| WASHINGTON, D.C. — NSSF®, The Firearm Industry Trade Association, celebrates the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) announcement that $1.3 billion is being delivered to state conservation and wildlife access programs. The distribution of funds is derived from the Pittman-Robertson excise taxes paid by firearm and ammunition manufacturers and Dingell-Johnson excise taxes paid by the angling industry.
A total of $886,499,121 of the $1.3 billion of those funds are directly sourced from firearm and ammunition excise taxes paid by manufacturers. Firearm and ammunition manufacturers have paid over $29 billion into the fund since its inception in 1937, when adjusted for inflation. These funds directly contribute to wildlife conservation through the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act and provide funding for conservation programs, increased access to public lands and hunter education.
“The firearm industry is tremendously proud of the contributions we make to conserving our wildlife and the habitats wildlife need to thrive for generations to come,” said NSSF President and CEO Joe Bartozzi. “Our industry is at the forefront of wildlife conservation. Each time a recreational shooter or hunter purchases a firearm or ammunition, they are helping to support wildlife conservation through the excise taxes paid by our industry on the sale of those products. The American model of conservation funding is the gold standard throughout the world for sustainable conservation and wildlife management.”
The excise tax is set at 11 percent of the wholesale price for long guns and ammunition and 10 percent of the wholesale price for handguns. The excise tax, paid by manufacturers and importers, applies to all firearms and ammunition imported or sold domestically to the commercial market and federal law enforcement sales, whether the purpose is for recreational shooting, hunting or personal defense. The tax is administered by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) of the Department of the Treasury, which turns the funds over to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).
USFWS deposits the Pittman-Robertson excise tax revenues into a special account called the Wildlife Restoration Trust Fund administered by the USFWS. These funds are made available to states and territories the year following their collection based on a statutory formula. These excise tax dollars collected since 1937 under the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act are specifically designated to be used by state wildlife agencies for conservation and related purposes. Collectively, purchasers of firearms and ammunition, hunters and the firearm and ammunition industry are the greatest source of wildlife conservation funding.
-30-
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. |
