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Why it matters: The funds that are being distributed by the Department of the Interior are generated entirely by sportsmen and women through the purchases of firearms, ammunition, fishing tackle, and motorboat fuel. For over 80 years, sportsmen and women have played an integral and unique role in providing the vast majority of conservation funding…

Contact: Kent Keene; Senior Coordinator, Lower Midwestern States and Agriculture Policy Why it Matters: Granting license and fee authority to the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission would allow the agency charged with managing Oklahoma’s fish and wildlife resources the ability to simplify the current complicated system of licenses and permits to best suit the needs of…

Contact: Joe Mullin, Assistant Manager, Northeastern States Why it Matters: Sunday hunting bans are one of the last remaining examples of the puritanical blue laws, but in recent years, much progress has been made towards the lessening of these restrictions. In Maryland, hunting for all game birds and mammals on Sundays is authorized in select…

Why it matters: The ability to collect accurate, reliable information on recreational fishing effort and harvest is challenging in the southeastern United States. MRIP is a broad, general survey over two-month windows that does not have the ability to adequately sample angling effort in fisheries with a relatively short season. This uncertainty in the data…

Why it matters: The Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment leads USDA’s Forest Service, an agency charged with the management of millions of acres of public lands across the United States. In addition to the Forest Service’s crucial role in providing a sustainable source of forest products, our National Forests and Grasslands provide an…

Contact: Joe Mullin, Assistant Manager, Northeastern States Why it Matters: State fish and wildlife agency boards and commissions have instrumental roles in setting the frameworks that result in the successful conservation and management of a state’s fish, wildlife, and their habitats. Sportsmen and women (including hunters, anglers, recreational shooters, and trappers) have played a crucial…