State: MN

Why It Matters: Across the United States, state fish and wildlife agencies make management decisions based on impacts to species at the population-level. Straying from this nearly universally practiced approach – particularly when creating a rule to prohibit lead ammunition, which is not readily available to meet the demands of sportsmen and women – may…

Why It Matters: In policymaking, omnibus legislation is the result of compromise between legislators from different parties and the legislative chambers advocation for a wide range of priorities. As Minnesota legislators negotiated the final version of the natural resource omnibus bill, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) remained engaged with legislators to ensure that the best…

Why It Matters: Prohibiting the use of lead fishing equipment in certain Minnesota waters is likely to have a negative impact on anglers’ ability to enjoy their favorite pastime, and it would also negatively impact revenue realized by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Highlights: Minnesota House File 2310, the House Natural Resource budget bill,…

Why It Matters: Bills piling up on legislative calendars across the country means that hunters, anglers, recreational shooters, and trappers could see changes to their favorite pastimes. The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation is committed to protecting our time-honored outdoor traditions through active engagement in the legislative process. Highlights:  With legislative sessions across the country in full…

Recent advances in technology, such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV’s), which can assist in the tracking and taking of game, have posed an ethical debate within the hunting community. Legislators and sportsmen should be mindful of Fair Chase issues and, on a state-by-state basis, determine if legislation is warranted to ensure hunting is practiced ethically…

Why It Matters: Because alternative ammunition options are often more costly and limited or difficult for hunters to obtain, bans like the one recently repealed in Minnesota can create a barrier for participation. With fewer hunters able to participate, the crucial role that hunting plays in wildlife management is diminished, both in population control and…

Contact: Nick Buggia, Upper Midwestern States Manager Highlights Why it Matters: The Endangered Species Act (ESA) was created to help species at risk of extinction and whose future is uncertain in the United States. Species on the list are provided with protections and funding for conservation efforts to ensure their recovery. Since its inception, only 34…

Contact: Nick Buggia, Upper Midwestern States Manager On February 16, the Minnesota Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus (Caucus) hosted a virtual conservation policy forum that was co-hosted with the Minnesota Outdoor Heritage Alliance (MOHA). This was the first event held by the Caucus in several years and the first virtual event a National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucus (NASC) has held…

Contacts: Nick Buggia, Upper Midwestern States Manager; Kent Keene, Lower Midwestern States Coordinator Since many Midwestern states have either wrapped up their 2020 legislative sessions or remain suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, members of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation’s States Program Team will be providing brief regional legislative updates over the next few weeks. Below…

Contact: Kent Keene, Lower Midwestern States Coordinator On February 14-16, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) Lower Midwestern States Coordinator, Kent Keene, attended the 2020 Pheasant Fest and Quail Classic hosted by Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever in Minneapolis, MN. In attendance were representatives from state fish and wildlife agencies, hunting and conservation organizations, Natural Resource Conservation…

Contact: Nick Buggia, Upper Midwestern States Manager On June 25, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) held an open house and public comment period in Brainerd, Minnesota regarding the delisting of gray wolves from the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife in Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. The event filled the 300-seat venue in northern…

By Nick Buggia, Upper Midwestern States Manager Newly elected Minnesota Governor, and former Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus (CSC) Co-Chair, Tim Walz recently joined the Governors Sportsmen’s Caucus (GSC), a bipartisan group of governors from across the country who are dedicated to providing a voice for their state’s sportsmen and women and advancing professional fish and wildlife…