Why It Matters: Access to quality hunting and fishing lands and waters comes in all shapes and sizes. However, regardless of the size of the property or quality of habitat, there is one common denominator when it comes to acquiring land – money. While hunters and anglers contribute through the “user pays – public benefits” structure that is the American System of Conservation Funding (ASCF), additional funding mechanisms that leverage multiple funding sources are often utilized by wildlife managers to purchase additional lands for hunting and angling access.
Highlights:
- The North Carolina Land and Water Fund (NCLWF) was first established in 1996 and was focused on protecting and restoring water resources, but was later expanded in 2013 to conserve natural, cultural, and historic resources and lands critical to the military.
- With the General Assembly closing in on a budget as part of the 2026 session, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF), alongside other sporting-conservation partners, is asking the General Assembly to further support the NCLWF by providing additional one-time funding support through the budget and appropriations process.
- CSF submitted testimony to House and Senate leadership in support of providing additional funding for the NCLWF.
North Carolina is a large state with vast hunting and fishing opportunities for all to enjoy. Whether it’s renowned black bear hunting on the coast or grouse hunting in the mountains, there is something for everyone to enjoy. A big part of what makes North Carolina such a great state for hunters and anglers is the large number of Game Lands throughout the state that are open for hunters and anglers to recreate on.
The NCLWF has contributed significantly to North Carolina’s Game Land program. In fact, the NCLWF has provided funding that helped contribute 350,000 acres to 50 Game Lands throughout the state. Outside of Game Land acquisitions, the NCLWF added land to state parks and natural areas, protected buffers on streams that support native trout, established parks and greenways for recreation, invested in military buffer zones, and protected cultural and historic sites.
For every dollar spent, the state leverages two dollars from private, federal, state, and local government sources, making the NCLWF very efficient and effective when it comes to delivering results that benefit hunters, anglers, and other outdoor recreationalists. Further investments in the NCLWF, which has a proven track record, would be a wise investment for North Carolina and one that would continue to benefit the state’s hunters and anglers.
As North Carolina continues to grow in population and more pressure is put on the state’s natural resources, CSF will continue to advocate for measures that invest in land acquisition, especially those that directly increase lands available to be used in pursuit of our time-honored traditions.