October 2012 - Association of Marina Industries

News From Washington
NMMA Appeals Court Ruling on E15
NMMA last week filed an appeal with the U.S. Court of Appeals
for the D.C. Circuit to request a review of its August
ruling on E15 that dismissed NMMA’s challenge to the Environmental
Protection Agency’s waiver allowing E15 to be
sold. NMMA and a coalition of industry groups representing
manufacturers of everything from automobiles to food,
filed suit to block the waiver because of the damaging effects
of allowing E15 into the U.S. fuel supply. Visit the NMMA
and coalition site, www.smarterfuelfuture.org for more on
the issues surrounding E15 and how you can take action.
The ruling in August by a panel of three judges from the
U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled 2-1 against
NMMA and the coalition. The case was dismissed on procedural
grounds, holding that the Petitioners lacked standing
to sue and did not reach the merits of the case.
Through its appeal, NMMA is asking for a review of the decision
by all judges on the D.C. Circuit Court (called en banc).
For more information please contact NMMA’s Chief Counsel
for Public Affairs and Director of Regulatory Affairs,
Cindy Squires at 202-737-9766.
Hunter and Angler Numbers Up; Expenditures
Rival Some of America’s Biggest Companies
A coalition of hunting and angling groups including,
NMMA members of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus,
reported a recent rise in hunting and fishing participation
in the U.S. The groups, in addition to NMMA, included the
Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, Cabela’s, Safari Club
International, National Shooting Sports Foundation and the
American Sportfishing Association. They used recently released
data from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (Service)
2011 National Survey on Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife
Associated Recreation to compare hunting and fishing
participation and expenditures to mainstream industries.
Highlights of the findings included:
• The participation and economic data, released in August
by the Service shows a 9 percent increase in hunters
and an 11 percent increase in anglers compared to
the 2006 survey.
• 37 million sportsmen and women over the age of
16 participated in hunting and angling
• Hunters and anglers continued their strong spending habits:
21
• Equipment expenditures noted $8.2 billion for
hunters, $6.2 billion for anglers
• Trip-related expenses totaled over $32 billion
• Sportsmen and women are the nation’s most ardent
conservationists, putting money toward state fish and
wildlife management.
• Hunters and anglers directed $3 billion towards onthe-ground
conservation and restoration efforts in
2011 - that is over $95 every second.
A full report that will include state-by-state information
will be released in late November.
Budget Law Will Freeze Sport Fish
Restoration Fund
On September 14, the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) released its recommendations for budget cuts that
include withholding parts of the Sport Fish Restoration
and Boating Trust Fund. This would have a negative impact
on fisheries conservation and the jobs it supports. This
move was triggered by the failure of the Congress and the
Administration to enact a plan to reduce the deficit by $1.2
trillion, as required by the Budget Control Act of 2011.
The total annual value of the Trust Fund is approximately $650
million. The monies from the fund are apportioned to state conservation
agencies for sport fish restoration, boating safety, angler
and boater access and other fishing and boating programs.
The marine manufacturing industry produces a $72 billion annual
economic impact, creating over 350,000 jobs. In addition,
recreational fishing adds $125 billion each year to the nation’s
economy and supports more than one million jobs. Since its inception,
the Sport Fish Restoration Act has pumped $7 billion
into habitat restoration, access and boating safety programs.
A related program, the Wildlife Restoration Act of 1936, after
which the Sportfish Trust Fund was patterned, is slated
for a $31 million freeze. That Act is funded by hunters and
men and women who engage in the shooting sports and archery,
who pay a similar tax to support wildlife restoration.
Congress, with the cooperation of the Administration, must
address the sequestration schedule and they will not occur until
after the elections and possibly not until early 2013 and with
a new Congress. NMMA will be closely following this process
and will continue to work on behalf of the recreational boating
industry, and update readers as more information is available.