Number: 1987-04
WHEREAS, the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act (Pittman-Robertson Act) was passed in 1937 and was the model for the Federal Aid in Fish Restoration Act (Dingell-Johnson Act) passed in 1950; and
WHEREAS, the original Pittman-Robertson Act imposed a 10 percent excise tax on rifles, shotguns, and ammunition and was amended to increase the tax to 11 percent in 1941, to include pistols and revolvers in 1970, and bows and arrows in 1975; and
WHEREAS, the amount of Pittman-Robertson Act money apportioned for wildlife restoration peaked in 1982 at $116,960,000 and has since then been significantly lower; and
WHEREAS, the Wallop-Breaux amendment to the Dingell-Johnson Act increased by $73,880,400 the federal funds apportioned in 1986 for fisheries restoration;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation in annual meeting assembled March 19-22, 1987, in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada urges that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service complete an assessment of current and future funding needs for wildlife restoration. This review is to include an evaluation of increasing the federal excise tax in the existing Pittman-Robertson Act and expanding the coverage of the Pittman-Robertson Act to include “component parts” of ammunition, traps and scent lures.