As it relates to a recent Tweeters topic, I forward portions of a USFWS news
release...
--
Scott Richardson
northeast Seattle
salix at halcyon.com

> STATE FISH AND WILDLIFE AGENCIES TO SHARE
> $301.8 MILLION IN EXCISE TAX RECEIPTS
>
> Continuing a conservation tradition dating back more than six
> decades, state fish and wildlife agencies will share $301.8
> million in excise taxes paid by America's hunters, target
> shooters, boaters, and anglers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
> Director Jamie Rappaport Clark announced today.
[snip]

> In the 1930s, hunters themselves took the rare step of lobbying
> Congress to use an excise tax on firearms and ammunition for
> wildlife conservation. Anglers followed suit in 1950. Boaters
> joined in 1985. During the past 60 years, the two programs have
> raised nearly $6 billion to support conservation, hunter
> education, boating access, and other efforts by states.
[snip]

> The preliminary apportionment for wildlife restoration and hunter
> education programs for fiscal year 1998 totals $104.7 million.
> The money is derived from an 11-percent excise tax on sporting
> arms and ammunition, a 10-percent tax on pistols and revolvers,
> and an 11-percent tax on certain archery equipment. One-half of
> the tax on handguns and archery equipment is made available for
> state hunter education and shooting range programs.

I usually hesitate to forward messages from other listservers... I figure if
readers want the info, they'll subscribe themselves. To that end, if you're
interested in the USFWS releases, which generally number just a couple per
week, check out this info:

> News releases are also available on the World Wide Web at
> http://www.fws.gov/~r9extaff/pubaff.html They can be reviewed in
> chronological order or searched by keyword.
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> include anything on the Subject: line.