Jeff Martin of Pell City has been appointed to the Alabama Conservation Advisory Board by Gov. Robert Bentley.

Martin, an avid angler, hunter and conservationist, is president and co-founder of Vicious Fishing, a fishing tackle manufacturer located in Dora, Ala. Martin also currently serves on the board of the Tackle the Storm Foundation, which was founded in 2011 after the devastation of Joplin, Mo., to provide fishing rods, reels and other equipment to children who lost everything in the tornadoes.

Martin served four years as co-chair of the auction committee for the Alabama Governor’s One-Shot Turkey Hunt.

“I consider it an honor and privilege to be able serve on the board and consider positive changes in conservation,” Martin said. “One benefit I plan to provide to the board is my knowledge of the fishing industry. I’m also an avid hunter, but my background is in fishing.”

Martin, 45, replaces Grant Lynch of Talladega on the board.

The Conservation Advisory Board is composed of 10 members appointed by the governor for alternating terms of six years, and three ex-officio members – the Governor, the Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries, and the Director of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. The Commissioner of Conservation and Natural Resources serves as the ex-officio secretary of the board.

The board assists in formulating policies for the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and examines all rules and regulations. By a two-thirds vote of the members present and with the governor’s approval, the board can amend, change or repeal current rules and regulations or create and promulgate additional rules and regulations. The board also assists in publicizing the department’s programs and activities.