The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF)
recently announced the award of a $35,000 matching
grant to the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation
to initiate the implementation of state caucuses
and foundations across the country. Upon hearing
of the matching grant challenge, Bass Pro Shops
immediately stepped up with $25,000 and Cabela's
joined with $35,000 in funding towards the matching
grant.
 Anti-hunting
and fishing groups have increasingly turned
their attention to state legislation partly
in response to repeated defeats by the Caucus
at the federal level. Alarmingly, there is no
coordinated effort at the state legislative
level by sportsmen to defend these efforts or
to advance the sportsmen's agenda. CSF has decided
to meet this challenge head on by implementing
the successful model of the Congressional Sportsmen's
Foundation and Caucus at the state level.
"NSSF has strongly supported
the mission of the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation
and we are excited to see this expansion of their
efforts and expertise to the state level. We are
confident this new program will play a key role
in efforts to protect our sporting heritage for
current and future generations," stated Bob
Delfay, Special Advisor to the Chairman of NSSF.
"We hope our challenge grant shows our commitment
to the program and that it will encourage others
to support this important endeavor."
"Dick and Jim Cabela along
with all of Cabela's associates recognize the
important role the development of these State
Caucuses will play in protecting and preserving
sportsmen's rights in the future," state
Mike Callahan, Director of Merchandising, Hard
Goods, for Cabela's. "We strongly believe
the successes experienced at the national level
through the efforts of the Congressional Sportsmen's
Caucus can be mirrored at the state level through
the formation and support of the state caucuses."
CSF, serving as the national
coordinator of the state foundations and caucuses,
will work directly with each state foundation
to monitor legislative trends on a state and federal
level and will communicate with members via email
updates and quarterly newsletters. CSF will maintain
a database of legislative initiatives on the state
and federal level and will provide advice and
counsel as necessary to state foundations and
caucuses. CSF will play a mentoring role in the
establishment of state organizations in the initial
stage, but beyond adopting a common agenda, mission
statement and name, CSF believes each state caucus
and foundation should have the flexibility and
authority to operate as it sees fit to be the
most effective in their state.
"Bringing state foundations
and caucuses under the umbrella of the CSC/CSF
will create the most effective and recognized
legislative front to promote wildlife conservation
and combat attempts to eliminate hunting, fishing
and trapping in a coordinated fashion," remarked
Matt Hogan, CSF Director of Conservation Policy,
who is spearheading the program. |
