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Why It Matters: Access to quality outdoor opportunities for sportsmen and women is one of the greatest limiting factors facing the sporting-conservation community. The Voluntary Public Access – Habitat Incentives Program (VPA-HIP) represents one solution to this challenge by providing landowners with financial and technical assistance in exchange for the provision of public access to…

Why It Matters: Proactive efforts to conserve public hunting access will benefit both today’s and tomorrow’s sportsmen and women. South Carolina offers a wide array of excellent outdoor opportunities thanks in part to diverse public hunting access available to hunters from the upstate to the low country. Efforts to conserve public hunting access should remain…

Why It Matters: The American System of Conservation funding is a highly successful model unique to the rest of the world. The Wildlife and Sportfish Restoration component of the model provides more than $1.3 billion in funding for fish and wildlife conservation each year through excise taxes on firearms, ammunition, archery equipment, fishing tackle, and…

Why It Matters: Washington’s outdoor heritage relies heavily on the contributions of trappers, anglers, and hunters who utilize natural resources responsibly to support wildlife management and local economies. House Bill 1775, which seeks to prohibit activities related to the production and manufacturing of fur products, poses potential and significant challenges to these time-honored traditions. As…

Why It Matters: Fish and wildlife agencies have long been the preferred authority and managers of both game and nongame species, and their habitats, throughout the country. As such, the current practice of implementing management practices that are based on sound science should continue to be the standard. Any deviation from such practices, and the…

Why It Matters: Providing discounted licenses to deserving demographics such as seniors or veterans can increase hunting and fishing opportunities, but, if done incorrectly, they can also diminish the funds available to state fish and wildlife agencies through the American System of Conservation Funding. Reimbursing the agency from a state’s General Fund can offset that…