[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 279 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 279

 Recognizing the importance and contributions of sportsmen to American 
    society, supporting the traditions and values of sportsmen, and 
recognizing the many economic benefits associated with outdoor sporting 
                              activities.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            December 9, 2003

 Mr. Coleman submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
             the Committee on Environment and Public Works

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Recognizing the importance and contributions of sportsmen to American 
    society, supporting the traditions and values of sportsmen, and 
recognizing the many economic benefits associated with outdoor sporting 
                              activities.

Whereas there are more than 38,000,000 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 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 $70,000,000,000 
        annually, with a ripple effect amounting to $179,000,000,000;
Whereas sportsmen contribute $1,700,000,000 every year for conservation 
        programs, and these funds constitute a significant portion of on-the-
        ground wildlife conservation funding;
Whereas anglers support 1,000,000 jobs and small businesses in communities in 
        every part of the United States, and they purchase $3,200,000,000 in 
        basic fishing equipment every year;
Whereas tens of millions of Americans hunt and are a substantial economic force, 
        spending $21,000,000,000 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, the National Wildlife Refuge System 
        includes more than 540 refuges spanning 95,000,000 acres throughout all 
        50 States;
Whereas the funds raised from sportsmen through purchases 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 those stamps has raised more than $500,000,000 which has 
        been used to acquire approximately 5,000,000 acres of refuge lands;
Whereas in 1937, Congress passed the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act 
        (16 U.S.C. 669 et seq.), under which 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.), under which 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 those purposes, so that now approximately \1/3\ of 
        the funds expended by State fish and wildlife agencies for maintenance 
        and development of sports fisheries are collected through the use of the 
        excise tax: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (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.
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