Hunter Advocacy Week 2025

Fellow hunters,

I’m excited to share that SCI had tremendous success last week during our annual Hunter Advocacy Week in Washington, DC. Over the course of the week, SCI leadership and membership had opportunities to visit over 200 lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle on Capitol Hill and advocate for issues most critical hunting and sustainable-use conservation.

SCI separates itself from other hunting advocacy organizations around the country as we are the only hunting organization with an office in DC that houses our full-time legal and advocacy staff. From this location we not only coordinate our advocacy efforts inside the halls of Congress but also create a welcoming home for hunting, fishing, and outdoor sportsmen advocates of all stripes. For example, our Congressional Reception and Presidents’ Dinner last Friday, as part of Hunter Advocacy Week, featured some of our staunchest allies elected to Congress, over 100 members of SCI from across the country, and even an appearance from decorated Army Special Forces Officer Mark Nutsch. That is why we call our office by the U.S. Senate The Hunters’ Embassy.

The programming of events that we get to do around Hunter Advocacy Week, however, is only part of why so many of our members join us in Washington every year. The real reason is what we are able to accomplish and the points we are able to put on the board for our industry with meetings on Capitol Hill as part of Lobby Day. These meetings are not just about the action, they are about results.

For example, one of SCI’s top legislative priorities this year is to pass a bill reforming the Endangered Species Act. As many of our members know,  the ESA as currently written is woefully outdated where all too often a species is listed but then never removed no matter how successfully the species has recovered. As Chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) himself stated, the ESA “has been warped by decades of radical environmental litigation into a weapon instead of a tool.”

Well, last week SCI leadership had the opportunity to meet with Chairman Westerman in his office to discuss, among many things, how SCI can help pass his bill – the Endangered Species Act (ESA) Amendments Act of 2025. These types of productive conversations were had all across the Capitol that day and covered even more topics including but not limited to opposing unscientific bans on the import of wildlife legally hunted and harvested abroad, supporting the Pittman-Robertson Act’s pipeline of conservation funding, and supporting no-net-loss policies on federal hunting and fishing access.

Many hunters don’t think about these nuanced policy ideas when they climb into their tree stand, head out to the duck blind, or travel abroad to meet their favorite professional hunting guide. But make no mistake, these kinds of policies are foundational to the American hunting tradition and if we as sportsmen and women don’t fight to keep them or make them better, you’ll soon see those rights whither and die.

As we closed out the big day in the halls of Congress, our veteran lobby day SCI members were quick to notice exceptional energy and fervor coming from many of the Congressional offices. It became clear to us that President Donald Trump’s historic administration and a unified Republican Congress instilled in everyone a determination to make the most of this moment and accomplish the things that will truly make America great. There are many things that made this year’s Hunter Advocacy Week one of our most successful in years, but the new energy on the hill surely played a role.

As CEO of SCI, I would be remiss to not thank all of those members of Congress for their time and their attention. That said, I also want to thank our fantastic SCI membership that travelled from across the country to advocate for their fellow sportsmen. Thanks to their  efforts and contributions, SCI continues to fight for your right to hunt, fish, shoot, and go afield both here in the U.S and around the world.

W. Laird Hamberlin
CEO
Safari Club International