Angus King steps up for hunters and wildlife

Maine’s U.S. Senator Angus King has stepped up to support hunters, wildlife, and everyone who loves the outdoors. Angus loves to fish and hunt ducks, so his support for our outdoor heritage is no surprise to me.

Here is the press release describing the actions Angus has taken.

WASHINGTON, D.C. –U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine), member of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus, today announced his support of the Modernizing the Pittman-Robertson Fund for Tomorrow’s Needs Act. The bipartisan legislation would promote hunting traditions and ensure the continued successful funding of wildlife conservation through the purchase of hunting and recreational shooting equipment.

“Maine’s proud tradition of hunting and love for the outdoors has been passed down from generation to generation,” said Senator King. “These aren’t just pastimes – they’re part of our state’s heritage, and we need to do everything we can to protect these activities so future generations have the opportunity to walk the same woods and carry forward these traditions of those who came before. This bill will help preserve, protect the outdoors, for the enjoyment of hunters and recreationists alike.”

The Modernizing the Pittman-Robertson Fund for Tomorrow’s Needs Act will update the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act of 1937 to ensure continued successful funding for wildlife conservation that benefits all Americans. The updates will extend existing financial and technical support to the states to include hunting and recreational shooting promotion and recruitment. Under the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act of 1937, tax revenue from the sale of shooting and archery equipment generates funding for hunter education and wildlife conservation. This “pay to play” system has provided a symbiotic relationship between sportsmen and the resources they use for hunting and recreational shooting.

Through his position on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Senator King has worked to support outdoor recreation for sportsmen in Maine. In March, he attended the 39th Annual State of Maine Sportsman’s Show at the Augusta Civic Center. At the show, he visited with many of the over 100 exhibitors, listened to their stories and updates, and discussed the role of outdoor recreation for Maine’s economy and way of life. In 2015, he cosponsored The Sportsmen’s Act of 2015, bipartisan legislation that would prioritize recreation on federal lands and promote cooperation with state and local governments.

As the Ranking Member of the Senate Subcommittee on National Parks, Senator King is known within Congress as a champion of efforts to preserve, protect, and promote America’s national parks and public lands. He is a lead sponsor of the Restore Our Parks Act, bipartisan legislation which would address the nearly $12 billion maintenance backlog without affecting the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). Senator King has long advocated in favor of permanent reauthorization of the LWCF, which was signed into law as part of the public lands package in early March.

 

 

 

George Smith

About George Smith

George stepped down at the end of 2010 after 18 years as the executive director of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine to write full time. He writes a weekly editorial page column in the Kennebec Journal and Waterville Morning Sentinel, a weekly travel column in those same newspapers (with his wife Linda), monthly columns in The Maine Sportsman magazine, two outdoor news blogs (one on his website, georgesmithmaine.com, and one on the website of the Bangor Daily News), and special columns for many publications and newsletters. Islandport Press published a book of George's favorite columns, "A Life Lived Outdoors" in 2014. In 2014, George also won a Maine Press Association award for writing the state's bet sports blog. In 2016, Down East Books published George's book, Maine Sporting Camps, and Islandport Press published George and his wife Linda's travel book, Take It From ME, about their favorite Maine inns and restaurants.