Why It Matters: On September 23, 2023, sportsmen and women across the nation celebrated National Hunting and Fishing Day (NHFD). This year, Governor Brian Kemp was one of 40 governors that signed proclamations commemorating NHFD. As the original conservationists, sportsmen and women make immense contributions to conservation funding and the economy in Georgia and across the country, and NHFD provides an opportunity to celebrate these contributions.
Highlights:
- On Monday, November 6, Governors Sportsmen’s Caucus Member Governor Brian Kemp welcomed Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) leadership, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) staff, and other conservation partners to the Capitol for a signing ceremony to recognize NHFD in Georgia and the NHFD Proclamation that Governor Kemp signed.
- Georgia’s hunters and anglers have good reason to celebrate as last year alone, they generated more than $84 million through the American System of Conservation Funding to directly support the Georgia DNR.
- The Peach State had more than 1.8 million hunters and anglers in 2022 that contributed to the $13 billion spent on outdoor activities in the state last year.
Created by President Nixon in 1972, NHFD celebrates the impact that hunting and angling have on local, state, and national economies. Each year, NHFD is utilized to promote the recruitment, retention, and reactivation of hunters and anglers and highlight their connection to conservation.
Below are several of the impressive economic statistics that surround hunting, fishing, and the shooting sports in Georgia:
- 1 million anglers generate $1.5 billion annually in retail sales;
- Over 800,000 hunters generate nearly $1 billion annually in retail sales;
- Over 1.2 million recreational shooters spend $326 million annually in retail sales;
- Georgia has 47 public shooting ranges with and estimated 80,000 visitors;
- Approximately $30 million in federal Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Funds are received annually from a federal excise tax on ammunition, guns, fishing equipment, and motorboat fuel; and
- There are 116 National Archery in the Schools Programs with over 20,000 students participating across Georgia.
With firearms season for deer in full swing and duck season on the horizon, Georgia hunters and anglers should be proud to participate in the state’s rich sporting heritage. It is the conservation funding contributions and economic impacts of hunters and anglers that we celebrate on the fourth Saturday of September each year both in Georgia and across the nation.
CSF is thankful to Governor Kemp for going above and beyond to recognize NHFD by holding the NHFD Proclamation signing ceremony.
