Education
This is the subheading
Aquatic Education
Over 850,000 people receive aquatic education supported by excise taxes in the United States
Hunter Education
Over 1 million people receive hunter education supported by excise taxes in the United States
Additional Workshops
In the United States, 38 states offer Becoming an Outdoors Woman (BOW) workshops
In the News
Public Target Shooting Facilities Reopen in Alaska and Maine Following Modernization Upgrades
Alaska’s newly revamped Hank Harmon Public Range reopens after a long-anticipated modernization effort. Three thousand miles east, Maine’s Fryeburg Shooting Facility underwent a complete rebuild of its own. Though separated by four time zones, these two facilities share a common purpose of providing free, public access to safe, well-maintained target shooting spaces.
Where Steel and Concrete Meets Sea: Artificial Reefs Along the Atlantic Coast
Beneath the Atlantic surface, concrete pyramids, stripped subway cars, and massive steel skeletons of vessels lie purposefully placed across the ocean floor repurposed into bustling undersea metropolises. These are artificial reefs, human-made sanctuaries giving new life to marine ecosystems and new opportunities for anglers.
Aiming High: Target Shooting Recruitment, Retention, and Reactivation Efforts
In a world where attention spans are short and the world is moving faster than ever, there’s still something grounding about nocking an arrow or steadying a shotgun at a target. Target shooting is more than a pastime, it is a connection to discipline, community, and the outdoors. Yet, this pastime takes a concerted effort of recruiting new participants, retaining those already involved, and reactivating those who’ve set their gear aside.
River Otter Revival
Once a familiar sight across America’s waterways, river otters dwindled across much of their native range by the mid-20th century. Today, cleaner waterways, conservation professionals supported by Pittman-Robertson funds, and an evolving understanding of resource management has allowed river otters to reclaim their place in ecosystems.
Restoring Lake Sturgeon with Partnerships and Patience
Six feet in length and tipping the scales at over 200 pounds, adult lake sturgeon once swam the tributaries of the Great Lakes in great seasonal spawning migrations—prehistoric giants returning home. A century ago, rivers ran thick with them. But their numbers fell as water fouled, dams rose, and populations were overfished.
Fishing Pono in Hawaiʻi: A Call to Honor Nature and Its Gifts
Hawaiʻi is a space where culture, nature, and sustainability are woven together. At the heart of this connection is the ancient Hawaiian concept of living pono — a word that translates to righteous or proper. In the context of fishing, pono is a way of life that speaks to a deep responsibility to respect and protect natural resources that have nourished the islands for generations. Across the Hawaiian Islands, Sport Fish Restoration funds are being used to support fisheries and foster the principles of pono fishing.