Why It Matters: Providing sportsmen and women with quality places to hunt and trap serves to protect our outdoor traditions and bolster conservation funding. Not only are sportsmen and women active participants in conserving both game and non-game species, but through the American System of Conservation Funding (ASCF), they are also the primary funders of […]
Why It Matters: Although sportsmen and women have long carried the banner as the primary funders of conservation, supplemental revenue streams are needed in nearly every state to meet fish and wildlife management needs. Without alternative funding sources that complement the long-standing leadership of sportsmen and women, conservation programs, and associated outdoor opportunities, are likely to suffer. Highlights: Throughout the country, conversations in the halls […]
Why It Matters: Hunters and anglers shoulder the costs of fish and wildlife conservation, but when their license dollars no longer adequately cover the costs of conservation, state agencies cannot deliver the quality hunting and fishing opportunities that keeps sportsmen and women afield. A modest license fee adjustment can address these funding shortfalls and better secure the longevity of […]
Why It Matters: Although sportsmen and women are the backbone of conservation funding through their license and sporting gear purchases, states offer brief, limited opportunities to fish without purchasing a license in an effort to grow the base of anglers. Highlights: With summer officially upon us, almost all of the statehouses in the Great Lakes region have emptied their chambers of legislators while nearby […]
Why It Matters: Expanding commercial fishing efforts that use indiscriminate gear such as gill nets stands to repeat the harm done by commercial overharvest in the Great Lakes during the twentieth century, damaging Michigan’s fisheries resources, its recreational fishing opportunities, and its outdoor economy. Highlights: If passed, Michigan House Bills 5801 and 5802 would expand commercial […]
Why It Matters: From protecting sportsmen’s interests at the ballot box, to ensuring access to safe shooting ranges, to meeting the financial needs of conservation efforts, Michigan’s docket is packed with legislation that stands to positively impact sportsmen and women. With a little over six months remaining in the 2025-2026 session, there is plenty of work to be done to […]
Why It Matters: Within striking distance of crossing the finish line on a multi-year effort, the Michigan Senate’s unanimous passage of a Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) priority bill to allow hunter education and firearm safety to be taught in schools for credit towards graduation aims to introduce young people to firearm safety, the great outdoors,…
Why It Matters: Through the purchase of hunting and fishing licenses and tags, sportsmen and women provide the foundation for the American System of Conservation Funding. However, over time, the operational costs of state fish and wildlife agencies can exceed the revenue generated from these license and tag purchases, and legislatures must sometimes revisit the…
Why It Matters: Although hunters are at home in the field or woods, they must still be aware of what happens in the halls of their state government. Changes and updates to hunting laws and regulations can impact the pursuit of sportsmen and women’s favorite species, and hunters must stay on top of those changes…
Why It Matters: Revenue generated by sportsmen and women purchasing their licenses and tags is the foundation of the American System of Conservation Funding. However, as years pass, the costs that state fish and wildlife agencies incur while carrying out their missions exceed the revenue generated from these license and tag purchases, and legislatures must…
Why it Matters: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) provides important hunting and fishing opportunities across the country. Despite the importance that FWS lands, particularly through the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) and the National Fish Hatchery System (NFHS), play for sportsmen and women, there are often inconsistencies between state and federal regulations, as…