On April 16, 2013, the National Ocean Council released the final National Ocean Policy Implementation Plan. The National Ocean Policy, created by Executive Order 13547 on July 19, 2010, established the National Ocean Council, which consists of 27 Federal agencies, departments, and offices working together to share information and streamline decision-making. The Council developed the…
The Florida Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus held a caucus dinner on Thursday, April 11 at a hunting preserve outside of Tallahassee in the waning weeks of the legislative session. The dinner provided an opportunity to discuss sportsmen’s issues, welcome new Caucus members and highlight the form and function of the Florida Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus. In attendance…
In 2000, New Hampshire was the first state to ban lead sinkers and jigs. The alleged justification for such a ban was to protect common loons and other diving birds. In the years following, several additional bills were passed which further impacted the use of lead tackle. Last year, SB 224 was considered, which would…
On Tuesday, April 23, the Oregon House of Representatives resoundingly passed House Bill 2624, legislation that would allow local communities to decide if they would like the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to allow the use of dogs to manage cougar populations in their area. Designed to once again give wildlife managers the tools…
On April 4, approximately 60 Washington legislators gathered at the Evergreen Sportsmen’s Club outside Olympia to participate in the Washington Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus Shootout at Littlerock. Prior to hitting the trap course, legislators including Caucus Chair Senator Pam Roach took time to meet with Washington hunters, anglers, trappers and shooters and discuss issues of importance…
BATON ROUGE – Governor Bobby Jindal, Texas Governor Rick Perry, Florida Governor Rick Scott and Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant are calling on Congress to allow the states to take control over management of the red snapper fishery in the Gulf of Mexico. In a letter to Congressional leadership, the governors declared federal fisheries management “irretrievably …