Why it matters: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) provides significant access opportunities for sportsmen and women, primarily through the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS), which supports more than 2.4 million hunting related visits and 7.3 million fishing visits annually. Access to NWRS managed lands and waters for hunting and fishing is critical for…
Why it Matters: The America’s Conservation Enhancement Reauthorization Act (ACE) reauthorizes nearly a dozen provisions that will bolster the conservation of fish, wildlife, and their associated habitats across North America and provides an important protection for America’s anglers. The ACE Act has been a long-standing priority for the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) since first enacted with…
Why It Matters: The America’s Conservation Enhancement (ACE) Reauthorization Act is a comprehensive conservation package that will bolster fish and wildlife conservation across North America. Some of the nation’s most important and impactful conservation programs are contained in this legislation. The introduction of the House bill is similar to the recent Senate passed ACE Reauthorization…
Why It Matters: After passing out of the House Agriculture Committee last month, movement around the next iteration of the Farm Bill continues in Washington. While debate around the final, bipartisan version of the bill remains, Ranking Member Boozman’s release of his Farm Bill priorities highlights the ongoing support for key conservation programs within the…
Why It Matters: At a time when technology continues to rapidly change the way in which Americans live, it is important that our outdoor traditions keep up with the times. Allowing hunters to have an electronic copy of their federal duck stamp on their smartphone for the entirety of the hunting season will bring the…
Why It Matters: After expiring last year, leaders in the House and Senate are making progress toward the next iteration of the legislation. Last week, the House Agriculture Committee held a markup for a Farm Bill led by Committee Chairman Congressman G.T. Thompson. This hearing marks an important step toward the development and passage of…
Why It Matters: Habitat is the driving force behind healthy fish and wildlife populations. At a time when fish and wildlife habitats across the nation continue to become fragmented and degraded, the America’s Wildlife Habitat Conservation Act authorizes funding to conserve species before more costly measures are necessary. This legislation also codifies existing partnerships and…
April 10, 2024 (Washington, D.C.) – Yesterday evening, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 6492, the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE Act), on a voice vote, a clear sign of the wide-spread support for this legislation and outdoor recreation, including hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting. This bipartisan legislation is strongly supported by the…
Why It Matters: The America’s Conservation Enhancement Reauthorization Act (ACE) reauthorizes nearly a dozen provisions that will bolster the conservation of fish, wildlife, and their associated habitats across North America and provides an important protection for America’s anglers. The ACE Act has been a long-standing priority for the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) since the program…
March 7, 2024 (Washington, D.C.) – Yesterday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) North Atlantic Right Whale (NARW) Vessel Strike Risk Reduction Technology Workshop concluded in Arlington, VA. The workshop was the first time that representatives from the angling, recreational boating, and the marine electronics industry have been invited to the table to present…
Why It Matters: Habitat is the driving force behind healthy fish and wildlife populations. At a time when fish and wildlife habitats across the nation continue to become fragmented and degraded, the America’s Wildlife Habitat Conservation Act authorizes crucial funding to proactively conserve species before more costly measures are necessary. This legislation also codifies existing…
Why It Matters: Public access to public lands and waters is critical to maintaining opportunities for hunting, fishing, trapping, and recreational shooting. GPS and other technologies have significantly changed how sportsmen and women navigate public lands as well as their ability to identity new lands for recreational access that may previously have been unknown or…