July 8, 2024 (Salem, Oregon) – The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) is pleased to report that as of last Friday, Oregon Initiative Petition 3 (IP-3) officially did not qualify for the 2024 ballot. CSF has been and will continue to be a leading voice against this misguided effort to ban all hunting, fishing, trapping, and ranching…
Why It Matters: As the 118th Congress enters the fourth quarter, much of which will be occupied by campaigns and the election, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) is pushing hard for our remaining priorities to be in a position for passage before everything wraps up. Four such bills were heard in a House Natural Resources…
Why It Matters: Like in the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf), red snapper are an extremely popular reef fish in the South Atlantic. Unfortunately, we’re stuck under a federal management paradigm that rewards a rapidly rebuilding red snapper population with fewer red snapper fishing opportunities. Last week, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announced a 1-day…
Several actions are underway to ensure that removal is just an option and that artificial reefing is also an option.
Gulf of Mexico’s rigs make great artificial reefs. Let’s keep that valuable fish habitat in the water.
In the hidden depths of California’s coastal waters, an overlooked world of marine life thrives beneath the shadow of towering oil rigs.
Why It Matters: State legislative sportsmen’s caucus leaders along the Atlantic Coast understand the importance of protecting North Atlantic right whales (NARW) and fully support efforts to recover the species. However, a proposed rule regarding vessel speed reductions along much of the Atlantic seaboard will create significant access barriers for offshore anglers and boaters for…
Why It Matters: With marine fisheries management highly variable by state along the Atlantic Coast, it is imperative that any harvest reporting requirements be carefully developed to provide credible data. If a mandatory reporting program is developed correctly, reliable catch information could enhance the sustainability of North Carolina’s marine resources and provide additional access for…
Why it Matters: The recreational boating and fishing community understands the importance of protecting North Atlantic right whales (NARW) and fully supports efforts to do so. However, a proposed rule regarding vessel speed reductions along much of the Atlantic seaboard will create significant access barriers for offshore anglers and boaters for more than half the…
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 for the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture, the MAPOceans…
Why It Matters: Introduced on January 12, 2024, Vermont Senate Bill 258 (S. 258) – An act relating to the management of Fish and Wildlife – proposes to transfer the authority to adopt rules for the taking of fish, wildlife, and fur-bearing animals from the Fish and Wildlife Board to the Department of Fish and…
Why It Matters: At the core of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation is the key tenet that wildlife is managed as a public trust resource for the benefit of all citizens. The Public Trust Doctrine is the center of this key tenet which establishes a trustee relationship for the government to manage fish,…