WASHINGTON, D.C. — NSSF®, The Firearm Industry Trade Association, has added two new videos to its “Partner with a Payer®” resource library highlighting the cooperative efforts of the firearm industry, state wildlife agencies and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) to help sustain the nation’s natural resources.
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Partner with a Payer is an initiative of USFWS. NSSF and industry companies participate in the program to strengthen ties between all excise tax-paying manufacturers—firearms and ammunition, archery equipment, marine and sportfishing equipment—and the state agencies that use these funds to conserve wildlife and habitat. These excise-tax dollars are placed in the federal Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Fund for annual distribution to the states.
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| The seventh video in the Partner with a Payer series features a tour of the Nosler, Inc. Ammunition Facility and focuses on the Pacific Northwest Health Laboratories as an example of more than 35 research facilities across the country that monitor the health of all wildlife and develop responses to emerging diseases. Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Funds support these labs and “help us do everything,” said one scientist, paying for research positions, lab buildings and equipment, field testing supplies and much more. |
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| The eighth video in the series focuses on the Federal Premium Ammunition company, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the Pittman-Robertson excise taxes that are applied to all sporting arms and ammunition in support of wildlife and habitat conservation.
Since 1937, when the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act was enacted (known as the Pittman-Robertson Act), the manufacturers of firearms, ammunition and archery equipment have paid more than $15.8 billion on their products for the benefit of wildlife conservation and restoration, hunter education and development of shooting ranges. Since 1939, Wildlife Restoration and Hunter Education Apportionments adjusted for inflation through the year 2021 equate to $22.5 billion. Tom Decker, Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, has said these excise taxes have literally changed the nature of America. Through the Partner with a Payer program, players in every part of the story are gaining a new appreciation of what their partners in this wildlife and conservation effort do to make it work. NSSF President and CEO Joe Bartozzi said, “It is an incredible model of conservation funding that benefits all Americans, not just hunters and target shooters, and helps ensure sustainable wildlife and habitat for future generations. Our industry’s contributions to this program are something we’ve long been proud of, and we want the employees of companies and state agencies to be also, which is why we’re proud to be involved with the Partner with a Payer program.” Partner with a Payer arranges for industry employees to see conservation science taking place in the field, such as at black bear research projects. “These connections between industry professionals and state agency scientists and researchers build long-lasting appreciation for each other’s work and also the funding that makes so much of what we enjoy possible,” said Bartozzi. These latest videos and others in the series were produced by Shine United LLC / Kingdom Filmworks for NSSF through a Multistate Conservation Grant awarded by the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Programs of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. ?-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. |
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