“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…
Red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico is a prime example of how a management scheme designed for one sector (commercial) ultimately penalized the other (recreational). Despite the healthiest population of Gulf red snapper in recorded history, recreational anglers recently faced decreasing season lengths until 2017. Fortunately, the Gulf Council passed Amendment 50 to the…
Exotic invasive species are plants, animals, or pathogens that are non-native to the U.S., or regions of the U.S., and that harm, or are likely to harm, the economy, natural resources or human health. Addressing exotic invasive species requires significant coordination and joint actions between federal and state agencies, local governments, and private organizations. Efforts…
Outdoor sporting goods tax holidays offer sportsmen and women an opportunity to purchase the equipment they need tax free while at the same time benefiting conservation programs through increasing sales of firearms,ammunition, and other items that are subject to federal excise taxes. Gun sales soared (650% increase in one day) on the first ever Outdoor…
Classified as a nuisance species in many states and not native to the Americas, feral swine cause significant damage to our natural resources and negatively impact agricultural production across the country. Recent research highlights the growing negative impacts feral swine can have to our water, plants, wildlife communities (both game and non-game) and their habitat….
Over 12,000 offshore oil and gas platforms, or “rigs”, have been constructed across the globe,[ with over 7,000 in the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) over the course of the last 70 years. Over time, these structures have been the catalyst for teeming communities of fish and marine life that serve as incredibly important destinations for…
One of the primary motivations for many individuals to hunt and fish is to provide food for themselves and their families and friends. Many hunters take advantage of opportunities to donate to one of the many game meat donation programs operated by various charitable organizations. Though there exists a well-established tradition of nourishing others through…
Preemption is the process where a higher level of government revokes the regulatory ability of a lower level of government. While such an action may seem prohibitive to local lawmakers, firearm and ammunition preemption prevents the creation of a confusing patchwork of local laws and ensures that all firearms owners within a state are subject…