Why It Matters: In recent years, as southern coastal states face rapid influxes of new residents, efforts to conserve lands open to public hunting access remain front and center for sportsmen and women. Proactive measures to establish a “no-net-loss” of public hunting access will protect sportsmen and women’s ability to get outdoors, and in return, …
Why It Matters: Across the country, hunters, anglers, recreational shooters, and trappers shoulder the responsibility of funding state fish and wildlife agencies through the American System of Conservation Funding (ASCF). However, due to constantly increasing staffing and programmatic costs, supplemental funding sources outside of the traditional ASCF model are critical to these agencies’ ability to …
Wisconsin Fund Supporting Access for Sportsmen and Women Faces Reauthorization Read More »
Why It Matters: Access to quality outdoor opportunities for sportsmen and women is one of the greatest limiting factors facing the sporting-conservation community. The Voluntary Public Access – Habitat Incentives Program (VPA-HIP) represents one solution to this challenge by providing landowners with financial and technical assistance in exchange for the provision of public access to …
Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus Members Reintroduce Critical Hunting Access Legislation Read More »
Why It Matters: Proactive efforts to conserve public hunting access will benefit both today’s and tomorrow’s sportsmen and women. South Carolina offers a wide array of excellent outdoor opportunities thanks in part to diverse public hunting access available to hunters from the upstate to the low country. Efforts to conserve public hunting access should remain …
CSF Priority Hunting Access Bill Clears First Legislative Hurdle in South Carolina Read More »
Why It Matters: The American System of Conservation funding is a highly successful model unique to the rest of the world. The Wildlife and Sportfish Restoration component of the model provides more than $1.3 billion in funding for fish and wildlife conservation each year through excise taxes on firearms, ammunition, archery equipment, fishing tackle, and …
CSC Members Drop Bill to Stop Foreign Evasion of Conservation Funding Read More »
Why It Matters: Washington’s outdoor heritage relies heavily on the contributions of trappers, anglers, and hunters who utilize natural resources responsibly to support wildlife management and local economies. House Bill 1775, which seeks to prohibit activities related to the production and manufacturing of fur products, poses potential and significant challenges to these time-honored traditions. As …
Fur Ban Bill Narrowly Passes Committee in Washington Read More »
Why It Matters: Fish and wildlife agencies have long been the preferred authority and managers of both game and nongame species, and their habitats, throughout the country. As such, the current practice of implementing management practices that are based on sound science should continue to be the standard. Any deviation from such practices, and the …
Why It Matters: Providing discounted licenses to deserving demographics such as seniors or veterans can increase hunting and fishing opportunities, but, if done incorrectly, they can also diminish the funds available to state fish and wildlife agencies through the American System of Conservation Funding. Reimbursing the agency from a state’s General Fund can offset that …
Why It Matters: As the nation’s most effective outdoor advocacy organization, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation’s (CSF) policy experts at the state level work with all 50 state sportsmen’s caucuses to ensure the rights of hunters, anglers, recreational shooters, and trappers are protected and advanced. To better inform the policymaking process and to provide historical background …
Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation’s 2025 State Issue Briefs Now Available Read More »
Why It Matters: Thanks to the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF), policymakers and the sportsmen’s community now have access to a free, interactive web-based service that allows them the opportunity to track legislation and regulatory proposals related to hunting, angling, recreational shooting, trapping, and other fish and wildlife conservation concerns. Highlights: Tracking the Capitols, a free, …
CSF Launches Free, Interactive Legislative and Regulatory Tracking Service Read More »
Why It Matters: As efforts to undermine the ability of sportsmen and women continue across the country, Iowa is working to constitutionally enshrine the rights of Iowans to hunt, fish, and trap. Constitutional amendments to protect the right to hunt, fish, and trap represent one of the strongest safeguards for our time-honored outdoor traditions. Highlights: …
Proposed Constitutional Right to Hunt and Fish Passes Committee in the Hawkeye State Read More »
Why It Matters: Prescribed fire is one of the most efficient and cost-effective tools used for forest and wildlife habitat managers across the United States. However, the dangers associated with the use of fire, along with the public’s conflation between prescribed burning and devastating wildfires, can make its use intimidating to those who lack professional …
Certified Burner Program Proposed in Big Sky Country Read More »
Why It Matters: The Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus (CSC) is the sportsmen’s ally on Capitol Hill, protecting and advancing hunting, angling, recreational shooting and trapping. Made up of more than 200 members of the House and Senate, the CSC is the largest, most active bipartisan Caucus in Congress, renowned for its unparalleled effectiveness and dedication. The …
Why It Matters: From lunker lake trout to hefty smallmouth bass, the Great Lakes are a national treasure for America’s anglers. However, numerous water quality impairments and the persistent threat of invasive species require reoccurring investments to ensure that successful restoration efforts that begun in 2010 continue to enhance the lakes fisheries today and into …
Bill Introduced to Continue Conservation Success in Great Lakes Read More »
Why It Matters: On February 10th, the Massachusetts Division of Fish and Wildlife (Mass Wildlife) concluded a public comment period to help manage black bear populations in the commonwealth. Agency staff presented a detailed map and timeline of black bear population growth which has grown from isolated areas in the northwest of the Commonwealth and …
Massachusetts Bear Population Increases Require New Hunter Friendly Regulations Read More »
Why It Matters: In a world where it seems to be increasingly easier for kids to be completely disconnected from nature and our time-honored traditions, efforts to bring awareness and hands-on training into schools would positively impact today’s youth on multiple fronts. Additionally, efforts specifically targeted at bringing hunter education programs to schools would play …
CSF Priority Hunter Education in Schools Legislation Introduced in Georgia 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 policy makers. Hawaii has an exceptionally …
Hawaii Legislative Outdoor Heritage Caucus Celebrates Sportsmen’s Heritage Read More »
Why It Matters: Since its inception in 2004, the Georgia Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus (Caucus) has been among the strongest state legislative sportsmen’s caucuses in the National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses (NASC) network. The Caucus’ track record of victories and successes has been built on the back of strong Caucus leaders coupled with the support of …
Georgia Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus Adds Two New Senate Co-Chairs Read More »
Why It Matters: Sustainable forest management creates quality habitat for wildlife and helps prevent the conversion of forests to other land uses, and the Disaster Reforestation Act offers support for forest landowners after a natural disaster to help them maintain the economic viability of managing their land as forests. As development pressures increase on landowners …
CSF-Supported Disaster Reforestation Act Reintroduced Read More »
Why It Matters: Maryland House Bill 741 and Senate Bill 634 contain a provision that will require 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 …
Attempt to Ban Lead Hunting Ammunition Returns in Maryland Read More »