Issue Position: Natural Resources Conservation and Outdoor Recreation

Issue Position

In addition to farmers and ranchers, sportsmen have always been our nation's foremost conservationists. Throughout the last one-hundred years, sportsmen have helped fish and game agencies manage wildlife to ensure sustainable populations, contributed their money and labor to restore and improve habitat, and voluntarily paid license fees and excise taxes to fund game management and habitat conservation. In addition, hunting, fishing and other forms of outdoor recreation have proven physical, psychological and educational benefits for our nation's young people. Despite these benefits, our country has experienced declining participation in hunting and other forms of wildlife dependant recreation over the past two decades due to a growing disconnect between children and nature. As more and more adults hang up their fishing rods, rifles and boots, fewer and fewer young people are picking them up.

As a member of Congress, I will work to address these issues by supporting the recruitment and retention of a new base of sportsmen-conservationists. I will develop and support federal incentives that allow farmers, ranchers and other landowners to keep more of the income they earn in exchange for voluntarily conserving wildlife habitat and allowing hunting and fishing access on their property. I will work to increase hunting and fishing opportunities on the federal lands that the American tax payers own and support responsible implementation of state wildlife action plans. I will support legislation to make self-imposed excise taxes fairer and more sustainable for the manufacturers of sporting arms and ammunition and I'll work to ensure that on the ground habitat conservation figures prominently in the development of legislation related to climate change, energy and transportation.

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