Why It Matters: Hunter recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) remains a key focus of state fish and wildlife agencies and hunters alike. Hunters are the primary funders of science-based wildlife management through the purchase of sporting licenses, which is the backbone of the “user pays – public benefits” structure that is the American System of Conservation Funding (ASCF). The shoes that today’s hunters occupy will eventually need to be filled by the next generation of hunters who, through their participation will be tomorrow’s funders of wildlife conservation.
Highlights:
- In 2025, Senate Bill 165 (S165), sponsored by South Carolina Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus (Caucus) member and former Co-Chair Senator George “Chip” Campsen, was enacted, establishing the first-ever South Carolina Conservation Education Fund.
- In 2026, House Bill 5126 (H5126), the State Budget Bill, allocated $1.5 million to the newly established Conservation Education Fund.
- Funds allocated to the South Carolina Conservation Education Fund will be used for natural resource conservation education classes and programs that will emphasize the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, teach the importance of hunting and fishing, and help recruit the next generation of sportsmen and women needed to sustain conservation funding needed to support South Carolina’s outdoor traditions.
Few would argue that today’s youth are faced with an increasingly digitized world. Kids are spending more time behind screens and less time enjoying the great outdoors. In many cases, kids simply do not grow up in rural settings or have a mentor or adult in their lives to show them the ropes to the outdoor activities that many of us have participated in and taken for granted since we were kids. Providing an avenue for youth to learn the fundamentals and importance of our time-honored traditions and conservation ethics is a wise investment for states to explore and one that will have positive lingering impacts for future generations.
With the Conservation Education Fund now formally established and properly funded in South Carolina, it is poised to make a generational impact on the state’s youth. The South Carolina Waterfowl Association (SCWA) has been a long-term provider of conservation education programs and outdoor experiences for kids in South Carolina, and was the driving force behind the creation, funding, and implementation of the Conservation Education Fund. SCWA will be partnering with the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation through its Outdoor Heritage Institute to bring this conservation literacy initiative to states around the country. The program will focus on hands-on learning centered around wildlife, natural resources, outdoor recreation, and stewardship. Kids will have the opportunity to participate in one-day field programs and overnight conservation education experiences, all guided by approved conservation organizations and educational providers.
South Carolina has established a strong example of a program, with associated infrastructure and funding, that will allow children to spend more time outdoors and develop meaningful connections with nature. This effort will undoubtedly bridge the gap between tomorrow’s youth and our outdoor heritage. With the 2027 legislative session quickly approaching, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation will be encouraging legislators around the country to establish their own Conservation Education Fund based on the successful South Carolina model. After all, whether we’ve been participating in our outdoors traditions since we were kids or started as adults, we owe it to the next generation to provide the same experiences that have brought us a lifetime of incredible memories.