Senator urges residents to celebrate hunting, fishing

The 46th annual National Hunting and Fishing Day (NHFD) will be this Saturday, September 22, when we will recognize the historical and ongoing contributions of our state’s original conservationists – sportsmen and women. As a co-chair of the bipartisan and bicameral Louisiana Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus, and as a member of the 48-state National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses, I join my fellow Caucus Co-Chairs Rep. Clay Schexnayder and Sen. Gerald Long in celebrating our time-honored traditions of hunting and angling in the Sportsmen’s Paradise.

Hunting and angling are significant economic drivers for our state. Each year, Louisiana’s more than 900,000 sportsmen and women contribute over $165 million in state and local taxes, spend over $1.67 billion on their outdoor pursuits, and support over 23,000 jobs in our state.

In addition to this economic contribution, Louisiana hunters and anglers are the primary source of conservation funding for our state. Through the purchase of licenses, tags and stamps, and by paying self-imposed excise taxes on firearms, archery equipment, fishing tackle, and other equipment, hunters and anglers drive conservation funding in Louisiana and across the country. This incredibly successful funding model for fish and wildlife conservation is known as the American System of Conservation Funding, a “user pays public benefits” System. Last year alone, this System contributed $45 million to fund conservation efforts through the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF). Through these contributions by hunters and anglers, everyone benefits from projects like improved access to public lands, public shooting ranges, improved soil and water quality, habitat restoration, fish and wildlife research, private and public habitat management, new boat and kayak launches and many other benefits.

While hunting and angling contribute immensely to both our state’s economy and the health of our fish and wildlife resources, we must continue to encourage new hunters and anglers, both young and old, to ensure these contributions continue.

 The effort to increase hunting and angling participation, known as “recruitment, retention, and reactivation” (R3), is currently a primary focus of state fish and wildlife agencies across the country. R3 programs, like the National Archery in the Schools Program and LDWF’s FUN Camp, are important investments in the future of our outdoor heritage that we all need to support.  Getting the next generation of Louisiana’s sportsmen and women involved in the outdoors is key to ensuring we maintain our proud moniker as the Sportsmen’s Paradise and continue to have abundant natural resources well into the future.

More information on National Hunting and Fishing Day is available at www.NHFDay.org or on the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation website at www.congressionalsportsmen.org/policies/state/national-hunting-and-fishi...