Here’s a great new report on the contributions that hunters make to wildlife conservation all across the country. The following information, as well as the report, is provided by Responsive Management, a terrific national firm that has worked in all 50 states. Led by Mark Duda, Responsive Management has been working with Maine’s Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife on new big game and fisheries management plans.Here is the press release from Responsive Management, along with the link to the report
Responsive Management has produced a new article detailing hunters’ contributions to wildlife conservation in the United States. The article provides an in-depth look at the sources of funding from hunters and how these funds are spent, from wildlife management and species recovery to the work of federal and state fish and wildlife agencies and nonprofit organizations. The article discusses various sources of funding, including the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act of 1937 (commonly known as the Pittman-Robertson Act); the Federal Duck Stamp (a required purchase for any duck hunter in the U.S.); licenses, tags, and permits purchased by hunters in each state; and membership dues and donations from nonprofit organizations like Ducks Unlimited and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, which are largely supported by hunters. The article then breaks down how the funding from hunters is spent, including Pittman-Robertson revenue apportionment, the many ways in which nonprofit organizations contribute to conservation in the U.S., and how hunters’ contributions manifest in the work of fish and wildlife agencies. A summary of fish and wildlife agency resources and assets compiled by senior staff at the Arizona Game and Fish Department makes clear the importance of hunter dollars on the state agency level alone (Responsive Management thanks Larry Voyles and Doug Burt for providing this information):
Also covered in the article are examples of various wildlife species that have rebounded thanks to management efforts supported through funding from hunters:
The article provides a full discussion of the other ways in which hunter dollars are spent, including support for wildlife management areas, scientific conservation studies and biological research, other species recovery and wildlife management efforts, and habitat conservation. The full article has been posted to the NRA’s Hunters’ Leadership Forum website, available here. |