| R 149 |
| 2025 -- H 6083 Enacted 03/13/2025 |
| H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N |
| COMMEMORATING THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SPORT FISH RESTORATION PROGRAM AS PART OF THE AMERICAN SYSTEM OF CONSERVATION FUNDING |
Introduced By: Representatives Chippendale, Bennett, Solomon, Quattrocchi, Paplauskas, J. Brien, Santucci, Casey, Roberts, and Nardone |
| Date Introduced: March 13, 2025 |
| WHEREAS, More than a century ago, hunters and anglers were among the first |
| conservationists who realized America’s natural resources were in peril and could not sustain |
| unregulated harvest and habitat destruction; and |
| WHEREAS, Sportsmen and women took it upon themselves to support laws that stopped |
| excessive harvesting of fish and wildlife, established state agencies to protect fish, wildlife, and |
| their habitat, and supported special fishing and hunting license fees to help fund the new |
| agencies’ efforts to provide healthy natural resources for future generations; and |
| WHEREAS, The Rhode Island House of Representatives then and now recognize that the |
| primary authority to protect and manage fish within their state waters resides in the state |
| agencies; and |
| WHEREAS, Upon realizing that license fees alone were insufficient to restore and |
| sustain healthy fish populations, anglers supported excise taxes on fishing equipment to raise |
| additional funds to support restoration and enhancement efforts of the state agencies; and |
| WHEREAS, The Sport Fish Restoration Program, which began 75 years ago with the |
| passage of the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act in 1950 (further expanded with the |
| Wallop-Breaux amendment to the Sport Fish Restoration Act in 1984) is a vital part of |
| conservation funding in the United States; and |
| WHEREAS, A manufacturers excise tax on fishing equipment, along with an excise tax |
| on motorboat and small engine fuels, is mostly distributed back to the states through the U. S. |
| Fish and Wildlife Service for fisheries conservation, management, and angler and boater access; |
| and |
| WHEREAS, This cooperative partnership between the sportfishing industry, anglers, |
| boaters, the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and state natural resource agencies has resulted in the |
| most successful model of fisheries management in the world, restoring and enhancing populations |
| across the United States and its territories; and |
| WHEREAS, Since 1939, the combined contribution of the Wildlife and Sport Fish |
| Restoration Programs and license fees to state fish and wildlife agencies exceeds $78 Billion- |
| more than any other single conservation effort in American history-which constitute, collectively, |
| the American System of Conservation Funding; now, therefore be it |
| RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby |
| recognizes America’s anglers, boaters, the sportfishing industry, state fish and wildlife agencies, |
| and the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service for their leading role in restoring healthy populations of |
| fish and aquatic resources, both game and non-game, to the abundance we see today with the help |
| of the Sport Fish Restoration Program, in this the 75th anniversary year of the program’s |
| establishment as part of the American System of Conservation Funding; and be it further |
| RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and he hereby is authorized and directed to |
| transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the Governor of the State of Rhode Island, |
| Daniel J. McKee, to Mr. Terrence Gray, Director of the Rhode Island Department of |
| Environmental Management, and to the members of the Rhode Island Congressional delegation. |
| This House also commends and appreciates the foresight and contributions from anglers, the |
| sportfishing industry, state fish and wildlife agencies, and the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service on |
| behalf of our nation’s fisheries and aquatic resources. |
| ======== |
| LC002428 |
| ======== |