FLORIDA BECOMES THE 24TH STATE TO ADOPT A CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO HUNT AND FISH AMENDMENT

ARTICLE CONTACT: MARK LANCE

Why It Matters: Voters in Florida spoke loud and clear – hunting, fishing, and the harvesting of wildlife are rights that need to be protected within the Constitution of Florida. Nearly 7 million Floridians took a massive step and voted favorably on Amendment 2 to ensure that the time-honored sporting traditions of Floridians as well as the future of science-based wildlife management through the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation are protected for generations to come.

Highlights:

•  Amendment 2 received 67.3% of the vote – easily exceeding the 60% required to be adopted. This margin further solidifies that hunting, fishing, and wildlife conservation continue to be non-partisan areas of agreement.
• Amendment 2 was one of only two of the six proposed constitutional amendments on the ballot in Florida to pass.
• The rights of hunters and anglers in the State of Florida are now protected in perpetuity as well as the $70+ million in funding for conservation that hunters and anglers in the state generate through the American System of Conservation Funding.

Florida’s Constitution will now include: “SECTION 28.  Fishing, hunting, and the taking of fish and wildlife. — Fishing, hunting, and the taking of fish and wildlife, including by the use of traditional methods, shall be preserved forever as a public right and preferred means of responsibly managing and controlling fish and wildlife. This section does not limit the authority granted to the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission under Section 9 of Article IV.”

Amendment 2 faced a barrage from the anti-sportsman community and animal rights activists  who relentlessly spread misinformation about the intent of Amendment 2 and the “fallout” of the amendment if it were to pass. Their unfounded claims ranged from the total abolishment of private property rights, the legalization of gill nets, and basically an all-out free for all on wildlife in Florida – disregarding the power of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). These claims were refuted, and the facts prevailed. The management authority of the FWC and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Florida will not be impacted with the adoption of Amendment 2.

The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) was proud to have played a part in developing the language and coordinating with the FWC, the Florida Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus, and so many other in-state and national partners to support Amendment 2 and get it across the finish line.

States Involved: FL

SUNDAY HUNTING LEGISLATION IN PENNSYLVANIA FAILS TO PROGRESS

ARTICLE CONTACT: KALEIGH LEAGER

Why It Matters: Pennsylvania is the second largest state in hunting license sales in the country, yet it still widely restricts Sunday hunting opportunities for the sportsmen and women. Currently, there are only three (3) Sundays in which you may hunt game and there are very limited species that can be targeted.  Senate Bill 67 (SB 67), sponsored by Sen. Daniel Laughlin (previous Pennsylvania Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus Co-Chair and current Caucus Member), sought to remove the legislative prohibition on Sunday hunting and grant the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) the authority to regulate Sunday hunting as they deem appropriate.

Highlights:         

• In 2020, then Pennsylvania Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus Co-Chair, Sen. Daniel Laughlin championed Senate Bill 147 (SB 147) which was signed into law by former Governor Sportsmen’s Caucus Co-Chair, Governor Tom Wolf.
• Building off his previous success, Sen. Laughlin introduced SB 67 which would have removed the longstanding legislative prohibition, giving full authority to the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners to set hunting seasons (including Sundays if they so choose) and bag limits.
• The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) coordinated a joint letter of support as a final attempt to move SB 67 through the remaining legislative process. However, SB 67 failed to progress out of the House Appropriations Committee or receive a 3^rd and final hearing on the House Floor before the final adjournment date of the 2023-2024 Legislative Session (November 13^th, 2024).

As previously reported, SB 67 passed out of the House Game & Fisheries Committee on a 15-to-10 vote on October 1^st. Following its second reading on the House Floor, it was amended to reflect concerns over Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) with the use of urine-based attractants and was sent to the House Appropriations Committee. Unfortunately, SB 67 was never taken up for a vote in Appropriations, resulting in the legislation “dying” due to its inability to make it through the legislative process prior to final adjournment of the 2023-2024 legislative session.

The two most beneficial pieces of SB 67 to hunters were the provisions which would have authorized the PGC to establish Sunday hunting within the confines of the regulated hunting seasons and the ability access private lands through the agricultural access permit. Sunday hunting bans are one of the last remaining examples of the puritanical blue laws that were initially designed to encourage church attendance.  At the time when blue law restrictions were first put in place, other activities that were illegal on a Sunday included opening a store for business, drinking alcoholic beverages, and tilling your fields. Access is a major limiting factor hindering participation in hunting, and restrictions on Sunday hunting create a temporal access barrier for youth and others that work or attend school throughout the week and are often involved in extra-curricular activities on Saturdays.

