H. Res. 362

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;
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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 ammu-
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nition 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, whitetailed 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—
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(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.