By Brent Miller, Senior Director, Northeastern States
On August 5, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) hosted a Northeast regional policy forum concurrent with the Council of State Governments Eastern Regional Conference in Rye Brook, New York. The discussion centered on policies that may help recruit, retain, and reactivate (R3) hunters and recreational shooters in the years ahead.
Legislators from across the Northeast were joined by conservation partners to discuss how hunters and recreational shooters provide the vast majority of conservation funding for state-level wildlife conservation through the “user-pays, public-benefits” American System of Conservation Funding.
Also discussed were the overall decline of participation in these traditions in the Northeast, and how the average age of participants in the region is increasing – highlighting the need for additional policies and programs that encourage additional participation.
CSF’s Senior Director, Northeast States, Brent Miller, and Mid-Atlantic States Coordinator Brett Stayton were joined by representatives from both Ducks Unlimited and the National Wild Turkey Federation in leading the discussion. The conversation centered on: removing restrictions on Sunday hunting, expanding apprentice hunting license offerings, implementing college student hunting and angling licenses, offering hunter education as an afterschool activity for high schoolers, and expanding access to target ranges.
Generous support for this event came from: Ducks Unlimited, National Shooting Sports Foundation, National Wild Turkey Federation, and Pheasants Forever/Quail Forever.
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?
