An Organized Approach to Conservation

The Access Problem

The ability to access places to hunt and fish significantly influences participation. If individuals don’t have places to go or opportunities to engage in these activities as adults, they won’t pass on those traditions.

 

Why Access Matters

Hunting, shooting and fishing fund conservation. Sportsmen and women generate billions of dollars for fish and wildlife habitat conservation through licenses and excise taxes on equipment. With no alternative funding system for conservation, the loss of hunting and fishing in America would be devastating to maintaining habitat critical for healthy fish and game. We must pass on these traditions to the next generation, and access plays a huge role. With more than six million AFL-CIO union sportsmen and women across North America, we believe there’s no better group to tackle the access issue.

Work Boots on the Ground

In 2010, the USA launched Work Boots on the Ground, a conservation program that brings together union members to volunteer their time and trade skills to conservation projects. Together, we:

• improve and enhance public access to the outdoors
• conserve wildlife habitats
• restore America’s cherished parks
• mentor and engage youth in the outdoors

We work closely with federal, state and local agencies and other conservation groups to provide the volunteer workforce needed to complete critical projects that may otherwise go unfinished, and we host conservation dinners across the country to raise funds for equipment and materials.