Why It Matters: Sportsmen and women, including recreational shooters, have a crucial role as the primary funders of state-level conservation efforts in Vermont (and across the nation) and are thus an important constituency that provides benefits for all residents of the state. Anti-firearms legislation, such as S. 4, poses a significant threat to the state’s …
Proposed Firearms Restrictions in VT: A Closer Look Read More »
Why It Matters: Efforts to grant license discounts or waivers for certain demographics are becoming increasingly common across the country. While such discounts carry obvious consequences for state agency license revenue, what is less understood by most is the additive impact on the agency’s ability to claim federal dollars available through the self-imposed excise taxes …
CSF Recommends Amendments to Disabled Veterans License Exemption Bill in Kansas Read More »
Why It Matters: Suppressors are federally regulated under the National Firearms Act (NFA) of 1934, which is the same law governing machine guns and short barreled rifles. Currently, the process to purchase a suppressor is an overly arduous task, despite wide-spread evidence of the value of suppressors to protect against hearing damage. The Centers for …
Hearing Protection Act Reintroduced by Former CSC Leader Rep. Jeff Duncan Read More »
Why It Matters: State fish and wildlife management agencies are the entities best equipped to make important science-based conservation decisions. Legislation that strips away that ability is harmful to sportsmen and women because it takes important authority away from conservation experts and eliminates the ability of those agency experts to quickly respond to changing circumstances. …
CSF Opposes Bill That Would Prohibit North Dakota Game & Fish from Promulgating Rules Read More »
Why It Matters: Federal Duck Stamps are required to pursue many birds, including waterfowl and woodcock, which are popular in New Hampshire. There exists a great deal of variation across the states regarding the method by which these stamps are purchased. Although an electronic receipt or confirmation of purchase is valid under federal law, lack …
New Hampshire Bill Seeks to Clarify State Laws Surrounding “E-Stamps” Read More »
Why It Matters: In 2004, the bipartisan and bicameral Idaho Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus was formed as an entity through the National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses – a national network of organized state legislative sportsmen’s caucuses with a current collective membership of approximately 2,000 legislators. Since its inception, the Idaho Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus has continued to …
Idaho Sportsmen’s Caucus Kicks of 2023 with New Leadership Read More »
Why It Matters: Every year across the country, many bills are introduced that aim to provide certain segments of the population with free or discounted hunting and fishing licenses. While many of these bills are well intended, the passage of these bills can negatively impact conservation funding for state fish and wildlife agencies. Highlights: On …
New Bill Aims to Safeguard State Agency Funding in Mississippi Read More »
Monday, January 23, 2023 – Last week, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) hosted its annual reception during SHOT Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. With the highest recorded attendance ever, special guests included members of the Governors Sportsmen’s Caucus, National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses and leaders of the sportsmen’s community. The focus for the evening was the critical …
Why It Matters: Federal marine fisheries management is often a balancing act for those species that are both recreationally and commercially important. Where specific allocations between the two sectors exist, they were generally set long ago based on the catch histories of each. An improved survey or recreational harvest information by the National Marine Fisheries …
Court Does the Math on Recreational Fisheries Allocations Read More »
Why It Matters: With the new year kicked off, legislatures across the nation are gearing up for busy sessions in the months ahead. Your contacts at the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation are hard at work tracking policies relevant to hunting, fishing, recreational shooting, and trapping, and will continue to operate alongside the pertinent sportsmen’s caucuses within …
It May Be Winter But Legislatures Are Heating Up Across the Northeast Read More »
Why It Matters: Having a strong leadership bench is critical to the success of the Caucus. Senator Williams and Representative David Standridge are avid sportsmen who understand the essential role that hunters and anglers play in wildlife conservation. Their leadership will advance the bicameral and bipartisan Caucus in its effort to protect and promote the …
New Year Brings Two New Caucus Co-Chairs in Alabama Read More »
Highlights: Following a dead-of-night House vote and a Sunday evening Senate session, the lame-duck Illinois legislature passed a bill banning Modern Sporting Rifles and imposed restrictions on Standard Capacity Magazines. Illinois becomes the ninth state to restrict the sale and manufacture of modern sporting rifles in some capacity (the others being CA, CT, DE, HI, MA, MD, NJ, …
Illinois Bans Semi-Automatic Firearms and Standard Capacity Magazines Read More »
Highlights: Last month, South Carolina Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus Member Senator Chip Campsen introduced two bills to support conservation initiatives in the state. Senate Bill 280, the South Carolina Conservation Enhancement Act, would restore a portion of the deed recording fee to support the South Carolina Conservation Bank. Senate Bill 281, the South Carolina Public Lands …
Conservation Funding Legislation Introduced in South Carolina Read More »
Highlights: The National Professional Anglers Association (NPAA) is a non-profit, member-based association of professional guides, tournament anglers, angler educators and sportfishing/marine industry professionals dedicated to growing the fishing industry and angler participation. CSF’s Chris Horton presented at the NPAA conference in Fort Myers, Florida on the importance of understanding the policy issues that could impact …
CSF’s Chris Horton Encourages NPAA Members to Include Advocacy in Their Careers Read More »
Highlights: Striking the balance between technology and conservation is critical to ensure that hunting remains safe and supports science-based conservation while providing new and novel opportunities. The use of arrow-shooting airguns during Oklahoma’s firearms deer seasons, following the purchase of an airbow conservation stamp (which ensures this new method of take contributes to conservation funding), …
New Year, New Technologies Available for Midwestern Hunters Read More »
Highlights: In early December, the New York Sportsmen’s Advisory Council (NYSAC) submitted two veto requests to New York Governor Kathy Hochul for Senate Bill 6510 (S. 6510) and Assembly Bill 9895 (A. 9895). S. 6510 would have allowed counties and municipalities to opt out of a prescribed hunting season. A. 9895 would have prohibited the harvesting of …
New York Sportsmen’s Advisory Council Successful in Garnering Mid-December Vetoes Read More »
Highlights: Despite its necessity, hunting as a tool for predator management has come under increased and misguided scrutiny from anti-hunting and animal rights organizations, sometimes resulting in the relisting of otherwise recovered species on the Endangered Species Act. For years the outdoor sporting community has been reactionary in simply trying to maintain the role of hunting in predator management, …
Wyoming Looks to Address Weak Points in Large Carnivore Statute Read More »
Highlights: On December 8, the Council of the District of Columbia’s Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety held a public hearing on B24-0758 – a fur products ban that fails to account for the unique benefits that trapping provides for our society. The stated intent of the bill claims to target fur production farms, but the effects …
CSF Opposes Proposed District of Columbia Fur Products Ban Read More »
Why It Matters: The Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Reauthorization Act has provided approximately $31 million in federal funding to conduct roughly 185 research, restoration, and regional conservation projects, making this program vital for fish and wildlife conservation within the Great Lakes region. Highlights: The Great Lakes Fish and Wildlife Restoration Act program provides …
CSF Supported Great Lakes Conservation Bill Headed to President’s Desk Read More »
Why It Matters: Any time a new opportunity for hunters to spend time afield is announced, there is unquestionably a conservation success story that can be shared. For black bear hunters in the Lower Midwest, this is particularly true. Thanks to the great work of state fish and wildlife agencies, many of which are primarily …
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