Statement from the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies on the First Ever Economic Impact Report of Hunting and Shooting Sports in America by Legislative District

 The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies is pleased to see the first ever economic analysis of how America’s hunters and sport shooters contribute to national and state economies for all 50 states and their legislative districts.  This report was released last week by the Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation, and showcases recreational hunters and sport shooters contributed $149 billion to the national economy, supported nearly 970,000 jobs and created over $45 billion in wages and income in 2020.

“As shown in this report, outdoor recreation is one of our nation’s largest economic engines and benefits vital conservation and education programs that benefit all Americans,” stated Tony Wasley, Director of the Nevada Department of Wildlife and President of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. “Hunting and shooting sports, along with fishing and wildlife watching, are part of our national heritage and continue to be powerful forces in our nation’s economy.”

Key highlights of the report include:

• Deer hunters spent more than $23 billion, producing $2.5 billion in state taxes and $3.8 billion in federal taxes
• Nearly 20 million sport shooters spent more than 398 million days shooting in 2020
• New York, with 865,000 hunters, produced $265 million in state/local taxes and $2 billion in GDP
• California’s 1.5 million shooters spent $1.2 billion and paid $154 million in state and local taxes

Click here to view the complete report and download your state or district graphic, or visit  www.sportsmensalliance.org/reports or www.southwickassociates.com.

The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies—the organization that represents North America’s fish and wildlife agencies—promotes sound resource management and conservation, and speaks on important fish and wildlife issues. Found on the web at www.fishwildlife.org, on Facebook /AssociationofFishandWildlifeAgencies and on Twitter @fishwildlife.