It’s time to head to the range.
The Trump administration has released a presidential message announcing the beginning of National Shooting Sports Month.
“During National Shooting Sports Month, we celebrate the wonderful American tradition of shooting sports,” the statement says. “Shooting sports are a terrific reminder of our constitutional liberty and the attendant benefits that accrue to a free people: active friendship within families, between peers, and among communities for Americans living in small towns and large cities to experience the bounty of America’s great outdoors.
The statement goes on to explain the administration’s prioritization to make shooting on public lands more accessible: “Under existing Federal law, for example, a portion of Federal excise tax on the sale of firearms and ammunition is dedicated to American wildlife research and habitat conservation, the statement says. “That is one reason why my Administration has prioritized making it easier for Americans to participate in shooting sports on public lands. By doing so, we are enhancing Americans’ ability to experience the unsurpassed beauty of our blessed Nation and we are better protecting our national treasures for future generations.”
“I encourage all Americans engaged in shooting sports to continue promoting a culture of safety and to continue exercising the responsibility and duty associated with the right to keep and bear arms,” the statement concludes.
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Last year, Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke proclaimed August as National Sports Shooting Month. Zinke claims that while he was growing up he spent time hunting and fishing on public lands.
“Today I’m focused on continuing that tradition by announcing this August, and every August under my leadership at Interior will be proclaimed National Shooting Sports Month,” he stated.
Zinke goes on to claim that “as an NRA Lifetime Member,” one of his top priorities is to give more access to hunt and fish on public lands by expanding access and exploring ideas for more shooting ranges on public lands.
“[What] I want to see is hunting and fishing become elite sports,” he adds.