Why It Matters: The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (WDFW) Commission is set to convene April 16-18, 2026, amid mounting legal challenges that could distract from essential, science-driven wildlife management decisions. Sportsmen and women depend on stable, predictable policies rooted in the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation to sustain hunting, fishing, and habitat […]
Why It Matters: Attempts to manage wildlife through the legislation, like Colorado House Bill 1323 (HB 1323), while perhaps well intentioned, rarely benefit sportspeople or follow best available science. The North American Model of Wildlife Conservation (NAMWC) is a set of seven principles that codify the United States’ approach to wildlife management, where wildlife is managed as public trust resources for the benefit of all citizens, and the system is funded through the “user-pays, public-benefits” American System of […]
Why It Matters: The 2026 legislative sessions in Oregon and Washington recently concluded, delivering a mix of victories and setbacks for sportsmen and women amid competing priorities and tight budgets in both states. The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF), Washington and Oregon Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucuses, and coalition partners helped secure protection and funding in some areas while defending against threats. Staying actively involved with lawmakers, agencies, and […]
Why It Matters: Across the nation, state fish and wildlife agencies, or, more specifically, fish and wildlife boards/commissions/councils, are seeing a push for non-consumptive representation. This poses a threat to conservation, as sportsmen and women are the primary funders of state-level conservation efforts. Such legislation (Assembly Bill 2005 [A2005]/Senate Bill 471 [S471]) seeks to strip three of the six seats for sportsmen on the council and insert three seats for individuals from animal welfare organizations in […]
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: State fish and wildlife agencies, like Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), are the fundamental entities that secure our sporting heritage. CPW biologists and game wardens professionally manage our wildlife for the benefit of all members of the public, even though the vast majority of CPW funding comes from sportspeople. The Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission is the rule-making arm for CPW, […]
Why It Matters: Legislation to ensure Kansas’ state fish and wildlife agency is reimbursed for revenue that is lost from free and discounted licenses was heard in the House Committee on Appropriations. A legislative priority for the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF), reimbursing state fish and wildlife agencies for lost revenue ensures that they continue their conservation efforts. Some state agencies rely solely […]
Why It Matters: Last week, the Utah Legislature wrapped up the 67th General Session. During the state’s 45-day legislative session, one of the shortest in the nation, several bills impacting sportsmen and women passed through both chambers and now await action from Governors Sportsmen’s Caucus member Governor Cox, who has until March 26 to sign or veto the bills. Highlights: Utah has one of the […]
Why It Matters: Whether it’s the funding of conservation today or enabling the next generation of sporting license buyers, there are bills moving through the Tennessee General Assembly that would benefit the sporting-conservation community both short and long-term. Hunters and anglers generate the vast majority of state-level conservation funding through the “user pays – public benefits” structure that is the American System of […]
Why It Matters: In recent years, there has been an increase in legislation proposed to allow landowners to transfer or sell their limited landowner hunting permits. Allowing landowners to profit from access to public trust wildlife resources on the basis of landownership contradicts foundational conservation principles that have guided American fish and wildlife management policies. The Congressional Sportsmen’s…
Why It Matters: The Oregon Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus (Caucus) has issued strong opposition to Oregon Initiative Petition 28 (IP-28), a ballot measure that, if passed, would criminalize lawful hunting, fishing, trapping, along with other traditionally accepted practices such as wildlife management, pest control, animal husbandry, and agriculture. Highlights: IP-28 would eliminate exemptions from animal abuse statutes for lawful hunting, fishing, trapping, wildlife management, pest control, and standard agricultural practices. The loss…
Why It Matters: Natural Resources Commissions provide sportsmen and women with a public forum in which they can voice their opinions and concerns and thereby help shape fish and wildlife regulations. Eliminating the Indiana Natural Resource Commission (NRC), as Indiana HB 1003 would have done as originally passed by the House, would have weakened the…