Why It Matters: Access to firearms, firearms accessories, and ammunition is critical to most hunters and every recreational shooter in America. Federal legislation that protects and expands that access is beneficial to the sporting-conservation community, not just from a practical perspective, but an economic one as well. Increased sales of firearms, firearms accessories, and ammunition …
Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus Members Get to Work on Federal Firearms Legislation Read More »
Why It Matters: A proposed rule by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that would have done little for whale conservation while substantially impacting angler and boater access and coastal economies has been withdrawn by the agency. The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF), state legislative sportsmen’s caucuses, and our community partners have worked diligently for …
Rule To Slow Boaters in Atlantic Now on A Better Course Read More »
Why It Matters: State fish and wildlife agencies are staffed with wildlife biologists that are equipped with the experience and expertise needed to make sound, science-based decisions that benefit the state’s natural resources. Legislation that would impose unnecessary requirements on an agency, curtail its management authority, or add financial and staffing burdens threatens not only …
Indiana Bill Would Create an Unfunded Mandate for the DNR Read More »
Why It Matters: Each year, legislators across the country introduce well-meaning legislation that provides free and discounted hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses for certain qualified individuals/groups. However, these initiatives have the potential to have negative impacts on the state’s fish and wildlife agency’s budget. To prevent the loss of sportsmen-generated dollars for conservation funding, Virginia …
Why It Matters: While the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) finished the last Congress on a very strong note with the enacting into law of three priorities that passed Congress in December, there is still significant work that needs to be done for sportsmen and women. CSF hit the ground running on day one of the …
Third Full Week of New Congress, Three CSF Priorities Set to Receive Vote on House Floor Read More »
Why It Matters: Colorado SB-25-003 seeks to ban many semi-automatic rifles and shotguns commonly used by America’s sportsmen and women in hunting and recreational shooting. Modern sporting rifles and semi-automatic shotguns are not only important to our hunting heritage but are highly popular in the recreational shooting community. This legislation would severely undermine our hunting …
Why It Matters: Federal public lands offer critical opportunities for sportsmen and women to participate in our time-honored traditions of hunting, fishing, trapping, and recreational shooting. Despite this, in late 2024, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) sought to ban recreational shooting across the entirety of the 1.3-million-acre Bears Ears National Monument (BENM). Thanks to …
CSF Efforts Maintain Recreational Shooting Access on 1.3 Million Acres of Public Land Read More »
Why It Matters: The red snapper season in the South Atlantic lasted only 1 day in 2024, despite the highest abundance of red snapper anyone has ever seen in the region. While recent data indicates red snapper are no longer experiencing overfishing, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) was disappointed to learn that a proposed amendment …
Bill to Discard Proposed Fishing Closures Introduced Read More »
Why It Matters: Poaching – the illegal take of game – stands in the way of professional science-based wildlife management and remains among the greatest threats to the social acceptance of hunting. Proactive measures to increase penalties for those found guilty of poaching would disincentivize bad actors from interfering with science-based wildlife management and would …
Legislation to Increase Poaching Penalties and Fines Introduced in Tennessee Read More »
Why It Matters: Success of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) is dependent on coordination amongst federal and state wildlife managers, landowners, and others that have a vested stake in the recovery of a listed species. One of the most pressing challenges with the ESA is failing to delist a species from federal management and return …
FWS Announces Grizzly Listing and Management Proposal Read More »
Why It Matters: Science-based fisheries management and access to our fisheries have always been at the center of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation’s (CSF) mission. In both the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, sharks are increasingly intercepting fish being landed by recreational and commercial fishermen, creating frustration for anglers and challenges for fisheries sustainability. …
Bill To Resolve Conflicts Between Sharks and Anglers Reintroduced Read More »
Why It Matters: Thanks to the conservation management efforts of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and their partners, the Louisiana black bear’s population has rebounded to feature a harvestable surplus – resulting in one of the greatest conservation success stories in the South. The 2024 Louisiana bear hunting season, which ran from Dec. …
2024 Louisiana Black Bear Season Ends in Success Read More »
Why It Matters: North Dakota’s 2025 legislative session has begun and a bill was promptly introduced that would prohibit the North Dakota Game and Fish Department from adopting or implementing policies on baiting, or supplemental feeding, for hunting big game animals on private land. State fish and wildlife agencies have long been recognized as the …
Why It Matters: On January 8, 2025, New Hampshire House Bill 211 (HB 211) Air Rifles for Hunting Game, was introduced in the House Fish and Game and Marine Resource Committee. In its current form (while a positive step) HB 211 lacks sufficient language to account for conservation funding participation via the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration …
Why It Matters: The U.S. Forest Service faces several issues going into 2025, including, among others, a workforce challenge, a budget shortfall, and more than 117 million acres of fire-prone forests in need of restoration. The withdrawal of the National Old-Growth Amendment, which the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) strongly supports, avoids further distracting the agency …
U.S. Forest Service Withdraws National Old-Growth Amendment Read More »
Why It Matters: The success experienced by the Mississippi Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus (Caucus) since its inception in 2006, when they also joined the National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses (NASC,) is largely due to a history of strong leadership coupled with steadfast support from the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF). Featuring well over 100 members of the Mississippi Legislature, …
Mississippi Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus Elects Leadership Read More »
Why It Matters: Without these important protections, hunters and recreational shooters in Ohio could have been subject to discrimination by financial or anti-sportsmen organizations or could face unnecessary costs on top of those already shouldered by hunters through the American System of Conservation Funding, which would likely deter participation and decrease critical conservation funding. Highlights: …
Firearm Privacy Legislation Sent to Ohio Governor’s Desk Read More »
Why It Matters: Suppressors are a common tool used by hunters and recreational shooters to protect their hearing, be respectful of others around them, and, in many cases, increase the accuracy of their firearms while simultaneously reducing recoil This has the added benefit of making each shot safer, and helping to ensure a clean harvest …
Why It Matters: As the election year frenzy has settled down over the holiday season, legislative bodies are swearing in new members and choosing chairs and leaders of committees. Although voting numbers seem to be increasing, a historical trend of hunters not voting exists. Some sources prior to the 2024 election were reporting that there …
Why It Matters: After more than two decades of work, the Good Samaritan Remediation of Abandoned Hardrock Mines Act, a bipartisan effort to reduce burdensome roadblocks to restoring mine sites that can pollute streams, is headed to the President’s desk to be signed into law. The passage of the Good Samaritan Remediation of Abandoned Hardrock …
CSF Priority to Clean Up Abandoned Mines Heads to President’s Desk Read More »
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