By Joe Mullin, New England States Coordinator
On May 22, members of the Massachusetts General Court, including Massachusetts Legislative Sportsmen Caucus Co-Chair Representative Vieira, along with Department of Fish and Game staff gathered in the State House to celebrate Sportsmen’s Day at the Capitol, and to announce the signing of the Outdoor Heritage Day proclamation.
The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) was joined by several in-state sportsmen’s groups from the state in recognizing the many benefits that hunters, anglers, recreational shooters, and trappers provide for fish and wildlife conservation efforts, which includes funding for the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife.
The proclamation states, “Whereas, the outdoor heritage community has successfully dedicated generations of volunteers to educate the next generation regarding the importance of safe hunting, wildlife and wetlands conservation and professional management.” Signed by Governor Charlie Baker, this proclamation marks May 22 as “Outdoor Heritage Day” in the Bay State.
CSF is committed to protecting and advancing hunting, trapping, recreational shooting, and trapping at all levels of the government, and it commends the Commonwealth for recognizing its sportsmen and women with this resolution.
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?
