Safari Club International (SCI) joins the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in celebrating the recent announcement of a record $1.5 billion in annual funding through the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration (WSFR) Program to support state and local outdoor recreational opportunities, wildlife and habitat conservation efforts, and hunting and fishing education.
The WSFR, also known colloquially as the Pittman-Robertson Act, is a well-established and well-regarded conservation partnership among state wildlife agencies, the outdoor industry, and the USFWS. When hunters, anglers, and boaters purchase equipment and fuel, the manufacturers, producers, and importers of those goods pay excise taxes into the Wildlife Restoration, Sport Fish Restoration, and Boating Trust Funds. The USFWS directly distributes these funds to ensure wildlife agencies in all states, commonwealths, and territories receive support.
Not only does this historic disbursement highlight the strength of the outdoor recreational economy, but it proves the vital role sportsmen play in protecting the future of our wildlife.
“The record-breaking grants through the WSFR will fund a remarkable number of conservation efforts and programs that benefit our country’s wildlife species and the hunting community as a whole,” said SCI CEO W. Laird Hamberlin. “Safari Club International looks forward to participating in the good work of these funds as they are allocated towards high priority issues for the sporting community such as supporting additional efforts to protect habitats and promoting hunting education.”
