Hunters from around world flocked to Las Vegas for the annual SCI hunting convention, where they raised more than eight million dollars through donated hunts, artwork, and products to support conservation around the globe and your right to hunt here at home. SCI’s political action for hunters helps assure that you have the right to hunt and have access to public lands, and that the game animals we cherish won’t become wolf food.

Safari Club International is the only pro-hunting organization with an office in Washington, DC, that has full-time policy experts, in-house legal counsel, and certified wildlife biologists on staff dedicated to the protection of hunting for SCI members and hunters everywhere.

2009-06-13 Booner Bucks-0005SCI Strategic Messages

  • SCI is the leader in protecting the freedom to hunt through advocacy and lobbying in international treaty organizations, federal and state legislatures, and litigating in federal and state courts.
  • SCI is involved with advocacy on the state and federal legislative levels as well as regulatory issues that affect management, conservation, and hunting access on public lands.
  • SCI stands strong in the defense of hunting firearms and archery equipment.
  • SCI stands strong to proactively advocate for increased hunting opportunities around the world. SCI lobbies on all legislation effecting hunter access, public land management, and fights against regulations that negatively target the hunting public.

HUNTER ADVOCACY

  • Sportsmen and women also have a significant impact as a powerhouse in the U.S. economy.
    • Nearly 14 million Americans actively participate in hunting every year.
    • The hunting industry contributes over $38.3 billion to the U.S. economy each year and supports 681,000 jobs every year.
    • Spending by hunters contributes $5.4 billion in state and local taxes, a sum that could pay the wages of 112,200 firefighters, 37 percent of all firefighters in the country.
    • In 2011, sportsmen and women contributed $3 billion toward conservation efforts, including the purchases of licenses, stamps, excise taxes, and contributions to organizations. That is $8.3 million per year, $344,000 per hour, $5,700 per minute, and $95.54 per second.
    • America’s 13.7 million hunters could fill every NASCAR track 5½ times.
    • The number of sportsmen (hunters, anglers, and sport shooters) is more than the combined 2011 populations of the New York, Los Angeles and Atlanta metropolitan areas.
    • The $33.9 billion spent by hunters is comparable to the total 2011 revenues for Amazon.com.

Why SCI is stronger than any other hunting lobby:

  • SCI’s Political Action Committee (SCI-PAC) spent $908,336 during the 2012 election cycle. Contributing to over 175 candidates and 88% went on to win their elections. This largest in the organization’s history. 
  • SCI is the leader of the American Wildlife Conservation Partners which is a 49 organization coalition working to advance federal policies to improve hunting. 
  • SCI is lobbying to guarantee hunting on all U.S. public lands, allow for the importation of polar bears, and improve the sustainable harvest of game species worldwide. 
  • SCI is litigating in federal and state courts around the country to protect SCI members’ rights and opportunities to hunt.  We are challenging blue laws that arbitrarily prevent hunters in Virginia from hunting seven days a week and will soon challenge California’s senseless bans against the importation of mountain lion trophies.  SCI is second to none in our defense of gray wolf delisting and predator-prey management through sustainable hunting.  Our involvement in a decade of litigation over the three antelope species helped provide the foundation for Congress’ recent legislative fix to the plight of these exotic animals. 

To glimpse the excitement of the convention or to join SCI, go to showsci.org.

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