Bill > H6083

This resolution commemorates the 75th anniversary of the Sport Fish Restoration Program, a critical conservation funding mechanism in the United States. The resolution highlights how hunters and anglers were early conservationists who recognized the need to protect natural resources, and details how they supported legislation and funding mechanisms to restore and sustain fish populations. Specifically, the program involves a manufacturers' excise tax on fishing equipment and motorboat fuel, which is distributed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to state agencies for fisheries conservation, management, and access improvements. The resolution recognizes the cooperative partnership between the sportfishing industry, anglers, boaters, federal wildlife services, and state natural resource agencies, which has created what is considered the most successful fisheries management model globally. By acknowledging the program's significant achievements—including over $78 billion contributed to conservation efforts since 1939—the resolution celebrates the collective impact of the American System of Conservation Funding and commends the various stakeholders who have contributed to restoring and enhancing fish and aquatic resources across the United States and its territories.

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