Bill > HCR33

This resolution commemorates the 75th anniversary of the Sportfish Restoration Program by recognizing the critical role of conservation efforts led by hunters, anglers, and wildlife agencies in protecting and managing fish populations in the United States. The resolution traces the history of conservation funding, highlighting how sportsmen and women initially supported laws to stop excessive wildlife harvesting and established special license fees to fund conservation efforts. It emphasizes that when license fees proved insufficient, anglers supported excise taxes on fishing equipment to raise additional funds, which led to the creation of the Sport Fish Restoration Program in 1950 (expanded in 1984). The program, which involves a manufacturers' excise tax on fishing equipment and motorboat fuel, distributes funds through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to state agencies for fisheries conservation, management, and improving angler and boater access. The resolution notes that since 1939, these conservation programs have contributed over $78 billion to fish and wildlife agencies, making it the most significant conservation effort in American history. It calls for recognizing the collaborative efforts of anglers, the sportfishing industry, state agencies, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in restoring and enhancing fish populations across the United States and its territories.

https://legis.delaware.gov/BillDetail?LegislationId=141944