Federal Policy

Making Public Lands Public: Enhancing Hunter & Other Recreational Access to Federal Public Lands

Federal public lands are an important destination for many Americans including hunters. Nearly half of all hunters conduct a portion of their hunting activity on these lands. However, numerous reports verify access to Federal land is problematic in a number of areas. In fact, a 2004 report to the House Appropriations Committee concluded that more than 35 million acres of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) land have inadequate access.

Recreational Angling Access

The Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation continues to work with its partners in the fishing community to inform and educate key decision makers and integral parties, of the of the societal value of sport fishing in an effort to maximize the conservation benefit of recreational fishing.

White House Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force: The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, along with its partners in the U.S. Recreational Fishing & Boating Coalition, served as the voice of recreational anglers and boaters with the White House Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force. The task force was created by President Obama last June to develop a draft national policy and implementation strategy for conserving and managing the oceans, the Great Lakes, and the coasts of the United States. CSF engaged in the process to ensure that the sport fishing community is a strong part of the discussion regarding a national ocean policy going forward.

Marine Protected Areas: The official federal definition of an MPA is: "any area of the marine environment that has been reserved by federal, state, tribal, territorial, or local laws or regulations to provide lasting protection for part or all of the natural and cultural resources therein." MPAs are defined areas where natural and/or cultural resources are given greater protection than the surrounding waters. In the U.S., MPAs span a range of habitats including the open ocean, coastal areas, inter-tidal zones, estuaries, and the Great Lakes. They also vary widely in purpose, legal authorities, agencies, management approaches, levels of protection, and restrictions on human uses. In certain cases MPAs may unnecessarily restrict the public's ability to fish along our nation's coasts.

Firearms and Ammunition Excise Tax

CSF continued its work in 2010 toward passage of legislation that changes the payment schedule for the Firearms and Ammunition Excise Tax (FAET) from biweekly to quarterly. This much-needed policy change will increase efficiency and output for firearms and ammunition manufacturers, as well as provide increased funding for wildlife restoration.

The United States Senate passed by unanimous consent, H.R. 5552, the "Firearms Excise Tax Improvement Act of 2010” on August 5, 2010. The bill had already passed the U.S. House in July by an overwhelming 412-6 vote.

The important legislative victory will allow firearms and ammunition manufacturers to pay excise taxes quarterly as opposed to the current bi-weekly schedule.

The firearm and ammunition excise tax is the major revenue source for funding the Wildlife Restoration Trust Fund also known as the Pittman-Robertson Trust Fund. Last year alone, firearm and ammunition manufacturers contributed approximately 450 million dollars to wildlife conservation, shooting ranges, and hunter education programs through excise tax payments.

The CSC made passage of this bill to reform the federal excise tax a legislative priority in the 111th Congress. The effort was supported by a broad coalition of sportsmen and conservation groups, including the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation (CSF), National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), National Rifle Association (NRA), and Safari Club International (SCI).

National Fish Habitat Conservation Act

The National Fish Habitat Action Plan is an investment strategy to restore our waterways and make conservation dollars go farther. This science-based plan will leverage federal and privately raised funds to build regional partnerships aimed at fixing the nation's biggest fisheries problems. This is the most comprehensive effort ever attempted to treat the causes of fish habitat decline, not just the symptoms.

The National Fish Habitat Conservation Act (NFHCA), introduced by Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI), and supported by the House CSC leadership, and in the Senate by Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID), is a bipartisan investment strategy to restore our waterways and make conservation dollars go farther. The NFHCA is a national, bipartisan effort to protect, restore, and enhance the nation’s fish and aquatic communities through partnerships that foster fish habitat conservation.

Access for Hunters and Anglers

H.R. 3749 “The Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage and Opportunities Act” introduced by CSC House Caucus Co-Chair, Rep. Dan Boren, and co-sponsored by the entire House CSC, will protect recreational hunting and fishing on federal lands, which are used by more than 13 million individuals who traditionally participate in recreational hunting and fishing

Conserving Millions of Acres of Wildlife Habitat

CSF and the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus are working diligently to make the conservation tax incentive permanent. H.R. 1831, the Conservation Easement Incentive Act, introduced by former CSC House Co-Chair Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA) and Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) and and co-sponsored by 268 other House members including the House CSC leadership, along with companion bill S. 812 introduced by Sen. Baucus and co-sponsored by the entire CSC Senate leadership, would continue to allow modest-income landowners to receive signifi cant tax deductions for donating conservation easements, which would aid in the protection of millions of acres of the nation’s agricultural lands and open spaces.