HR 578: Sport Fish Restoration Program; part of the American System of Conservation Funding; 75th anniversary; recognize

House Resolution 578

By: Representatives Cannon of the 172nd, Rhodes of the 124th, Petrea of the 166th, McDonald III of the 26th, and Kelley of the 16th

A RESOLUTION

Commending the Sport Fish Restoration Program as part of the American System of Conservation Funding upon its 75th anniversary; and for other purposes.

WHEREAS, more than a century ago, hunters and anglers were among the first conservationists to recognize that America's natural resources were in peril and could not sustain unregulated harvest and habitat destruction; and

WHEREAS, sportsmen and women took it upon themselves to support laws that stopped excessive harvesting of fish and wildlife; established state agencies to protect fish, wildlife, and their habitat; and supported special fishing and hunting license fees to help fund these agencies' efforts to provide healthy natural resources for future generations; and

WHEREAS, upon realizing that license fees alone were insufficient to restore and sustain healthy fish populations, anglers supported excise taxes on fishing equipment to raise additional funds to support restoration and enhancement efforts of state agencies; and

WHEREAS, the Sport Fish Restoration Program, which began 75 years ago with the passage of the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act in 1950 and was further expanded with the Wallop-Breaux amendment to the Sport Fish Restoration Act in 1984, is a vital part of conservation funding in the United States; and

WHEREAS, a manufacturers' excise tax on fishing equipment, along with an excise tax on motorboat and small engine fuels, is primarily distributed back to the states through the United States Fish and Wildlife Service for fisheries conservation, management, and angler and boater access; and

WHEREAS, this cooperative partnership between the sportfishing industry, anglers, boaters, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and state natural resource agencies has resulted in the most successful model of fisheries management in the world, restoring and enhancing populations across the United States and its territories; and

WHEREAS, since 1939, the combined contribution of the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Programs and license fees to state fish and wildlife agencies has exceeded $78 billion—more than any other single conservation effort in American history—collectively constituting the American System of Conservation Funding.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body commend America's anglers and boaters, the sportfishing industry, state fish and wildlife agencies, and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service for their leading role in restoring healthy populations of fish and aquatic resources, both game and non-game, to the abundance seen today through the Sport Fish Restoration Program, in this the 75th anniversary year of the program's establishment as part of the American System of Conservation Funding.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to the public and the press.