Vol. 09 No. 29 – July 14, 2008

NSSF ASKS INDUSTRY TO PROMOTE EFFORT . . . In this critical election year, one that has been described as a "tipping point" election for gun owners and sportsmen, the National Shooting Sports Foundation is stepping up its efforts to help sportsmen and sportswomen register to vote. Simply by visiting NSSF.org/register, visitors to the site will be on their way to registering within seconds. Industry companies can help, too, by adding the logo illustrated here along with the campaign's Web site address to their Web sites to encourage their customers to register to vote. "As recent history has demonstrated, elections can be decided by just a small margin, so it's not a cliché to say that every vote, and every voter, counts," said NSSF President Steve Sanetti. “We need YOUR help to build and maintain the ranks of firearms-friendly voters by supporting and assisting this vitally important voter registration campaign.”

SPORTING CONSERVATION COUNCIL TAKES UP CHALLENGE . . . An advisory group appointed by the Bush administration says sportsmen should continue to play an important role as advocates for conserving wildlife and habitat, reports the Associated Press. The Sporting Conservation Council says, however, that conflicting government policies, a decline in hunting, and growing threats to big game, fish and fowl populations have made that role a more challenging one. A package of draft reports outlining concerns and possible long-term policy solutions has been released and will be the starting point for a planned presidential conference on wildlife policy in Washington, D.C., this fall, with the goal of developing a national 10-year wildlife management policy.

DUCK POPULATIONS REMAIN ABOVE AVERAGE . . . U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service reports that the preliminary estimate of total ducks from the 2008 Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey was just over 37 million, which is a nine percent decline from last year's estimate, but still 11 percent greater than the 1955-2007 average. In the U.S. and Canadian prairies, population estimates of many species declined, while populations increased in the boreal forest to the north, likely reflecting in part those birds that overflew the prairies because of drier habitat conditions there. The Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey, the largest and most comprehensive survey of its kind in the world, samples two million square miles and estimates the number of ducks on the continent's most important nesting grounds. Read about individual species' populations. Download the report.

PROMOTING PRACTICAL PISTOL SHOOTING . . . Two good stories showcasing the challenge and fun of competitive pistol shooting and promoting the U.S. Practical Pistol Shooting Association appeared in newspapers recently. Travis Tomasie is profiled in the Kirkwood (Wash.,) Reporter for adding the USPSA Area 1 Limited Division title to his Area 5 and 7 titles, all earned in June. “I was just immediately hooked,” Tomasie said of the sport. “The combination of speed and accuracy is awesome. It’s like racing with a firearm.” The Fresno (Calif.) Bee reported on Brad Holt capturing the Production Division title, also at the Area 1 competition in Sherwood, Ore., which attracted 300 shooters.

SAAMI ANNOUNCES NEW OFFICERS . . . The Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute, the association of the leading manufacturers of firearms, ammunition and components, elected new officers at its recent annual meeting. Jeff Reh, vice president and general counsel of Beretta USA, is the chairman of the board, and ATK President Mark DeYoung is the vice chairman. Three officers of NSSF were elected to positions of leadership: Steve Sanetti, NSSF president and CEO, was elected president; Nancy Coburn, NSSF vice president and CFO, was elected treasurer; and Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF senior vice president and general counsel, was elected to the secretary’s position.

COLORADO CONGRESSMAN TO PUSH FOR USE OF P-R FUNDS FOR RANGES . . . Rep. Mark Udall says he will introduce legislation this week that will allow states to use up to 10 percent of Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act moneys they receive to buy land for public shooting ranges, to develop shooting ranges and to maintain them. Udall, in his announcement, said his legislation would also allow P-R funds to roll over from year to year.

ATF COMMENT ON HELLER DECISION . . . ATF Acting Director ATF Michael J. Sullivan released the following statement on the recent Supreme Court decision in District of Columbia et. al. v. Heller: "ATF is pleased with the Supreme Court's ruling recognizing that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to possess firearms, including for private purposes unrelated to militia operations. The court's ruling is in accordance with the text of the Second Amendment, historical practice, and the Attorney General's 2001 guidance on the scope of the Second Amendment, and is consistent with the bureau's understanding of the scope of the Second Amendment. The Bureau also is pleased that the court appropriately made clear that nothing in [the] ruling casts doubt on the constitutionality of 'longstanding prohibitions on the possession of firearms by felons and the mentally ill, or laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings, or laws imposing conditions and qualifications on the commercial sale of arms.' In addition, the court appropriately recognized that the 'carrying of dangerous and unusual weapons,' such as machineguns, is not protected by the amendment. The bureau is studying the decision, but expects that it will not affect its continued enforcement of all existing federal firearms laws."