The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation is disappointed that the legislature did not move SB 67 through the process in due time, but remains committed to continuing our work with the Pennsylvania Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus to advance similar legislation in the upcoming legislative session.

States Involved: PA

ADDRESSING POACHER PENALTIES AND FINES – OR THE LACK THEREOF

ARTICLE CONTACT: CONNER BARKER

Why It Matters: Poaching – the illegal take of game animals – stands as one of the greatest threats to the societal acceptance of hunting. Additionally, poaching is a major hurdle for professional, science-based wildlife management. Hunters and non-hunters alike should unite to enact proactive measures that strengthen punishments and incentivize reporting of those engaged in poaching.

Highlights:

• Poaching threatens the social acceptance of hunting and is often utilized by anti-hunting organizations to paint with a broad brush and to blur the lines between legal, regulated hunting and illegal poaching.
• In many states, the fine or penalty for poaching is insignificant, sometimes even less than the cost of a hunting license.
• In 2024, Tennessee Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus (Caucus) Co-Chair Senator Paul Rose and Caucus Member Representative Caleb Hemmer sponsored legislation that would have increased penalties and fines for poaching violations.

Poaching is theft — theft that negatively impacts sportsmen and women both locally and nationally. Enforcement-related activities of conservation officers working to eliminate poaching  can also consume valuable staff resources and pull dollars generated through the “user pays – public benefits” American System of Conservation Funding from on-the-ground conservation practices.

In the recent light of emotional driven attacks on our hunting traditions, like Proposition 127 in Colorado, it is more important that ever for the sporting-conservation community to take a united stance against poaching. The anti-hunting community often parallels legal, ethical hunting practices with poaching when attempting to appeal to the non-hunting public, especially during election season.

The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) encourages state legislators to explore opportunities to strengthen penalties and fines for those that engage in poaching. Earlier this year, supported by CSF, the Tennessee Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus spearheaded legislation that would have increased penalties and fines for poaching violations. Specifically, the legislation would have increased fines up to $500 for each offense, compared to current fines, which is up to $50 per offense. Although this legislation did not pass, it is a step in the right direction to combat poaching. In Maryland, poaching penalties correlate directly with antler size, with the fine for poaching a white-tailed deer with a gross score of more than 150 gross inches not to exceed $10,000 coupled with 80 hours of community service. In some states, Tennessee included, the fine for hunting or fishing without a license is sometimes less expensive than the license itself.

CSF is not alone in the movement to increase penalties for poaching and protect our hunting traditions. CSF’s longtime partners at the Boone and Crockett Club have taken their own unique approach to combatting poaching with their Poach and Pay Project. Their unique approach is designed to deter poaching and protect our natural resources and hunting heritage through public education. Another key element of this campaign focuses specifically on the judicial system by encouraging states to fund a wildlife prosecutor that specifically focuses on pursuing wildlife violations. By funding a wildlife prosecutor, wildlife crimes can receive the attention they deserve.

CSF will continue to work alongside our partners and Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus members to protect our storied hunting traditions in Tennessee and beyond from the negative impacts associated with poaching.

WIN FOR FL SPORTSMEN INCLUDED IN FINAL BACKCOUNTRY ACCESS PLAN FOR BIG CYPRESS

ARTICLE CONTACT: MARK LANCE

Why It Matters: Encompassing roughly 179,000 acres, the Big Cypress National Preserve (BCNP) is a critical piece of public land that provides access for many sportsmen and women in south Florida. Establishing Wilderness designations within the BCNP would have negatively impacted science-based management practices to improve wildlife habitat as well as access to quality hunting and fishing opportunities for sportsmen and women.

Highlights:

•  On November 7, the National Park Service (NPS) released their final Backcountry Access Plan for the BCNP, which adopts the CSF-preferred Alternative 4.
• Alternative 4 reopens over 100 miles of trails for off road vehicles (ORVs) while also dropping the proposed 147,000-acre Wilderness designation that was proposed in the initial Backcountry Access Plan.
• Earlier this year, Florida Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus Co-Chairs Representative Danny Alvarez, Senator Jim Boyd, and Senator Jason Brodeur sent a letter to the Florida Congressional Delegation on Capitol Hill opposing Congressionally designated Wilderness within the BCNP. The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF), alongside many other in state and national conservation partners, has been actively engaged , and submitted comments, in ensuring enhanced access to the BCNP while also opposing any Wilderness designations.

The letter from the Caucus Co-Chairs opposing Wilderness designations within the BCNP stated: “Without the use of ORVs within the BCNP, natural resource managers would not be able to maintain or improve habitat through practices such as prescribed burning, invasive plant and animal control, and more, leading to habitat degradation over time. Habitat loss not only impacts game species and the opportunities they provide hunters, but it also impacts non-game species. A hands-off approach to management within the BCNP is counterproductive to implementing sound conservation practices and negatively impacts resource management and access and opportunity for Florida’s sportsmen and women.”

