According to a report by the Congressional Sportsman's Foundation, if the $76 billion sportsmen spend nationally on hunting and fishing were the gross domestic product of a country, sportsmen as a nation would rank 57 out of 181 countries. Clearly, the economic impact of sportsmen is a force to be reckoned with.

In fact, in many states, sportsmen spend more money, support more jobs, and pay more taxes than most industries and attractions in the state. For example, in S.C. annual spending by 595,000 hunters and anglers ($1.8 billion) is more than the combined cash receipts for broilers and greenhouse/nursery, turkeys, cattle, and cotton— the state's top five agricultural commodities ($1.3 billion).

Sportsmen support more jobs in S.C. than Computer Sciences Corp., Siemens Diesel Manufacturing, the University of South Carolina, and BMW Manufacturing combined (32,700 jobs vs. 28,500). And, S.C. sportsmen outnumber the populations of Columbia, Charleston, Rock Hill, Mt. Pleasant, Greenville, Sumter, and Spartanburg (595,000 vs. 562,000).

That spending results in some $839 million paid in salaries and wages, $186 million in Federal taxes, and $182 million in state and local taxes. The ripple effect is calculated at $2.7 billion. (Statistics are from the Congressional Sportsman's Foundation report

Hunting and F ishing:

Bright Stars of the A merican

Economy ~ A for ce as

big as all outdoors.

It can be accessed online at www.sportsmenslink. org.