MASSACHUSETTS GOVERNOR SEEKS FEE HIKE FOR FFLs AND CCWs . . . Governor Deval Patrick (D) is up to his usual tricks of harassing law-abiding citizens and federally licensed firearms retailers in Massachusetts. Last Sunday the governor filed a special budget appropriations bill for fiscal year 2008 that calls for increasing the licensing fee for Massachusetts firearms dealers – a move that could ultimately force many of the state’s retailers out of business. The proposed fee change would increase a three-year license from $100 to $450. The governor is also proposing to increase license-to-carry fees on law-abiding citizens. NSSF, is encouraging the state's sportsmen, firearms enthusiasts and retailers to urge their local representatives and senators to oppose Patrick’s appropriations bill. Said NSSF Director of Government Relations Jake McGuigan, “Clearly, the goal of this administration is to further restrict the rights of its citizens and businesses through a hefty Second Amendment tax.”

SPORTSMEN PONDER IMPACT OF BUDWEISER SALE . . . The recent sale of the Anheuser-Busch Companies to Belgian conglomerate InBev has potential implications for the entire sports community. Budweiser and the other A-B brands have been major advertisers on televised sporting events—to the tune of $218,000,000 a year—and also perennial major sponsors of outdoor sporting and conservation organizations. The National Shooting Sports Foundation, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Ducks Unlimited and the American Trap Shooting Association are among the many groups which are supported by, or partner with, Budweiser. At this point, InBev’s future marketing approach is not known, but with hundreds of millions of dollars in play, for sure the whole sports world is watching.

PROJECT CHILDSAFE IN NORTH CAROLINA . . . NSSF's Project Childsafe firearms safety education program continues to provide gun lock safety kits to law enforcement departments around the country. In North Carolina, the Greensboro Police Department will provide free gun locks during a Big Buck Expo at Gander Mountain. "Any time you hear about an accidental shooting, whether it's involving a child or an adult, you know it could have been prevented with proper firearm safety," said Sgt. Paul Pell, advocating the use of Project ChildSafe's education materials and gun safety device.

NEVADA ACLU SUPPORTS INDIVIDUAL RIGHT . . . The Nevada chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has declared its support for interpreting the Second Amendment as an individual right to keep and bear arms, a move putting them at odds with their national headquarters which is vehemently anti-gun and continues to hold the Second Amendment as a right of the government. The decision by the Nevada affiliate follows the U.S. Supreme Court ruling (Washington, D.C. et. al. v. Heller) affirming that the Second Amendment does indeed protect the rights of individuals to own handguns.

Sights on Beijing: A Look at America's Olympic Shooters - With the 2008 Olympics just weeks away, Bullet Points each week will offer a brief look at the U.S. Olympic team shooters headed to Beijing. This week are the air rifle and air pistol shooters.

STEPHEN SCHERER . . . Event: Men's Air Rifle. Hometown: Billerica, Mass. Age: 19. Started shooting at age 11 and he just completed his freshmen year at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. In his spare time, Scherer enjoys deer hunting, playing the guitar, basketball and any type of card game.

JASON PARKER . . . Event: Men's Air Rifle. Hometown: Omaha, Neb. Age: 34. Represented the United States at both the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games. He joined the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit in 1997 after graduating from Xavier University. When he is not competitively shooting, Parker's favorite hobbies are hunting, fishing and entering triathlons.

JASON TURNER . . . Event: Men's Air Pistol. Hometown: Rochester, N.Y. Age: 33. Was on the 2004 Olympic Team. Among the championships he's earned have been national championship and Pan American Games titles. Turner shot rifle competitively for four years before switching to pistol.

EMILY CARUSO . . . Event: Women's Air Rifle. Hometown: Fairfield, Conn. Age: 31. Has been shooting since she was 11 and her expertise landed her on the 2004 Olympic team. She has won the annual USA Shooting Air Rifle National Championships multiple times.

REBECCA (BEKI) SNYDER . . . Event: Women's Air Pistol. Hometown: Grand Junction, Colo. Age: 32. Learned to shoot with her father when she was 12, and she has since competed for the United States in three Olympic Games: 1996, 2000 and 2004. Beki, as she likes to be called, lettered in diving in high school and has a black belt in Taekwondo.

HELP YOUR CUSTOMERS TRACK OLYMPIC SHOOTING EVENTS WITH USA SHOOTING . . . To help industry and consumers follow the progress of the U.S. Olympic team during the 2008 games, USA Shooting has developed a Web site that will provide easy access to the latest news, athlete profiles and scores. But it needs your help to get the word out about the Web site. To help, USA Shooting has developed a graphic that can be easily uploaded and placed on a company's Web sites. "We only have this chance once every four years to celebrate our sports and our athletes as they compete in the Olympic Games," said Buddy DuVall, USA Shooting's director of marketing. "The games offer a huge opportunity for the shooting industry. The positive stories about the shooting sports that result from our participation will surely inspire future Olympic dreams and help provide a better understanding of our sports with the general public. We just want to make sure these stories and competition updates are easily available to anyone with an interest. With industry's support, we can do just that." Learn more about the campaign.

INDUSTRY CAREER CONNECTION . . . Visit www.nssf.org/jobs for current employment opportunities in the shooting, hunting and outdoor industry. Employers: Log in to post a job opening.