Last week, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) staff joined conservation leaders and industry representatives for the 43rd Annual National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) Convention Sport Show and Conservation Conference.
Representing CSF were President Jeff Crane, Southeastern States Director Bee Frederick, Central Appalachian States Manager John Culclasure, and Upper Midwestern States Manager Nick Buggia.
Prior to the Convention, NWTF hosted the Conservation Conference where stakeholders from across the country – including state and federal agency personnel, industry and forestry professionals, and sportsmen’s representatives – gathered for two days of policy discussion. Topics covered included: hunter recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3); conservation funding; forestry and land management; water conservation; and wild turkey research.
CSF President Jeff Crane was featured as a panelist during the plenary session, which focused on the “Funding Conundrum.” Panelists, including former CSF Board Member Bruce Culpepper and other conservation leaders, discussed the potential conservation funding crisis due to declining hunting participation over time. Panelists highlighted federal legislative efforts, including the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act and Modernizing the Pittman-Robertson Fund for Tomorrow’s Needs Act, and unique conservation funding models. They also emphasized the need for the conservation community to work together as a whole to elevate the role sportsmen play as the original conservationists.
“NWTF has been a long-standing partner of CSF and state sportsmen’s caucuses across the country. We are proud to be a part of the Conservation Conference,” said Crane. “CSF will continue to work on priorities at the federal and state level to ensure long term sustainability of conservation funding and the recruitment of new or lapsed license buyers.”
CSF President Jeff Crane, CSF Honorary Board Member Bruce Culpepper, and conservation leaders speaking as panelists during the Conservation Conference.
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?
