"Because sportsmen and women enjoy hunting and fishing alone or in small groups, they are overlooked as a constituency and as a substantial economic force," stated Jeff Crane, President of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation. "When you compare spending by hunters and anglers to other sectors, their impact on the state’s economy becomes more tangible." Here are the facts:

1. Sportsmen and women support more jobs in New Hampshire than Dartmouth College (4,000 jobs versus 3,500).

2. Annual spending by New Hampshire sportsmen and women is more than the combined revenues of the state’s fastest growing companies: Cedar Point Communications, GT Solar and Red River Computers ($257 million versus $243 million).

3. New Hampshire’s sportsmen and women annually spend more than the cash receipts from all agricultural commodities ($257 million versus $162 million).

4. New Hampshire sportsmen and women outnumber populations of Manchester and Rochester, two of the largest cities in the state (141,000 versus 140,000).

5. The economic stimulus of hunting and fishing equates to an astounding $700,000 a day being pumped into the state’s economy.

"Spending by the sportsmen and women benefits not only the manufacturers of hunting and fishing related products, but everything from local mom and pop businesses to wildlife conservation," noted Doug Painter, President of the National Shooting Sports Foundation. "And, because most hunting and fishing takes place in rural areas, much of the spending benefits less affluent parts of the state."

On the national level, 34 million sportsmen and women age 16 and older spent more than $76 billion in the year 2006, supporting 1.6 million jobs. If a single corporation grossed as much as hunters and anglers spend, it would be among America’s 20 largest, ahead of Target, Costco, and AT &T. And, if all hunters and anglers nationally had voted during the last presidential election, they would have equaled 31 percent of all votes cast. If every hunter and angler living in New Hampshire had voted, they would have equaled 30 percent of all votes cast in the state.

These statistics are impressive and, if anything, they underestimate the impact of sportsmen and women since they do not take into account the millions of hunters and anglers under age 16 or people who were not able to get out and hunt or fish in 2006. When sportsmen and women’s spending is thought of in business terms and compared to other sectors of the economy, it is quite remarkable. From the small rural towns scattered throughout our country’s landscape to the bottom-line of Fortune 500 companies, located in major cities, hunting and fishing is the equivalent of a multi-billion dollar corporation.

"It is a fairly simple equation. Hunters and anglers mean jobs in states and local communities that have made the effort to maintain their hunting and fishing opportunities," stated Jeff Crane, of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation. "The economic impact that sportsmen and women have on state economies should be a wake-up call to state governments to welcome and encourage hunting and fishing in their state."

The report, "Hunting and Fishing: Bright Stars of the American Economy - A force as big as all outdoors" was produced by the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation with support from the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, National Marine Manufacturers Association, National Shooting Sports Foundation and SCI - First For Hunters. The report uses the results from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s 2006 "National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation and statistics provided by the American Sportfishing Association and the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.

So, now you know. If you hunt or fish in New Hampshire, you make a powerful difference in the economy. Use your influence and power - come January 8th, VOTE and let your ballot speak for you.