On July 1, 2013, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, along with the American Sportfishing Association, Center for Coastal Conservation, International Game Fish Association and National Marine Manufacturers Association, sent a letter on behalf of the recreational fishing and boating community to Senators Bill Nelson and Marco Rubio, thanking them for their leadership in altering the direction of the General Management Plan (GMP) for Biscayne National Park. Due in large part to the Senators’ involvement, the National Park Service and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission are working jointly on the plan and significant progress has been made in developing a final plan that better balances the need to conserve the park’s natural resources and provide for responsible public access.
The draft GMP proposed measures would have substantially diminished recreational fishing and boating access in the park. Of particular concern to the sportsmen’s community was the proposed 10, 522 acre marine reserve in the park’s preferred alternative plan, which would prohibit fishing in some of the park’s most popular and productive fishing areas.
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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?
