EnvironmentThe SAAMI Environmental Committee focuses on the many aspects of interactions between the lawful use of SAAMI member-company products and the environment-broadly defined to include issues related to wildlife, the environment and human health. SAAMI and SAAMI member companies have always supported science-based management of these important issues. We value our partnerships with state and federal agencies, as well as other stakeholders. None of us is as smart as all of us, and a wide range of knowledge and experience is required when discussing the surprisingly complex issues. The partnership between the firearms industry and wildlife agencies has been called "the most successful wildlife management partnership in history." A clean and healthy ecosystem is the basic foundation-the heart and the soul-of who we are and what we do. SAAMI member companies approached congress and asked them to create a federal tax on firearms and ammunition (the Pittmann-Robertson Act and the subsequent Dingall-Hart amendment) that is earmarked solely for wildlife management, habitat management and habitat acquisition. To date this tax has raised more than $3 Billion dollars. SAAMI wrote the book on the science behind lead management at outdoor shooting ranges. We are proud partners with the US EPA, ITRC and state environmental agencies to expand the outreach of this information. SAAMI has also partnered with OSHA, NIOSH and the National Hearing Conservation Institute to ensure we provide the best information to industry employees and shooting sports enthusiasts alike. We also work with the international shooting sports community as a member of the World Forum on the Future of Sport Shooting Activities (WFSA). The WFSA sponsored a World Symposium on Lead in Ammunition in Rome in 2004 that discussed the many aspects of this complex issue. Presenters included industry representatives, researchers, academia, politicians, regulators and environmental groups. Highlights from the symposium include:
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