By Brent Miller, Senior Director of Northeastern States
On April 15, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) sponsored an event for state fish and wildlife agency directors at the Northeast Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies conference in Burlington, Vermont.
At the event, participants toured the cutting-edge Ed Weed Fish Culture Station managed by the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife, and enjoyed a lunch where CSF’s Brent Miller discussed efforts to showcase the role of sportsmen and women in providing critical funding for state-level conservation efforts through the “user-pays, public benefits” American System of Conservation Funding, and provided a briefing on key federal policy priorities for state agencies’ engagement.
Co-Chair of the Vermont Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus and Member of the National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses (NASC) Executive Council Representative Patrick Brennan welcomed the directors and briefly explained the NASC program and upcoming Annual NASC Sportsman-Legislator Summit. Also discussed were ways state fish and wildlife agencies and NASC-member caucuses can work together to enhance our time-honored sporting traditions throughout the region.
“It was more than appropriate that this discussion took place in Vermont,” said CSF’s Senior Director of Northeastern States Brent Miller. “Vermont is a shining example of how a collaborative approach between the Vermont Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus and the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife can yield positive results for the sportsmen and women of the Green Mountain State.”
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?
