In the last decade, the question of the economic import- 

 ance of these forms of recreation has become of greater 

 and greater concern to those interested in the conservation 

 of fish and wildhfe. Since World War II, changes in land 

 use and water use have proceeded apace. Conservation 

 agencies have sought to conserve fish and wildlife resources 

 affected by these changes. Often the inclusion of con- 

 .servation provisions in land-use and water-use projects 

 has faced prol)lems of justifying cost as comjiared with 

 economic benefits. Consequently, the conservation agen- 

 cies have needed more information on the economic 

 aspects of sport fishing anrl hunting as a partial measure 

 of the value of fish and wildlife conservation. 



Excise taxes on sport-fishing tackle and on sporting 

 arms and ammunition, which produce about 20 million 

 dollars a year, have been allocated by Congress to special 

 funds for fi.shing and hunting improvement. Through 

 the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the conservation 

 or fish and game departments of the States, these taxes on 

 fishing and hunting equipment are used as Federal Aid to 

 the States in cooperative programs for fish and wildlife 

 restoration. In carrying out their management programs, 

 fish and game agencies luivc felt the need for more exact 

 figures to guide them. 



In the last few years about a fourth of the State fish and 

 game agencies have made economic survej'S of fishing and 

 hunting in their areas. Made at different times and bj^ 

 various methods, these surveys could not be combined to 

 give the nationwide information needed. 



The need for accurate countrj'wide information on 

 sport fishing and hunting and their effect on the national 

 economy reached a point in 1953 when the U. S. Fish and 

 Wildlife Service, the State fish and game agencies, the 

 Wildlife Management Institute, the National Wildlife 

 Federation, the Sport Fishing Institute, and other groups 

 began giving serious consideration to conducting a com- 

 prehensive national study to obtain reliable answers. At 

 its annual meeting in September 1954, the International 

 Association of Game, Fish, and Conservation Com- 

 missioners (comprising the fish and game commissioners 

 and directors of the 48 States and the Canadian Prov- 

 inces) recommended that the U. S. Ush and Wildlife 

 Service carry out a nationwide survey financed from 

 Federal Aid administrative funds. 



To make the survey as accurate and as objective as 

 possiiile, it was determined to have it done by independent 

 experts in the field of national surveys. After approval 

 by the Bureau of the Budget, outstanding firms specializ- 

 ing in large-scale sampling censuses were asked to submit 

 proposals, and a survey contract was made with Crossley, 

 S-D Surveys, Inc., of New York. 



Several months were spent in working out procedures to 

 ensure an accurate and comprehensive count. The 

 national survey was carried out during the months of 

 January and February 1956, collecting data on sport 

 fishing and hunting for the calendar .year 1955. In every 

 State, interviewers ascertained whether persons had 

 fished or hunted in 1955 and recorded detailed informa- 

 tion about their fishing and hunting activities. 



