March 12, 2010 (WASHINGTON, DC) The U.S. House of Representatives Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus (CSC) leadership wrote President Barack Obama Thursday urging the President to include recreational fishing and boating as a national priority in the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force’s final report.

CSC Co-Chairs Rep. Dan Boren (D-OK) and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), along with Vice-Chairs Rep. Mike Ross (D-AR) and Rep. Jeff Miller (R-FL), sent the letter (HERE) to the President on behalf of the 60 million recreational anglers in the nation who contribute $125 billion annually to the U.S. economy, support over one million jobs and provide the lion’s share of fishery conservation funding.

“We firmly believe that responsibly managed and regulated activities such as recreational fishing deserve full consideration and incorporation in the administration’s Ocean and Great Lakes Management Policy,” said the CSC leadership.

The letter comes at a time when a great deal of attention has been brought to the issue of recreational angling and its effect on the U.S. economy and quality of life by both outdoor media and mainstream media outlets.

Representatives Boren, Ryan, Ross and Miller point out the importance that recreational anglers and boaters make through the highly successful Sportfish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund, which serves as the backbone of conservation funding in the United States.

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