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September 8, 2016
Your Trusted Source for Federal and State Policy Updates and News Concerning Our Sportsmen's Heritage
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ON CAPITOL HILL
Recently, the Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council (WHHCC) wrote a letter to Department of Interior Secretary Sally Jewell requesting that the Administration consider supporting legislation entitled the Modernizing the Pittman-Robertson Fund for Tomorrow's Needs Act (S. 2690 and H.R. 4818) that includes strategies to sustain conservation funding and participation levels in hunting and recreational shooting...
IN THE STATES
On September 7, sportsmen-legislators from across the West gathered in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho for a reception hosted by the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation (CSF). This reception provided an opportunity for legislators to discuss upcoming priorities for sportsmen and women in the Western United States...
On August 25, Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge Steven G. Salant ruled that the Montgomery County Department of Parks' bowhunting deer management program does not violate Maryland's animal cruelty code. The case began with a lawsuit filed against the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission by a member of the animal rights group, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)...
Minnesota: Department of Natural Resources Hosts Summit on Hunter and Angler Recruitment and RetentionThe participation rates in the state have dropped around five percent in hunting and nearly 15 percent in angling since the 1980s. For the past decade, the number of sportsmen and women in Minnesota has remained stable, with approximately 1.1 million resident anglers and 550,000 resident hunters. While the number of sportsmen and women are not currently declining in the state, they are not increasing with the growth of the state population...
New Jersey: Judge Strikes down Trophy Importation Ban
On August 29, U.S. federal court Judge Freda Wolfson ruled in favor of sportsmen and women by prohibiting the state of New Jersey from enforcing Senate Bills 977 and 978. These anti-sportsmen bills would have banned New Jersey hunters from importing, exporting, and possessing the African "Big Four" (elephant, leopard, lion, and rhinoceros) hunting trophies in the state, activities that are otherwise permitted by federal law...
North Dakota: Sportsmen's Caucus Holds 2nd Annual Legislative Shoot
On September 1, members of the North Dakota Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus gathered at Capital City Sporting Clays outside Bismarck, North Dakota for the 2nd Annual Legislative Shoot with members of the North Dakota sportsmen's community...
Pennsylvania: CSF and Conservation Partners Oppose House Bill 2083
On September 6, the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation (CSF), alongside numerous conservation partners, submitted a letter of opposition on Pennsylvania House Bill 2083 (HB 2083) to members of the Pennsylvania House State Government Committee. The following conservation organizations joined CSF in voicing concerns about HB 2083: Ducks Unlimited, National Deer Alliance, National Wild Turkey Federation, Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs, Pheasants Forever/Quail Forever, Quality Deer Management Association, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Safari Club International (SCI), SCI - Allegheny Mountains Chapter, and SCI - Three State Chapter... South Carolina: South Atlantic Council to Discuss Contentious Management Measures at Next MeetingThe South Atlantic Fishery Management Council meets next week in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, to discuss pending management options that eventually could impact recreational anglers from North Carolina to the Florida Keys. One item on the agenda is a proposed reallocation of dolphin fish (also called mahi-mahi or dorado) from the recreational to the commercial sector. Dolphin historically have been predominately a recreational fishery, with some commercial harvest as largely bycatch in other fisheries. However, the commercial longline harvest has increased substantially in recent years, causing the commercial fishery to close early while recreational anglers have remained well under their quota. As a result, the South Atlantic Council is exploring shifting quota to the commercial sector...
In a nod to sportsmen and women, Governors Sportsmen's Caucus (GCS) Vice-Chair Wyoming Governor Matt Mead recently announced a set of initiatives aimed at advancing the shooting sports in the Cowboy State...
CSF NEWS
CSF is currently accepting applications for the Fall 2016 Brad Rowse Fellow Internship Program. Brad Rowse Fellows at the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation (CSF) will have the opportunity to learn the importance of the policy process related to hunting, angling, recreational shooting, trapping, and other conservation issues impacting sportsmen and women. This is a paid internship with a stipend of up to $1000 a month, and academic credit is strongly supported.
In celebration of its 150th Anniversary, Winchester, one of the oldest partners of the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation (CSF), has donated one of five commemorative firearms to be auctioned off from now until the October 12 Wine, Wheels & Wildlife regional event. This Model 70 .30-06 bolt-action rifle was built in 1937 and features historic ammunition cartridges, a nostalgic display case and the Winchester 150th Anniversary medallion.
On September 14, CSF will host the 27th Annual Banquet & Auction in Washington, DC. This event, themed, "A Celebration of the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus: Leaders in Conservation," will include a reception, dinner, and silent and live auctions. This annual event provides an opportunity for the sportsmen's community, supporters and friends of CSF to gather and recognize the many accomplishments of the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus for the hunting and fishing community. Registration is now open for the 13th Annual National Assembly of Sportsmen's Caucuses (NASC) Sportsman-Legislator Summit. The Summit provides an opportunity for caucus members and partners to collaborate and devise year-long strategies to advance sportsmen's interests in state legislatures. Attendees will discuss the wide range of challenges currently facing America's sportsmen and women, along with the strategies necessary to overcome those challenges to protect and advance America's outdoor heritage, traditions, and sportsmen-generated conservation dollars in the years to come. This year's Summit will take place November 29 - December 3 in Biloxi, Mississippi. For more information, or if you would like to register, please contact Jennifer Mecchella at jennifer@sportsmenslink.org or (321) 759-7523.
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