For more than a century, conservation has been led in large part by the hunting and angling communities.

In response to recognizing a decline in wildlife populations due to human activity, these early conservationists took action to both self-regulate their hunting and advocate for regulations to protect wildlife and wilderness areas. This early movement helped create some of the most reliable and well-funded conservation programs that are still in place today, such as the Pittman-Robertson Act (funded by an excise tax on hunting equipment), the Dingell-Johnson Act (funded by excise tax on fishing equipment and fuel for boats), and the federal duck stamp (funded by migratory bird hunters, primarily). To date, these funding sources have funded billions of dollars for land conservation.

Many Ohioans have a deep connection to hunting and fishing. In relation to other states, Ohio ranks 12^th in annual hunting license sales, which provides over $20,000,000 annually to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) and operates and manages the state’s wildlife resources. The Land Conservancy recognizes that hunting and fishing are important to the heritage of many Ohioans, especially those who reside in rural areas. Our team works hard to incorporate access for these activities in our conservation projects, and hunting in particular, is an important habitat management tool. Forests can be overgrazed by white-tailed deer and rare wildflowers are often their favorite snack. Maintaining high-quality and diverse habitats is important—we spend significant funding to preserve them—and hunting is one of the only efficient and economical ways to accomplish this goal.

Our Sporting Engagement Strategy is to engage and cultivate a wide array of hunters and anglers by utilizing the unique strengths of the Land Conservancy to promote exceptional experiences and expanded opportunities for sportsmen and women.