Defunding Archery, Hunters’ Education Robs Future Generations, Says Gun Rights Groups

Jeffrey Paes, 8, stands next to six arrows he shot from 10 yards away during archery practice at Gander Mountain in the Town of Wallkill, N.Y., on Aug. 19, 2016. Holly Kellum/Epoch Times

The Biden administration’s decision to cut funding for hunter education and archery programs in schools has drawn harsh criticism over its possible impact on future generations.

“They are folks who are going to do anything to infringe on the rights of the next generation. They want to eliminate these programs so the future generations will not be aware the opportunities exist in the first place,” Mark Oliva, managing director for public affairs of the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the trade association for the firearms industry, told the Epoch Times.

The White House did not respond to emails from The Epoch Times seeking comment.

Hunter safety, archery, and marksmanship programs were first authorized to receive federal funding by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965.

Educators involved in the programs interviewed by The Epoch Times would not address the politics behind the decision. But they did say the loss would impact possibly millions of students.

Tommy Floyd is the president of the National Archery in Schools Program (NASP). He told The Epoch Times that approximately 21 million students have participated in the program throughout its 21-year history. Last year alone, 1.3 million students in 9,000 schools learned the fundamentals of archery.

The program has awarded $3.4 million in scholarships to more than 2,000 students.

Mr. Floyd said the lessons those students learned extend beyond the archery range. He said the young archers take responsibility for being on time, practicing, working as a team toward a common goal, and learning the importance of good sportsmanship.

“They learn to be a responsible team member,” Mr. Floyd said. “They learn all the attributes you need to be successful.”

Electronic hearing protection systems block sounds above a set decibel level for shooting sports such as skeet. Roman Chazov/Shutterstock

Jeremiah Adams has been the agriculture teacher and sporting clays instructor at Durant High School in Durant, Oklahoma, for the past eight years. He said in his time at the school, dozens of students have benefitted from competing on the sporting clays team.

“They learn to be responsible hunters. They learn teamwork, to rely on each other, and to follow the rules,” Mr. Adams told The Epoch Times.

Both men said their overriding concern is safety. Their students learn the importance of self-control and being alert to their surroundings, they said, and their programs’ safety records are exemplary.

“We know that everyone’s paramount obligation is safety,” Mr. Floyd said.

Mr. Floyd acknowledged that most NASP students will not become world-class archers, but all are given the tools to become successful adults.

“The National Archery in Schools Program and other shooting sports help our children become better people,” Mr. Floyd said.

A duck hunter is shown retrieving decoys in this undated photo. RubberBall Productions/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images

Democrats Hail BSCA

Last year, the U.S. Department of Education withheld funding based on its interpretation of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA), passed in June 2022. Democrats have hailed the law as the most significant gun safety legislation in the last 30 years.

Gun rights groups condemned Republicans who helped draft the legislation. This decision only sharpened that criticism.

“We warned folks when they passed this there would be unintended consequences. We got provisions taken out [of the law] that were even worse,” Mark Jones, the National Director for Hunter Outreach for Gun Owners of America, told The Epoch Times.

“Even the architects of the legislation have said, ‘You are misinterpreting our law.’”

Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), sent a letter on July 10 to Secretary of Education Michael Cardona. They wrote that the department missed the point of the BSCA.

GOP Claims Law Misinterpreted

“We were alarmed to learn recently that the Department of Education ... has misinterpreted the BCSA [sic] to require the defunding of certain longstanding educational and enrichment programs—specifically, archery and hunter education classes—for thousands of children, who rely on these programs to develop life skills, learn firearm safety, and build self-esteem,” the letter reads.

The BSCA was a response to mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas, and Buffalo, New York. According to Mr. Cornyn and Mr. Tillis, the objective was to “protect America’s children, keep our schools safe, and reduce the threat of violence across our country.”

The BSCA set aside $1 billion to “support safe and healthy students.” The law  prohibits using the money for “the provision to any person of a dangerous weapon” or “training in the use of a dangerous weapon.” According to the senators, this meant training for school resource officers, which is funded separately.

However, according to guidance on the Department’s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education website, under the BSCA Stronger Connections Grant Program, states may not use grant funds “for the provision to any person of a dangerous weapon or training in the use of a dangerous weapon.”

The senators wrote that the students will bear the true cost of losing these programs.

Cut Will Cost Students the Most

“The Department’s decision to cancel critical funding has come at a significant cost to our students and would actually contradict the BSCA’s goal of promoting student mental health,” their letter reads.

Their sentiments were echoed by 19 other Senate Republicans who signed an Aug. 11 letter to President Joe Biden accusing him of using schoolchildren to push the gun-control agenda.

“We write to express our deep concern about the Biden Administration’s attempt to use the gun control bill passed last year to block funding for elementary and secondary schools,” the letter reads.

“We urge the administration to immediately reverse this misguided decision and ensure funding for these vital programs is not withheld.”

The letter was signed by Sens. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), and Marsha Blackburn (R.-Tenn.), among others.

Mr. Oliva said the senators called for the simplest and most direct way of correcting the problem.

“The easiest course of action is for the administration to stop doing what it is doing and restore the funding,” he said.

Samantha Flom contributed to this report.