Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
WASHINGTON, D.C. — NSSF, The Firearm Industry Trade Association, in partnership with the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, SIG SAUER, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, has released another film in the “Partner with a Payer” series — a collection of videos highlighting the importance of wildlife conservation and management. The latest video, “Industry Investing in Conservation,” focuses on the partnership between manufacturers and fish and wildlife agencies, showcasing their efforts to continue providing healthy habitats and fish and wildlife populations for the public to enjoy throughout the United States.
During a recent tour of the SIG SAUER facility in Newington, NH, fish and wildlife agencies from all over the northeastern United States came together to see firsthand what it takes to generate the funds supporting their efforts in the field. Funds are produced from companies like SIG SAUER, who pay a manufacturer’s excise tax for conservation, established by the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act (also known as the Pittman-Robertson Act). Since its implementation, these excise taxes have contributed and distributed more than $16.4 billion (over $25 billion when adjusted for inflation) to individual states, so they can fund important wildlife conservation, hunter-education programs, target shooting and public target range development programs.
SEE ALSO: Remington Ammunition’s New 22 Golden Hunter Rimfire Load Now Shipping
Joe Bartozzi, President and CEO, NSSF, explained how imperative the partnerships are to outdoor conservation and recreation. “We have this relationship between the payers — that is the firearm and ammunition groups, the archery folks — and the state and federal agencies that manage wildlife,” he stated. “This symbiotic relationship is critical and it really has done wonderful things in the last eighty to ninety years.”
Visiting the SIG SAUER facility allowed stakeholders within the American System of Conservation funding model to talk about each organization’s role and how it contributes to the success of the system — emphasizing how critical every partner is to the continuation of wildlife conservation and management efforts for the future.
Tom Taylor, Chief Marketing Officer & Executive Vice President, Commercial Sales, stated, “At SIG SAUER, we believe it is not just our job to make products.” He continued, “It has been an honor to provide significant funding to enable these types of initiatives for hunters, for wildlife conservation, and all the things the Pittman-Robertson Act supports.” SIG SAUER’s contributions also directly fund wildlife habitat and the creation of public shooting sports ranges.
The tour of SIG SAUER’s manufacturing facility and the SIG SAUER Academy gave the group attending a unique opportunity to unite with their peers in the fish and wildlife agencies, experience professional development, and exchange ideas and critical information regarding managing and protecting fish and wildlife resources for years to come.
This project was funded by the Multistate Conservation Grant Program. The latest video and others in the series were produced by Shine United LLC / Kingdom Filmworks.
About NSSF
NSSF is the trade association for the firearm industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of thousands of manufacturers, distributors, firearm retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen’s organizations and publishers nationwide. For more information, visit nssf.org.
*** Buy and Sell on GunsAmerica! All Local Sales are FREE! ***
