Last week, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) hosted the 21st Annual National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses (NASC) Sportsman-Legislator Summit in the vibrant bayou of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Fittingly hosted in the Sportsman’s Paradise, the NASC Sportsman-Legislator Summit provided attendees with an immersive 4-day experience featuring speakers from the NASC Executive Council, state fish and wildlife agencies, conservation policy organizations, outdoor industry partners, and more.
The Summit is CSF’s premier state legislative event, providing an opportunity for state legislators and all attendees to reflect on policy challenges and successes from their states and to learn new strategies to help protect and promote our time-honored traditions. The Summit also provided an opportunity for attendees to participate in a variety of hunting, angling, recreational shooting, and trapping field demonstrations and activities. As the ONLY national conference for state legislators dedicated to advancing America’s hunting, angling, recreational shooting, and trapping heritage, this year’s theme was: Breakthroughs in the Bayou: Drawing from Two Decades of Success to Protect & Advance our Sporting-Conservation Heritage.
“With two decades of NASC Sportsman-Legislator Summits under our belt, this year’s Summit focused on reflecting on the significant success that the NASC program has already achieved, while creating a roadmap for securing victories into the future,” said CSF President and CEO Jeff Crane. “Beyond educating legislators on emergent issues and trends, the Summit also serves as a rallying point for our community to coalesce and build support for the work of our champions in the NASC program’s 50 state legislative sportsmen’s caucuses which allows us to present a united front as we approach tomorrow’s challenges.”
Topics covered at this year’s event included, but were not limited to, facing the challenge of ballot box biology, the intrusion of outside entities onto game and fish commissions, changing demographics in the outdoors, and so much more. In addition to educational sessions, regional breakouts, and Executive Council meetings, the Summit also featured group demonstrations, an auction and raffle, outdoor sporting activities, and an awards ceremony. Keynote speakers for this year’s event included Governors Sportsmen’s Caucus (GSC) Member and Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, Daniel Edgar of History Channel’s Swamp People and Mark Duda of Responsive Management. Additionally, Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus (CSC) Vice-Chair Representative Garret Graves (LA) was in attendance and addressed the NASC Executive Council. From past NASC Executive Council members to state fish and wildlife agency directors and staff, to first time attendee legislators, the room was filled with nearly 300 dedicated conservationists all committed to America’s sporting-conservation future.
On the final night, at the Dinner & Awards Ceremony, the CSF States Program Team presented awards to individual legislators and groups who contributed to the advancement of conservation policy and the furtherance of the goals of the NASC network. This year’s award Recipients included:
· NASC Regional Heritage Award
o Northeast – Delaware Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus
o Southeast – Rep. Jerome Zeringue (LA)
o Midwest – Rep. Will Carpenter (KS)
o West – Sen. David Wilson (AK)
· Friends of NASC Awards
o Delta Waterfowl
· State Agency of the Year
o Missouri Department of Conservation
· State Caucus Partner of the Year
o Vermont Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs
· Outgoing EC Member Awards:
o Sen. Lynda Wilson (WA)
o Rep. Bill Rehm (NM)
o Rep. Jeff Goley (NH)
o Rep. Kevin Wallace (OK)
o Sen. David Wilson (AK)
· Brad Rowse Award:
o Rep. Jeff Goley (NH)
CSF would like to thank all the sponsors who made the 21st Annual NASC Sportsman-Legislator Summit possible including Title Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops; Cabela’s; Lipsey’s Ammunition; Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries; National Shooting Sports Foundation; Outdoor Sportsman Group; Richard Childress Racing; Safari Club International; and The Kinetic Group. Host Sponsors: Delta Waterfowl; Duck Camp; Ducks Unlimited; and Range USA.
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