HOUSE RESOLUTION 11

(By Delegates Stansbury, Philllips, Hamilton,
R. Smith, Cadle, B. White, Ambler, Summers, J. Nelson, Perdue and Statler)

[February 16, 2016 ]

Urging the United States Congress to enact legislation for the purpose of enhancing hunting, fishing, recreational shooting, and other outdoor recreational opportunities, as well as strengthen conservation efforts nationwide.

Whereas, To this day, conservation is funded primarily by sportsmen and women. This American system of conservation funding is a user pays-public benefits approach that includes excise taxes on hunting, fishing, and boating equipment. This strategy is widely recognized as the most successful model of fish and wildlife management funding in the world; and

Whereas, Through the pursuit of their outdoor passions, sportsmen and women support hundreds of thousands of jobs and contribute billions to our economy annually through salaries, wages, and product purchases; and

Whereas, The United States Congress has worked on several pieces of legislation over the years to boost a number of key conservation priorities that are supported by millions in the outdoor recreational community; and

Whereas, Currently pending legislation in both the U.S. House and Senate would create or renew several important programs that are vital to the continued conservation of our natural resources, the health of America’s local economies, and the enhancement and protection of our time-honored outdoor pastimes. Known as the Sportsmen’s Heritage and Recreational Enhancement (SHARE) Act (H.R. 2406) and the Bipartisan Sportsmen’s Act (S. 405), these bills contain a broad array of bipartisan measures, including the Recreational Fishing and Hunting Opportunities Act; the Hunting, Fishing, and Recreational Shooting Protection Act; the Target Practice and Marksmanship Training Support Act; and the Recreational Lands Self-Defense Act; and

Whereas, A complementary piece of pro-sportsmen legislation also exists in the U.S. House, called the Sportsmen’s Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Enhancement (SCORE) Act (H.R. 3173). It shares several similar titles with the SHARE Act and Bipartisan Sportsmen’s Act. Provisions in the SCORE Act include: The National Fish Habitat Initiative Sense of Congress, the Federal Lands Transaction Facilitation Act reauthorization, the North American Wetlands Conservation Act reauthorization, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation reauthorization, the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act reauthorization, the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program Act reauthorization, and the Making Public Lands Public authorization; and

Whereas, By renewing or creating these programs, these bills will enhance opportunities for hunters, anglers, recreational shooters, and other outdoor recreation enthusiasts, improve access to public lands, and help boost the outdoor recreation economy. Conserving our fish and wildlife resources and their habitats and ensuring that future generations have access to public lands and continued recreational opportunities are of great importance and are bipartisan issues; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Delegates:

That the United States Congress is urged to enact legislation for the purpose of enhancing hunting, fishing, recreational shooting, and other outdoor recreational opportunities, as well as strengthen conservation efforts nationwide; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates forward copies of this resolution to the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and the members of West Virginia's congressional delegation.