On July 4, President Trump signed into law the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) after its passage in both the House and Senate. This was a major victory for hunters of all kinds, as the previously proposed sale of federal lands was not included. While this may have been the most significant victory in this piece of legislation, it was not the only one for both the archery industry and hunting community.
The archery industry benefited from the OBBBA’s language, which codified President Trump’s Executive Orders 14256 and 14257, directing the elimination of the de minimis rule. This rule allows goods valued under $800 to enter the U.S. duty, tariff and tax-free by one person on one day. When this begins to take effect in 2026, it will greatly level the playing field between U.S.-based manufacturers and retailers versus online retailers and manufacturers who take advantage of the current rule. Additionally, this will create more tax revenue that will be put back into conservation funding, with these new tax dollars that previously were not collectable under the de minimis rule.
For hunters, the OBBBA provided several wins that will increase hunting access on public lands across the country and provide funding that will greatly benefit wildlife and habitats on public lands. The Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program (VPA-HIP) received $70 million, the most significant investment in public access to private lands for hunting since the 2018 farm bill. This funding will be distributed in grants to states across the country who provide public land access for hunting.
On the habitat and conservation side, this legislation included a mandate from Congress directing the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to significantly increase their forest management efforts. This includes timber cutting, which has previously faced obstacles from internal and external factors, which puts its management greatly behind and creates a dangerous wildfire hazard if not addressed. Moving forward with timber cutting can also create an additional revenue stream for conservation and habitat efforts.
Lastly, $105 million was allocated for swine eradication – a problem that has greatly impacted the South – and this funding will provide the resources necessary to begin addressing this issue on a larger scale.
For more information, contact Dan Forster, ATA’s vice president and chief conservation officer, at danforster@archerytrade.org.
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