By Chris Horton, Midwestern States Senior Director
On August 13, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards officially joined the Governors Sportsmen’s Caucus, a group of bipartisan state chief executives dedicated to supporting the outdoor traditions of their state’s sportsmen and women and the American System of Conservation Funding.
“Louisiana has a rich heritage of fishing and hunting, as well as an intimate connection with our forests, bayous, marshes and coastline. Our nickname as the Sportsmen’s Paradise is well earned,” said Gov. Edwards. “It’s an honor to join fellow Governors who share the same values in protecting both our natural resources and our peoples’ ability to enjoy those resources.”
Gov. Edwards joins Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus Members Senators John Kennedy and Bill Cassidy, Congressmen Garret Graves, Mike Johnson, Ralph Abraham, Cedric Richmond, Steve Scalise, Clay Higgins, as well as members of the Louisiana Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus, in representing the hunters, anglers, trappers, and recreational shooters in the Sportsmen’s Paradise State.
Louisiana’s 900,000 plus hunters and anglers spend over $1.67 billion annually on their outdoor pursuits, supporting about 23,000 jobs in the state and contributing millions of dollars to the conservation of Louisiana’s fish, wildlife and natural resources.
Governor Edwards (center) with CCA Louisiana Chairman Charlie Caplinger and the Caplinger family.
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?
