On March 1, the New York Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus hosted its annual Sportsman-Legislator Breakfast. The breakfast was attended by more than 45 Caucus members who joined state and national conservation organizations and allied-industry partners to celebrate the Empire State’s outdoor sporting heritage.
The morning featured remarks from Caucus Co-Chairs, Assembly Member Aileen Gunther and Senator Joseph Griffo, who spoke on the importance of hunting and angling, not only to them personally, but to the state as well. New York’s 2.11 million hunters and anglers spend $4.95 billion annually and support 56,014 jobs. Further, through the American System of Conservation Funding, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation received more than $80 million in critical conservation funds from New York hunters and anglers.
The Chairman of the New York Sportsmen’s Advisory Council (a formally recognized group of in-state and national conservation partners providing support for the Caucus), Mr. Rick McDermott, discussed critical issues facing New York legislators this session, including: protecting the American System of Conservation Funding; establishing a universal hunting age of 12; redefining crossbows as archery equipment (instead of firearms as they’re currently classified); and preventing trophy importation bans that unnecessarily affect the New York sportsmen’s community while doing nothing for conservation abroad.
CSF would like to thank Ducks Unlimited and the National Wild Turkey Federation for sponsoring this year’s breakfast and for their continued support of the New York Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus.
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?
