Why It Matters: This past week, the fish and game Commissions for both Montana and Washington State reviewed their mountain lion quotas and hunting seasons. Montana took an ecosystem approach and aimed for harvests that were sustainable for both mountain lions and ungulates while maintaining hunting opportunities. Washington focused solely on mountain lion populations with…
Why It Matters: Many sportsmen and sportswomen head to the outdoors to get away from their phones and technology, so it can be easy to forget that technology has many benefits for, as well as impacts on, conservation efforts. From GIS mapping systems that will help improve sagebrush habitat, to debates over hunting and fishing…
Why It Matters: As population studies wrap-up, commissions convene, and court decisions are announced, management and regulatory conversations begin anew. While wolves are only one species among thousands, the decisions being made with wolf management have ripple effects throughout wildlife conservation as well as hunting and trapping opportunities. The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) is working…
Why It Matters: Despite existing security and reporting requirements on Federal Firearms License (FFL) holders, a bill is making its way through Washington State that would add onerous restrictions on firearms businesses. During recent testimony, licensed firearms dealers warned that these proposed restrictions will put them out of business. Should FFL locations begin closing as…
Why It Matters: Washington State relies heavily on licensed trappers to help manage and mitigate human-wildlife conflict. Products made from legally harvested animals provide a valuable use of resources. Senate Bill 6294 would have made the retail sale of most furs illegal in Washington by restricting the sale of fur-based products, including fly-tying supplies. Highlights:…
Why It Matters: Law-abiding hunters and recreational shooters have long played a vital role in funding conservation through various wildlife management nationwide. Recently, state legislatures have begun proposing state excise taxes in addition to the existing manufacturer-level taxes already being paid under federal law. Under the American System of Conservation Funding (ASCF), a unique “user…
Why it Matters: The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Commission denied a petition to initiate rulemaking around wolf-livestock conflict at their meeting on October 28, 2023. Since that decision, petitioners filed an appeal with Governor Jay Inslee requesting that he overturn the commission’s decision by directing WDFW to initiate rulemaking. This exact process…
Opportunities to expand angling access throughout the country have become increasingly limited in recent years due to increases in private ownership along waterways and attendant riparian rights limiting new access construction. State authorities often have the opportunity to expand fresh water angling access through the establishment of access points when state highway transportation departments are…
Many sportsmen and women depend on federal lands managed by agencies such as the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for access to activities like hunting, fishing and recreational shooting. As these agencies develop strategies to manage federal lands, it is critical for those who support these activities…
Properly managed wildlife habitat is essential for supporting sustainable and healthy wildlife populations. Well-managed lands containvarious successional stages that provide a diversity of habitats capable of supporting a diversity of wildlife. On federal lands, however, young forests and other early seral habitats are often underrepresented. The most efficient method to improve wildlife habitat is through…
Established with the dedicated purpose of protecting and conserving wildlife, game commissions have been understandably staffed by experts in the field throughout their existence. Such experts’ ability to make responsible and effective decisions regarding wildlife management has become contested through non-sportsmen and women pushes for representation on game commissions. Having board members that are neutral…
Preemption is the process where a higher level of government revokes the regulatory ability of a lower level of government. While such an action may seem prohibitive to local lawmakers, firearm and ammunition preemption prevents the creation of a confusing patchwork of local laws and ensures that all firearms owners within a state are subject…