1/03/07

Fish and Wildlife Agencies Meet with Industry Leaders During Summit to Discuss Importance of Excise Tax

It's no secret that a large percentage of funding for conservation in America stems from taxes on hunting and fishing equipment. The impact of this funding is far reaching, and the hunting, fishing, boating, archery and shooting sports industries play a key role in the process from the moment of purchase to investment in conserving a wide variety of wildlife and their habitats. To help further relationships between all parties, on December 18-19, the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies hosted a special “Industry Summit,” bringing state fish and wildlife agency directors, industry leaders and representatives from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service together to discuss the longstanding Sportfish and Wildlife Restoration program.

”The summit was an important part of improving the relationship between state fish and wildlife agencies and our industry partners,” said Ed Parker, President of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and Chief of the Bureau of natural Resources of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection. “The excise tax that they pay on behalf of their customers supports the conservation of our country's fish and wildlife populations and habitat and provides opportunities for outdoor recreation.”

The summit provided a forum for fish and wildlife agency leaders to meet and foster better working relationships with industry leaders from sportfishing, hunting, archery and shooting sports industries. With more than 30 leaders in attendance—including National Shooting Sports Foundation, American Sportfishing Association, Horton Manufacturing, Bass Pro Shops, Plano Molding, Archery Trade Association, Wildlife Management Institute, Gateway Feathers, Easton-Hoyt and twelve state fish and wildlife agencies—discussed the status of current programs that deliver sportfish and wildlife restoration funds and determined ways in which the state and federal fish and wildlife agencies might better communicate with industry.

Each year, the state fish and wildlife agencies use more than $250 million in excise tax funds paid on fishing, hunting, shooting and boating equipment for fish and wildlife conservation and management and to recruit and retain new hunters, anglers and boaters. Discussions at the summit were centered on accountability and building better communications between parties, pursuing more visible marketing strategies, and gauging the long-term vision and use of these funds.

“It was a productive session, with a strong focus on collaboration and looking toward the future,” said Mike Nussman, President and CEO of American Sportfishing Association. “The summit provided a platform for us to improve alignment between state, federal and industry programs.”

The “Wildlife Restoration Act” (Pittman-Robertson Act), signed in 1937, and the Sport Fish Restoration Act (Dingell-Johnson Act), signed in 1950, collectively have raised more than $5.2 billion. In addition, the Wallop-Breaux legislation of 1984 increased the tax base to include a portion of the Federal fuels tax and import duties on fishing tackle and pleasure boats. The money is distributed to the states for projects proposed by the states and approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Federal Aid funds pay for up to 75 percent of the cost of each project while the states contribute at least 25 percent of the cost.   Distribution of sport fish restoration funds to the states is based on the land and water area and the number of fishing license holders in each state. Wildlife restoration funds are made available based on land area and the number of hunting license holders in each state. Distribution of hunter education funds is based on the relative population of each state.