I wonder if most younger forum members know what the P R act does, we are paying a 11% tax on all fire arms, ammo and archery gear that we purchase. I have no problem with this as the funds go to wildlife support and places for folks to hunt, public areas and general support for sportsman like the forum members. I was about 35 when I learned of this, it was voted in at the end of hard times and now we never think about what we have all made possible. Jeff

It’s a good thing. I provides funding for waterfowl, small and big game habitat. Without those dollars, we wouldn’t have the hunting opportunities we have today.

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I wish there was more public accountability on where the money is spent.

Agree. There has been frivolous abuse of these funds in the past at the Executive level in the `90`s.
Jim

And the animal rights zombies don't know about it and contribute almost zero.

Yes, but to comment specifically would probably earn me another "ding" from the moderators. Those who are interested can easily find the answers via web search.

You are correct sir. My concerns about wording precisely.
Jim

IIRC in 2016 or maybe 2017.....11.5 million licenses issued,yielded jsut shy of $700 Million through the PR Act fee.

I question the math, over $60 per license yeilded after operating cost of state agencies.

What is the Pittman-Robertson Act?

In the early 1900s, when many wildlife species were disappearing or declining, the firearms and ammunition industry asked Congress to impose an excise tax on the sale of firearms and ammunition to help fund wildlife conservation in the United States. The resulting Pittman-Robertson (P-R) Act, passed in 1937, is now known as Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration. Revenues generated from these excise taxes are apportioned to state wildlife agencies for their conservation efforts, hunter education programs, and operation of archery and shooting ranges. In the 76 years since its inception, over $7 billion have been collected from manufacturers and has been made available to states. This partnership of hunters and sport shooters with the firearms and ammunition industry is by far America's largest contributor to wildlife conservation and public access to our natural resources.

How Does the Pittman-Robertson Act Work?

The excise tax is set by law at 11% of the wholesale price for long guns and ammunition and 10% for handguns. It is paid by manufacturers, producers, and importers and applies to all commercial sales and imports, whether their purpose is hunting, sport shooting, or personal defense. This tax is handled by the Department of the Treasury, which turns the funds over to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) for apportionments to states.

How Are Pittman-Robertson Funds Distributed to States?

USFWS deposits P-R revenue into a special account called the Wildlife Restoration Trust Fund. These funds are made available to states the year following their collection. Funds are then distributed through the following process:

1) $8 million is dedicated to Enhanced Hunter Education programs, including the construction or maintenance of public target ranges.

2) $3 million is set aside for projects that require cooperation among the states.

3) One-half of the excise tax collected on handguns is set aside for Basic Hunter Education programs.

The remainder of the trust fund is then divided in half with 50 percent apportioned to states based on the land area of the state in proportion to the total land area of the country. The remaining 50 percent is apportioned based on the number of individual paid hunting license holders in the state in proportion to the national total.

How Important Is It To Be a Hunting License Holder?

Hunters have always been the primary supporters of wildlife conservation, but someone who purchases a license to hunt is valuable as a financial supporter of wildlife conservation for two additional reasons. First, the revenue from license sales goes exclusively to administering wildlife and fisheries programs. Second, the number of individual hunting license holders increases our state's share of the total P-R apportionment. Your state's apportionment is directly related to the number of hunters you have. Thus, if the number of license holders declines, other states may receive your state's share of funding.

What Types of Projects are Funded by Pittman-Robertson?

States use their P-R funds to restore, manage, and enhance wild birds and mammals and their habitat. P-R projects also include providing public access to wildlife resources, Hunter Education, and development and management of shooting ranges. The restoration of white-tailed deer, wild turkey, and wood ducks are among the many success stories of P-R funded projects. Additionally, funds contribute to Hunter Education programs and support construction and operation of shooting ranges.

Why Is Pittman-Robertson So Effective?

A key reason for the success of P-R was the inclusion of wording in the original 1937 law that prohibits the diversion of license fees paid by hunters for any other purpose than the administration of the state game and fish department. States have to agree to this provision to receive P-R funds. Over the years, these words have protected license dollars from being used by state governments for other purposes, thus insuring a steady, reliable funding base for conservation that is made even stronger by the associated P-R funds generated through these hunting license holders.

This direct link, between those who hunt and shoot and the resources needed to expand and enhance opportunities to hunt and shoot, is a key component of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. This user pay/public benefit model is extremely successful because our sportsmen and women and the industries that serve them have always been willing to commit the resources necessary to protect, enhance, and expand America's conservation, hunting, and shooting heritage.


This summary provided courtesy of the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks.

What Is the Current Status of Funding for the P-R Act?

The U.S. Department of the Interior (Department), through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS) Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration (WSFR) program, apportioned approximately $1.1 billion in Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration grants to all 50 States and six U.S. Territories in fiscal year 2017. These grants provided essential support for State agencies to conserve fish and wildlife species and their habitats, and to enhance opportunities for boating, angling, hunting, and recreational shooting. Through the funding that has been distributed, nearly 10 million students have been trained in hunter education and over 7 million hours have been contributed by volunteers to hunter education and safety training. In addition, through this funding, 455 million acres are maintained for wildlife restoration and wildlife recreation nationwide, and habitat improvements have been made on 2 million surface acres of reservoirs and lakes.

If enacted, the pending H.R. 2591 would amend the P-R Act to allow a State to use up to 25 percent of its apportioned P-R Act funds for hunter and recreational shooter recruitment, and to include as an eligible activity constructing, maintaining, and operating public target ranges that are not connected with hunter education programs. The bill would also allocate an additional $5 million of trust fund revenues to the Multistate Conservation Grant Program, exclusively for hunter and recreational shooter recruitment grants.

The recent figures from the National Survey on Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, showed that overall hunting participation decreased 16 percent from 2011 to 2016, that total hunting-related spending decreased 29 percent between 2011 and 2016, and hunting equipment purchases decreased 18 percent. Given the source of revenue for the Wildlife Restoration Program, efforts are needed to increase the number of hunters and recreational shooters if apportionment levels are to remain intact.

As such, the Interior Department supports H.R. 2591, the Modernizing Pittman-Robertson for Tomorrow’s Needs Act of 2017, to increase participation in traditional outdoor activities.

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