Recently, the Hunting and Shooting Sports Conservation Council (HSSCC) submitted a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue urging the implementation of the 2018 Farm Bill.
The HSSCC is a federal advisory council that develops and provides recommendations to the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior to promote and advance hunting and the shooting sports. Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) President Jeff Crane serves as Chairman of the HSSCC.
The 2018 Farm Bill contained a robust Conservation Title that aligned very well with the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation priorities. Congress prioritized a number of conservation programs including the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP), and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). While these programs were prioritized by Congress and advocated for by the sporting conservation community, these programs are still in the process of implementation by federal agencies in charge of overseeing each program. Without proper implementation, some of the conservation program funding is in jeopardy of not reaching farmers or benefiting wildlife habitat in FY 2019 as intended.
CSF will continue to work with partners on the HSSCC to ensure the Farm Bill is properly implemented as expeditiously as possible.
Studies conducted at both the state and federal level have found that the number of hunters and trappers have been on a generally declining trend over the past several decades. To increase recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) of hunters and trappers, which initiative do you think would have the greatest impact?
