Contact: Nick Buggia, Upper Midwestern States Manager Highlights Why it matters: While CSF maintains that state fish and wildlife agencies are the entities best equipped to make decisions regarding the management of our public trust fish and wildlife resources, these agencies typically host public comment periods to solicit input on proposed regulatory changes. These comment periods …
Highlights Why it matters: As Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation, Mr. Bonnie will lead the efforts of USDA agencies charged with the implementation of critical conservation programs. These include the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) administered by FSA and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) administered by NRCS. …
Highlights Why it matters: As Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation, Mr. Bonnie will lead the efforts of USDA agencies charged with the implementation of critical conservation programs. These include the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) administered by FSA and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) administered by NRCS. …
Contact: Keely Hopkins, Pacific States Assistant Manager Highlights Why It Matters: Oregon’s hunters, anglers, and trappers have long played a vital role in funding conservation and wildlife management efforts throughout the state. Under the American System of Conservation Funding (ASCF), a unique “user pays–public benefits” structure, Oregon’s sportsmen and women generate tens of millions of …
Highlights Why it Matters: The Resilient Federal Forests Act would improve wildlife habitat, reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfire, and restore watersheds through targeted landscape-level restoration projects on federal lands and properties in the wildland-urban interface. The lack of active forest management on federal lands has created tens of millions of acres of overstocked forests …
Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus Vice-Chair Reintroduces Resilient Federal Forests Act Read More »
Contact: Nick Buggia, Upper Midwestern States Manager Highlights Why it Matters: The Michigan Wildlife Council is one of only two wildlife councils in the country. Their mission is to educate the public on the important role hunters and anglers play in managing sustainable wildlife populations, providing the bulk of funding for conservation efforts in the state …
Last week during the National Trappers Association’s (NTA) Annual Convention, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation’s (CSF) Rocky Mountain States Senior Coordinator Ellary TuckerWilliams was a recipient of the President’s Award for her hard work and leadership in the fight to protect and advance trapping in New Mexico, Montana, and Colorado during the 2021 legislative session. “I …
Contact: Mark Lance, Southeastern States Coordinator Highlights Why it Matters: Florida is a rapidly growing state, and increased suburbanization impacts hunting opportunities for many of the state’s hunters. This proposed rule change will further limit public access to hunting opportunities, specifically waterfowl hunting. The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) worked with in-state and national partners to …
Restricted Hunting Areas – What Florida’s Hunters Need to Know Read More »
Contact: Joseph Mullin, Assistant Manager, Northeaster States and States Program Assistant Highlights Why it Matters: Massachusetts has not experienced raises in license fee prices in roughly 26 years. The Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife) relies on these funds to continue offering the multitude of opportunities for the Bay State’s sportsmen and women. However, with …
Short-Term and Long-Term Fixes for MassWildlife’s Funding Read More »
Highlights Why it Matters: Throughout regular sessions, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) worked hand-in-hand with the National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses network, members of the Governors Sportsmen’s Caucus, state fish and wildlife agencies, and in-state and national partner organizations to promote and advance policies that celebrate our nation’s time-honored sporting traditions. Coordinated efforts between CSF …
Contact: Ellary TuckerWilliams, Rocky Mountain States Senior Coordinator Highlights Why it Matters: Despite the outdoor sporting community’s well-established conservation legacy, the symbiotic relationship between sustainable wildlife management and hunters, anglers, and trappers has been tainted by misinformation and emotional propaganda from the anti-sporting community. The increased prevalence and severity of ballot initiatives focused on chipping …
Highlights Why it matters: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), which manages national wildlife refuges and national fish hatcheries, annually supports more than 2.5 million hunting days and almost 8 million fishing days, making these lands and waters a critically important place for hunters and anglers. It is important that as the System seeks …
Highlights Why it matters: The MAPLand Act and the VIP Act would help expand access on our nation’s federal public lands by providing hunters, anglers, and recreational shooters with enhanced digital and GPS technologies, as well as establishing free passes for our nation’s Veterans to access and recreate on these federal public lands. For many …
House Natural Resources Committee Seeks to Expand Access for Sportsmen and Women Read More »
Contact: Kent Keene, Senior Coordinator, Lower Midwestern States and Agriculture Policy Highlights Why it matters: Throughout much of the United States, fire has historically played an important role in shaping ecosystems, and the wildlife that inhabit them. However, land use changes and fire suppression efforts throughout the 20th century have resulted in the near extirpation …
Peace of Mind for Missouri Landowners as Governor Parson Signs Prescribed Burn Act Read More »
Highlights Why it Matters: Providing adequate funding for conservation is critical to supporting habitat work on public and private lands, managing Wildlife Management Areas, in addition to other lands open to sportsmen and women, managing fish and wildlife and populations, maintaining shooting ranges, and improving access to the outdoors. The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) worked …
Reviewing a Hot Topic in the Southeast: Conservation Funding Read More »
Contact: Nick Buggia, Upper Midwestern States Manager, and Kent Keene, Senior Coordinator, Lower Midwestern States and Agriculture Policy Highlights: Why it matters: Efforts designed to achieve conservation successes naturally vary from place to place. Even within the same region, these objectives can vary between properties, specifically between privately owned properties whose owners hold different values …
Conservation Challenges and Opportunities – Focus of CSF’s Midwest Policy Forum Read More »
Highlights Why it matters: Access is often cited as the number one reason that sportsmen and women no longer participate in hunting and fishing. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), which manages national wildlife refuges and national fish hatcheries, annually supports more than 2.5 million hunting days and almost 8 million fishing days, making …
CSF Supports Effort to Expand Hunting and Fishing Access across Millions of Acres Read More »
Contact: Ellary TuckerWilliams, Rocky Mountain States Senior Coordinator, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation Highlights: Why it Matters: Encouraging sportsmen and women’s involvement in the political process is an important method for protecting our outdoor sporting heritage. Increased public participation, particularly at the ballot box, ensures that hunters, anglers, and trappers are represented, which strengthens the ability of the …
I Fish. I Hunt. I Vote.: Arizona Secures Sportsmen Voter Registration Read More »
Contact: Nick Lewis, Mid-Atlantic States Coordinator Highlights: Why it Matters: The New York Sportsmen’s Advisory Council (NYSAC) serves a crucial role in advancing pro-hunting, fishing, recreational shooting, and trapping policies in the Empire State. NYSAC and its members realized several legislative successes this year, including monumental, caucus-driven efforts to lower the hunting age for big …
Contact: John Culclasure, Southeastern States Assistant Director Highlights: Why It Matters: Hunters are the only user group excluded from WMAs on Sundays in South Carolina. As other states have rolled back their public land Sunday hunting prohibitions (West Virginia in 2018; North Carolina in 2021), South Carolina hunters are eager to repeal the outdated regulation …
Public Land Sunday Hunting Public Meetings Announced in South Carolina Read More »
