08-13-2019, 09:05 AM
Something many people may not know is the mechanism by which conservation of wildlife is funded in this country. There are two laws, the Pittman–Robertson Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act and the Dingell–Johnson Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act, that create this funding effort in the United States whereby excise taxes on firearms, ammunition, fishing tackle, etc., are collected and allocated to the states based on license sales, number of hunters and anglers, all that. This is all great, this has been around since 1937 on the hunting side and, because of the success of Pittman, 1950 on the fishing side.
The problem is that there has been a declining number of hunters and anglers over the years. There is also a threat to wildlife habitats, our wild places that many people enjoy. Hikers, bikers, campers, water skiers, recreational boaters, etc. There has been a decline in funding to protect these places over the years which has threatened our public lands because Pittman and Dingell funds make up the majority of the money states have to maintain these places. Groups like the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership have been saying for decades, now, that recreational users of our public lands should also help pay for the preservation of these lands. This is what is called "the backpack tax" as it would create an excise tax on items like backpacks, tents, and other equipment commonly used for outdoor activities.
Now, "the backpack tax" isn't a new idea. There is an industry group that was created in the '80s with the primary purpose of combating this idea. But now, as we have seen this problem further exacerbated, this debate it ramping up, again.
Now, I don't expect much action on this with the current political climate and with a director of BLM in favor of selling off our lands, but what do you think about this idea to help fund wilderness conservation?
The problem is that there has been a declining number of hunters and anglers over the years. There is also a threat to wildlife habitats, our wild places that many people enjoy. Hikers, bikers, campers, water skiers, recreational boaters, etc. There has been a decline in funding to protect these places over the years which has threatened our public lands because Pittman and Dingell funds make up the majority of the money states have to maintain these places. Groups like the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership have been saying for decades, now, that recreational users of our public lands should also help pay for the preservation of these lands. This is what is called "the backpack tax" as it would create an excise tax on items like backpacks, tents, and other equipment commonly used for outdoor activities.
Now, "the backpack tax" isn't a new idea. There is an industry group that was created in the '80s with the primary purpose of combating this idea. But now, as we have seen this problem further exacerbated, this debate it ramping up, again.
Now, I don't expect much action on this with the current political climate and with a director of BLM in favor of selling off our lands, but what do you think about this idea to help fund wilderness conservation?
"A great democracy has got to be progressive, or it will soon cease to be either great or a democracy..." - TR
"The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little." - FDR
"The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little." - FDR
