What if your business could witness a return on investment greater than a 1,000 percent? Sounds unlikely, but that’s exactly the type of returns companies that serve hunters, shooters and anglers enjoy through the funding raised by excise taxes as part of the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration programs. In a summary released by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, hunting and recreational shooting manufacturers have realized a 1,100 percent annual return on the excise taxes paid to improve hunting opportunities, while sportfishing businesses have witnessed a whopping 2,157 percent return.
For more than 75 years, excise taxes have been invested back into the conservation of wildlife and fish to the tune of 100 percent of the taxes raised. In total, more than $15 billion have been generated and spent to support conservation in this country—all efforts that benefit hunters, shooters and anglers so that they may continue enjoying outdoor opportunities and spending money on the equipment needed for these activities.
A few highlights of the results of these investments are:
· In 1907, only 41,000 elk remained in the United States. Today, there are more than 1 million.
· By the early 1900s, there were fewer than half a million deer in the United States. Today, there are estimated to be more than 30 million and the hunting of white-tailed deer is by far the most popular type of hunting in America.
· At the beginning of the 20th century, wild turkeys were nearly extinct. Today, populations are believed to exceed 7 million birds.
This study was produced for the AFWA by Southwick Associates in partnership with Andrew Loftus Consulting, and funded by Sportfish and Wildlife Restoration funds.
The Fish and Wildlife Report 