Wednesday, January 13, 2021

Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation Releases State Issue Briefs

2021 Issue Briefs provide sportsmen’s community, policymakers with information needed to pursue comprehensive outdoor agenda in state capitols

WASHINGTON – Further cementing its status as a sportsmen’s community leader in statehouses across the country, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) has released the new and revised 2021 State Issue Brief catalog. This year’s edition provides legislators and members of the sportsmen’s community the latest information for use during the 2021 legislative sessions around the country. Compiled by CSF’s expert policy staff, the 2021 catalog provides background on a wide variety of policy topics impacting the nation’s hunters, anglers, recreational shooters, and trappers.

Designed by CSF to assist the 49 state sportsmen’s caucuses and nearly 2,500 state legislators united through the National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses, State Issue Briefs provide critical background on policy and regulations impacting America’s outdoor heritage. Also available to the sportsmen’s community at-large, the Issue Brief catalog equips sportsmen and women with background necessary to participate in the democratic policymaking process effectively.

The full list of 2021 State Issue Briefs is comprised of more than 80 relevant topics and issues that are divided into four categories:

  1. Access and Opportunity
  2. Conservation
  3. Protecting and Promoting Our Sportsmen’s Heritage
  4. Youth Engagement and R3

The wide range of topics include Public Access to Private Land; Freshwater Angling Access; Conservation Sales Tax; State Fish and Wildlife Management Authority; Firearm Suppressors; Hunting with Dogs; Seniors, Veterans, and Active Duty Military Hunting and Angling Privileges; White-tailed Deer Management – Hunting as a Preferred Management Tool; Sunday Hunting; Apprentice Hunting Licenses; Hunter Recruitment, Retention and Reactivation (R3) among many others.

Recent additions to the catalog include briefs related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic: Protecting Our Second Amendment Rights during Times of Emergency and Protecting Our Outdoor Sporting Heritage during Times of Emergency.

“As the most trusted voice in the sporting policy arena, CSF is committed to providing the public and decision makers with credible information about policy proposals that impact America’s sportsmen and women,” said CSF President Jeff Crane. “Our 2021 State Issue Briefs provide essential background that will help inform the decisions that impact not only hunters, anglers, recreational shooters, and trappers, but also conservation funding and the economy.”

Each year, CSF’s state and federal policy teams track an average of 5,000 bills and more than 10,000 regulatory proposals related to hunting, angling, recreational shooting, trapping, and other conservation issues. As a result of the efforts of CSF’s network of federal and state sportsmen’s caucuses, over 500 pro-sportsmen’s bills have been signed into law in the last two years alone.