Ryan Zinke did not waste any time to demonstrate his commitment to America’s sportsmen and women and his commitment to advancing our time-honored sporting heritage. On his first day as Secretary of the Interior in March 2017, he gathered leaders from the sportsmen’s conservation community to witness him signing two Secretarial Orders for sportsmen’s access to federal lands and waters. Among those leaders in attendance was Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) President Jeff Crane, who has worked closely on sportsmen’s priorities with the Secretary throughout this political career.
On day one, Secretarial Order 3346 overturned a lead ammunition and fishing tackle ban, and Order 3347 advanced conservation stewardship, improved game and habitat management, and increased outdoor recreation opportunities by directing Department of the Interior (DOI) bureaus and agencies to immediately identify areas where outdoor recreation can be expanded. In September 2017 at CSF’s Annual Banquet, Zinke announced his plans to sign Order 4456, which directs DOI bureaus to produce a plan for expanding access on lands, among other important measures for sportsmen’s access. In February of 2018, Zinke announced Secretarial Order 3362, which promotes collaboration between DOI and western state fish and wildlife agencies for the conservation of big-game winter range and migration corridors for antelope, elk, and mule deer.
Zinke also established the Hunting and Shooting Sports Conservation Council (HSSCC) with the purpose of advising the Secretaries of Interior and Agriculture on priorities for the sportsmen’s community. Crane currently serves as its Chairman and joins 17 other conservation leaders on this Council.
“Ryan Zinke is an avid sportsman who was staunchly committed to increasing public access to public lands as well as prioritizing significant conservation policies during his time as a public servant, both as member of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus while in Congress, and most recently as Secretary of the Interior. We thank him for his many years of public service and his commitment to advancing pro-sportsmen’s policies,” said Crane. “We urge President Trump to select a sportsman or sportswoman who shares his dedication to the community to fill his shoes for the remainder of this administration.”
Secratary Ryan Zinke and CSF President Jeff Crane at the Sportsman’s Access Ramp Up Summit.
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?
