December 7, 2011 (Farmington, PA) – The National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses (NASC) hosted its eighth annual Sportsman-Legislator Summit last week at the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Farmington, Pennsylvania. A bipartisan group of legislators - representing states from across the nation - gathered together to discuss issues impacting the hunting, fishing, and conservation communities and share information relevant to America’s hunters and anglers.
The NASC Sportsman-Legislator Summit is the largest gathering of pro-sportsmen legislators that occurs each year, providing a bipartisan group of sportsman-legislators with the opportunity to interact with state and federal natural resource agencies, non-governmental organizations, and allied industries concerned with the future of our nation’s outdoor heritage.
“The NASC legislators at the 2011 Summit represent a bipartisan coalition of legislators from around the country, speaking with a united voice on the behalf of their hunting, fishing, and conservation-minded constituents back home,” said NASC Executive Council President, South Carolina Rep. Mike Pitts.
“Having been involved with NASC since its inception and annually attending the Sportsman-Legislator Summit, I understand the importance of the work done here on behalf of sportsmen,” said NASC Executive Council member and host committee chair, Rep. Marc Gergely of Pennsylvania. “The Pennsylvania Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus was honored to host sportsman-legislators and others from across the country, and we sincerely hope that everyone left here with a better understanding of the abundant opportunities this state affords sportsmen and women.”
This year’s panel discussion provided an overview of hydraulic fracturing and natural gas drilling effects on fish and wildlife and provided panel participants the opportunity to field questions from legislators and other attendees. Other educational sessions included diverse topics of interest to sportsmen, including: hunter and angler recruitment and retention, traditional ammunition bans, microstamping, federal ocean and fishery management policies, and youth hunting and fishing opportunities.
Additionally, NASC Summit attendees used the event as an opportunity to look back at past achievements that highlight sportsmen’s contributions to conservation, professional wildlife management and land stewardship. Echoing this sentiment, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation President Jeff Crane said, “The upcoming 75th Anniversary of the Pittman-Robertson Act serves as a reminder of the lasting commitment to conservation that sportsmen and women throughout this country have championed over the years. The Pittman-Robertson Act, combined with the Dingell-Johnson/Wallop Breaux Act and license sales, is the backbone of the unique American System of Conservation Funding.”
The NASC Summit, a valuable educational opportunity, was made possible this year due to generous sponsors, including the title sponsors, National Shooting Sports Foundation and Safari Club International. Host sponsors included: ATK, Alpha Natural Resources, Cabela’s, Chesapeake Energy, CONSOL Energy, and Range Resources Corporation. Co-host sponsors included: America’s Natural Gas Alliance, Chief Oil and Gas LLC, Comcast, Exxon Mobil, Shell, and United States Steel Corporation. Other sponsors and presenters included: the American Sportfishing Association, the Center for Coastal Conservation, Knife Rights, the North American Crossbow Federation, Seneca Resources Corporation, AKTI, Daimler, MarkWest Energy Partners L.P., the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance, the Waterways Council Inc., Jones Brewing Company, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, the United States Department of Agriculture, the Pennsylvania Game Commission, , Reynolds American, the American Kennel Club, Diageo, J.C. Larkin Company, Yamaha Motor Corporation, Hunters Sharing the Harvest, and the Clean Water America Alliance.
