The latest Partner With a Payer video released by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service highlights the impact of youth shooting sport programs and the role they play in long-term conservation funding. The video is part of the Partner With a Payer initiative, which is a collaboration with the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), Archery Trade Association (ATA), and state and industry partners.
Excise taxes paid by archery and firearms manufacturers under the Wildlife Restoration Act (Pittman-Robertson Act of 1973) serve as a primary source of funding for critical conservation efforts, expanding public access and advancing hunting and shooting sports education programs. Enrolling the next generation of sportsmen and women ensures the money is available for generations to come.
The video, “Enabling Opportunities for the Future,” features the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) alongside several other national youth shooting sports organizations. It highlights the value shooting sports bring to young people and their communities, programs supported in large part through the federal excise taxes paid by sportsmen and women whenever they purchase bows, arrows, firearms or ammunition.
“We live in a nation that treasures wild places, wild creatures and wild things,” said Tommy Floyd, president of NASP. “The sportsmen and women of this country have helped pay for that conservation. Together, we are inspiring millions of our young people to foster that role long into the future.”
The video also spotlights the impact shooting sports programs have on the personal lives of our nation’s youth. From creating lifelong friendships to fostering lessons in hard work and success, they help millions of young people achieve personal goals long after they leave the program.
In 2024, NASP released a student survey that captured the powerful ways the program shapes its 1.2 million annual participants. The findings strongly support the ability of archery to help students navigate challenges, handle adversity and strive for success both in and out of the classroom.
