Why It Matters: Despite most state legislative sessions being adjourned in the summer months, legislators are still hard at work preparing for next year’s upcoming legislative session. Hosting policy centric events in conjunction with legislative conferences, like the Southern Legislative Conference, offers the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF), an excellent opportunity to discuss policy issues impacting sportsmen and women and strategize for the upcoming legislative sessions.
Highlights:
- On Monday, July 13, CSF and the National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses (NASC) hosted a Policy Forum and Reception in conjunction with the 80th Annual Southern Legislative Conference (SLC) in Lexington, Kentucky.
- The reception saw over 80 attendees from 11 southern states in attendance. The crowd heard from NASC Executive Council President Representative Jeff Wardlaw (AR) and member Senator Russell Ott (SC), as well as CSF staff.
- Attendees were also encouraged to attend the 23rd Annual NASC Sportsman-Legislator Summit scheduled for December 1 – 4 in Oklahoma City, OK.
For many, the dog days of summer, especially in the South, mean long, hot days and summer vacations. While summer is in full swing, state legislators from across 14 southern states attended the 80th Annual Southern Legislative Conference in Lexington, Kentucky last week. CSF hosted its annual Policy Forum and Reception in conjunction with the event where over 80 attendees enjoyed an afternoon of discussing wins from the 2026 session and sporting conservation topics looming ahead of the 2027 legislative sessions.
CSF staff highlighted the successes that the NASC network accomplished throughout the first half of 2026. In addition to celebrating the victories that the sportsmen’s community has seen so far this year, CSF staff also emphasized a growing problem that’s spread throughout the country.
Today’s youth are growing up in a world where screens are replacing time spent in the woods or on the water. As children spend more time indoors on phones, tablets, and video games, they are spending less time exploring the outdoors and developing meaningful connections with nature. At the same time, fewer young people are being exposed to hunting and fishing through family introductions and mentorship, which has created a widening gap between the next generation and America’s outdoor heritage. These experiences teach conservation, self-reliance, patience, responsibility, and appreciation for wildlife. Reversing this trend by getting kids outside is essential to cultivating the next generation of conservationists and the sustainability of our wildlife resources.
In working to change the direction of this trend, CSF staff and NASC Executive Council member Senator Russell Ott (SC) highlighted a recent effort to fund South Carolina’s first ever Conservation Education Fund (Fund) that was established in 2025. The Fund will be used for natural resource conservation education classes and programs in South Carolina – with a mission to connect kids with nature. Attendees were encouraged to follow South Carolina’s lead and consider introducing similar legislation in their states.
Although legislative sessions have mostly wrapped up in 2026, CSF continues to keep legislators engaged on issues impacting sportsmen and women around the country. CSF, and our partners at South Carolina Waterfowl Association’s Outdoor Heritage Institute, will now be working to bring this critical funding stream and Conservation Literacy Initiative to additional states in the 2027 legislative session. For more information, including on how to bring this Initiative to your state, please contact your regional CSF representative.