By Ronica Stromberg
Matt Gruntorad, a human dimensions analyst in the School of Natural Resources, received the staff recognition award at the school’s annual banquet April 11, 2026. The award recognized his almost 11 years of work researching the human part of wildlife conservation.
It may seem a conundrum, but he explains that hunters and anglers are largely to thank for sustaining wildlife populations through their hunting and fishing activities.
"All the licenses and permits that get sold, that comes back to pay for habitat and management of healthy wildlife populations," Gruntorad said. "A lion's share of wildlife management rests on the shoulders of hunters and anglers buying permits."
This is doubly the case for waterfowl, he said, because waterfowl hunters not only buy a hunting license but also buy a state waterfowl stamp and a federal waterfowl habitat stamp.
As a hunter and angler himself, Gruntorad said hunting and fishing are important beyond keeping healthy wildlife populations. They are enjoyable for a lot of people, improving their quality of life, he said.
Read more about Matt and his projects at https://snr.unl.edu/aboutus/what/newstory.aspx?fid=1334