CSF applauds the NPS for recognizing the importance of enhancing public access in an incredibly important place for hunters and anglers in the Sunshine State who, in 2023 alone, generated over $90 million in conservation funding through the “user pays – public benefits” structure of the American System of Conservation Funding.

States Involved: FL

CONGRESSIONAL SPORTSMEN’S FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES 2025 NASC EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

December 9, 2024 (Washington, D.C.) – With the start of the 2025 state legislative sessions looming on the horizon, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF), formally announced today the state legislators who will be serving as the 2025 Executive Council for the National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses (NASC), one of three caucuses under the CSF umbrella.

After being established in 2004, NASC has become the most effective pro-conservation policy force in the nation, securing more than 1,350 policy victories since 2018. Currently, there are more than 2,450 state legislators who are members of individual state legislative sportsmen’s caucuses in all 50 states, all united under NASC.

The 2025 NASC Executive Council is below:

Leadership
President: Representative Jeff Wardlaw (AR)
Vice President: Senator Patrick Brennan (VT)
Secretary: Senator Jack Bailey (MD)

Members
Representative Nick Archer (OK)
Representative Scott Bounds (MS)
Representative Jesse Chism (TN)
Representative Bobby Cox (SC)
Representative Paul Fielder (MT)
Senator Robin Webb (KY)
Representative Jerome Zeringue (LA)

Alternate Members
Representative Amos O’Neal (MI)
Representative Bruce Sassmann (MO)
Representative Steve Wood (ME)

“Hunting, fishing, and spending time outdoors enjoying our natural resources is a way of life in Arkansas. It’s called the Natural State for a reason,” said Executive Council President Rep. Jeff Wardlaw. “Serving on the NASC Executive Council has been an honor for me, and I now look forward to working with CSF and my colleagues as we build upon our prior two decades of success. Over the last 20 years, the NASC program has grown from a nascent idea to now being the most effective network in existence for protecting and advancing pro-sportsmen and pro-conservation legislation at the state level. Together, we will continue to grow the program and become still more effective in our work to conserve our natural resources and protect America’s proud sporting-conservation heritage.”

The members of the Executive Council, elected by their peers, provide advice and counsel to the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation and ensure that NASC provides the best service possible to the individual state caucuses and their members. The Executive Council plays a critical role in the protection and advancement of our time-honored sporting traditions by establishing the activities of NASC, developing issue briefs, and setting guidelines for affiliated state caucuses.

“As we enter into a new year, our vision is set forward on what is to come. 2025 will bring its unique challenges and opportunities and, with the immense strength of the NASC network, I have no doubt that we will continue to make a monumental difference in the new year,” said CSF President and CEO Jeff Crane. “The Executive Council plays a pivotal role in assisting CSF and NASC in our mission to protect and promote America’s unique conservation legacy and we greatly appreciate their steadfast dedication and support.”

For more information about the National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses and the Executive Council, click here.

THE SPORTSMEN’S VOICE, NASC 2024 PODCAST SESSIONS

ARTICLE CONTACT: FRED BIRD

Why It Matters: Just before the Thanksgiving holiday, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) and over 300 legislators, NGO partners, agency staff, allied industry representatives and other conservation professionals gathered together in Baton Rouge, LA for the 2024 NASC Sportsman-Legislator Summit. The Sportsmen’s Voice Podcast was on hand to talk with legislators, national and in-state partners, as well as CSF policy staff to bring to the airwaves The NASC 2024 Podcast Sessions – two days of in-depth coverage packed full of conversations fresh off the 2024 election cycle and legislative sessions. The sessions kick off with a welcome message from Louisiana’s Governor and Governors Sportsmen’s Caucus member, Jeff Landry and followed by many of today’s conservation policy leaders.

Highlights

• The Sportsmen’s Voice Podcast was on hand to cover the 2024 NASC Sportsman-Legislator Summit.
• The in-depth coverage, broken up into two releases, includes guests from our national partners like the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF), Fur Takers of America (FTA), Costal Conservation Association (CCA) and more.
• TSV Podcast Sessions cover many topics from merchant category coding with the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) to ballot box biology with Dan Gates and Colin Schmit.

With nearly six hours of coverage over two days, The Sportsmen’s Voice Podcast presents the 2024 NASC Podcast Sessions. These information packed sessions bring the audience a sampling of what attendees experience at the Annual NASC Sportsman-Legislator Summit.

