Bringing You Excellence
By Commissioner Jon Gassett

We continually strive for excellence at your Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. Recently, a panel of judges recognized our efforts to bring you the best magazine and television show in the country.

The National Association of Government Communicators has named Kentucky Afield magazine as its most improved government publication. Kentucky Afield also won awards for overall excellence and writing in this contest, which included entries from city, state and federal government agencies from across the country.

Not to be outdone, “Kentucky Afield” television also won a national award for news program in the same contest. This follows a regional Emmy won by the television show last year – its first ever.

Longtime fans of the magazine and television show are noticing the improvements made over the past few years. Kentucky Afield subscriptions continue to climb while more people are tuning to KET each Saturday night to enjoy half an hour with “Kentucky Afield” host Tim Farmer.

Excellence doesn’t end with Kentucky Afield when it comes to keeping you informed. This summer, we’re debuting a new hunting and trapping guide that not only looks better, but also is far easier to use than previous editions. Sections are color coded to make finding what interests you a breeze. Charts give you seasons at a glance. The section on public hunting areas features icons to let you instantly see the opportunities available at each location.

What’s driving these changes and improvements? It’s you, our customers. We’re not only striving for excellence, we’re striving for the best customer service possible. Here’s just one example: Nowadays, you can buy a hunting or fishing license online or over the telephone 24 hours a day. There’s no longer any need to pace outside a sporting goods store at dawn, waiting for the doors to open.

There’s more. Currently, the department is taking an inward look to find better ways to serve you. This strategic plan is a major undertaking, but well worth the effort.

We encourage you to write us and let us know how we are doing. In the meantime, Kentucky’s days have turned bright and if you listen closely enough, you just might hear the fish jumping. It’s time to go out and enjoy all that our state has to offer.

As Tim Farmer likes to say, we hope to see you in the woods or on the water.