Why It Matters: There are seven federal agencies under four different cabinet-level secretaries that have some degree of jurisdiction and regulatory authority over what hunters, anglers, and boaters can or cannot do on navigable waters. As a compliment to the MAPWaters Act (H.R. 187) for the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture…
Why It Matters: Despite the highest abundance of red snapper anyone has ever seen in the South Atlantic, the season was only one day in 2024. Compounding the nonsensical state of red snapper management in the region, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) settled a lawsuit in 2024 brought by commercial fishermen that required an…
Why It Matters: Each year, legislators across the country and in West Virginia, introduce well-meaning legislation that provides free and discounted hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses for certain qualified individuals/groups. However, these initiatives have the potential to have negative impacts on the state’s fish and wildlife agency’s budget. To prevent the loss of sportsmen-generated dollars…
Why It Matters: Providing discounted licenses to deserving demographics such as seniors or veterans can increase hunting and fishing opportunities, but, if done incorrectly, they can also diminish the funds available to state fish and wildlife agencies through the American System of Conservation Funding. Reimbursing the agency from a state’s General Fund can offset that…
Why It Matters: From lunker lake trout to hefty smallmouth bass, the Great Lakes are a national treasure for America’s anglers. However, numerous water quality impairments and the persistent threat of invasive species require reoccurring investments to ensure that successful restoration efforts that begun in 2010 continue to enhance the lakes fisheries today and into…
Why It Matters: A proposed rule by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that would have done little for whale conservation while substantially impacting angler and boater access and coastal economies has been withdrawn by the agency. The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF), state legislative sportsmen’s caucuses, and our community partners have worked diligently for…
Why It Matters: While the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) finished the last Congress on a very strong note with the enacting into law of three priorities that passed Congress in December, there is still significant work that needs to be done for sportsmen and women. CSF hit the ground running on day one of the…
Why It Matters: The red snapper season in the South Atlantic lasted only 1 day in 2024, despite the highest abundance of red snapper anyone has ever seen in the region. While recent data indicates red snapper are no longer experiencing overfishing, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) was disappointed to learn that a proposed amendment…
Why It Matters: Science-based fisheries management and access to our fisheries have always been at the center of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation’s (CSF) mission. In both the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, sharks are increasingly intercepting fish being landed by recreational and commercial fishermen, creating frustration for anglers and challenges for fisheries sustainability….
Why It Matters: As the election year frenzy has settled down over the holiday season, legislative bodies are swearing in new members and choosing chairs and leaders of committees. Although voting numbers seem to be increasing, a historical trend of hunters not voting exists. Some sources prior to the 2024 election were reporting that there…
Why It Matters: With an estimated 7.5 million anglers who pursue Atlantic striped bass, it is the most economically and culturally important recreational fish species from North Carolina to Maine. It is vitally important to communities along the mid and upper Atlantic Seaboard that striped bass are sustainably managed for abundance and access by the…
Why It Matters – As the 118th Congress enters the final sprint to the finish line, opportunities to pass legislation become increasingly challenging with each passing day. However, last week the House passed two important bills for sportsmen and women, natural resource conservation, and coastal fishing communities. The America Conservation Enhancement Reauthorization Act (S. 3791)…