Two members of the CSF staff recently continued their involvement and leadership in fish habitat policy and conservation efforts. CSF Vice President Gary Kania attended the American Sportfishing Association’s (ASA) Sportfishing Summit in Hilton Head, South Carolina. Kania joined key players in the fisheries conservation community to focus on management and policy and to discuss the most important issues affecting the sportfishing community. Also in attendance was South Carolina State Representative and President of the National Association of Sportsmen’s Caucus (NASC) Executive Council Mike Pitts. Representative Pitts opened the conference and spoke to attendees about his involvement in the South Carolina Sportsmen’s Caucus, his experience advocating for pro-sportsmen legislation in South Carolina, and the unique and critical role that the NASC network serves in providing sportsmen a voice in state legislatures throughout the nation.
Chris Horton, CSF Midwestern States Director, was recently appointed to another term on the National Fish Habitat Partnership Board, which provides guidance in the development and implementation of the NFHP strategic plan. The National Fish Habitat Partnership (NFHP) is a cooperative effort between anglers, local communities, conservation organizations and state and federal natural resource agencies to conserve, restore and enhance the nation’s fish and aquatic communities through habitat conservation. Based on the highly successful Joint Ventures partnerships that have helped restore duck populations to record highs, NFHP uses a similar model to address the needs of our nation’s fisheries, and seeks to improve both angling opportunities and water quality for a better way of life for all Americans.
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?
