WHEREAS, North Carolina has a rich tradition of hunting and angling that dates back hundreds of years and continues to this day; and
WHEREAS, hunting and angling continue to be integral components of the cultural fabric of communities throughout the state, and over the past year have offered a growing number of participants opportunities to connect with nature on a personal level while simultaneously providing food security, a sense of self-sufficiency, and both mental and physical health benefits; and
WHEREAS, North Carolina’s sportsmen and women were among the first conservationists to support the establishment of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission to conserve fish, wildlife and, their habitat; through their license fees, they’ve helped fund state efforts to provide for healthy and sustainable natural resources; and
WHEREAS, upon realizing that license fees alone were insufficient to restore and sustain healthy fish and wildlife populations, sportsmen and women supported self-imposed excise taxes on firearms and ammunition, fishing tackle, and motorboat fuel to raise additional conservation funds; and
WHEREAS, to this day, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission is funded, in part, by sportsmen and women, through this American System of Conservation Funding, a “user pays – public benefits” approach that is widely recognized as the most successful model for funding fish and wildlife management in the world; and
WHEREAS, in 2021, North Carolina’s sportsmen and women generated $60.4 million through this system to support the conservation efforts of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission; and
WHEREAS, 1.63 million hunters and anglers support the state’s economy through spending more than $2.3 billion while engaged in their pursuits; and
WHEREAS, this spending supports over 35,000 jobs in North Carolina and generates $249 million in state and local taxes; and
WHEREAS, National Hunting and Fishing Day was established in 1972 to celebrate and recognize hunters and anglers for their immense contributions to fish and wildlife conservation, and to our society;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, ROY COOPER, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim September 24, 2022, as “NATIONAL HUNTING AND FISHING DAY” in North Carolina, and commend its observance to all citizens.