Why It Matters: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), through the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) and the National Fish Hatchery System (NFHS), provides invaluable habitat for fish and wildlife, enhances recreational fisheries, and creates irreplaceable access for sportsmen and women across the nation. Unfortunately, over time, the Refuge and Hatchery Systems are becoming …
FWS Issues CSF Supported Review of National Wildlife Refuges and Fish Hatcheries Read More »
Why It Matters: Just before the holidays, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) and over 325 legislators, partners, agency staff, and other policy professionals gathered together in Memphis, Tennessee for the 2025 National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses (NASC) Sportsman-Legislator Summit. For the third Summit in a row, The Sportsmen’s Voice Podcast was in attendance to talk …
COMING SOON: The Sportsmen’s Voice – NASC 2025 Podcast Sessions Read More »
Why It Matters: Interim committee meetings provide valuable insight into the legislative priorities for the coming legislative session and offer sportsmen and women an opportunity to engage with legislators on policies impacting hunting, fishing, trapping, recreational shooting, and other conservation issues. Early stakeholder involvement can help shape outcomes that support science-based wildlife management and access …
Oregon and Washington Natural Resources Committees Hold Interim Meetings Read More »
Why It Matters: Marine fisheries management varies widely among Atlantic Coast states. Any opportunity to develop and implement harvest reporting requirements should be approached carefully with the goal of providing credible data that can, in turn, be used to manage a resource enjoyed by millions of anglers. Reliable catch information, if properly developed, could advance …
North Carolina Mandatory Harvest Reporting Requirements Now Effective Read More »
Why It Matters: In line with the U.S. Forest Service’s (USFS) National Active Forest Management Strategy that was released earlier this year, and trying to meet the goal of increasing the volume of timber sold annually by 25% over the next four to five years, the U.S. Forest Service recently announced several large forest restoration …
U.S. Forest Service Proposes Forest Restoration Projects Throughout the Country Read More »
Why It Matters: Within striking distance of crossing the finish line on a multi-year effort, the Michigan Senate’s unanimous passage of a Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) priority bill to allow hunter education and firearm safety to be taught in schools for credit towards graduation aims to introduce young people to firearm safety, the great outdoors, …
CSF Priority Michigan Hunter Ed in Schools Bill Awaits Governor’s Signature Read More »
Why It Matters: One of the most pressing challenges facing wildlife in the country is the issue of habitat connectivity – the ability of wildlife to move freely throughout their annual lifecycle to meet ecological and biological demands. Unfortunately for wildlife, human development in the form of roads, railways, highways, etc., which cause wildlife-vehicle collisions, …
Important Habitat Connectivity and Human Safety Bill Introduced in Senate Read More »
Why It Matters: Last week, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) announced the Missouri Conservation Commission’s initial approval of proposed hunting season dates for the 2026-27 season. This announcement included several major changes to Missouri’s deer season framework compared to recent years. A few days later, MDC Director Jason Sumners issued an open letter announcing …
Why It Matters: State fish and wildlife agencies are the fundamental entities that secure our sporting heritage. They are where state and federal tax dollars and regulations, biologists, outdoor recreationists, and conservation ideals come together to manage our wildlife and wild places for everyone to enjoy. Having a well-funded, and organized, fish and wildlife agency …
New Mexico Senate Bill 5: Leveraging Past Success for Future Momentum Read More »
Why It Matters: Mississippi was the first state in the nation to implement a Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP). Their DMAP program went statewide in the 1980s, which became wildly successful and has resulted in Mississippi having one of the most robust white-tailed deer herds in the country. Ironically enough, Mississippi is the only state in …
Will Mississippi Ever Have Mandatory Deer Harvest Reporting? Read More »
Why It Matters: The breadth of policy issues that impact sportsmen and women and the species they pursue can be overwhelming, but each year the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) undertakes a thorough process to update and expand its Collection of Issue Briefs – ensuring that legislators, state fish and wildlife agency officials, and partners are …
The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation Unveils 2026 State Issue Brief Collection Read More »
Why It Matters: Voluntary conservation easements represent an important opportunity to promote wildlife conservation practices on private land while protecting that land from future development. Recently, efforts designed to eliminate the availability of perpetual conservation easements have emerged, posing a significant threat to easement programs and the benefits they provide to participating landowners and our …
NASC Executive Council Members Issue Resolution Supporting Conservation Easements Read More »
Why It Matters: The Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) is the Keystone State’s wildlife conservation experts and is entirely funded by sportsmen and women-generated dollars. Currently, the PGC has a purchasing cap of $400/acre for land, which in 2025, is extremely hard to come by – especially in more urban areas. House Bill 1811 seeks to …
Removal of Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Purchasing Cap Heads to the Senate Read More »
Why It Matters: Migratory birds present unique challenges when it comes to management. Since migratory birds do not recognize state and international boundaries, they require a special, interwoven framework of both federal and state management. A one-of-a-kind federal funding mechanism exists to support waterfowl management across a continent: the Federal Duck Stamp. Highlights: The Migratory …
Why It Matters: Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) that impacts members of the cervid family including deer, elk, caribou, and moose. This highly transmissible neurological disease is always fatal to infected animals, complicating wildlife management efforts. While there is currently no evidence that CWD can be transmitted from deer to humans, the CDC does not recommend consuming meat from known CWD-positive …
Arizona Stands Strong Against CWD—Here’s How Hunters Can Help Read More »
Why it Matters: While many, including many of us at the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, are spending their fall chasing pheasants, sitting in deer stands, or calling ducks in, there is still plenty of time to hit the open waters for fishing. With lakes in the upper part of the Great Plains region likely freezing soon, …
Before the Freeze: Fall Offers Exceptional Opportunities for Great Plains Anglers Read More »
Why It Matters: The proposed silvicultural treatments will improve forest structure diversity across the landscape, which is critical to increasing forest resiliency to wildfire and other forest health threats. Healthy forests provide habitat for wildlife, clean and abundant water for fish and communities, and access for outdoor recreation. Highlights: On November 21, the Congressional Sportsmen’s …
CSF Supports Forest Restoration Project on the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest Read More »
Why It Matters: On November 13, 2025, Massachusetts’ Office of Public Safety and Security (OPSS) released their fourth guidance letter to help citizens navigate the complexities and confusion of last year’s omnibus gun law, Chapter 135. In just over a year’s time, OPSS has published 39 points in an attempt to clarify and explain the …
Why It Matters: Creating pathways to significantly improve recreational catch information and establishing a Mississippi River Basin Commission, both priorities for the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF), were the subjects of two of the bills heard before the Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries Subcommittee last week. Highlights: Three CSF-supported fishing and fisheries conservation bills, two of which …
Natural Resources Committee Holds Hearing on Important Fisheries Bills Read More »
Why It Matters: Wolf management in Washington State has been a rollercoaster following October 9, 2025, when lethal removal authorization was approved by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) in response to chronic wolf livestock depredations. Shortly after the authorization was made public, a lawsuit was filed in Western Washington’s King County against …
Washington Court Lifts Block on Wolf Management Amid Ongoing Livestock Conflicts Read More »
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