Why It Matters: Today’s youth will soon be shouldered with carrying our time-honored traditions into the next generation. This also includes being the primary funders of conservation through the “user pays – public benefits” structure that is the American System of Conservation Funding. Being proactive and creative in recruiting and retaining the next generation of sportsmen and women is critical in …
CSF Priority Hunter Education in Schools Bill Heads to Governor’s Desk in Georgia Read More »
Why It Matters: Maryland Senate Bill 181 (SB 181) requires the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to create a lead hunting ammunition phase-out plan on or before July 1, 2029. The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) encourages the legislature and the Department of Natural Resources to work together to implement incentive-based programs for the use of non-lead hunting ammunition by hunters, …
Why It Matters: Without proactive forest management, forest health declines and the risk of high-intensity wildfires increases, which is devastating for fish and wildlife habitat and can lead to public land closures that limit access for sportsmen and women. Forest health improvement projects not only reduce wildfire risk to protect nearby communities and support local forest industries, but they also diversify and enhance habitat for …
CSF Supports U.S. Forest Service Wildfire Risk Reduction Project in Montana Read More »
Why It Matters: Natural Resources Commissions throughout the country provide a dedicated forum for hunters, anglers, and trappers to voice their opinions to an appointed body that is specifically comprised of individuals that are knowledgeable about sporting-conservation issues. In many cases, such as Indiana, the Commission also serves as the regulatory entity charged with working with the Department to adopt …
Shortsighted Bill to Eliminate Indiana Natural Resources Commission Passes House Read More »
Why It Matters: As the Wyoming State Legislature enters their shortened 2026 budget session, new bills are being filed every day. These early bills can provide insight into the legislative focus for the coming session, and there are several bills relevant to sportsmen on the docket. This includes transferable landowner tags, expanded authorizations for the use of tracking dogs on wounded game, and Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) tax restructuring. Highlights: Wyoming’s …
Sportsmen’s Bills on the Docket in Wyoming’s 2026 Legislative Session Read More »
Why It Matters: On February 3rd, Massachusetts will conclude a listening tour that consisted of three in-person and two virtual meetings to discuss eliminating the ban on Sunday hunting, allowing all hunters to use crossbows during archery seasons, and reducing archery hunting discharge distances to align more with neighboring states. These three provisions would have an immense impact on both hunting access and opportunities and will help with the state’s recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) efforts. Highlights: Maine and Massachusetts …
Massachusetts Listening Tour: Sunday Hunting, Crossbows, and Setback Limits Read More »
Why It Matters: The Great Plains region saw two Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) legislative priorities introduced last week in Kansas and Iowa, respectively. The Kansas bill would ensure that the state’s fish and wildlife agency is reimbursed for revenue that is lost from free and discounted licenses, while the Iowa bill would encourage political participation by hunters and anglers through voter registration. …
Two CSF Legislative Priorities Introduced in the Great Plains Read More »
Why It Matters: Today’s youth are the next generation tasked with carrying our time-honored traditions forward. Introducing them to the outdoors helps build the foundation needed to sustain those traditions into the future. Hunter safety education in schools programs play a key role in this effort by instilling a strong conservation ethic, teaching essential hunting safety skills, and encouraging youth to support the “user pays – public benefits” structure …
CSF Priority Hunter Education in Schools Legislation Introduced in Tennessee Read More »
A new federal bill could make it easier to turn decommissioned oil rigs into artificial reefs, a move scientists say would boost Gulf fisheries and habitat.
Why It Matters: Though hunting, fishing, and harvesting wildlife (including by trapping) have long been an American tradition, dating back to before the first Europeans arrived in North America, only in recent decades has the “right” to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife come into question. To establish in perpetuity what has been assumed for centuries, …
Why It Matters: The addition of The Westervelt Company to the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation’s (CSF) Forestry Advisory Council further aligns a forest industry leader in wildlife management with other organizations dedicated to promoting sportsmen’s access and heritage, wildlife conservation, and sustainable forest management to support CSF’s advocacy for strong forest policies that benefit the forest industry and the hunting-conservation community alike. …
The Westervelt Company Joins CSF’s Forestry Advisory Council Read More »
Why It Matters: Limiting access to Mississippi’s sportsmen and women through blanket bans on equipment, requiring individuals to have access to 2k contiguous acres of privately owned ground to hunt with, train, or utilize any hunting dog, and requiring people to obtain a depredation permit from the state to eliminate any nuisance animal is entirely unnecessary …
Why It Matters: Access for anglers is critical to sustaining participation in recreational fishing. Impediments to access come in many forms, and last week, Congress advanced two priority bills for the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) that will benefit anglers and improve angling access, though in very different ways. Highlights: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has jurisdictional authority of our nation’s marine fisheries resources from the limit …
Natural Resources Committee Advances Important Fisheries Bills Read More »
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 …
Sportsmen and Women Converge in Washington for Day of Advocacy and Education Read More »
Why It Matters: The 2026 legislative session is off to a hot start in the Great Plains, with legislation impacting sportsmen and women already on the move. Some states have CSF priority legislation that is carried over from the 2025 legislative session in addition to new legislation that was introduced in 2026. Highlights: Iowa Senate Joint Resolution 7 (SJR 7) is a proposed constitutional amendment for …
Early Legislative Action Signals a Busy Year for Sportsmen in the Great Plains Read More »
Why It Matters: The EXPLORE Act represents one of the most comprehensive outdoor recreation bills to become law and includes a number of longstanding priorities for the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF). Taylor Schmitz, CSF’s Senior Vice President, will be the sole representative from the sporting-conservation community to talk about the importance of fully implementing this law to improve access for sportsmen and women and conservation of our natural …
CSF’s Taylor Schmitz to Represent Sporting Community Before Congress on EXPLORE Act Read More »
Why It Matters: Rodman Reservoir, constructed in 1968, is a 9,500-acre reservoir in Northeast Florida and is one of the premier largemouth bass fisheries in the world. For decades, there have been efforts led by environmental groups to destroy Rodman Reservoir in favor of “restoring” the Ocklawaha River with vague goals and objectives, jeopardizing a staple of the recreational fishing community. …
Legislation to Destroy Rodman Reservoir in Florida Re-Emerges Read More »
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 …
CSF Supports Continuation of Tax Credits for Meat Processors in Missouri Read More »
Why It Matters: The National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses (NASC) unites state legislators from across the nation under the NASC umbrella. While many of the focal topics are similar, each state is unique in some ways, making the diverse tools provided by the NASC network an important bridge for policymakers. Hawaii has an exceptionally unique set of …
Hawaii’s Outdoor Heritage Caucus Brings Sportsmen to the Table Read More »
Stay current with the latest news, policy activity and how to get involved.
Sign up for Newsletters
