A new educational video “The Currency of Conservation: Archery’s Impact” is available for industry members to use and share. The video will help people understand how federal excise taxes are collected, distributed and used for conservation projects.
The video was completed through a 2021 multistate conservation grant awarded to the National Shooting Sports Foundation. ATA staff helped facilitate the connection between Easton Technical Products, Hoyt, and the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources through the Partner with a Payer program, which works to increase the understanding between manufacturers who pay excise taxes and state agencies who use them.
ATA’s Vice President and Chief Conservation Officer Dan Forster said the video sheds light on the FET process and will be a useful resource for educators and the industry.
“This video provides an incredible educational tool for hunters and conservationists as it captures the essence of collaboration, criticality, and history of the partnerships forged between excise tax-paying manufacturers like Easton and the wildlife and habitat work done by state fish and wildlife agencies through the Wildlife and Sportfish Restoration Program,” he said. “This quality production shares the story of conservation funding in the United States and why we are so blessed to have abundant wildlife, quality habitat, hunting, and robust access paid for through this incredible conservation funding model.”
In short, archery manufacturers pay federal excise taxes under the Wildlife Restoration Act, more commonly called the Pittman-Robertson Act, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service distributes the funds to state agencies to use on projects that benefit wildlife, wild places and the outdoor community.
As Craig Springer of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service said, products are essentially the currency for conservation. Easton hosted the event at the Easton Archery Center in Salt Lake City.
“We had a lot of fun hosting representatives from federal and state fish and wildlife agencies and the ATA at our Utah manufacturing facility,” said Aaron Lucky, president of Easton Technical Products. “It was a great opportunity to showcase Easton while learning more about the impact that archery's federal excise tax dollars have on conservation. Archers should take pride knowing the vital role they play in the preservation of critical habitats and wildlife resources.”
Tom Decker of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said, "The leadership and vision that the archery manufacturers demonstrated in the 1970s, whereby their products would fund conservation, public target shooting and hunting opportunities was a notable contribution to the shaping of our abundant wildlife populations, habitat protection programs and archery programs in the United States."
ATA members, state wildlife agencies, nongovernmental organizations, consumer organizations and others can use the video in their marketing and communications efforts.
For more information, please contact Allison Jasper, ATA’s senior director of marketing and communications, at allisonjasper@archerytrade.org or (507) 233-8136.
About the Archery Trade Association
The Archery Trade Association is the organization for manufacturers, retailers, distributors, sales representatives and others working in the archery and bowhunting industry. The ATA has served its members since 1953. We work to increase the recruitment and retention of new, current and once-active archers and bowhunters. We are the driving force in defending, educating, and lobbying for the greater good of the industry and sport. We preserve and promote archery and bowhunting’s rich heritage to ensure active consumer participation, and successful manufacturing and retailing for generations to come. The organization also owns and operates the ATA Trade Show, the archery and bowhunting industry's largest and longest-running trade show worldwide.