Summary 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. …
Summary 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 …
Summary 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 …
Introduction 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 …
Summary 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 …
Summary 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 …
Summary National Hunting and Fishing Day celebrates the time-honored traditions of hunting and angling, as well as the immense conservation and economic contributions made over time by the original conservationists – sportsmen and women – who support sound, science-based wildlife management through license sales, excises taxes on outdoor gear, and sustainable-use models. National Hunting and …
Summary As with many Constitutional protections, the court system has created carve-outs and exceptions to the Fourth Amendment, one being the Open Fields Doctrine. This doctrine holds that the expectation of privacy provided by the Fourth Amendment does not extend to “open fields” or other wooded properties, regardless of whether a property is posted with …
Summary Encouraging sportsmen’s involvement in the political process is an important method for protecting our outdoor heritage. Increased public participation, particularly at the ballot box, ensures that hunters and anglers are represented, which strengthens the ability of the sportsmen’s community to collectively defeat anti-sportsmen policy objectives. Facilitating voter registration for sportsmen and women, at the …
Summary The vast majority of states throughout the nation offer an online component of the hunter’s safety course, which provides potential hunters a way to receive their hunter safety certification at their own pace. By offering new hunters an easy and efficient way to gain hunter safety certification, more people will have the opportunity to …