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May 31, 2023
NSSF, USFWS, Taurus and Georgia DNR Release Latest Video in the “Partner with a Payer” Film Series
Showcasing Georgia DNR and the Value of Prescribed Burns on Habitats
WASHINGTON, D.C. — NSSF®, The Firearm Industry Trade Association, in conjunction with Taurus Holdings, Inc., and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR), has launched “Key To Success,” another film in support of the “Partner with a Payer®” initiative by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS). Highlighting the importance of the partnership that generates funding by manufacturers paying excise taxes, each video in this series showcases efforts made to maintain and improve wildlife habitat and resources.
Taxes received from manufacturers such as Taurus have totaled more than $16.1 billion (over $25 billion when adjusted for inflation) to the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act (known as the Pittman- Robertson Act) in support of wildlife conservation. The collected funds are distributed to the individual states to provide opportunities such as habitat management, hunter education, improving or maintaining public target shooting ranges, and wildlife conservation programs. Doing so has supported the management of millions of acres for the public to access, with over 50,000 acres in Georgia alone.
“Manufacturers are the core of this program,” said Paul Wilkes, Assistant Regional Director, Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program, Southeast Region, in the video. “They are the ones that pay the excise tax and contribute the funds that are distributed to the state agencies. The money is then distributed to state agencies and used for projects, like the habitat management project we are witnessing today, that give back to the public and benefit wildlife habitats. Without this kind of funding, we’d see a decline in not only habitats, but conservation efforts as well.”
Taurus Holdings, Inc., one of many manufacturers that pay the excise tax, came together with wildlife professionals to discuss ways the funds are used to support Georgia wildlife and see firsthand the resources available on the ground to help hunters and support wildlife enthusiasts alike. One way the funds are employed is to conduct prescribed fires to maintain and preserve public lands, and to promote wildlife habitat and population. Prescribed fires are one of the more affordable maintenance methods, but they do require highly trained staff and the purchase of expensive equipment such as fire-resistant clothing, drip torches, fuel and fire extinguishers to ensure the integrity of the forest’s understory.
“Prescribed fires help preserve the understory for wildlife. If we lose that, no one benefits. Not our partners, the wildlife or the outdoorsmen and -women who are passionate about making this world a better place,” said Diana McGrath, Georgia DNR Wildlife Biologist. “Everything we have on the ground is for the public to enjoy. It’s to improve the success of the hunter and the wildlife population, not just one or the other.”
These latest videos and others in the series were produced by Shine United LLC / Kingdom Filmworks for NSSF through a Multistate Conservation Grant administered by The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
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About NSSF
NSSF is the trade association for the firearm industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of thousands of manufacturers, distributors, firearm retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen’s organizations and publishers nationwide. For more information, visit nssf.org.
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Media contact:
Mark Oliva
202-220-1340
Categories: Government Relations, Industry News, Media, Press Releases
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