A new report, ‘Hunting and Fishing: Bright Stars of the American Economy – A force as big as all outdoors’ compiled by the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation was released in December. The report spotlights the immense impact that sportsmen have on the national economy – 34 million sportsmen spending 76 billion dollars annually on their pastimes of hunting and fishing.
In less than a month, the report has generated more than 180 print articles and 350 internet articles. Circulations of the print venues exceeded 8.6 million readers. In this election year, the report is especially helpful to define not only the economic impact of sportsmen, but their political clout as well. The list of publications where articles appeared is available upon request.
Jeff Crane, President of CSF, since the report was released has been interviewed on numerous outdoor radio shows around the country. Hunting and fishing advocates nationwide continue to request the information from the report.
Crane’s message points out, “Because sportsmen enjoy hunting or fishing alone or in small groups, they are overlooked as a constituency and as a substantial economic force. When you compare spending by hunters and anglers to other sectors, their impact on the nation’s economy becomes more tangible.”
On a state-by state scale, Crane said, “The economic impact that sportsmen have on state economies should be a wake-up call to state governments to welcome and encourage hunting and fishing in their states. The evidence is clear: States that encourage hunting and fishing benefit many times over through jobs and taxes as well as a boost to tourism.â
The report is in the hands of the nearly 300 members of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus on Capitol Hill and many state legislators including the leadership of the 34 states that comprise the National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses (NASC).
Downloads of the 16-page report, state press releases and state fact sheets are available on the home page of the sportsmenslink website. The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), Safari Club International (SCI), National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers were partners on the report.
