Council History

The Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports traces its origins to 2007, when President George W. Bush signed Executive Order 13443: Facilitation of Hunting Heritage and Wildlife Conservation. Recognizing declining participation in hunting and shooting sports, the order called for improved access, enhanced opportunities, and more collaborative management of wildlife resources.

It also sparked the 2008 North American Wildlife Policy Conference, where more than 500 conservation leaders convened in Reno, Nevada, to chart a national response. Their work produced the Recreational Hunting and Wildlife Resource Conservation Plan, a 10-year roadmap prioritizing education, recruitment, and retention of hunters – and it was this plan that formally recommended the creation of the Council.

Established in 2009, the Council was designed to unite state fish and wildlife agencies, conservation organizations, and the archery and firearms industries around a shared mission: to grow participation in hunting and the shooting sports and increase public understanding of the conservation impact of hunters and shooters.

The inaugural 28-member board reflected this broad coalition, bringing together voices from across the conservation landscape to focus on R3 (Recruitment, Retention, and Reactivation), shooting range development, and improved access. Despite early financial challenges, operating for more than a decade on fluctuating state membership agreements, the Council succeeded in building national momentum, advancing R3 planning, standing up the National R3 Community, and coordinating the rapid growth of R3 positions across the country.

The executive order that started it all:
https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/executive-order-13443-facilitation-hunting-heritage-and-wildlife-conservation

Modernizing the Pittman-Robertson Fund for Tomorrow’s Needs Act

A major turning point came in 2019 with the passage of the Modernizing the Pittman-Robertson Fund for Tomorrow’s Needs Act, which directs that up to $5 million of the excise taxes collected from certain archery equipment be set aside annually for Multistate Conservation Grants supporting national hunting and shooting sports R3 efforts. Beginning in 2020, the Council secured its first MSCGP grants, gaining financial stability that enabled new services, expanded staff capacity, and strengthened national leadership.

Since then, the Council has launched shared state and regional R3 coordinator positions, produced a suite of national R3 resources, facilitated large-scale research projects, and hosted both virtual and in-person National R3 Symposium –  continuing a gathering tradition that began with the first national symposium in 2018.

Today, under the leadership of Executive Director Chuck Sykes (preceded by Dr. Steven Leath, John Frampton, and inaugural CEO Bill Creighton), the Council serves as the central hub of R3 coordination in the United States. Backed by long-term MSCGP funding through 2029 and strengthened by private partnerships, national collaborations, and a growing community of more than 3,400 R3 professionals, the Council continues to advance its mission through research, workforce development, resource creation, national convenings, and direct technical support.

What began as a presidential directive has grown into a robust, community-driven organization guiding the future of hunting, shooting sports, and wildlife conservation nationwide.