Washington, DC - America’s premier sportsmen’s rights organization testified before U.S. Senators yesterday on the key connection between hunting and successful wildlife conservation.

United States Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA) Director of Federal Affairs William P. Horn testified before the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works on the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and why the proposed listing of polar bears as threatened throughout its range will prove detrimental to healthy and presently sustainable polar bear populations.

Horn was invited to testify by Senator Barbara Boxer, Chairman of the Committee and Senator James Inhofe, the ranking Republican on the Committee. Horn served as Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Fish, Wildlife and Parks, the agency responsible for the ESA, from 1985 to 1988, before joining USSA. He is considered one of America’s top lawyers on endangered species law, and also serves on the Board of Environmental Sciences and Toxicology of the National Academy of Sciences.

Environmental organizations want polar bears listed as threatened because of projections that Arctic sea ice will diminish in 50-plus years as a result of greenhouse gas emissions and global warming.

In his testimony Horn pointed out that listing polar bears as threatened based on a 50-year prediction would produce adverse consequences, not only for polar bears, but for all wildlife. Environmentalists plan to use the listing as a means to force reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles and power plants among other things. The groups will likely bring lawsuits to force the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to enforce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions regulations. The enormous costs of overhauling and fundamentally changing the FWS mission will leave little if any money for actual endangered species or other traditional fish and wildlife programs.

“The USSA is committed to making sure that lawmakers are aware that sportsmen continue to be the key element in the conservation of wildlife,” said USSA president Bud Pidgeon. “Listing the polar bear as threatened will stop limited hunting, and cut off key revenues that fund vital polar bear research. We are proud to represent sportsmen before Congress on this critical issue.”

Science shows that many polar bear populations are at historic highs and that there are no imminent threats to the healthy, huntable populations.

It is well established that many polar bear populations are at or near record highs, have increased substantially since the 1960s, and sustain carefully managed subsistence and sport hunting programs. The latter programs, conducted primarily in Canada, generate important local income and ensure that Native communities are vested in polar bear conservation. The partnership between these communities and Canadian wildlife officials has yielded effective scientific bear conservation and management resulting in improved sustainability of 11 of 13 polar bear populations in Canada.

American sportsmen comprise approximately 90 percent of the foreign hunting clientele in Canada, pouring millions of dollars into polar bear conservation and management, not to mention the financial benefits to the local communities. American hunters are the primary source of essential funding for conservation and research that allows for continued success of the populations.

The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance is a national association of sportsmen and sportsmen’s organization that protects the rights of hunters, anglers and trappers in the courts, legislatures, at the ballot, in Congress and through public education programs. For more information about the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance and its work, call (614) 888-4868 or visit its website, www.ussportsmen.org.

The USSA will roll into its 30th year with a team of innovative leaders who will take the sportsmen’s movement to a new level.

USSA supporting graphicVeteran board member Mason Lampton is renewing his commitment to the organizations as he assumes the role of vice chairman. Lampton, owner and chairman of a major construction industry firm, will continue to recruit new donors and help the sportsmen’s movement to prosper. He has been involved in the foxhunting community for many years and his influence will continue to be an asset to the USSA.

Lampton is transitioning into a role that had been filled by longtime USSA board member C. Martin Wood. Wood, who has been on the USSA board since 1991, served as vice chairman from 2001-2007. He supported and advocated the name change from the Wildlife Legislative Fund of America to the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance in 2002, has actively recruited USSA supporters, and himself made significant financial contributions to protect sportsmen’s rights.

Three newcomers to the USSA Board of Directors and USSAF Board of Trustees include Deb Cunningham, Houston, Texas; John Kanas, Mellville, New York; and Tommy Millner, Madison, North Carolina.

USSA supporting graphicDeb Cunningham began hunting nearly 30 years ago, and is deeply-involved in wildlife conservation and education, and efforts to protect hunters’ rights. She has hunted on six continents, and was selected as the Safari Club International Diana recipient for 2002.

Tommy Millner is a sporting goods industry leader and hunter-conservationist. President/CEO of Remington Arms Company, he is a veteran international hunter and supporter of many conservation endeavors.

John Kanas is a banking industry leader and worldwide sportsman. Past chairman of the North Fork Bancorporation and CEO and Vice President, Capital One banking subsidiary, he is an accomplished hunter and conservationist.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The National Wild Turkey Federation has reached a milestone, having donated more than $1 million to the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance and the fight to protect hunting in America.

On Oct. 5 at the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association Conference in Little Rock, Arkansas, Tammy Sapp, the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF)’s senior vice president of communications, presented a $100,000 check to Rick Story, senior vice president of the USSA.

The contribution makes NWTF one of the top donors of all time to the nation’s leading sportsmen’s rights advocacy organization.

“This benchmark speaks volumes about the NWTF and its deep and steadfast commitment to the defense of outdoor sports,” said Bud Pidgeon, USSA president & CEO. “Its investment in the battle to protect sportsmen’s rights has paid dividends for hunters from Maine to California.”

The NWTF and USSA have partnered on many projects to promote and protect hunting. The team, along with the National Shooting Sports Foundation, established the Families Afield program to eliminate unnecessary hunting age restrictions and ease hunter education mandates for first time hunters.

“Removing youth hunting barriers is one way to help ensure the future of our hunting heritage for generations to come,” said Rob Keck, CEO of the NWTF. “By fighting for sportsmen’s rights, the USSA is making a significant difference and we’re proud to support them.”

The NWTF has also fought alongside the USSA to ensure the defeat of ballot issues to ban bear hunting in Alaska and Maine and defeat legislation to ban dove hunting in California.

They have also defeated a bill that would have kicked sportsmen off of the New Jersey Fish and Game Council, replacing them with environmental and animal rights activists. In Ohio, the two organizations worked to protect dove hunting at the ballot box.

“The NWTF understands that the anti-hunting threats to dove hunting or bear hunting are the tip of the iceberg, and if one of those pastimes falls, the turkey hunters will be one of the next in line,” said Pidgeon. “Its support of the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance demonstrates its commitment to the future of all hunting and wildlife conservation nationwide.”

The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance is a national association of sportsmen and sportsmen’s organizations that protect the rights of hunters, anglers and trappers in the courts, legislatures, at the ballot, in Congress and through public education programs.

For more information about the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance and its work, call (614) 888-4868 or visit its website, ussportsmen.org.