According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, a new report, "Hunting and Fishing: Bright
Stars of the American Economy - A force as big as all outdoors", spotlights the immense impact that hunters and anglers have on the economy at both the national and state level. New Hampshire’s 141,000 hunters and anglers are among the most prominent and influential of all demographic groups, spending more than $257 million a year on hunting and fishing.
Accordingly, in New Hampshire, spending by hunters and anglers directly supports 4,000 jobs, which puts $137 million worth of paychecks into the pockets of working residents around the state. Additionally, government coffers also benefit. Spending by sportsmen and women in pursuit of these outdoor activities generates $25 million in state and local taxes. These last figures demonstrate that season after season, hunters and anglers are driving the economy from big business to rural towns, through booms and recessions.
"Because sportsmen and women enjoy hunting or fishing alone or in small groups, they are overlooked as a constituency and as a substantial economic force," stated Jeff Crane, President of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation. "When you compare spending by hunters and anglers to other sectors, their impact on the state’s economy becomes more tangible."
Here are some facts that were brought out:
1. Sportsmen and women support more jobs in New Hampshire than Dartmouth College (4,000 jobs versus 3,500).
2. Annual spending by New Hampshire sportsmen and women is more than the combined revenues of Cedar Point Communications, GT Solar and Red River Computers, the state’s fastest growing companies ($275 million as compared to $243 million).
3. New Hampshire sportsmen and women annually spend more than the cash receipts from agricultural commodities ($257 million as compared to $162 million).
4. New Hampshire sportsmen and women outnumber populations of Manchester and Rochester,
two of the state’s largest cities (141,000 as compared to 140,000).
5. The economic stimulus of hunting and fishing equates to an astounding $700,000 a day being pumped into the state’s economy.
Doug Painter, President of the National Shooting Sports Foundation said, "Spending by sportsmen and women benefits not only the manufacturers of hunting and fishing related products, but everything from local mom and pop businesses to wildlife conservation. And, because most hunting and fishing takes place in rural areas, much of the spending benefits less affluent parts of the state."
On the national level, 34 million sportsmen and women, age 16 and older, spent more than $76 billion in 2006, supporting 1.6 million jobs. If a single corporation grossed as much as hunters and anglers spend, it would be among America’s 20 largest, ahead of Target, Costco, and AT&T. And, if all hunters and anglers had voted during the last presidential election, they would have equaled 31 percent of all votes cast. If all hunters and anglers living in New Hampshire voted, they would have equaled 30 percent of all votes cast in the state.
These statistics are impressive and, if anything, they underestimate the impact of sportsmen and women since they do not take into account the millions of hunters and anglers under 16 years of age nor the people who were not able to get out to hunt and fish in the year 2006. When sportsmen and women’s spending is thought of in business terms and compared to other sectors of the economy, it is truly remarkable.
From small rural towns scattered across our country’s landscape to the bottom-line of Fortune 500 companies, located in major cities, if you took away hunting and fishing you would take away the equivalent of a multi-billion dollar corporation.
Jeff Crane, President of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation,
said, "It is a fairly simple equation. Hunters and anglers mean jobs in states and local communities that have made the effort to maintain their hunting and fishing opportunities. The economic impacts that our sportsmen and women have on state economies should be a wake-up call to state governments to welcome and encourage hunting and fishing within their state."
And, speaking of anglers and hunters voting, let us show our power at the coming election in November. It will be one of the most important elections in America’s history. Hopefully, all
eligible sportsmen and women will be at the polls this year and vote for the candidate who will uphold our Second Amendment rights and continue to support our stand on conservation and wildlife. Know the stand of each candidate and make wise use of your most valuable vote.
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