Nongame Tax Sought

Wildlife conservation

In a far-reaching conservation proposal, more than 175 state wildlife agencies and conservation groups, including the National Wildlife Federation and the Audubon Society, are pushing for a 5 percent federal tax on outdoor recreation equipment to benefit wild plants and animals not hunted for sport or protected by the Endangered Species Act.

The proposal is modeled after a long-standing federal tax on ammunition, guns and fishing equipment that provides money to states to buy and manage forests, fields and lakes for hunting and fishing.

Backers of the new tax say it would raise $350 million annually for nongame species such as birds, snakes, frogs, chipmunks and other species for which there has been little protection.

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation says many species, especially migratory songbirds, have declined at an alarming rate over the past few decades and may become ESA candidates. The goal of the tax is to prevent the species from becoming a rarity.