Cunningham Introduces the Sport Fish Restoration and Recreational Boating Safety Act of 2019

Statement

Today, Reps. Joe Cunningham (D-SC) and Garret Graves (R-LA) introduced the Sport Fish Restoration and Recreational Boating Safety Act of 2019, bipartisan legislation to extend the authorization of the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund to 2024. Unless Congress acts, the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund is set to expire in 2021.

The Trust Fund provides vital funding for fisheries conservation and management, water and boating infrastructure, and federal and state programs for recreational boating safety. Last year, the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund helped fund projects at the Charleston City Marina, Charleston Waterfront, and Skull Creek Marina on Hilton Head Island that totaled over $2 million.

"Here in the Lowcountry, we know that access to the outdoors and our vibrant natural resources are essential to our unique way of life. That's why I am proud to champion the Sport Fish and Boating Trust Fund, which has enriched countless lives in the Lowcountry by funding wetland conservation, boating infrastructure, and boating safety education," said Rep. Joe Cunningham. "Nothing brings folks together quite like a love of the water, and I'm proud to work across the aisle to introduce this vitally important bill."

"From our North American Fishing headquarters in Ladson, S.C., Shimano is proud to continue our legacy of supporting fisheries conservation, including through the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund," said Dave Pfeiffer, President of Shimano North American Fishing. "The excise tax on fishing equipment, which we and other manufacturers pay, helps support state fish and wildlife agencies like the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources to manage and provide access to fishing. We are grateful to Rep. Cunningham for his leadership to ensure this vital fund continues to benefit not only the South Carolina Lowcountry but fishing destinations throughout the country."

"No one cares more about clean water and healthy fisheries than the recreational fishing community, as evidenced by the financial contributions we make to these efforts through excise taxes, license fees and donations," said Mike Leonard, Vice President of Government Affairs for the American Sportfishing Association. "Since its inception in 1950, the Sport Fish Restoration program has provided billions of dollars to fund fisheries conservation and public access to aquatic resources, providing opportunities for the nation's 49 million recreational fishermen to enjoy time on the water. The Sport Fish Restoration and Recreational Boating Safety Act of 2019 will strengthen and maintain this highly successful program into the future."

"The Sport Fish and Boating Trust Fund helps provide access to a wide array of aquatic resources across the country. States rely on support from the Trust Fund to provide access to some of the best outdoor recreational opportunities in the land. Conservationists appreciate the bipartisan efforts of Reps. Joe Cunningham and Garret Graves to lead the effort to reauthorize the Trust Fund to continue to provide access to our nation's abundant fishing and boating resources," said Robert H Boyles, Interim Director of the SC Department of Natural Resources.

"Thanks to the leadership of Representatives Cunningham and Graves, we are one step closer to reauthorizing the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund and ensuring that the program begins addressing modern issues impacting the recreational boating community," said Nicole Vasilaros, NMMA Senior Vice President of Government and Legal Affairs. "Paid for by recreational boaters and anglers, the Trust Fund is the backbone of fisheries conservation, providing critical funding for these efforts at the national and state levels, and we call on all members of Congress to swiftly approve this overwhelmingly bipartisan bill."

"We thank the bill sponsors for supporting and advancing the angling and boating community's policy priorities for reauthorization of the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Safety Trust Fund, as demonstrated through the collaborative work of the Angling and Boating Alliance (ABA). Supporting the ABA's reauthorization priorities and the "user pays-public benefit" system of conservation funding through this legislation will provide opportunities to address new horizons and challenges," said Ron Regan, Executive Director of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.

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