BLACKBOARD TO BACKWOODS: MICHIGAN BILL ALLOWING HUNTER EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS CLEARS SENATE HURDLE

ARTICLE CONTACT: BOB MATTHEWS

Why It Matters: Michigan students that otherwise may have never been exposed to our time-honored outdoor traditions could soon sign up for an important elective: hunter education. Counting as both a credit towards graduation and the classroom requirement to obtain a Michigan hunting license, this standardized course stands to create lifelong hunters to join us afield and contribute to the conservation efforts of the Wolverine State.

Highlights:

• Senate Bill 664 was introduced by Michigan Legislative Caucus Co-Chair Senator Jon Bumstead, and its companion, House Bill 5334 was introduced by fellow Caucus member Representative Curt Vanderwall.
• Together, the bills have more than 70 bipartisan co-sponsors, as well as the support of both the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Michigan Department of Education.
• Advancing hunter education opportunities in schools is a policy priority for the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF). During the 2024 session, CSF has actively worked with legislators and stakeholder partners to help guide these bills through the legislative process.

Senator Jon Bumstead, longtime Co-Chair of the Michigan Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus, introduced Senate Bill 664 alongside fellow Co-Chair Senator John Cherry, mandating that the Michigan Department of Natural Resources collaborate with the Michigan Department of Education to adopt and make available to schools a model program of firearm safety instruction. The course would both count as an elective credit and qualify as the classroom portion of Michigan’s hunter education requirement. Although the bill does not allow firearms to be brought into the classroom setting, the course would instruct students on proper firearm handling, safety, storage, and maintenance, while exposing students to hunting and the numerous benefits that it provides to conservation and society at large.

CSF has worked with the Caucus in developing this concept since before the bill was first introduced in 2023 and has continued that support throughout the bill’s legislative cycle. Following its unanimous approval by the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Agriculture, the bill moved to the floor for full consideration, where it was passed almost unanimously. The bill has since been received by the House and could be passed this week. SB 664’s sister legislation, HB 5334, has more than fifty bipartisan co-sponsors in the House, including Michigan Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus Co-Chairs Representative Sarah Lightner and Representative Amos O’Neal, who also sits on the National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses’ Executive Council.

For youth that may not have grown up participating in hunting or may not have been exposed to the outdoors by family members, allowing an elective hunter education course in schools stands to create prospective lifelong hunters. As the legislative session nears conclusion in Michigan, CSF will continue to support Senate Bill 664, and the general concept of hunter education in schools throughout the country.

States Involved: MI

NEW YEAR BRINGS NEW LEADERSHIP TO THE CSF BOARD OF DIRECTORS

January 2, 2025 (WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Today, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF), the nation’s leading authority in outdoor advocacy, announced that its Board of Directors (Board) has elected CEO of Rather Outdoors, LLC Ken Eubanks as Chairman; Executive Director of Wildlife Mississippi James Cummins as Vice-Chairman; CEO of Ducks Unlimited Adam Putnam as Secretary; and Founder & CEO of Silencer Central Brandon Maddox as Treasurer. 2025 also brings the appointment of new Board member David Wielicki, CEO of South Carolina Waterfowl Association.

“As an avid sportsman, I have seen how important it is that we have a force advocating for us on Capitol Hill and across the country. CSF’s steadfast commitment to protecting and promoting hunting, angling, recreational shooting, and trapping in the halls of government pays tremendous dividends to the sporting-conservation community and the importance of that cannot be stated enough,” said Board Chairman Ken Eubanks. “CSF’s Board of Directors is made up of some of the most incredible leaders in the conservation realm and I am honored for the opportunity to serve alongside them as Chairman, helping the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation in their fight for sportsmen and women across the country.”

The mission of the CSF Board of Directors is to work with the Foundation’s leadership and staff to protect and advance our outdoor heritage. Through constant support and engagement, members of the CSF Board lend their expertise to the Foundation in a diversity of experiential areas. As fellow sportsmen and women, the Board takes a leadership role in supporting the critical policy work which the Foundation executes at both the federal and state levels and all other aspects of the Foundation that support CSF’s mission.

