UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS BR 1975
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A RESOLUTION commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Sport Fish 1
Restoration Program as part of the American System of Conservation Funding. 2
WHEREAS, more than a century ago, hunters and anglers were among the first 3
conservationists who realized America's natural resources were in peril and could not 4
sustain unregulated harvest and habitat destruction; and 5
WHEREAS, sportsmen and sportswomen took it upon themselves to support laws 6
that stopped the excessive harvest of fish and wildlife, established state agencies to 7
protect fish, wildlife, and their habitat, and advocated for special fishing and hunting 8
license fees to fund the new agencies' efforts to provide healthy natural resources for 9
future generations; and 10
WHEREAS, the primary authority to protect and manage fish within state waters 11
resides with state agencies; and 12
WHEREAS, realizing that license fees alone were insufficient to fund the 13
restoration and maintenance of healthy fish populations, anglers supported excise taxes 14
on fishing equipment to raise additional funds to support restoration and enhancement 15
efforts of the state agencies; and 16
WHEREAS, the Sport Fish Restoration Program, which is a vital part of 17
conservation funding in the United States, began 75 years ago with the passage of the 18
Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act in 1950; and 19
WHEREAS, the program was expanded in 1984 after the passage of the Wallop-20
Breaux amendment to the Sport Fish Restoration Act; and 21
WHEREAS, a manufacturer's excise tax on fishing equipment, along with an excise 22
tax on motorboat and small engine fuels, is mostly distributed back to the states through 23
the United States Fish and Wildlife Service for fisheries conservation, management, and 24
angler and boater access; and 25
WHEREAS, this cooperative partnership between the sportfishing industry, anglers, 26
boaters, state natural resource agencies, and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service 27 UNOFFICIAL COPY 25 RS BR 1975
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has resulted in the most successful model of fisheries management in the world, restoring 1
and enhancing fish populations across the United States and its territories; and 2
WHEREAS, since 1939, the combined contribution of the Wildlife Restoration 3
Program, the Sport Fish Restoration Program, and license fees to the state fish and 4
wildlife agencies exceeds $78 billion, which is more than any other single conservation 5
effort in American history and constitutes, collectively, the American system of 6
conservation funding; and 7
NOW, THEREFORE, 8
Be it resolved by the Senate of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of 9
Kentucky: 10
Section 1. The Senate hereby recognizes America's anglers and boaters, the 11
sportfishing industry, state fish and wildlife agencies, and the United States Fish and 12
Wildlife Service for their leading role in restoring healthy populations of fish and aquatic 13
resources, both game and nongame, to the abundance we see today. The Sport Fish 14
Restoration Program, in this 75th year, is the model for the American system of 15
conservation funding. 16
Section 2. The Clerk of the Senate is directed to transmit a copy of this 17
Resolution to the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources and to the offices 18
of the members of Kentucky's congressional delegation. Those receiving this resolution 19
are encouraged to further its dissemination to local, regional, and national media sources 20
so that all may know and appreciate the foresight and contributions from anglers, the 21
sportfishing industry, state fish and wildlife agencies, and the United States Fish and 22
Wildlife Service on behalf of our nation's fisheries and aquatic resources. 23