News Category: Wildlife Management

Why It Matters: Sportsmen and women are the backbone of wildlife conservation in the United States, funding the majority of state fish and wildlife agency efforts through the American System of Conservation Funding. In Washington state, challenges like steep budget cuts, predator-prey imbalances, habitat loss, and disease are all negatively impacting fish and wildlife populations. However, active legislative engagement is key to…

Why It Matters: Meat processors play a critical role in the field-to-table journey for many successful hunters across the nation. Further, they represent a critical link in the success of game meat donation programs. Missouri’s existing tax credit program serves as a great incentive designed to increase the availability and capacity of meat processors in the Show-Me State, and the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) is proud…

Why It Matters: Sportsmen and women continue to step up to the plate as the primary funders of conservation in North America. Through the “user pays – public benefits” structure that is the American System of Conservation Funding (ASCF), hunters and anglers generate revenue from sporting license sales and excise tax revenue from the Wildlife and Sport Fish…

Why It Matters: Interim committee meetings provide valuable insight into the legislative priorities for the coming legislative session and offer sportsmen and women an opportunity to engage with legislators on policies impacting hunting, fishing, trapping, recreational shooting, and other conservation issues. Early stakeholder involvement can help shape outcomes that support science-based wildlife management and access…

Why It Matters: State fish and wildlife agencies are the fundamental entities that secure our sporting heritage. They are where state and federal tax dollars and regulations, biologists, outdoor recreationists, and conservation ideals come together to manage our wildlife and wild places for everyone to enjoy. Having a well-funded, and organized, fish and wildlife agency…

Why It Matters: The Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) is the Keystone State’s wildlife conservation experts and is entirely funded by sportsmen and women-generated dollars. Currently, the PGC has a purchasing cap of $400/acre for land, which in 2025, is extremely hard to come by – especially in more urban areas. House Bill 1811 seeks to…

Why It Matters: Wolf management in Washington State has been a rollercoaster following October 9, 2025, when lethal removal authorization was approved by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) in response to chronic wolf livestock depredations. Shortly after the authorization was made public, a lawsuit was filed in Western Washington’s King County against…

Why It Matters: Wisconsin’s Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program has long provided land acquisition and habitat management opportunities that benefit sportsmen and women through increased public access and improved habitat conditions. With the program set to expire in 2026 and no funding included in the current state budget, this legislation is critical to avoid a lapse in…

Why It Matters: There have been several issues impacting hunters and anglers in Florida so far in 2025. Everything from saving one of the most popular trophy bass fishing lakes in the world, re-establishing a black bear hunting season, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission restructuring, powers of game wardens, and more were on the…

Why It Matters: Through the purchase of hunting and fishing licenses and tags, sportsmen and women provide the foundation for the American System of Conservation Funding. However, over time, the operational costs of state fish and wildlife agencies can exceed the revenue generated from these license and tag purchases, and legislatures must sometimes revisit the…

Why It Matters: The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources’ (DLNR) Game Management Advisory Commission (GMAC) plays a pivotal role in shaping policies that balance wildlife conservation with recreational hunting opportunities. As Hawaii grapples with ever-increasing ungulate populations and their impacts on native ecosystems, the Commission’s recent discussions highlight the need for data-driven, science-based…

Why It Matters: In the Northeast, regulated trapping isn’t just a pursuit— it is an essential wildlife management tool that ensures that furbearer populations thrive in balance with their habitats and other wildlife species. With regulated trapping season kicking off across Northern New England for species like red and gray fox, raccoon, opossum, skunk, coyote,…