WALLACE — There’s no doubt that kids these days are spending a lot more time staring at screens on their phones, laptops and televisions than any other generation in history. In 2015, state legislators recognized this and decided to be proactive in getting more of North Carolina’s youth involved in the great outdoors.
Rep. Jimmy Dixon, a Republican who serves Duplin and Wayne counties in the 4th District of the N.C. House, introduced House Bill 640, also known as The Outdoor Heritage Act, creating what is now known as the North Carolina Youth Outdoor Engagement Commission.
The commission held its first event on Tuesday at the River Landing Clubhouse in Wallace. It included awards for Dixon and other state legislators, a recap of the work the commission has done since its creation in 2019, and the induction of three individuals — Bob Barnhill, Richard Childress and Eddie Smith Jr. — into the North Carolina Outdoors Hall of Fame.
The commission is tasked with “the responsibility of producing statewide youth outdoor opportunity experiences that you and me are familiar with, such as shooting sports, archery, fishing, hunting, horseback riding, camping, hiking, kayaking and the list is even longer,” explained commission executive director Justin Burr. “By 2015, it had become evident that kids were spending less time outdoors and more time indoors on screens. Lawmakers knew that that couldn’t go unchecked.”
N.C. House Speaker Tim Moore, a Republican who serves the 111th District, was honored first at the event.
“One of the things we see far too often today is young people who are stuck inside with electronic devices,” Moore said. “So the work that you all are doing is making a real difference in the lives of young people around North Carolina. Glad to be a small part of it.”
Sen. Bill Rabon, a Republican who serves the 8th District in the N.C. Senate (Brunswick, Columbus, New Hanover), was also honored for his work in getting the commission started. He was unable to attend the event.
Dixon received the Founding Legislator Award.
Sens. Brent Jackson (R-9th) and Jim Perry (R-2nd), and Reps. John Bell (R-10th) and Jason Saine (R-97th) all received Legislator of the Year awards from the commission. “These four legislators have played a vital role in supporting North Carolina Youth Outdoor Engagement Commission and its mission,” said Wendell “Dell” Murph Jr., chairman of the commission.
The commission began hiring staff in early 2019 and created its first two programs.
“Our Go Grants program provides grants to teachers and to nonprofits to take students on outdoor field trips,” Burr explained. “We also provide grants to fund construction of on-campus outdoor education-based structures.”
Youth ages 18 and under can earn patches for individual accomplishments, said Alan Pomeroy, the program’s director. “They can earn patches for free by completing outdoor activities and demonstrating their skills and abilities in anything from archery to hiking, duck hunting to bass fishing,” he said.
The commission started the Trailblazers Outdoor Club in 2023, an after-school club that gives students outdoor experiences that may not be accessible to them otherwise. The Trailblazers started out with 32 clubs and has quickly grown to 100 for the next school year.
The programs combined have reached more than 280,000 youth throughout the state in 98 counties. More than $9.1 million in grants have been awarded to schools and nonprofit organizations by the commission.
Bob Barnhill, chairman of the board of Barnhill Contracting Company in Rocky Mount, served on the Wildlife Resource Commission in the late ’80s and early ’90s and has always been an avid hunter. He was unable to attend the event due to a recent back surgery, but his wife, Penny, and son Austin accepted the award on his behalf.
Moore returned to the stage to induct Richard Childress into the Hall of Fame.
“He’s had a successful career, spanning everything from NASCAR racing to a winery, and has done so much and given back so much to this great state,” Moore said.
Childress said it was an honor to be inducted alongside Barnhill and Smith.
“I’ve been very fortunate,” he said. “A lot of people ask me, they say, ‘Why do you do what you do for the outdoors?’ I was a kid raised on a tobacco farm, out there hunting and fishing with my stepdad and his dad. I learned a lot about the outdoors, and they taught me a lot about life.”
Childress also said he enjoys passing his passion for the outdoors down to his grandsons.
“That’s what it’s all about, our youth,” he said.
The final honoree, Eddie Smith Jr., was introduced by Cameron Boltes, who works with Smith at Grady-White Boats, headquartered in Greenville.
“Eddie grew up in Lexington, N.C., or really, I should say that he was raised in Lexington, N.C., but he grew up stomping around the woods outside of town,” Boltes said. “He spent countless days chasing just about anything with fur or feathers.”
In more than 50 years at the helm of Grady-White Boats, Smith served on numerous boards, commissions and advisory groups related to outdoor conservation and involvement.
“I just want to thank everybody here tonight,” Smith said. “It just gives me chills. In fact, when Jimmy first started talking about the Outdoor Heritage Act, to see where it’s come from then to now (is amazing).”
