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Why it matters: Congress is currently considering appropriations bills that provide funding for Fiscal Year 2024. Appropriations bills significantly influence the actions taken by federal agencies by controlling spending levels, directing funding for specific purposes, or restricting certain actions by federal agencies. The passage of these bills at both the Subcommittee and Committee levels are…

Why it Matters: Bringing legislators together to discuss important issues that sportsmen and women face, and to discuss the important role they play in conservation, is one of the hallmarks of CSF’s mission. As part of the Council of State Governments’ Midwest Legislative Conference, CSF staff and leaders of the Michigan Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus led…

Why It Matters: New Hampshire Senate Bill 15 (NH S 15) and House Bill 221 (NH HB 221) seek to improve New Hampshire’s sporting community’s relationship with private landowners while at the same time protecting private property rights of the state’s sportsmen and women. Both bills are the culmination of years of negotiations between in-state…

Why It Matters: California’s law-abiding hunters and recreational shooters have long played a vital role in funding conservation through various wildlife management efforts throughout the state. Under the American System of Conservation Funding (ASCF), a unique “user pays — public benefits” program, California’s sportsmen and women generate tens of millions of dollars each year for…

Why It Matters: Through the “user pays – public benefits” American System of Conservation Funding, state fish and wildlife management agencies rely significantly on the sale of hunting and fishing licenses to support their conservation efforts. As the costs associated with these management activities continue to increase, periodic increases in licenses fees are necessary to…

Why It Matters: Extending the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission’s (PFBC) ability to set license fees through the regulatory process affords it the opportunity to make smaller adjustments over a gradual period, thereby avoiding the sticker shock that is often associated when increases are made through one legislative effort. In 2022, Pennsylvania had 1,146,972 certified…