Why It Matters: As the election year frenzy has settled down over the holiday season, legislative bodies are swearing in new members and choosing chairs and leaders of committees. Although voting numbers seem to be increasing, a historical trend of hunters not voting exists. Some sources prior to the 2024 election were reporting that there …
Why it Matters: The use of ballot initiatives, like Proposition 127, to ban hunting circumvents the legislative and regulatory process that provides the opportunity for input by professionals, for revisions, and considerations of broader impacts within Colorado’s overall science-based management plan. These initiatives can allow wildlife management decisions to be made based on emotion rather …
Rocky Mountain High, Colorado: Victory in the Fight Against Prop 127 Read More »
Why It Matters: Despite the highest abundance of red snapper anyone has ever seen in the South Atlantic, the most recent stock assessments still consider the popular recreational and commercial fish “overfished and undergoing overfishing”. Because the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (South Atlantic Council) has not taken drastic action to end overfishing as defined …
NMFS Planning to Step on South Atlantic Council Regarding Red Snapper Management Read More »
The American Wildlife Conservation Partners (AWCP) – comprised of the nation’s top 52 sporting-conservation organizations that represent America’s hunter-conservationists, professional wildlife and natural resource managers, outdoor recreation users, conservation educators, and wildlife scientists – released Wildlife for the 21st Century, Volume VII (W-21). This comprehensive publication focuses on solutions to conserve wildlife and their habitats …
Why It Matters: The Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund, which grants authority to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to acquire public land, is up for reauthorization and will be a focal point of the Badger State’s upcoming legislative session. Access to public lands and waters that are open to hunting and fishing is critical for the …
Key Public Land Acquisition Fund Faces Reauthorization in Wisconsin Read More »
Why It Matters: State fish and wildlife agencies throughout our country are tasked with the difficult job of balancing recreation with conservation and wildlife management. Extra work goes into special hunts and the raffle permit systems. The carefully planned 2024-2025 special hunt season in Washington State was thrown into chaos after a software error was …
Computer Glitch Impacts Washington State Special Hunt Permits Read More »
Why It Matters: Through the unique “user pays – public benefits” structure of the American System of Conservation Funding (ASCF), recreational shooters are an unsung hero of conservation funding. Manufacturers of firearms and ammunition supported the passage of Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act, redirecting an existing manufacturer-level excise tax on their products to be …
Home on the Range: Recreational Shooting is an Unsung Hero of Our Sporting Traditions Read More »
Why It Matters: Like in the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf), red snapper are an extremely popular reef fish in the South Atlantic. Unfortunately, we’re stuck under a federal management paradigm that rewards a rapidly rebuilding red snapper population with fewer red snapper fishing opportunities. Last week, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announced a 1-day …
Why It Matters: One of the most difficult challenges with estimating recreational harvest is obtaining a reliable estimate of how many people are fishing for a given species over time. This difficulty was recently highlighted again when the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced last summer that the Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) Fishing …
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish – How Many People Caught the Fish? Read More »
Why It Matters: Quagga mussels, initially detected in the Snake River in September 2023, prompted rapid treatment and mitigation efforts that included limiting access to the waterway. Supported by Idaho Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus Co-chairs, Senate Bill 1372 added $6.6 million in funding towards detection, treatment, and eradication of aquatic invasive species. Early detection and treatment …
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