Why It Matters: There are seven federal agencies under four different cabinet-level secretaries that have some degree of jurisdiction and regulatory authority over what hunters, anglers, and boaters can or cannot do on navigable waters. As a compliment to the MAPWaters Act for the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture, the MAPOceans …
House Introduces Bill to Remove Access Uncertainty on Marine Waters Read More »
Why It Matters: A recent court ruling has made wide scale changes to trapping seasons in the northern portions of Idaho, designated as grizzly bear habitat. Prior to this ruling, Idaho Senate Bill 1211, supported by the Idaho Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus, had expanded wolf trapping seasons in areas with chronic livestock depredation and/or reduced elk …
Court Ruling Impacts Wolf Trapping Seasons in Idaho Read More »
Why It Matters: Allowing the use of small-bore shotguns such as the .410-bore and 28 gauge to take turkeys expands the hunting opportunities available to youth, smaller-framed, or otherwise recoil-sensitive hunters. As these smaller shotguns are entirely effective at ethically harvesting turkeys, allowing their use may very well create new lifelong turkey-chasers, which is critical …
Liberty and Turkeys for All: Illinois Bills Would Expand Opportunities for Youth Hunters Read More »
Why It Matters: Thanks to the conservation management efforts of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) and their partners, utilizing funding generated in large part by hunters through the American System of Conservation Funding, data supports establishing a highly regulated hunting season for Louisiana black bears. This will provide sportsmen and women, who are …
Why It Matters: Legislation seeking to restrict the Second Amendment is often eventually used as a vector of attack for other issues directly pertaining to sportsmen and women, just as restrictions on hunting are often used as a vector of attack against Second Amendment rights. In Colorado, recent efforts include a proposed excise tax, or …
Singled Out: Colorado’s Gun Owners Targeted for 11% Excise Tax on Gun and Ammo Purchases Read More »
Why It Matters: The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation’s (CSF) Collegiate Sportsmen and Women’s Coalition (CSWC) seeks to educate young adults from diverse interests and backgrounds about the importance of hunting, angling, trapping, and recreational shooting to fish and wildlife conservation while also providing them with hands-on education in how to effectively engage in the policy process to protect these …
CSF’s Collegiate Sportsmen and Women’s Coalition Grows in Louisiana and South Carolina Read More »
Why It Matters: Introduced on February 16, 2024, Massachusetts Senate Bill 499 (MA S 499) – An Act to reimburse the George L. Darey Inland Fisheries and Game Fund, proposes to amend Section 11 of Chapter 131 of the General Laws, by adding a new sentence which would allow for the George L. Darey Inland …
Why It Matters: Hunters and recreational shooters are the backbone of the “user pays – public benefits” American System of Conservation Funding. Hunting license sales generate significant revenue for state fish and wildlife agencies, and manufacturers pay a self-imposed excise tax on their firearm and ammunition purchases which is then returned to state fish and …
Kentucky General Assembly Successfully Protects Hunter and Recreational Shooter Privacy Read More »
Why It Matters: Millions of sportsmen-generated dollars have been protected in Nebraska after critical amendments were made to Legislative Bill 1413 prior to the bill being signed into law by the Governor. The original version of LB 1413 would have redirected $7,000,000 from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission state game fund and $2,500,000 from …
Nearly $37 Million in Sportsmen-Generated Conservation Dollars Protected in Nebraska Read More »
Why It Matters: As you may remember from Schoolhouse Rock, a bill’s journey is not complete after it has been approved by the Legislative Branch – the Executive Branch (the Governor at the state level) must either sign or veto it. Recently, the Wisconsin Governor elected to sign a few sporting bills into law while …
Wisconsin Governor Signs Some Sporting Bills, Vetoes Others Read More »
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 EXPLORE 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 important water systems …
House Set to Vote on Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Package – EXPLORE ACT Read More »
Why It Matters: The North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) is one of the most important wetlands and migratory bird conservation funding programs in the nation. Since its inception 35 years ago, NAWCA has contributed more than $2 billion in funding that has been matched with $5.6 billion in non-federal funds to bolster wetlands habitat, …
CSC Members Sens. Heinrich and Kennedy Lead Important Wetlands Conservation Program Read More »
Why It Matters: Legislation seeking to restrict the Second Amendment is often eventually used as a vector of attack for issues more directly pertaining to sportsmen and women, just as restrictions on hunting are often used as a vector of attack against Second Amendment rights. Our issues are fundamentally intertwined given that firearms of every …
Why It Matters: Introduced on January 12, 2024, Vermont Senate Bill 258 (S. 258) – An act relating to the management of Fish and Wildlife – proposes to transfer the authority to adopt rules for the taking of fish, wildlife, and fur-bearing animals from the Fish and Wildlife Board to the Department of Fish and …
Why It Matters: The legislative session in South Dakota provided no shortage of legislation that would have both positive and negative impacts on sportsmen and women. The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) was active in supporting legislation that would ensure that responsible firearm owners can possess, transport, and use these important sporting tools, and was active …
Why It Matters: Kentucky would have been the first state in the country to place the management of its fish and wildlife agency under its Department of Agriculture and give all Wildlife Commissioner appointments to its Commissioner of Agriculture, which would have been a significant departure from how fish and wildlife resources have been managed …
Kentucky Senate Bill 3 Defeated by Unified Opposition from the Sportsmen’s Community Read More »
Why It Matters: Caucus-driven Delaware House Bill 271 (HB 271) passed both the House and Senate unanimously and is now awaiting Governor John Carney’s signature for enactment. HB 271 removes game birds from the list of species prohibited from Sunday hunting within the First State. Delaware’s definition of game birds includes waterfowl, rails, wild turkeys, …
Sunday Game Bird Hunting One Signature Away from Becoming Law Read More »
Why It Matters: At the core of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation is the key tenet that wildlife is managed as a public trust resource for the benefit of all citizens. The Public Trust Doctrine is the center of this key tenet which establishes a trustee relationship for the government to manage fish, …
Why It Matters: Legislative victories are often the result of collaborative action and several years of advocacy. Arguably, no recent victory for sportsmen and women in the Midwest embodies this truth better than the recent passage of Oklahoma Senate Bill 941. This legislation, widely supported by the sporting-conservation community, will significantly simplify the Sooner State’s …
Oklahoma Passes License Overhaul Legislation, a Top Priority for CSF and Partners Read More »
Why It Matters: Offshore fishing in the Gulf of Mexico from Alabama to Texas is often best around offshore oil and gas platforms and associated infrastructure on the outer continental shelf (OCS). These hard structures that dot the Gulf provide valuable habitat for fish, corals, and invertebrates and important fishing destinations for anglers and commercial …
CSF’s Chris Horton Testifies on Rigs to Reefs Bill in the House Read More »
Stay current with the latest news, policy activity and how to get involved.
Sign up for Newsletters
