In celebration of ‘National Hunting and Fishing Day’

As a member of the Alaska Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus, and Vice President of the larger National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses network, I was proud to join like-minded legislators from across the nation in celebrating the 42nd National Hunting and Fishing Day on Saturday, September 27. With moose season and most of our sport fishing seasons wrapping up, now is the perfect time to recognize the time-honored traditions of hunting and angling, as well as the historical and current contributions of the original conservationists — hunters and anglers — in supporting sound, science-based wildlife management through license sales, excises taxes on outdoor gear, and sustainable use models.

Purchases of licenses, duck stamps, guns, ammunition, fishing tackle, motorboat fuel and other items used by sportsmen and women drive conservation funding in the United States. Together, these funding sources create the American System of Conservation Funding, a unique “user-pays, public-benefits” model. Authorized in 1937, the Pittman-Robertson Act, and later the Dingell-Johnson Act in 1950 and the Wallop-Breaux Amendments in 1984, provide funds from excise tax revenue to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. This year, Pittman-Robertson and Dingell-Johnson combined to contribute nearly $49 million to Fish and Game. Hunting and fishing licenses brought in more than $25 million to conservation and education efforts in Alaska in 2013. All Alaskans benefit through these monies from improved access to public lands, public shooting facilities, improved water quality, habitat restoration, and numerous other department projects funded through this system. In 2012, we celebrated the 75th Anniversary of these Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration programs, and, while our legislative resolution didn’t pass, it was nonetheless valuable in calling to people’s attention the immense conservation and economic contributions made by hunters and anglers.

Alaska’s fish and wildlife resources would not be nearly as abundant without our sportsmen and women, nor would our economy be as vibrant. In our state, hunting and fishing are more than things that we do for recreation (though we certainly enjoy that aspect of it as well); we hunt and fish to feed our families and to maintain our very way of life. Unlike in the Lower 48, where you can simply drive to the grocery store to buy food, we rely on yearly harvests of species like salmon, moose, caribou, ptarmigan, and waterfowl in order to get though the year. The economic contributions that hunters and anglers make in Alaska further illustrate the inherent ties that Alaskans have to our fish and wildlife. A 2007 study funded through the Legislature determined that in 2007 alone, recreational anglers spent $1.39 billion fishing in Alaska, supporting nearly 16,000 jobs. In these times of tight budget constraints, the staggering economic contributions of our sportsmen and women cannot be overlooked when making fish and wildlife management decisions.

Whether you yourself are a sportsman or woman, or somebody who just likes to recreate in the great outdoors, on Sept. 27 we celebrate the many and varied benefits that hunting and angling provide for Alaska. As all Alaskans are intrinsically tied to our fish, wildlife, and lands, we must recognize the critical duty that we have in ensuring that future generations have ample opportunities to hunt, fish, trap, and shoot, as well as enjoy outdoor pursuits like camping, hiking, mountain biking, and photography.

I am proud to recognize the contributions of sportsmen and women for conservation and the economy, and thank the Alaska Department of Fish and Game for their tireless efforts promoting the outdoor recreational pursuits in our great state.

Enjoy this special occasion and the vast opportunities to hunt and fish in Alaska. The outdoor traditions of hunting and angling should not be taken for granted and should continue to be preserved for future generations. For more information on National Hunting and Fishing Day, visit bit.ly/10gwMBl.

Mark Neuman represents the Big Lake and Houston areas in the Alaska House of Representatives.