SENATOR JACKSON TO CELEBRATE THE 42ND NATIONAL HUNTING AND FISHING DAY
Senator Jackson will join lawmakers from across the country in recognizing the time-honored traditions of hunting and angling AUGUSTA– As a Co-Chair of the Maine Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus, and a member of the larger National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses network, Senate Majority Leader Troy Jackson of Allagash is proud to celebrate the 42nd National Hunting and Fishing Day on September 27th. “Whether you yourself are a sportsman or woman, today we celebrate the many and varied benefits that hunting and angling provide for Maine,” said Senator Jackson, “It is important to recognize the many contributions of sportsmen and women for conservation and the economy. Our outdoor traditions of hunting and angling should not be taken for granted and should continue to be preserved for future generations.” Maine’s fish and wildlife resources would not be nearly as abundant without our sportsmen and women, nor would our economy be as vibrant. Purchases of licenses, firearms, ammunition, fishing tackle, motorboat fuel, and other items used by sportsmen and women drive conservation funding in the United States. Together, these funding sources create the American System of Conservation Funding, a unique “user-pays, public-benefits” model. Authorized in 1937, the Pittman-Robertson Act, and later the Dingell-Johnson Act in 1950 and the Wallop-Breaux Amendments in 1984, provide funds from excise tax revenue to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. Last year, Pittman-Robertson and Dingell-Johnson combined to contribute $11,420,465, while license sales generated an additional $15,559,051.This brings the total contribution by sportsmen and women to nearly $27 million in 2013 alone. All Mainers benefit through these monies from improved access to public lands, public shooting facilities, improved water quality, habitat restoration, and numerous other department projects funded through this system. More information on National Hunting and Fishing Day can be found at http://www.nhfday.org/.
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