On August 1, the U.S. Senate named the conference committee conferees for the 2018 Farm Bill Reauthorization.
The Senate Farm Bill Republican conferees include Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry members Sen. Pat Roberts (KS), Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (KY), Sen. John Boozman (AR), Sen. Joe Hoeven (ND), and Sen. Joni Ernst (IA), who are also Members of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus (CSC). The Democratic conferees include Senate Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Sen. Debbie Stabenow (MI), a CSC Member, and CSC Vice-Chair Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (ND), as well as Sen. Sherrod Brown (OH) and Sen. Patrick Leahy (VT).
The current Farm Bill was authorized in 2014 and is set to expire in September. This legislation includes many important conservation programs for our nation’s fish and wildlife populations that also benefit America’s soil and water conservation efforts on private lands, farms, ranches, and forests.
With the House of Representatives’ conferees named in July, the Farm Bill will now go to conference to iron out the differences in the House and Senate versions of the legislation.
A list of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation priorities for the 2018 Farm Bill Reauthorization can be found here.
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?
