July 15, 2020 (WASHINGTON, D.C.) – The American Wildlife Conservation Partners (AWCP), comprised of the nation’s top 50 sporting-conservation organizations, including founding member, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF), have released Wildlife for the 21st Century, Volume 6 (W21) . This publication will aid policymakers in the administration and the next two Congresses in making decisions that will help the future of conservation thrive. The recommendations in Volume 6 will guide the federal administration on sporting-conservation issues and practices that are vital in the 21st century for current and future generations of sportsmen and women.
Recommendations included in Wildlife for the 21st Century, Volume 6, focus on conservation practices of fish, wildlife and their habitats across the nation. The implementation of sound, science-based conservation is important for the future of wildlife, and guidance provided through the AWCP coalition will lead wildlife conservation in a pragmatic direction. CSF played an active role in the development of W21 through the leadership of Andy Treharne, CSF’s Senior Director of Western States and Federal Policy, who serves on the AWCP Steering Committee.
These recommendations will also increase opportunities for sporting-related activities on federal lands and waters. Increasing access for sportsmen and women is critical to ensuring the future of our time-honored sporting traditions, conservation funding, and the associated economic activity that hunting and recreational shooting provide the nation. Last year alone, sportsmen and women contributed nearly $2.96 billion to the American System of Conservation Funding (ASCF), a “user pays, public benefits” program. Sportsmen and women are the primary contributors to wildlife conservation, providing the majority of funding for state fish and wildlife agencies through purchases of sporting licenses and sporting equipment which generate revenue through excise taxes that are specifically directed towards conservation.
Wildlife for the 21st Century publications are developed every four years to define the sporting community’s priorities for the upcoming presidential term. The recommendations provided by the AWCP in this publication will benefit the future generations of sportsmen and women by supplying professional and science-based conservation management recommendations, showcasing initiatives that will increase hunting and recreational shooting participation for the future, and providing overall guidance that highlights the needs of the sporting-conservation community to ensure our heritage remains for years to come.
You can find a copy of Wildlife for the 21st Century, Volume 6 here.
Studies conducted at both the state and federal level have found that the number of hunters and trappers have been on a generally declining trend over the past several decades. To increase recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) of hunters and trappers, which initiative do you think would have the greatest impact?
