Contact: John Culclasure, Central Appalachian States Manager
On July 25, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation welcomed Ohio Governor Mike DeWine as the newest member of the Governors Sportsmen’s Caucus (GSC). Governor DeWine is the 27th member of the GSC, a bipartisan group of governors from across the country dedicated to protecting and advancing hunting, angling, recreational shooting and trapping.
“I am proud to join the Governors Sportsmen’s Caucus and look forward to working with other governors and in-state conservation partners to support Ohio’s sporting traditions that are critically important to our state’s culture, economy, and system of conservation funding,” said Gov. DeWine.
Since assuming office in January 2019, Governor DeWine has been a champion for the sportsmen and women of Ohio. The two-year budget that was signed into law this month included $47 million to support land acquisition from American Electric Power (AEP) as part of ongoing efforts to keep AEP’s ReCreation Land open for public use as well as modest license and permit fee increases that are projected to raise $4 million annually for the Ohio Division of Wildlife.
Gov. DeWine was previously a member of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus and his GSC membership strengthens the network of elected officials from Ohio, including the Ohio Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus and members of the Ohio Congressional Delegation, that are dedicated to protecting the Buckeye State’s rich sporting heritage.
The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation looks forward to working with Gov. DeWine and his administration to support Ohio’s 1.5 million sportsmen and women that contribute more than $4.3 billion to the state’s economy and last year alone generated more than $60 million for conservation through the American System of Conservation Funding.
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?