“With over 1,200 victories at the state and federal levels in the past six years, CSF has continued to make significant progress. However, the work is far from done,” said CSF President and CEO Jeff Crane. “With many new challenges on the horizon, we are looking forward to working with the diverse members of the Board of Directors to continue blazing the trail and making a difference for all sportsmen and women, who are truly the backbone of conservation in this amazing country.”

In addition to the Board Leadership, including Jeff Crane who serves as Ex Officio Board Member, CSF’s 2025 Board of Directors will consist of:

Pete Angle, President, Covey Partners LLC
Joe Bartozzi, President and CEO, National Shooting Sports Foundation
Richard Childress, Chairman and CEO, Richard Childress Racing
Tripper Dickson, President and CEO, Sports South, LLC
Peder von Harten, Managing Partner, 89 South
Jason Hornady, Vice President, Hornady Manufacturing Co.
Becky Humphries
Harlan Kent
Brian Luoma, The Westervelt Company (ret.)
Corey Mason, Executive Vice President of Conservation and COO, Wild Sheep Foundation
Steve Skold, Safari Club International Past President
Mark Smith, President & CEO, Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc.
Jason Vanderbrink, President and CEO, Sporting Product, The Kinetic Group
David Wielicki, CEO, South Carolina Waterfowl Association
Bob Ziehmer, Senior Director of Conservation, Bass Pro Shops

CSF’s 2025 Honorary Board of Directors will consist of:

John Morris – Honorary Lifetime Director
Robert Model – Honorary Director Emeritus
Lindsay Thomas – Honorary Director Emeritus
Ralph Castner, President, Rush Creek Advisors LLC
Mark Cherpes, President and CEO, FN America, LLC
Chris Dorsey, President and CEO, Dorsey Pictures
Walter McLallen, Tomahawk Strategic Solutions
Paul Miller, Chairman, Emission Free Generators, Inc.
Simon Roosevelt, Boone and Crockett Club

Board members who completed terms of service in 2024 were Tuck Beckstoffer, Francisco Bergaz, Bruce Pettet, and Tim Phillips.  In addition, Bruce Culpepper completed his term as an Honorary Board Member.

PRESIDENT SIGNS ACE REAUTHORIZATION ACT – ANOTHER TOP CSF PRIORITY

Updated January 6, 2025 (Washington, DC) – The America’s Conservation Enhancement Reauthorization Act (S. 3791), a bipartisan bill to bolster fish, wildlife, and habitat conservation, and to protect access for anglers across the nation, was recently signed into law by President Biden. Notably, this was one of four Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) priorities that cleared the House of Representatives under suspension of the rules and the Senate unanimously this Congress, demonstrating the ability of CSF to deliver wins for sportsmen and women regardless of the political landscape.

This legislation was led in the Senate by Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus (CSC) Members Sens. Carper, Capito, CSC Leaders Sens. Boozman and King, among others. The House companion bill was led by current CSC Members and former CSC Leaders Reps. Wittman, M. Thompson, Dingell, and current CSC Co-Chair Rep. Panetta, among others.

First enacted in 2020, the ACE Act has been a longstanding priority for CSF. Prior to the Senate’s passage of the ACE Reauthorization Act, CSF worked to build support for this important priority through a House floor alert, urging cosponsorship of the bill to demonstrate broad Congressional support, among other efforts that helped push the bill to the President’s desk.

“CSF thanks the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus Members who were instrumental in seeing the ACE Reauthorization Act clear Congress and head to the President’s desk for his signature. This legislation demonstrates yet again that conservation and issues of importance to sportsmen and women continue to be bipartisan issues across Congress,” said CSF President and CEO Jeff Crane. “We look forward to the President quickly signing this bill into law to deliver on-the-ground, meaningful conservation for fish and wildlife as well as a key protection for our nation’s anglers.”

