SEP 26, 2022

Statement from NSSF on Departments of the Interior and Agriculture Announcement of Members of Federal Council to Support Hunting, Conservation Efforts

“The appointment of Ryan Busse to the Hunting and Wildlife Conservation Council, a federal advisory committee, is a farce and demonstrates the contempt the Biden administration holds for lawful gun owners who hunt on America’s public and private lands. Busse was listed as “unaffiliated,” but that is not true. He is not an unaffiliated shooting sports interest expert. He is advisor for the Giffords gun control group and has openly advocates to the ban on the most popular selling centerfire rifle in America - the Modern Sporting Rifle (MSR). He has published a book advocating radical gun control policies. Glaringly absent, however, is any representative from the firearm and ammunition industry even though the industry is responsible for the vast majority of conservation funds through the Pittman-Robertson excise tax. To date, the firearm and ammunition industry has provided over $15.3 billion to wildlife conservation since 1937 and over $1.1 billion of the conservation funds apportioned to the states last year was directly tied to taxes paid by firearm and ammunition manufacturers. The Biden administration has politicized this advisory council to legitimize Busse and the far-left gun control policies he and the gun control group he represents. This is a sham and doesn’t come close to representing the interests of lawful gun owners who hunt and are faithful stewards of the precious wildlife resources our nation enjoys.”

Mark Oliva
Managing Director - Public Affairs

National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF)