News Category: Federal Policy

Why It Matters: The Departments of the Interior (DOI) and Agriculture (USDA) are critical departments for sportsmen and women. The two departments collectively manage more than 640 million acres of federal public land, much of which is open to hunting and recreational shooting, and they play a critical role in our nation’s conservation efforts. The Hunting and Shooting Sports Conservation and […]

Why It Matters: Despite the popularity of America’s federal public lands, these treasured resources continue to face a growing maintenance backlog, which threatens access for sportsmen and women as well as conservation for fish and wildlife. By including $1.9 billion in the Fiscal Year 2027 budget request, President Trump is signaling his continued commitment to restoring the degraded infrastructure on our federal […]

(April 17, 2026) – Washington, D.C. – Yesterday, sportsmen and women received an important victory with the removal of anti-hunting and dog training language from the House Farm Bill, entitled the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, following the release of the House Rules Committee Print. The removal of this language represents a […]

March 18, 2026 (Washington, D.C.) – This week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed four legislative priorities for the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF): the Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act, the Mitigation Action and Watermen Support (MAWS) Act of 2026, the Post-Disaster Reforestation and Restoration Act of 2025, and the Save Our Sequoias (SOS) Act. Thanks to the active work of Members of the Congressional Sportsmen’s […]

Why It Matters: Generally reauthorized every five years, the last full iteration of the Farm Bill expired in late-2023. Representing one of the largest and most important pieces of legislation passed by Congress, the Farm Bill covers topics ranging from crop insurance to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly known as Food Stamps). The Farm Bill’s provisions touch nearly all Americans […]

(February 11, 2026) – Washington, D.C. – A top priority for the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) is to ensure that deer, elk, pronghorn, and other wildlife species can move freely across our vast landscapes and have the seasonal habitat needs necessary for survival. As part of the Make America Beautiful Again Commission meeting earlier today, […]

Why It Matters: The EXPLORE Act represents one of the most comprehensive outdoor recreation bills to become law and includes a number of longstanding priorities for the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF). Taylor Schmitz, CSF’s Senior Vice President, will be the sole representative from the sporting-conservation community to talk about the importance of fully implementing this law to improve access for sportsmen and women and conservation of our natural…

(January 14, 2026) – Washington, D.C. — Yesterday, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum issued Secretarial Order 3447 (S.O. 3447), Expanding Hunting and Fishing Access, Removing Unnecessary Barriers, and Ensuring Consistency Across the Department of the Interior (DOI) Lands and Waters, a move strongly supported by the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF). S.O. 3447 demonstrates the…

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…

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,…

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: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) provides important hunting and fishing opportunities across the country. Despite the importance that FWS lands, particularly through the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) and the National Fish Hatchery System (NFHS), play for sportsmen and women, there are often inconsistencies between state and federal regulations, as…