Why It Matters: Voters in Florida spoke loud and clear – hunting, fishing, and the harvesting of wildlife are rights that need to be protected within the Constitution of Florida. Nearly 7 million Floridians took a massive step and voted favorably on Amendment 2 to ensure that the time-honored sporting traditions of Floridians as well…
Why It Matters: Tomorrow, November 5, those who haven’t voted early or by mail will flock to the polls to have their voice heard on Election Day. As we have reported previously, Floridians can enshrine the right to hunt and fish within their state constitution by voting “yes” on Amendment 2. If Amendment 2 receives…
Why It Matters: With election day right around the corner (November 5), anticipation is building for Americans to get out and exercise their right to vote. This year’s election is especially important for sportsmen and women, as voters will be presented with the opportunity to protect our time-honored traditions at the ballot box. Aside from…
Why It Matters: Passage of Amendment 2, the proposed right to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife constitutional amendment in Florida, on November 5 would not only ensure the protection of our shared, time-honored traditions of hunting and fishing from unnecessary limitations or outright bans, but also the continuation of conservation funding through the American System…
Why It Matters: Congressionally designated Wilderness oftentimes reduces access for sportsmen and women and limits natural resource management capabilities in favor of preservation over conservation. Establishing Wilderness designations within the Big Cypress National Preserve (BCNP) would negatively impact science-based management practices to improve wildlife habitat as well as quality hunting opportunities in southern Florida. Highlights:…
Why It Matters: July 12th marked the beginning, and the end, of the 2024 South Atlantic red snapper season. Unfortunately, we are stuck under a federal management paradigm in the South Atlantic that rewards a rapidly rebuilding red snapper population with fewer red snapper fishing opportunities, with the season totaling one day this year. Sound…
Many sportsmen and women depend on federal lands managed by agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for access to activities like hunting, fishing and recreational shooting. As these agencies develop strategies to manage federal lands, it is critical for those who support these activities…
“No-Net-Loss” of public lands has become increasingly important to ensure access to public lands and waterways for current and future generations of sportsmen and women. Sometimes referred to as “Hunting Heritage Protection Acts,” these policies limit the loss of access to hunting and fishing opportunity by establishing a minimum acreage of publicly- owned areas open…
In recent years, Off Highway Vehicle (OHV) use has increased rapidly across the country.The unmitigated consequences of such growth not only threatens the environmental health of the lands used in OHV recreation but also threatens to eliminate future OHV opportunities. Some states have taken steps to provide adequate funding for sustainable OHV management and to…
Concerned about the uncertainty that 30×30 policies may pose for hunting and fishing access, the sportsmen’s community issued the Hunting and Fishing Community Statement on the 30 by 30 Initiative. This statement recognizes and embraces the overlap between the sportsmen’s community’s collective work to conserve fish and wildlife species and their habitats and the establishment…
One important tool for protecting fish and wildlife habitat is a state-level tax credit for gifts of land for conservation or conservation easements. With a wide variety of implementation options, these programs can provide alternatives to development by providing landowners with financial incentives to conserve land. These lands benefit fish and wildlife populations and have…
Properly managed wildlife habitat is essential for supporting sustainable and healthy wildlife populations. Well-managed lands containvarious successional stages that provide a diversity of habitats capable of supporting a diversity of wildlife. On federal lands, however, young forests and other early seral habitats are often underrepresented. The most efficient method to improve wildlife habitat is through…