Before reviewing the modernization of the P-R Act, let’s review what the original Act did.
In 1937, the Pittman-Robertson Act redirected an existing federal excise tax on firearms and ammunition used by hunters and other outdoor recreationists to a Wildlife Restoration Trust Fund. The excise tax is set at 10% of the wholesale price for pistols and revolvers, and 11% for other firearms, ammunition, and archery equipment. The funds are apportioned to state fish and wildlife agencies annually through an equation based on the geographic area and the number of hunting licenses annually sold in each state.
Eligible uses of the Fund include efforts to conserve wildlife populations, acquire and manage wildlife habitats, provide hunter safety programs, ensure public access to numerous acres of land, and much more. State fish and wildlife agencies receive 75% of funding from the Fund and are required to match the remaining 25% of costs with funding often derived from revenues from the sale of hunting licenses, permits, and stamps.
Hunting license fees and excise taxes paid by hunters and other outdoor recreationists provide the funds that support the management and conservation of wildlife populations and their habitats. Historically, states have utilized these funds to restore populations of animals such as white-tailed deer, wild turkey, waterfowl, pronghorn, elk, and other economically important species across the United States.
Since the program’s inception, over $12 billion has been collected from hunters and outdoor recreationists and then allocated to state fish and wildlife agencies to fund wildlife conservation and management.
As a result, the amount of critical funding used to manage the majority of wildlife populations is directly proportional to the number of hunters in each state – through both collection and allocation of funds. Preserving and enhancing this user pay/public benefit funding source enables state agencies to continue providing a diversity of high quality outdoor recreational opportunities for all Americans to enjoy.
The increasing urbanization and suburbanization of our human population has made it more difficult for the public to participate in hunting. The average age of American hunters is steadily rising. To prevent the imminent decline in revenue for the Wildlife Restoration Fund, it is necessary to update the provisions of the Pittman-Robertson Act and provide flexibility for state agencies to manage their resources accordingly.
There is an increasing body of knowledge that provides effective and efficient solutions to increase the recruitment and retention of new hunters. However, because of the antiquated and unanticipated restrictions in the 1937 legislation, agencies legally could not use more contemporary approaches. Now, agencies can quickly respond to wildlife management challenges using science-based approaches and are no longer restricted in their ability to respond to shifting participation trends in hunting.
The provisions of the Modernization Act in H.R. 877 / S. 2092 provides state and territorial fish and wildlife agencies the flexibility needed to adapt to the current business environment and develop tools and techniques to recruit, retain, and reactivate (R3) hunters and other outdoor recreationists. The Acts will enhance efforts to connect a growing urbanizing and diversifying population with the opportunities to get outdoors, actively acquire their own food sources and experience the numerous health benefits while doing so.
Without a federal mandate, or any increase in user fees or taxes, the Modernization Act preserves the current user pay/public benefit funding model of wildlife conservation for future generations by giving state fish and wildlife agencies the flexibility needed in today’s environment to utilize funds for state-specific needs while complimenting current, critical wildlife conservation efforts.
The future of conservation will rely on provisions in this bill to build a future reliant on agencies’ ability to restore habitat and confront threats like invasive species and disease, while at the same time engaging more and diverse participants in hunting and America’s outdoor heritage. The passage of H.R. 877/ S. 2092 should ensure a continued legacy of hunting and conservation of wild populations for all Americans.
The Act will ensure stable funding for conservation for years to come, while at the same time permit agencies to more effectively engage constituents serving to recruit and retain more and diverse participants in hunting. Now more than ever, state fish and wildlife agencies require modern, innovative, and flexible approaches to wildlife conservation in their states. This bill expands the use of existing PR funds and increases the agencies’ authority to manage programs in their state.
At the January MA Fish & Wildlife Board Meeting, DFW Director Tisa reported its passage and signing by President Trump.
Another act, the Dingell Johnson Act already provides agencies with the ability to promote angling and boating, and now the Modernization Act will permit agencies the same parity to do so with hunting. Further, provisions of this bill permit agencies to form collaborative and scalable approaches spanning geographic boundaries and may increase the efficiency of hunter recruitment and retention, thereby increasing conservation funding as well as an agency’s ability to respond to the myriad of diverse conservation challenges they face today.
There is another bill which is working its way through congress called the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (RAWA). That bill which complements the Wildlife Restoration Act (Pittman-Robertson) and the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act (Dingell-Johnson), will fund
state-led recovery efforts on behalf of game and sport fish species that faced potential extinction in the 20th century. This proposed bill will be covered in a future column.
New MassWildlife Western District Wildlife Biologist hired.
Eli Pease recently joined the MassWildlife Western District Staff as a Wildlife Technician. Originally from Worthington, MA, Eli first worked with MassWildlife under the American Fisheries Society Hutton Scholarship program while attending Wahconah High School. He was the first ever Hutton Scholarship participant from Massachusetts. Eli graduated from UMass Amherst with a degree in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation.
Prior to joining MassWildife, Eli worked on wildlife habitat management for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife, on White-Tailed Deer movement with the Pennsylvania Game Commission, and on land stewardship with the Franklin Land Trust.
Eli will be working on all of Western District programs; creating recreational opportunity, managing habitats, conducting wildlife research, and serving the public.
Wear those personal floatation vests
Prompted by the April 2 drowning of Maeve Kennedy McKean, the granddaughter of Robert F. Kennedy, and her 8-year old son Gideon, Marion Larson, MassWildlife Chief of Information & Education urged me to once again remind readers that Personal Flotation Devices (life jackets) are required to be worn by canoeists/kayakers from September 15 to May 15.
McKean, the mother of three, was playing kickball at her mother’s empty, waterfront house in Shady Side, Md., with her kids when the ball landed in Chesapeake Bay. McKean and her 8-year-old son, Gideon, boarded a canoe to retrieve it but high winds and large waves pushed them further out into the water. They were unable to return to shore and the canoe got swamped.
An onlooker noticed that the two appeared distressed and were not sporting life jackets.
Moose relocated in Blandford
On Wednesday, DFW Western District Wildlife Biologists rescued a young moose from a dangerous situation. The moose had wandered into a congested area between I-90 and RT-23 in Blandford, where it was in danger of being hit by oncoming traffic. After closely monitoring the cow, they immobilized and relocated her to a nearby forested area with the help of the Massachusetts Environmental Police.
While moose sightings aren’t usually cause for alarm, this moose was near busy roadways, and was moved for both the safety of the public and the moose.
The epitome of social distancing
This past week, I received a call from Pete Lahart of Pittsfield who asked me if I ever heard of a goose landing on a building roof. When I replied “no”, he said, well I have a picture to show you and he sent it along.
Take a gander (pun) of that! As you can plainly see, there is a Canada Goose on the roof of a house in Sheffield. The picture was taken by Pete’s son Sean who, along with a buddy, witnessed two geese land there. Sean was standing on staging working on the house and was able to snap a picture of only one of them. The geese stayed on the roof for a little while and then flew down and landed on a little pond on the grounds.
This takes social distancing to a whole new level (another pun). Silly goose. I hope those geese don’t make a habit of landing on that roof for it could literally become a slippery slope (pun #3).
Stay safe!