Last week, SCI joined 21 other organizations in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Schumer and Republican Leader McConnell outlining strong opposition to the Biden Administration’s nominee for the Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), David Chipman. Chipman, a longtime gun control lobbyist, has expressly stated his support for banning the most popular rifle in the U.S., owned by tens of millions of law-abiding Americans, as well as the benefits to conservation provided by recreational firearm sales.
The nomination of Chipman as part of Biden’s anti-gun agenda will significantly harm wildlife conservation and management efforts across the country. Manufacturers pay a 10-11% tax on firearms and ammunition which directly funds state wildlife and habitat conservation, law enforcement, hunter safety programs and other wildlife-related uses. This tax comes from all recreational firearm manufacturing, not just those used for hunting.
In the past year alone, over ten million Americans purchased a firearm for the first time – many of which were from non-traditional communities. This also resulted in increased hunting license sales, which directly benefit game species and entire ecosystems.
SCI CEO W. Laird Hamberlin stated: “The benefits all hunters and recreational shooters bring to wildlife and habitat conservation cannot be diminished. America’s law-abiding sportsmen and women are vital to providing the revenue, participation and management necessary to conserving wildlife and habitat across the country. David Chipman’s explicit hostility to our community is dangerous and we strongly oppose his nomination to lead ATF.”
The ATF should not be politicized to pander to anti-gun activists with no respect for wildlife or conservation. SCI will continue to fight any attack against the hunting community and continue to stand for the rights of America’s hunters.
