Introduction Merchant Category Codes (MCCs) are four-digit identifiers used by payment networks to broadly categorize a merchant’s line of business (e.g., grocery, hardware, sporting goods). Recently, the creation and contemplated use of a firearm-specific MCC has raised concerns that financial institutions could flag, track, and/or halt lawful purchases by hunters and recreational shooters. To protect …
Why It Matters: Prescribed fire is a cost-effective management tool that can be utilized at scale to improve wildlife habitat, increase vegetation diversity, and reduce fuel loads to lessen wildfire severity. Over time, fire suppression and reduced burning in fire-adapted communities on the Daniel Boone National Forest has allowed leaf litter to accumulate on the …
CSF Supports Prescribed Fire Project on the Daniel Boone National Forest Read More »
Why It Matters: As states look to appeal to new hunters, offering methods of take that are beginner-friendly can positively impact hunter recruitment, retention, and reactivation efforts. With the growing popularity of crossbows, hunters have the opportunity to pursue our time-honored traditions in an exciting manner while expanding access to novice and seasoned hunters alike …
Crossbows – Extending Opportunities and Providing Access Read More »
Why It Matters: Kentucky’s sportsmen and women were faced with several bills during the 2024 legislative session, both positive and negative, that would impact their ability to enjoy our time-honored traditions. The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) had a seat at the table in Frankfort working on these bills to protect and promote Kentucky’s rich sporting …
Busy in the Bluegrass State – Recapping a Successful Legislative Session in Kentucky Read More »
Why It Matters: Hunters and recreational shooters are the backbone of the “user pays – public benefits” American System of Conservation Funding. Hunting license sales generate significant revenue for state fish and wildlife agencies, and manufacturers pay a self-imposed excise tax on their firearm and ammunition purchases which is then returned to state fish and …
Kentucky General Assembly Successfully Protects Hunter and Recreational Shooter Privacy Read More »
Why It Matters: Kentucky would have been the first state in the country to place the management of its fish and wildlife agency under its Department of Agriculture and give all Wildlife Commissioner appointments to its Commissioner of Agriculture, which would have been a significant departure from how fish and wildlife resources have been managed …
Kentucky Senate Bill 3 Defeated by Unified Opposition from the Sportsmen’s Community Read More »
Why It Matters: Kentucky would be the first state in the country to place the management of its fish and wildlife agency under its Department of Agriculture and give all Wildlife Commissioner appointments to its Commissioner of Agriculture, which is a significant departure from how fish and wildlife resources have been managed since the early …
Why It Matters: The North American Model of Wildlife Conservation is widely recognized as one of the most successful models of wildlife conservation in the world, and one of its key components is that wildlife harvest is allocated by law, including regulatory decisions made by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR) Commission. …
Why It Matters: It is no secret that hunter participation rates are declining across the country. While it may oftentimes go unrecognized, hunter safety education courses offer young and new hunters the opportunity to learn proper firearm safety and safe hunting practices to take afield. Hunter safety programs serve to keep hunters safe while in …
Misguided Hunter Education Repeal Bill Introduced in Kentucky Read More »
Why It Matters: While hunting and fishing license exemptions for qualified individuals or groups are well-intentioned, they threaten conservation funding for state fish and wildlife agencies through both the direct loss of license sales and the loss of matching federal funds through the Pittman-Robertson (PR) and Dingell-Johnson/Wallop-Breaux (DJ) Acts. State fish and wildlife agencies depend …
New Year, New Threats to Conservation Funding in Kentucky Read More »
