Why It Matters: Through the unique “user pays – public benefits” structure of the American System of Conservation Funding (ASCF), recreational shooters are an unsung hero of conservation funding. Manufacturers of firearms and ammunition supported the passage of Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act, redirecting an existing manufacturer-level excise tax on their products to be designated specifically for conservation purposes, which is then apportioned to the States in order to carry out conservation efforts.
Highlights:
- The Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recently announced that it is accepting applications for grants to support the development of shooting ranges in the Hoosier State.
- Recreational shooting is a silver bullet (pun intended) for conservation funding in America, with more than 52 million Americans spending nearly $17 billion on the sport each year.
- In addition to allowing shooters the opportunity to hone their craft and sight-in firearms, which in-turn creates more ethical and successful hunters, shooting ranges provide a safe environment for newcomers to become comfortable with firearms and join us in our time-honored outdoor traditions.
- Recognizing their positive financial and participation impacts, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) has long advocated for increased opportunity for recreational shooters, and new or improved ranges like those supported by Indiana’s grant program are a great example of how that can be achieved.
With the Indiana DNR’s recent call for grant applications to support the development of shooting ranges in the Hoosier State, sportsmen and women should be reminded of the importance that such ranges have on conservation. Thanks to the Federal Wildlife Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act, commonly known as the “Pittman-Robertson Act,” as well as the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act, or the “Dingell-Johnson Act,” manufacturers of outdoor sporting goods have paid an excise tax on their products, including firearms, ammunition, fishing rods, bait and tackle, and more to support conservation efforts. This is one of three prongs of the American System of Conservation Funding, with the other two being the sale of both hunting and fishing licenses.
Through this unique structure, hunters, anglers, recreational shooters, and trappers pay for their licenses and equipment, but the entire public benefits from the results of that revenue. Under Pittman-Robertson and Dingell-Johnson as amended, the funds are authorized to be used by state fish and wildlife agencies to conduct research, acquire new public lands, manage habitat on both public and private lands, construct and maintain boat launches, and more. State agencies may also use those funds to develop shooting ranges – which is where the grant money offered by the Indiana DNR comes from.
Recreational shooting and hunting have a combined economic output of $149 billion and support 970,000 jobs each year. On top of providing opportunity to the existing pool of sportsmen and women that feel at home on the range, shooting ranges offer a controlled, safe environment for newcomers or lapsed shooters to become comfortable with their firearms, oftentimes resulting in their confidence to take an ethical shot while afield. With more ranges comes more opportunity for those newcomers to join us outdoors and continue generating the funds that our state fish and wildlife agencies desperately need to carry out their conservation duties, ensuring the protection of our outdoor pursuits for generations to come.
