A new partnership of organizations is aiming to teach Pennsylvanians about the impact hunting has on the state’s economy.
A diverse group that ranges from chambers of commerce leaders to small business owners has formed a partnership called Hunting Works for Pennsylvania.
This partnership was created to advocate for public policy that supports jobs and economic prosperity.
Hunting Works is aiming to educate Pennsylvanians about the $1.6 billion the hunting and sport-shooting industry brings to the economy, behind agriculture’s $57 billion and travel and tourism’s $28.6 billion.
Rob Fulton, the president of the Pennsylvania Association of Travel and Tourism, said the partnership wants to create more opportunities for hunters to come to Pennsylvania.
“The more support there is for the hunting industry, the more jobs that can be created and the more tax revenues that are available at the state level and the county and local level,” Fulton said. “So as we go, we may develop more goals and initiatives, but initially it’s just really on education.”
According to Hunting Works for Pennsylvania, hunters generate $121 million in state and local taxes.
The average hunter spends $1,260 each year.
“When hunters come to town, they stay over and they buy gas and they go to the grocery store and they do a lot of things in communities that wouldn’t happen if they weren’t coming to town,” Fulton said. “So we just want to make sure we educate that hunting has a great economic impact and we want to make sure our members understand that.”
According to Hunting Works, hunting also helps create and maintain over 15,000 jobs in Pennsylvania.
“I think that hunting definitely supports jobs so that obviously is an important impact because the local communities and counties, it’s providing income to those families,” Fulton said.
The different organizations plan to deliver their message by providing educational material to their memberships.
“There’s probably many individuals or organizations that aren’t aware of what an impact hunting is, you know, maybe even for those individuals that aren’t hunters per say but may not realize the economic impact in their own counties and the jobs that it creates,” Fulton said.
