On February 9, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation welcomed Governor Jim Justice as the 28th member of the Governors Sportsmen’s Caucus (GSC). Governor Justice joins a group of bipartisan governors from across the country who are dedicated to protecting and advancing hunting, angling, recreational shooting, and trapping.
“I am committed to protecting our state’s strong outdoor sporting traditions and I look forward to working with other like-minded Governors to advance sound wildlife conservation policy,” said Governor Justice. “It is a privilege and honor to join the Governor’s Sportsmen’s Caucus.”
Founded in 2009 by the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, the GSC facilitates communication and information exchange among the 28 participating offices in support of policies that promote professional fish and wildlife management.
Over 477,000 sportsmen and women in West Virginia support more than 12,500 jobs across the state and contribute $1.18 billion to the state’s economy. In 2015 alone, sportsmen and women in the Mountain State generated $27,496,281 for conservation programs through the “user-pays, public-benefits” structure known as the American System of Conservation Funding.
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?
