Governor Proclaims National Hunting and Fishing Day 2023

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 have 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 2022, North Carolina’s sportsmen and women generated $88.6 million through this system to support the conservation efforts of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission; and

WHEREAS, 2.1 million hunters and anglers support the state’s economy through their spending, contributing to the $11.8 billion spent on outdoor activities in North Carolina last year; and

WHEREAS, according to 2022 data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, on the national level sportsmen and women spent more than $38 billion on hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting, which does not include spending on items such as trips and travel, or license fees that were necessary for their participation; 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 23, 2023, as “NATIONAL HUNTING AND FISHING DAY” in North Carolina, and commend its observance to all citizens.