Hunting and conservation can’t just happen out of thin air, meaning that they need money and government funding to sustain themselves. Thankfully, Pennsylvania will be receiving a nice chunk of money for fish and wildlife conservation and recreation projects this year, to the tune of $38 million dollars! This is all through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and their annual distribution of money that they raise through excise taxes on hunting and fishing gear and firearms.
So, the next time you complain about taxes, which let’s be honest is easy to do, know that they are a crucial part of maintaining conservation and recreation projects throughout Pennsylvania. Without such funding, hunting in Pennsylvania may very well be impossible.
Why are these taxes important?
Well, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is responsible for the survival and abundance of some species. This means that if there’s an overpopulation of a certain animal that is threatening the ecosystem, they’re the agency responsible for helping decrease that population, so the entire ecosystem is able to flourish.
On the flip side, if there is an animal that is at risk of dying out, the agency will step in and implement steps to ensure that that doesn’t happen. Without such an agency, hunting would be impossible and dangerous. They’re also the agency that manages the lands that we can hunt on. What do you think of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service?
Source: http://blog.pennlive.com/pa-sportsman/2015/05/hunting_and_fishing_gear_taxes.html