National Hunting and Fishing Day
Suggested Script for PowerPoint Presentation
Image / Script1. / / Raise your hands…how many people here today enjoy wild places filled with wildlife and fish and unspoiled landscapes?Lotsof us, right? Whether you live in the country and see deer or birds orfrogsalmost every day, or in the city where you might see only an occasionalflock of geese flying over high-rise apartments, statistics show that most Americans enjoy seeing wildlife. Especially those Americanswho like to get outside and experience the outdoors firsthand, such as…
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Mountain bikers, hikers, geocachers, ATV riders, rafters and canoeists, snorkelers, birdwatchers, backpackers, berry and mushroom pickers, wildlife photographers, fat kids, skinny kids, kids who climb on rocks – the great outdoors is a playground for lots of great people.
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But there’s someone else who loves wild places, too. And they’ve been out there enjoying the outdoors for a lot longer. In fact, their activities can be traced back throughout human existence. Their skills are no longer needed for survival but the drive is as strong as ever. Maybe that’s why they do more today than anyone else to help keep wild places wild. Many people are surprised to learn that these other outdoor lovers are leaders in conservation. Can you guess who they are?
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If you guessed hunters and anglers, congratulations. Today there are 34 million of them, and together they are the most powerful force for keeping wild places wild. That’s why they’re special among all the different people who usethe outdoors.
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We’re going to use the word “conservation” a lot today, so let’s really understand what it means. Conservation means wise, sustainable use of natural resources, including fish and wildlife. These resources are renewable, which means we can harvest some without harming the long-term health of the resource itself. The word “preservation” is sometimes confused with conservation. Preservation means locking resources up and never touching them; conservation means caring for them and using them responsibly. Conservation is where hunters and anglers really stand out.
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So, how do hunting and angling translate to conserving wild places? How exactly do sportsmen and women help the resources that are also enjoyed by mountain bikers, birdwatchers and backpackers?
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Hunters and anglers do lots of things for conservation. They volunteer for work projects like outdoor clean-up days. Theyhelp biologists develop water sources for wildlife. They teach hunter education classes, and lots, lots more. But when you get right down to it, their most important contribution is cash. And lots of it!Can you guess how much?
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The annual total is $1.75 billion – that’s billion with a B – and hunters and anglers pay it in two primary ways. The first is the sale of hunting and fishing licenses. Second, there’s a special excise tax of 10-11 percent on new firearms and ammunition, bows and arrows and rods and reels. The neat thing about these licenses and taxes is that hunters and anglers asked for them. They actually volunteered to pay for managing and conserving our outdoors. When’s the last time you heard of someone asking to be licensed and taxed? All that money goes to conservation agencies in each state. Those agencies are responsible for managing wildlife, fish and habitat, and keepingthose resources in top shape.
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From1900 to about the 1940s, America’s outdoors looked a lot different than it does now. Our country had just seen a massive westward expansion and people relied on game and fish for food. Market hunters killed wildlife by the ton and shipped it to the growing cities. The supply seemed endless and people didn’t understand conservation. Then the Dust Bowl came along in the 1930s and showed how fragile habitat could be. Finally, hunters and anglers had enough! They took the lead and pushed for science-based management by state wildlife agencies. They volunteered to pay for the government programs that would oversee conservation efforts. And the transformation of America’s outdoors began.
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White-tailed deer are one of conservation’s signature accomplishments. Once they were on the verge of extinction. Today they’re one of America’s most popular and plentiful wildlife species, thanks to hunters.
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Wild turkeys are another signature accomplishment.They alsowere nearly gone for good, but now they’re abundantjust about everywhere.These kinds of stories go on and on. Some of America’s favorite species – elk, pronghorn antelope, wood ducks, Canada geese and other waterfowl, bears and many more – all share a similar history. They went from vanishing to flourishing, thanks to hunters.
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On the fishing side, money from anglers paid for stocking new lakes with fish, enforcing harvest laws, monitoring water quality and keeping an eye on the health of aquatic resources across the country. These efforts made America’s waters a haven for fish and wildlife.
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Now that those populations of game and fish species are restored, established, healthy and self-sustaining, modern conservation has evolved to focus on managing the places where these animals live – their habitat. And hunters and anglers today are still contributing most of the money needed to keep these places wild.
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In turn, healthy and well-managed habitat sustainsall fish and wildlife species—the ones pursued by hunters and anglers, and the ones that aren’t.
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What does that mean for you and me? It means that whether or not you hunt or fish, you have the opportunity to enjoy fish, wildlife and wild places.
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My message to you today is that hunters and anglers are the true heroes of conservation in America. Next time you see a deer or duck or bass or redfish, think about where those species might be if hunters and anglers hadn’t been there for the past 50-60 years, keeping awatchful eye on these renewable resources in America’s great outdoors.
But you don’t have to take my word for it…
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In 1972, Congress established a special day to honorhunters and anglers for their leadership in conserving America’swildlife and wild places.
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I hope you’ll celebrate National Hunting and Fishing Day on the fourth Saturday of every September. Spread the word about how conservation happens in our country. And then get outside and enjoy the original outdoor challenges of hunting and fishing!
NOTE: To learn more, visit
Photo Credits:
Berkley
Bureau of Land Management
Coleman
FabulousSavers.com
IDNR/Outdoor Indiana
Ken Hammond, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Les Howard
Matt Inden/Weaver Multimedia Group, Colorado Tourism Office
National Shooting Sports Foundation
National Wild Turkey Federation
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation
Ranger Boats
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
ScenicWallpapers.net
Sea-Doo
South Dakota Office of Tourism
Steve Wagner
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
U.S. Department of the Treasury
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Yamaha
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