Recently, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation welcomed Governor Matt Bevin as the 34th member of the Governors Sportsmen’s Caucus (GSC). Governor Bevin joins a group of bipartisan governors from across the country who are dedicated to protecting and advancing hunting, angling, recreational shooting, and trapping.
“From the Jackson Purchase to the Cumberland Plateau, the diversity of Kentucky’s landscape provides many exciting outdoor sporting opportunities. Supporting numerous jobs across the state, our sporting traditions are also a critical economic driver. I am honored to join the Governors Sportsmen’s Caucus in support of Kentucky’s outdoor heritage,” said Gov. Bevin.
Founded in 2009 by the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, the GSC facilitates communication and information exchange among the 34 participating offices in support of policies that promote professional fish and wildlife management. Co-Chairs Governor Phil Bryant (MS) and Governor Steve Bullock (MT) and Vice-Chairs Governor Matt Mead (WY) and Governor Tom Wolf (PA) lead the GSC.
Over 713,000 sportsmen and women in Kentucky support more than 35,000 jobs across the state and contribute $2.8 billion to the state’s economy. In 2016 alone, sportsmen and women in the Bluegrass State generated $45,054,152 for conservation programs through the “user-pays, public-benefits” structure known as the American System of Conservation Funding.
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?
