
citizenship but just plain good sense.
  I commend Johnny Morris both for receiving this award and for his 
efforts to enrich the fishing experience for all Americans and to 
promote conservation through the Bass Pro Shops.

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