On October 11, the Keep America’s Refuges Operational Act was introduced in the House (H.R. 3979) by Hakeem Jeffries (NY) along with Gregario Sablan (MP) and Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus (CSC) Members Congressmen Rob Wittman (VA), Garret Graves (LA), Frank LoBiondo (NJ), and Mike Thompson (CA). The Senate companion bill (S. 1940) was introduced by CSC Members Senator John Barrasso (WY) and Senator Tom Carper (DE).
H.R. 3979 and S. 1940 would reauthorize the volunteer services, community partnership, and refuge education programs of the National Wildlife Refuge System to ensure these lands will remain open to hunting and fishing for future generations. Last year alone, there were nearly 50 million visitors to the nation’s 600 National Wildlife Refuges.
On the same day, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation and other partners of the Cooperative Alliance for Refuge Enhancement (CARE) hosted a table at the National Wildlife Refuge Expo in the Rayburn House Office Building to highlight the Big 6 Recreational Uses of National Wildlife Refuges: hunting, fishing, wildlife observation, photography, education, and interpretation.
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?
