Why It Matters: Sportsmen and women have a crucial role as the primary funders of state-level conservation efforts in New Jersey and across the nation and are thus an important constituency that provides benefits for all recreators. For this reason and several more, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) has a tenured history in fighting against…
Why It Matters: State fish and wildlife agencies are instrumental in setting the frameworks that result in the successful conservation and management of a state’s fish, wildlife, and their habitats. Sportsmen and women (including hunters, anglers, recreational shooters, and trappers) have played a crucial role in funding conservation efforts in the United States for over…
Contact: Nick Lewis, Mid-Atlantic States Coordinator Highlights Why it Matters: New Jersey’s hunting and recreational shooting communities have long played a vital role in funding conservation and wildlife management efforts throughout the state. Through the American System of Conservation Funding (ASCF), a unique “user pays — public benefits” structure, New Jersey’s sportsmen and women generate tens of…
Contact: Nick Lewis, Mid-Atlantic States Coordinator Highlights Why it Matters: The New Jersey Fish and Wildlife Council (FWC) manages the state’s fish and wildlife resources on behalf of the Garden State. According to the Department of Environmental Protection, the FWC is responsible for creating and finalizing hunting and fishing regulations, enabling “the professional and scientific…
Contact: Nick Lewis, Mid-Atlantic States Coordinator Highlights Why it Matters: Legislatively mandating wildlife management decisions, thereby circumventing state fish and wildlife agency authority, sets a dangerous precedent. Our nation’s state fish and wildlife agencies have successfully and sustainably managed fish and wildlife populations and healthy ecosystems for decades, many for more than a century, and…
Contact: Joe Mullin, New England States Senior Coordinator On January 27, the New Jersey Assembly Agriculture Committee convened for a hearing to discuss, among several topics, Assembly Bill 3897 (AB 3897) – a proposed $5 increase for the state’s Waterfowl Stamp. Following a brief conversation and moment for public comment, the Committee voted to unanimously…
Contact: Brent Miller, Senior Director, Northeastern States and States Program Administrator On August 25, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy published a revised budget proposal for the 2021 fiscal year, which includes, among other items, an increase in firearms fees and the institution of an excise tax on firearms and ammunition (estimated to generate $6.3 million),…
Contact: Brent Miller, Senior Director, Northeastern States & States Program Administrator On June 8, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) submitted comments on a proposed Recreational Fishing Plan (Plan) for the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge). While the Plan included some positive enhancements of recreational angling access within the Refuge, it also included a…
Contact: Brent Miller, Senior Director, Northeastern States & States Program Administrator On Tuesday, April 7, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy announced the closure of state forests and parks, purportedly to help stop the spread of COVID-19. The action was met with swift and sharp criticism from all sectors of the sportsmen’s community, including Co-Chairs of the New…
Contact: Brent Miller, Senior Director, Northeastern States & States Program Administrator Over the weekend the Trump administration issued guidance through the Department of Homeland Security that firearms-related businesses should be allowed to operate during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, as governors across the nation have issued well-intentioned orders aimed at minimizing person-to-person contact to slow the spread…
Contact: Senior Director, Northeastern States and States Program Administrator Brent Miller On January 13, AB 2731, a bill to remove the statutory limits on the number of beaver permits that can be issued by the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife became eligible for consideration by the Governor. The bill received strong bipartisan votes in both the…
Contacts: Senior Director, Northeastern States and States Program Administrator Brent Miller & New England States Coordinator Joseph Mullin With state legislative sessions beginning across the northeast, members of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation’s (CSF) States Program Team are hard at work tracking and engaging on legislation throughout the region. In the coming months, northeast staff will continue to support…