[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Page 5171]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS

  The following petition or memorial was laid before the Senate and was 
referred or ordered to lie on the table as indicated:

       POM-160. A resolution adopted by the House of 
     Representatives of the State of Michigan urging the United 
     States Congress to enact legislation that will enhance 
     hunting, fishing, recreational shooting, and other outdoor 
     recreational opportunities for sportsmen and women 
     nationwide; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

                        House Resolution No. 228

       Whereas, Conservation in the United States 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, Currently pending legislation in the U.S. 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. Senate 
     Bill 659, the Bipartisan Sportsmen's Act of 2015, pulls 
     together fourteen separate programs that impact sportsmen. 
     The bill will advance the cause of making public lands more 
     accessible for multiple recreational uses including hunting 
     and fishing; and
       Whereas, The bill will renew several important programs, 
     including reauthorization of the federal Land Transaction 
     Facilitation Act, the North American Wetlands Conservation 
     Act, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. The 
     reauthorization of these programs as well as the creation of 
     new programs will enhance opportunities for 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 protects our hunting, 
     shooting, and conservation heritage for generations to come: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we urge the 
     United States Congress to enact legislation that will enhance 
     hunting, fishing, recreational shooting, and other outdoor 
     recreational opportunities for sportsmen and women 
     nationwide; and be it further
       Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to 
     the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the 
     United States House of Representatives, and the members of 
     the Michigan congressional delegation.

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