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[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 362 Engrossed in House (EH)]

                 In the House of Representatives, U.S.,

                                                    September 23, 2003.
Whereas there are more than 38 million sportsmen in the United States;
Whereas these sportsmen, who come from all walks of life, engage in a sport they 
        love, while helping to stimulate the economy, especially in small, rural 
        communities, and contributing to conservation efforts;
Whereas sportsmen demonstrate values of conservation, appreciation of the 
        outdoors, and love of the natural beauty of the United States;
Whereas sporting activities have both physical and mental health benefits that 
        allow Americans to escape from the fast pace of their lives and to spend 
        time with their families and friends;
Whereas sportsmen pass down their love of the outdoors from generation to 
        generation;
Whereas many sportsmen consider hunting, trapping, and fishing of tremendous 
        importance to the American way of life;
Whereas sportsmen have a passion for learning about nature and have a tremendous 
        respect for the game pursued, other sportsmen, the non-hunting populace, 
        and the natural resources upon which they depend;
Whereas the total economic contribution of sportsmen amounts to $70 billion 
        annually, with a ripple effect amounting to $179 billion;
Whereas sportsmen contribute $1.7 billion every year for conservation programs, 
        and these funds constitute a significant portion of on-the-ground 
        wildlife conservation funding;
Whereas anglers support one million jobs and small businesses in communities in 
        every part of the United States, and they purchase $3.2 billion in basic 
        fishing equipment every year;
Whereas tens of millions of Americans hunt and are a substantial economic force, 
        spending $21 billion every year;
Whereas a sportsman President, Theodore Roosevelt, established America's first 
        National Wildlife Refuge 100 years ago, and with the committed support 
        of sportsmen over the last century, this system includes more than 540 
        refuges spanning 95 million acres throughout all 50 States;
Whereas the funds raised from sportsmen through their purchase of Federal 
        migratory bird hunting and conservation stamps under the Act of March 
        16, 1934, (commonly known as the Duck Stamp Act, 16 U.S.C. 718a et 
        seq.), are used to purchase and restore vital wetlands in the refuge 
        system;
Whereas the sale of such stamps has raised more than 500 million dollars which 
        has been used to acquire approximately 5 million acres of refuge lands 
        so far;
Whereas, in 1937, Congress passed the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act 
        (16 U.S.C. 669 et seq.), whereby sportsmen and the firearms and 
        ammunition industries agreed to a self-imposed 10 percent excise tax on 
        ammunition and firearms, the proceeds of which are distributed to the 
        States for wildlife restoration;
Whereas the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act has created a source of 
        permanent funding for State wildlife agencies that has been used to 
        rebuild and expand the ranges of numerous species, including wild 
        turkey, white-tailed deer, pronghorn antelope, wood duck, beaver, black 
        bear, American elk, bison, desert bighorn sheep, bobcat, and mountain 
        lion, and several non-game species, including bald eagles, sea otters, 
        and numerous song birds;
Whereas, in 1950, Congress passed the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act 
        (16 U.S.C. 777 et seq.) whereby recreational anglers and the fishing and 
        tackle manufacturing industries agreed to a self-imposed 10 percent 
        excise tax on sport fishing equipment (including fishing rods, reels, 
        lines, and hooks, artificial lures, baits and flies, and other fishing 
        supplies and accessories), the proceeds of which are used for the 
        purposes of constructing fish hatcheries, building boat access 
        facilities, promoting fishing, and educating children about aquatic 
        resources and fishing; and
Whereas the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act was amended in 1984 to 
        extend the excise tax to previously untaxed items of sport fishing 
        equipment and to dedicate a portion of the existing Federal tax on 
        motorboat fuels to such purposes, such that now approximately one-third 
        of all the funds expended by State fish and wildlife agencies for 
        maintenance and development of sports fisheries are collected through 
        the use of this excise tax: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes the importance and contributions of sportsmen to 
        American society;
            (2) supports the traditions and values of sportsmen;
            (3) supports the many conservation programs implemented by 
        sportsmen;
            (4) recognizes the many economic benefits associated with outdoor 
        sporting activities; and
            (5) recognizes the importance of encouraging the recruitment of, and 
        teaching the traditions of hunting, trapping, and fishing to, future 
        sportsmen.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.
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