While not all Americans participate in hunting, fishing, or trapping they are important outdoor activities that connect people to wild animals and wild places. For many it is a lifestyle and gateway to the outdoors and a connection to nature. These pastimes often bring together family and friends and create lasting memories. Hunting and fishing are also a fantastic activity to get kids outside and interacting with the environment. Studies show that time spent in nature positively affect child and adult health and well-being. This can be through lowering stress levels, increasing exercise, and even through the healthy lean protein harvested while hunting or fishing. Many state fish and wildlife agencies provide cooking guides full of recipes hunters and anglers use to feed their families and communities.
Federal Excise Tax Funds Conservation and Outdoor Pursuits
Industry excise taxes have been crucial to American conservation since 1937, when pressure from conservation groups and the public helped pass the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act, known as Pittman-Robertson, followed in 1950 by the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act, known as Dingell-Johnson. Managed through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service鈥檚 Office of Conservation Investment, these funds provide more than $1 billion a year to support fish and wildlife. Across the country, state and territory fish and wildlife agencies are on the front lines of conservation using funds as an indispensable part of their budget.
The excise taxes on firearms, ammunition, and archery equipment collected through the Wildlife Restoration Act have been one of America鈥檚 most effective tools for funding conservation. These excise tax funds are used by state fish and wildlife agencies to maintain public hunting access to tens of millions of acres, teach over 600,000 hunter education students annually, monitor and manage over 500 species of mammals and birds, and support nearly 800 firearm and archery target shooting ranges where the public can hone their skills. The excise taxes on fishing equipment and motorboat fuel collected through the Sport Fish Restoration Act have been used by state and territory fish and wildlife agencies to ensure clean water, healthy fish, and public access to waterways. With this funding state agencies teach over 1.5 million students鈥� aquatic education annually, raise and release over 1 billion fish annually into waterways, and funded over 8900 public boating and fishing areas.
