Saturday is National Public Lands Day and National Hunting and Fishing Day, a perfect time to celebrate your role in conservation 

This weekend, help us celebrate National Hunting and Fishing Day and National Public Lands Day by using and appreciating our country’s unmatched outdoor recreation opportunities, natural resources, and public land access. Timed with the start of many hunting seasons and some of the best fall fishing, it’s a perfect occasion to acknowledge the role that YOU play in conservation as you play in the outdoors.

In 1972, when Richard Nixon signed the first-ever presidential proclamation of National Hunting and Fishing Day, he wrote, “I urge all citizens to join with outdoor sportsmen in the wise use of our natural resources and in insuring their proper management for the benefit of future generations.”

And it is just as true today that hunters and anglers lead when it comes to advocating for healthy fish and wildlife populations, abundant habitat, and outdoor recreation access for all. We show up with our dollars, too: Sportsmen and sportswomen contribute more than $1.7 billion each year to fisheries management and $1.8 billion annually to wildlife conservation through our license and gear purchases.

Fortunately, our numbers are growing, enhancing the potential for these conservation investments. In 2020, 55 million Americans went fishing, including 5 million anglers who were brand new or returning to the sport after a few years off. More than 15 million hunters purchased licenses last year—a 4.9-percent increase over 2019.

This means that all of YOUR efforts to mentor and welcome friends, family, and other interested beginners are incredibly meaningful, beyond the knowledge and passion you share. You are helping to grow the next generation of conservationists and a critical source of funding for habitat improvement! So, get outside this weekend and enjoy the results: some of the best hunting and fishing opportunities in the world.

Many National Public Lands Day events are focused on giving back through clean-ups and other volunteer efforts. Helping to remove old barbed wire fencing, construct a wildlife guzzler, or pick up trash is actually a great way to introduce someone new to the value of public lands access and the hunting and fishing community’s commitment to conservation.

Or, if you’re in a position to give financially, this could be the perfect moment to support an organization that helps to advance conservation on a local or national scale. Here are 60 that we admire and work with.

In celebration of the 49th anniversary of National Hunting and Fishing Day, the TRCP is calling on 49 new donors to step up for conservation and support our mission of guaranteeing all Americans quality places to hunt and fish. Will you be one of them?

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No matter how you choose to support conservation or enjoy the outdoors this weekend, we thank you for using and appreciating our country’s unmatched natural resources and public land access. Your participation in hunting and fishing—and your commitment to welcoming others who are interested in these activities—truly makes a difference for conservation in America. Let’s double down on these efforts and have the best fall ever.

From all of us at the TRCP, happy National Hunting and Fishing Day and National Public Lands Day!

Are you new to the TRCP’s work for conservation, habitat, and access? Sign up to learn more about what we do and stay informed on the issues that will affect your hunting and fishing opportunities.

Help Ensure Our Values Guide the Forest Service’s Management of Our Public Lands

Take Action Now

The U.S. Forest Service recently released a draft plan that will guide public land management practices over the next 10 to 15 years on the 1.1 million-acre Lincoln National Forest in Southern New Mexico.

The planning area is one of the premier public land hunting areas in the West and offers outstanding hunting opportunities for mule deer, elk, black bear, and turkey. Part of what makes this area such a high-quality hunting destination is its large tracts of uninterrupted backcountry habitat, along with excellent public access. Now, sportsmen and women have the opportunity to influence how these public lands will be managed for the next decade or more.

The Lincoln National Forest encompasses New Mexico’s Game Management Units 34, 36, 37 and 30, which, because of the abundance of big game, have some of the highest allotments of tags in the state. Opportunities in the area are highly sought after and these tags are difficult to draw for public land hunters.

But those odds could get even lower moving forward if habitat conservation and connectivity isn’t prioritized in the Forest Service’s management plan, allowing big game herds to move across the landscape to access the feed and security they need throughout the year. Since the current plan’s adoption in 1986, our understanding of challenges related to habitat fragmentation and climate change have advanced significantly, and the forest’s management framework needs to be updated to reflect the most current science.

Sportsmen and women recognize the New Mexico Game & Fish as the leading experts on wildlife management and our community needs to step up and request that the planners at the Forest Service work closely with the state’s wildlife managers to draft a final Alternative that includes their recommendations. When comparing the preferred Alternative B to Alternative D, the latter clearly includes management actions that are top priorities for sportsmen and women as far as roads, lands and access, timber thinning, terrestrial habitat improvements, restoration, and habitat connectivity.

The Forest Service will hold three virtual community meetings to present the draft plan and answer questions on the below dates:

• September 22 at 4:00 PM
• September 29 at 2:00 PM
• October 12 at 4:00 PM

Participants will have time to ask questions and make official comments during the meetings, which are open to everyone. To register, click here.

Suggested Talking Points

1. Prioritize active wildlife habitat restoration and enhancement.
2. Restore native fisheries through a variety of measures, including the removal of nonnative trout.
3. Improve habitat connectivity for fish and big game movement by, for example, removing barriers, relocating, and decommissioning roads, restoring dewatered stream segments, connecting fragmented habitat, and providing wildlife passage friendly fences.
4. Maintain existing public access important for sportsmen and women, while expanding public access to parts of the forest that are difficult to reach because of surrounding private lands. Road access needs should be balanced with the habitat needs of deer and elk.

Sportsmen and sportswomen have until November 5, 2021, to speak up during the formal comment period. You can view the plan here and then click the button below to take action.

TAKE ACTION