In partnership with Public Opinion Strategies, a public opinion research firm specializing in political, public affairs, public policy, and corporate positioning research, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP) released the results from their recently conducted National Sportsmen’s Survey.
The online and phone directed survey of anglers and hunters across America was created to gauge the outdoor community’s reactions to certain issues stemming from policies out of Washington, D.C.
As many of us would imagine, the results were deeply rooted in both the conservation of wild places as well as the preservation of the future of hunting and angling’s heritage. Something so many of us holds so dearly to our hearts.
Touching on a number of important issues, the survey crossed party lines, with Republican, Democratic and Independent voters all seemingly united on many of the issues facing anglers and hunters today. According to the survey’s results, divisive politics are not something that will ever be able to sever sportsmen and women and shows just how united we are as a community when it comes to some of the more notable issues facing our way of life.
Public Lands
Driving the western economy, public lands and the access to those lands is the most paramount issue to those who hunt and fish according to the survey’s results. A staggering 97 percent of participants agreed that protecting, conserving and providing access to public lands for future generations is important. Additionally, 94 percent agreed that prioritizing hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation on America’s 640 million acres of public lands is also extremely important.
U.S. Forest Service Northern Region: Flickr
Funding
When it comes to funding for federal conservation budgets, cuts are not an option for America’s hunters and anglers as 87 percent of participants indicated they have no interest in seeing any cuts to conservation programs. In the battle against raging wildfires, 79 percent said they would support policy changes that would enable the U.S. Forest Service to treat large wildfires as natural disasters.
Clean Air & Water
It’s not secret that sportsmen and women care deeply about clean air and water, we all should. Upwards of 97 percent of hunters and anglers agreed that ensuring polluters are held accountable and that necessary protections are in place to prevent toxic spills. As for the oil and gas drilling operations, 79 percent of respondents said they would support a portion of the off-shore drilling fees to be utilized for both conservation and providing access to the outdoor recreation community.