On Tuesday, June 4, North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory signed legislation that will significantly increase hunter recruitment and retention in the state of North Carolina. S.B. 234 effectively establishes a Hunting Apprentice Permit that enables youth or beginners to experience hunting without completing the hunter education course if accompanied by an adult licensed hunter. The…
June 7, 2013 (Washington, DC) – Next week, the North Carolina House of Representatives will take up the proposed state budget previously passed by the Senate that saw various cuts across the board. Most notably, the Wildlife Resources Commission (WRC) appropriations were slashed by 49% dropping the appropriations to the WRC from almost $18.5 million…
The inaugural meeting of the North Dakota Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus was held on Thursday, April 25. With over 40 legislators in attendance, North Dakota officially became the 42nd state to organize a bipartisan legislative sportsmen’s caucus under the National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses. The leadership of the newly established caucus includes Senators Kelley Armstrong and…
As highlighted in a recent USA Today article, North Carolina is one of a handful of states that are working to repeal outdated Sunday hunting restrictions as state legislative sessions begin to wind down in 2013. North Carolina Senate Bill 224, sponsored by North Carolina Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus Co-Chair Senator Buck Newton, would lift the…
On Tuesday, March 12, the North Carolina Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus hosted its Annual Dinner to thank their members and the state’s conservation community for continued support of sportsmen’s initiatives. The dinner was widely attended by elected officials and also included representatives from state chapters of other conservation organizations such as the North Carolina Wildlife Federation,…
On Thursday, March 14, the House Committee on Natural Resources held a hearing on the Preserving Access to Cape Hatteras National Seashore Recreational Area Act (H.R. 819). Click here to watch the archived hearing webcast. This bill will reinstate the Interim Management Strategy governing off-road vehicle (ORV) use in the Cape Hatteras National Seashore Recreational…
On Wednesday, March 13, the House Committee on Natural Resources held an oversight hearing on the reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Click here to watch a live recording of the hearing. The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act is the primary statute governing fishing activities in federal waters and expires at…
On March 14, 2013 at 10:00am EDST, the House Committee on Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation will hold a hearing on the Preserving Access to Cape Hatteras National Seashore Recreational Area Act (H.R. 819). This bill would reinstate the Interim Protected Species Management Strategy (Interim Strategy) governing off-road vehicle (ORV) use…
2013 Sportsmen’s Economic Impact Report – North Carolina
North Carolina sportsmen and women could fill every seat at Lowes Motor Speedway more than 6 times (1 million vs. 165,000). Every five years in conjunction with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Survey on hunters and anglers, CSF produces a report on the economic impact hunters and anglers have on the economy. This information is…