National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife ... - All About Birds

ForewordWhen I was growing up, it was takenas a matter of faith that kids belongedoutside. I grew up with 4 brothers, andduring those long, hot Atlanta summers,it was common for our mom to holler,“You boys get outside, and don’t comeback ‘til it’s dark.” It never occurredto me or my brothers to do anythingelse in our spare time but explore theworld around us. The truth is, we hadlittle else to do. But those experiences– waking up on frosty mornings andstarting the campfire, scanning treesfor a shot at a scampering gray squirrelin the dawn light, scouring creek bedsfor crawdads and other fishing bait,or simply of the fun we had trampingthrough the forest – shaped who I am,and drew me to a career in conservation.That’s why I’m excited by this 2011National Survey of Fishing, Hunting,and Wildlife-Associated Recreation.This report, the 12th in a series thatbegan in 1955, documents a significantresurgence in the number of peopleembracing America’s Great Outdoors.Hunting participation has increased by9 percent, while angling participationgrew by 11 percent. Nearly 38 percentof Americans participated in wildliferelatedrecreation, an increase of 2.6million participants from the 2006Survey.In addition, wildlife-related recreationis a major driver of the nation’seconomy. The 2011 Survey estimatesthat Americans spent $145 billion onrelated gear, trips, licenses, land acquisitionor leases, and other purchases,representing about one percent of thenation’s gross domestic product. Thisspending creates thousands of jobs,supports countless local communitiesand provides vital funding for conservation.This year marks the 75th anniversaryof the Wildlife and Sport Fish RestorationProgram, a cornerstone of wildlifeconservation in the United States.Through excise taxes on firearms,ammunition, archery and anglingequipment, the U.S. Fish and WildlifeService has distributed over $14 billionfor State and territorial wildlife conservationprograms.This report would not have beenpossible without the combined effortsof state wildlife agencies – whichprovided financial support throughthe Multi-State Conservation GrantPrograms – the Association of Fishand Wildlife Agencies and a number ofmajor national conservation organizations.We also owe our gratitude to thethousands of survey respondents fromhouseholds across America. Becauseof you, this Survey is the nation’sdefinitive wildlife-related recreationdatabase and information sourceconcerning participation and purchasesassociated with hunting, fishing andother forms of wildlife-associatedrecreation nationwide.The Fish and Wildlife Service is dedicatedto connecting people and familieswith nature. We are proud to celebratethe good news in this report, and welook forward to continuing progressas we work with the States, and allour partners and the public to helpkeep recreational fishing, hunting, andwildlife watching growing and goingstrong.Dan AsheDirector, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Servicevi 2011 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Census Bureau