The first NASC episode’s conversations include guests from NSSF, NASC Executive Council Members, Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies President and Maine Inland Fisheries & Wildlife Commissioner, Judy Camuso, a discussion on Sunday Hunting, CSF Senior Director of Fisheries and CCA’s CEO David Cresson discuss Rigs-to-Reefs and the Louisiana Fisheries, and finally a conversation with Delta Waterfowl’s Chief Policy Officer John Devney.

On day 2 coverage, host Fred welcomes in our partners at FTA and the National Trappers Association (NTA) for an update on trapping and the proactive steps they are taking to flip the script on the anti-trapping propaganda driving anti-trapping legislation. Next, we highlight our host state of Louisiana (AKA, “The Sportsman’s Paradise”) with a conversation with Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Secretary, Madison Sheahan. Our outgoing Executive Council President and Vice President, Rep. Jeff Goley of New Hampshire and Rep. Bill Rehm of New Mexico, respectively, to discuss their years of service and why NASC means so much to them both. The final two sessions round out coverage with a forestry policy highlight featuring CSF Director of Forestry Policy, John Culclasure and NWTF’s Director of Conservation Doug Little, and lastly, a spirited conversation on “Ballot Box Biology” with Coloradans for Responsible Wildlife Management’s own Dan Gates, former New York Assemblyman and Co-Chair of the New York Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus, Colin Schmit, and CSF Vice President of Policy, Brent Miller.

It’s a jam packed two days of critical conservations on emergent conservation policy issues, the NASC network and its impactful work across all 50 states, and topical thoughts from national partners that are sure to inform and inspire. If you have never been to the Annual NASC Sportsman-Legislator Summit, these sessions are but a sampling of the outstanding agendas CSF and our speakers provide to Summit attendees, and further highlights why you should join us next year in Memphis, TN for the 22^nd Annual NASC Sportsman-Legislator Summit!

The Sportsmen’s Voice Podcast can be found on your favorite podcasting platform or by visiting www.congressionalsportsmen.org for the latest episodes.

CONSERVATION FUNDING RECEIVES MUCH NEEDED BOOST IN TENNESSEE

ARTICLE CONTACT: CONNER BARKER

Why It Matters: The well known “user pays – public benefits” structure of the American System of Conservation Funding (ASCF) has allowed the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation to be regarded as the most successful conservation framework in the world. The successful ASCF model can be attributed to a three-tiered funding system that include: revenue from sporting licenses, and excise tax revenue from the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Programs. Thus, dollars generated from the sale of sporting licenses are critical funding mechanisms for state fish and wildlife agencies.

Highlights:

• On Friday, December 6, the Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission (TFWC) voted to increase most hunting and fishing license prices by 28%, among other adjustments.
• The much-needed fee adjustment was the first in ten years and was done as provided by Tennessee law which allows the TFWC to increase prices in accordance with the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
• The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) submitted a letter of support to the TFWC emphasizing the importance of the much-needed license and permit fee increase.

Following last week’s license fee adjustment, Tennessee joins other Southern states like Mississippi, Kentucky, Louisiana, and North Carolina to increase their sporting license and permit fees in the last ten years. No different than we face as consumers, state fish and wildlife agencies have been challenged with addressing the rising cost of doing business – that is, managing our public trust natural resources.

To the surprise of many, few state fish and wildlife agencies have the ability to set license, permit, and tag fees. Despite being recognized as the primary and most well-equipped managers of fish and wildlife populations in the country, the control of setting sporting licenses and permit fees often belongs to the respective state legislature, which requires legislation each time license and permit fees need to be adjusted. However, in states like Tennessee, the state fish and wildlife agency, through its commission, has the authority to set license and permit fees in accordance with the CPI.

With more money from sporting license sales likely coming, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) will be able to address critical aspects of managing Tennessee’s fish and wildlife resources like: increasing employee salaries to attract, maintain, recruit and train new staff, funding new positions, improving infrastructure, purchasing and maintaining equipment, completing backlogged projects, and supporting other operations faced with increasing operating costs.

Further, dollars generated from sporting license sales are even more important in Tennessee due to the funding mechanism in place, which provides very little money from the Tennessee General Assembly to the TWRA. For example, only 0.4% of the TWRA’s FY26 budget consists of money from the General Assembly. Still yet, Tennessee ranked tenth nationally in total ASCF dollars in 2023, totaling more than $96.5 million generated by over 1.6 million paid license holders.

CSF commends the TFWC for addressing a much-needed funding increase to better provide for scientific management of Tennessee’s wildlife. CSF will continue working with the TWRA and our in-state partners to conserve Tennessee’s public trust natural resources.

States Involved: TN