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We hope every hunter has a successful and enjoyable season this fall.
Hunting is an important tradition in rural Pennsylvania, strengthening both the bond of families and an appreciation for the values of self-sufficiency and patience. It is a past-time in many cases handed down over many generations, and has become an integral part of the identity of rural communities in Pennsylvania.
Moreover, hunting helps maintain the health of Pennsylvania's wildlife populations, preventing malnutrition and starvation from decimating overpopulated herds. Hunting also creates a vested interest in preserving natural habitats and the quality of our rivers, streams and forests. As conservationforce.org's Shane Mahoney notes, hunters and anglers contribute the lion's share of the funding for conservation efforts needed by state agencies, which in turn are generally at the forefront of initiatives to protect our wilderness.
Hunting also contributes to our economy. The National Wildlife Federation calculates that more than 680,000 jobs are supported by the $86.9 billion in economic activity that hunting generates. The federation also projects that about $5.4 billion in local and state tax revenue and $6.4 billion in federal tax revenue can be tied directly to hunting.
For the preservation of tradition, for the important work of conservation and for its role in our rural communities' economies, hunting remains an important past-time, and we all should appreciate the men and women heading into the woods this time of year to continue the diligent pursuit of a deer -- and the pursuit of tradition, conservation and a diverse economy.