Why It Matters: Mentored youth hunting programs are crucial for introducing the next generation of sportsmen and women into the outdoors, and language such as what’s included in Governor Hochul’s proposed budget has the potential to leave a legacy of opportunities for New York’s youth hunters. The State’s Pilot Program, which allowed counties to opt-in …
Sporting Industry Pens Letter of Support for Mentored Youth Hunting in New York Read More »
Why It Matters: As New York wraps up its budget-setting portion of the year, the legislature will waste no time in heating up with committee hearings. Sportsmen’s policies such as the expanded use of crossbows and allowing 12 and 13year-old hunters to pursue deer with a firearm and/or crossbow remain top-line priorities as we enter …
The Long-Awaited Return of New York’s Sportsman-Legislator Breakfast Read More »
Why It Matters: The Cumberland Forest area is home to Kentucky’s Elk Management Zone and also provides key habitat for a number of other game and nongame species. Maintaining public access through measures such as conservation easements is crucial to ensuring these landscapes are available for outdoor activities for generations to come. Access, including the …
Why It Matters: For years, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) has supported efforts to restore state wildlife management authority of species that are recovered under the Endangered Species Act, including grizzly bears and gray wolves. Furthermore, CSF has long supported efforts to alleviate the costly procedural hurdles imposed by the Cottonwood decision. Last week’s hearing …
Why It Matters: A working partnership between state fish and wildlife agencies and private landowners, particularly in states with limited public lands, is critical as agencies seek to fulfill their mission to provide opportunities for land access and support wildlife habitat conservation. State fish and wildlife agencies are best equipped for making science-based wildlife management …
North Dakota Looks to Work with Private Landowners for Habitat Development Read More »
Why It Matters: As the leading voice for sportsmen and women in the policy arena, CSF and staff engage in a variety of ways. Appointments to Federal Councils allows CSF to further its scope of contribution to the policy process. Highlights: Ellary TuckerWilliams, Assistant Manager, Rocky Mountain States and Predator and Furbearer Management Policy, was …
Why It Matters: Efforts to conserve – not “preserve” – African species are generally honorable, but they must be made in coordination with the range nations where the species are located. To implement a process that creates unreasonable hurdles on these nations poses to, among many things, curb hunting in Africa and sideline the coordination …
CSF Submits Comment on Proposed FWS Revision for the African Elephant Read More »
Why It Matters: The Range Access Act is an essential piece of legislation to increase access opportunities for America’s hunters and recreational shooters. As recreational shooting continues to grow in popularity, this legislation will help increase opportunities for hunters and target shooters to participate in shooting sports. At a time when lack of access is …
Why It Matters: Under current law, when a hunter purchases an electronic federal duck stamp, the e-stamp is only valid for 45 days to allow for a physical stamp to be mailed. Once the 45-day period has passed, the e-stamp is no longer valid, and a hunter must have a signed physical stamp in their …
Why It Matters: Our nation’s vast network of federal public lands and water provide significant recreational opportunities for America’s sportsmen and women. The America’s Outdoor Recreation Act recognizes the importance of federal public lands for sportsmen and women by seeking to increase public access, streamlining recreational permitting processes, modernizing public land visitation data, and conserving …
Senate CSC Co-Chair and CSC Member Reintroduce America’s Outdoor Recreation Act Read More »
Why It Matters: Bear hunting is an effective wildlife management practice relied on by states across the nation to regulate populations and minimize human-wildlife conflicts. Connecticut,, which presently does not have a bear hunting season, has seen a significant increase in black bear populations in recent years, leading to increased instances of nuisance animals posing …
CT Considers Instituting Black Bear Hunting Lottery Read More »
Why It Matters: Generally reauthorized every five years, the United States Farm Bill represents one of the largest and most important pieces of legislation passed by Congress. Covering topics ranging from crop insurance to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly known as Food Stamps), the Farm Bill’s provisions touch nearly all Americans in one way …
The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation Unveils 2023 Farm Bill Priorities Read More »
Why It Matters: Throughout any given legislative session, bill proposals run the gamut of issues relevant to hunters, anglers, recreational shooters, and trappers. The prevailing impacts of such legislation often relate to conservation funding. The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) is committed to identifying legislation that either advances or detracts from conservation funding and advocating accordingly. …
CSF Weighs in on Multiple Bills that Would Impact Conservation Funding in Illinois Read More »
Why It Matters: Do you have a canine sidekick that accompanies you during your outdoor pursuits? Whether it be a duck dog, deer dog, or a pack of rabbit chasing beagles, if you are a sportsman or woman in Florida that owns an intact female dog over the age of 6 months, then you should pay …
Troublesome Bills Could Impact Sporting Dog Owners in Florida Read More »
Why It Matters: House Bill 1240 seeks to ban many semi-automatic firearms commonly used by America’s sportsmen and women in hunting and recreational shooting. Modern sporting rifles and semi-automatic firearms are not only important to our hunting heritage but are highly popular in the recreational shooting community. This legislation would severely undermine our hunting heritage, …
Modern Sporting Rifle Ban Moving through Washington Legislature Read More »
As America’s inside connection to outdoor legislation, CSF is no stranger to working on behalf of sportsmen each and every day. However, many individuals may not know the entire scope of CSF’s efforts, from working with lawmakers in all 50 states and Capitol Hill to staffers guiding coalitions and councils on various critical conservation topics. …
Why it Matters: Despite being considered charismatic, wild, and mysterious to some people in our modern age, wolves are not fundamentally different from other wildlife species. It is imperative that states do not treat wolf management as the exception, but rather hold wolves and wolf management to the same science-based standards that have proven time …
Why It Matters: Like in the Gulf of Mexico, red snapper are an extremely popular reef fish in the South Atlantic. Unfortunately, a rapidly rebuilding population and poor estimates of the number of red snapper caught and released when fishing for other bottom fish outside of the red snapper mini-seasons are resulting in an “overfishing” …
CSF Questions Red Snapper Management, Federal Permit in South Atlantic Read More »
Why It Matters: As the rate of private lands development continues to increase in North Carolina, there is a greater need for additional policies to help conserve private lands in the Tar Heel State. As lands are subdivided and developed, wildlife habitat is consumed and fragmented, and less land is available for hunting and fishing. …
CSF Supported Land Conservation Legislation Introduced in North Carolina Read More »
Why It Matters: Sportsmen and women (comprising hunters, anglers, recreational shooters, and trappers) have played a historic role in funding conservation efforts in the United States for over 85 years. The funds collected through license sales and excise taxes on sporting goods in the unique “user pays – public benefits” structure of the American System …
CSF Testifies in Support of Caucus-Led Learn to Hunt, Fish, and Trap Bill Read More »
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