Why It Matters: The Public Trust Doctrine establishes that wildlife resources are owned by the public and are to be managed by government agencies for the benefit of the public. This key principle is a core tenant of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation which is widely renowned as the most successful model of […]
Wake County, NC – A landmark North Carolina court ruling has provided one of the most significant validations to date of the power that constitutional Right to Hunt and Fish protections can provide for America’s sportsmen and women. On August 17, the Wake County Superior Court ruled in favor of the Coastal Conservation Association of North Carolina (CCA NC) and […]
Why It Matters: Once abundant throughout much of the Eastern United States, Eastern Elk were extirpated from North Carolina by 1800 due to unregulated hunting and loss of habitat. However, thanks to careful science-based wildlife management and sustained and significant investments by sportsmen and women, elk now roam the mountains of Western North Carolina. Through a highly regulated permit management system, North Carolina’s first elk season would […]
Why It Matters: Access to quality hunting and fishing lands and waters comes in all shapes and sizes. However, regardless of the size of the property or quality of habitat, there is one common denominator when it comes to acquiring land – money. While hunters and anglers contribute through the “user pays – public benefits” structure that is the American […]
Why It Matters: For over a decade, South Atlantic red snapper anglers have been trapped in a management system that routinely relies on federal recreational catch data that consistently misses even the National Marine Fisheries Service’s mark for useable data. This year, a state-led effort to collect more accurate and timely catch information through exempted fishing permits (EFPs) offered a […]
Why It Matters: As is with much of the country, turkey hunting continues to be wildly popular among hunters across the Southeast. Turkey hunting traditions run deep throughout the region, and the pursuit generates millions of dollars through the “user pays – public benefits” structure that is the American System of Conservation Funding (ASCF). From recruiting the next generation of […]
Why It Matters: From the mountains to the coast, North Carolina offers abundant hunting and fishing opportunities for all to enjoy. The North Carolina Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus has been hard at work year after year to ensure our time-honored traditions are sustained for generations to come. However, the ball doesn’t stop on the floor of the General Assembly when it comes to […]
Why It Matters: Marine fisheries management varies widely among Atlantic Coast states. Any opportunity to develop and implement harvest reporting requirements should be approached carefully with the goal of providing credible data that can, in turn, be used to manage a resource enjoyed by millions of anglers. Reliable catch information, if properly developed, could advance…
Why It Matters: Black bears present hunters with the opportunity to get afield in pursuit of one of the most storied big game animals in the country, both past and present. Simultaneously, black bear hunters generate valuable conservation funding dollars through the “user pays – public benefits” structure of the American System of Conservation Funding…
Why It Matters: Access to America’s public lands and waters are key to passing along our time-honored traditions to the next generation. After all, it is the hunters and anglers of tomorrow that will shoulder the responsibility of funding conservation through the “user pays – public benefits” structure of the American System of Conservation Funding…