Highlights
Why it matters: As the original conservationists, sportsmen and women have a long history of supporting the science-based management of our nation’s fish and wildlife resources. Unfortunately, the best available science continues to suggest that the effects of a changing climate are impacting the resources that we care so passionately about. While climate change is still a hotly debated topic, CSF and others are working to shift the narrative and approach climate change as a conservation challenge. Using this perspective opens the door for sportsmen and women to take the lead in promoting active management efforts that can help address these impacts, just as we have done so many times before.
After several months of development, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) is proud to announce the release of “The Outdoorsmen’s Guide to Climate Change.” This website contains valuable information related to the conservation challenges associated with climate change by providing background on several existing conservation priorities that can be used to address its effects while promoting critical habitat for fish and wildlife and opportunities for sportsmen and women. Joining many other members of the outdoor sporting conservation community, CSF looks forward to continuing its mission to protect and advance hunting, angling, recreational shooting, and trapping while advocating for the science-based conservation of our nation’s public trust resources.
Historically a hotly debated topic within the political arena, emerging science has made it clear that there is a need to address the impacts of climate change on our nation’s fish and wildlife resources. By changing the perspective and focusing on climate change as a conservation challenge, CSF and many others have recognized the opportunity to promote active conservation efforts that sportsmen and women, the original conservationists, have supported for decades. By looking at topics such as active forest management, the use of prescribed fire, voluntary and incentive based private lands programs, and efforts to improve habitat connectivity on land and in the water, sportsmen and women have an opportunity to advance many of our existing priorities in an effort to address the impacts of climate change while simultaneously providing critical habitat for the species that we care about most.
“The Outdoorsmen’s Guide to Climate Change” is currently broken down into eight conservation policy priorities of which CSF has already been actively engaged for years. This website, and the resource it provides, are designed to strengthen CSF’s efforts by highlighting important considerations related to climate change. In doing so, “The Outdoorsmen’s Guide to Climate Change” is meant to provide a pragmatic, non-partisan perspective that remains true to the CSF Mission. For more information, visit csfclimateguide.org.
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?