Specifically, the ACE Reauthorization Act includes conservation programs such as the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) and the National Fish Habitat Partnership (NFHP) program. NAWCA provides strategic investments to conserving and restoring degraded wetlands across North America. Since its inception 35 years ago, NAWCA has provided over $2.1 billion in federal grants that has leveraged more than $5 billion in non-federal contributions. In total, there have been over 3,300 NAWCA projects that have contributed to the conservation of nearly 32 million acres of wetlands in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.  NFHP is a state and locally driven collection of partnerships that work to conserve priority aquatic habitat, restore fish populations, and enhance recreational fishing opportunities. CSF’s Senior Director, Fisheries Policy, was recently reappointed to serve on the Congressionally authorized NFHP Board that offers guidance for the partnerships and helps direct funding for on-the-ground projects.

Furthermore, the ACE Reauthorization Act will provide a 5-year protection to prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from regulating the use of lead fishing tackle under the purview of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).  Despite efforts by the environmental community, the EPA has consistently reaffirmed that they do not have the authority to regulate lead tackle under TSCA.

CSF thanks the bill sponsors of the America’s Conservation Enhancement Act for their continued leadership throughout the 118^th Congress.

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VOTING REGISTRATIONS FOR HUNTERS AND ANGLERS

ARTICLE CONTACT: CHRISTIAN RAGOSTA

Why It Matters: As the election year frenzy has settled down over the holiday season, legislative bodies are swearing in new members and choosing chairs and leaders of committees. Although voting numbers seem to be increasing, a historical trend of hunters not voting exists. Some sources prior to the 2024 election were reporting that there were likely millions of hunters and gun owners who were not registered to vote. Allowing voter registration at the point of sale of hunting and fishing licenses could help.

Highlights:

• The National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses (NASC) identified hunter/angler voter registration as an issue back in 2004 and has been working to improve it since that time.
• States such as Georgia and Virginia have passed legislation for voter registration at the point of obtaining a hunting/fishing license.
• States like New Jersey and New York have attempted to pass legislation for years, with New York going as far back as 2009.

It is critically important that sportsmen and women vote if we wish to have pro-sportsmen and women elected officials – or at least those that are willing to learn about and consider the critical role that sportsmen and women have in conservation before casting their votes on conservation-related matters. This is why CSF launched the I Fish. I Hunt. I Vote.™ campaign last fall to encourage early voting by sportsmen and women who may have plans to be hunting or fishing on election day. It is also why CSF has been working with states for the past two decades to make voter registration forms available when sportsmen and women purchase their hunting or fishing licenses (whether in-person or online).

As a real-world example of just how critical the voice of sportsmen and women can be, a newly formed State Senate District in New York in 2012 was decided by a mere 18 votes, and some consider it to be the bellwether for increasing anti-sportsmen sentiment in the state legislature. That following January, legislation like the NY SAFE Act (a sweeping gun control package) was passed. This was not a one-off occurrence, however. States like New York continue to have closely decided local races and the past gubernatorial race was the closest decided since 1994.

The results of local elections also matter. Local ordinances and regulations from the town, county, or state impact sportsmen and women’s access to hunting and angling opportunities, and in some cases, even whether a firearm or archery equipment can be utilized in certain jurisdictions (for any purpose, hunting or otherwise). Voting participation by sportsmen and women is therefore essential, starting from the lowest level of government where many future leaders in higher government come from. Adding millions of pro-sportsmen voices during the election process could help educate and motivate our current and future decisionmakers to work to pass sound pro-sporting, and pro-conservation policies.

The leading voice of conservation in the nation, sportsmen and women, who bring millions of dollars of conservation funding to their respective states from the American System of Conservation Funding, deserve to and should be represented at the polls.

It has become common for residents to receive voter registration applications at other state run departments such as the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). A state’s fish and wildlife agency should be given the same opportunity to support voting rights for those who use their services, the sportsmen-voter. Providing access to an individual to fill out a registration while already filling out the same required information at a state-run department should be seamless and user-friendly for the applicant.

The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) will continue to prioritize sportsmen-voter legislation to provide sportsmen and women with equitable access to voting registration materials to ultimately ensure The Sportsmen’s Voice continues to ring loudly in capitol buildings across this great nation.