Bill Text: MO HR1880 | 2012 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Recognizes various persons and groups for their leading role in restoring healthy populations of fish, wildlife, and other nature resources to abundance
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2012-05-08 - Adopted (H) - AYES: 140 NOES: 2 [HR1880 Detail]
Download: Missouri-2012-HR1880-Introduced.html
SECOND REGULAR SESSION
96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVES BURLISON (Sponsor), BLACK, BAHR, BARNES, BRATTIN, DAVIS, SCHNEIDER, FALLERT, DUGGER, FUNDERBURK, FRAKER, HAEFNER, CONWAY (14), ASBURY, GUERNSEY, MARSHALL, PARKINSON, LANT, RUZICKA, FLANIGAN, LICHTENEGGER, McNARY, CURTMAN, KOENIG, BROWN (116), SCHATZ, HOUGHTON, LAUER, FISHER, LAIR, KELLY (24), FREDERICK, SCHIEFFER, SWEARINGEN, HARRIS AND ATKINS (Co-sponsors).
WHEREAS, more than a century ago, hunters, anglers, and trappers were among the first conservationists who realized America's natural resources were in peril and could not sustain unregulated harvest and habitat destruction; and
WHEREAS, hunters, anglers, and trappers took it upon themselves to support laws that stopped excessive harvest of fish and wildlife, established game and fish agencies to protect fish, wildlife, and their habitat, and support special fishing and hunting license fees to help fund the new agencies' efforts to provide for healthy natural resources for future generations; and
WHEREAS, upon realizing that license fees alone were insufficient to restore and sustain healthy fish and wildlife populations, hunters, anglers, and trappers supported excise taxes on firearms, ammunition, archery equipment, hunting equipment, and fishing equipment to raise additional funds to support restoration and enhancement efforts of the state agencies; and
WHEREAS, these efforts became known as the "Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program" that began 75 years ago with the passage of the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act in 1937, and then was bolstered with the passage of the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act in 1950, further expanded with the Wallop-Breaux amendment to the Sport Fish Restoration Act in 1984; and
WHEREAS, these federal efforts supplemented conservation efforts made by the citizens of Missouri with the adoption of Article IV, Sections 40 to 42 of the Missouri Constitution in 1936, which created the Missouri Department of Conservation; and
WHEREAS, the combined contribution of the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Programs to state fish and wildlife agencies exceeds $13 billion since 1939, the first year money was distributed to the states - more than any other single conservation effort in American history; and
WHEREAS, industry has collected the excise taxes on firearms, ammunition, archery equipment, manufactured fishing tackle, electric trolling motors, marine electronics, and motorboat fuel, and provided these funds to the states through the United States Fish and Wildlife Service; and
WHEREAS, industry has supported the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Programs and continues to exhibit a spirit of cooperation with the state fish and wildlife agencies; and
WHEREAS, this cooperative partnership between industry, hunters, anglers, trappers, boaters, recreational shooters, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and state natural resource agencies has resulted in most successful model of fish and wildlife management in the world, restoring populations from coast to coast, Alaska and Hawaii:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that we, the members of the Missouri House of Representatives, Ninety-sixth General Assembly, hereby recognizes America's hunters, anglers, trappers, boaters, recreational shooters, industry, state fish and wildlife agencies, and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service for their leading role in restoring healthy populations of fish, wildlife, and other natural resources, both game and non-game, to the abundance we see today; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Chief Clerk of the Missouri House of Representatives be instructed to prepare properly inscribed copies of this resolution for the Missouri Department of Conservation, each member of the Missouri Congressional delegation, and local, regional, and national media sources so that people may know and appreciate the foresight and contributions from anglers, hunters, trappers, recreational shooters, industry, state fish and wildlife agencies, and the United States Wildlife Service on behalf of our nation's natural resources.
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