Hunting and fishing are integral parts of North Carolina’s heritage, economy and conservation efforts. According to the most recent data available, North Carolina sportsmen and women spent $2.3 billion on hunting and fishing in our state in 2011, generating $249 million in revenue and supporting more than 35,000 local jobs. The state issued 1.87 million hunting and fishing licenses last year alone.
The Senate filed legislation that would let voters in the November 2018 election decide whether to amend the North Carolina Constitution to safeguard citizens’ right to hunt, fish and harvest wildlife. This would bring North Carolina in line with twenty-one other states that already guarantee this right in their constitutions.
I think voters will agree this amendment will protect for future generations the hunting and fishing rights that have always been part of our heritage and way of life – and it will ensure North Carolina remains a sportsman’s paradise.