This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

The Western Hunting and Conservation Expo opens its four-day run Thursday at the Salt Palace and is expected to draw hundreds of hunters from around the country for fundraising and fun.

Donald Trump, Jr., son of the Republican frontrunner and an avid bowhunter, is scheduled to deliver the keynote address at Saturday night's banquet.

Taya Kyle, wife of American Sniper Chris Kyle, is scheduled to speak Friday.

Lee Greenwood is slated to perform Friday and Dallas Smith Saturday night.

The event is sponsored by Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife, the Mule Deer Foundation and the Utah Foundation for North American Wildlife Sheep as a fundraiser for wildlife projects around Utah.

It includes an expo with hunting guides and gear companies, auctions and a chance at 200 hard-to-get Utah limited entry hunting permits.

Entry fee is $20, but there is a discount coupon on the expo website at http://www.huntexpo.com/. Discount tickets are also available at sponsors Cabela's, Les Schwab and Toyota dealers.

According to Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife President and CEO Jon Larson, the group raised $1.5 million through auctioning Utah conservation permits. Of those funds, 30 percent was given to the DWR.

Sixty percent was put in a federally insured bank account for a period of two years and is earmarked for projects that encompass the Watershed Restoration Initiative. That project includes transplants, population surveys, disease studies, predation and survival studies. Any funds left over at the end of two years are given to the DWR for future projects.

The seven conservation organizations can retain 10 percent of the total amount raised, which was $150,865 for Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife, and is used for administrative expenses.