Speak Up for Sportsmen's Heritage Act

Contact your U.S. Senator today and urge him or her to support the Senate equivalent of House’s Sportsmen’s Heritage Act of 2012 (H.R. 4089).

According to the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF), the House version is a compilation of three Senate bills, S. 2066, S. 1066, and S. 838, “and an additional provision that promotes and advances our hunting and recreational fishing and shooting heritage.”

Forty groups recently joined the CSF in sending a letter to Senate leadership in support of the legislation. They include American Sportfishing Association, B.A.S.S., Coastal Conservation Association, Shimano, and Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership.

Here are some of the highlights from the House bill:

• requires hunting and recreational shooting and fishing to be recognized activities on all Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands;
• protects recreational shooting on National Monuments under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management;
• amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act to allow hunters who legally harvested polar bears in Canada prior to its listing under the Endangered Species Act to purchase permits in order to transport their trophies into the U.S.;
• and clarifies that the Environmental Protection Agency does not have the jurisdiction to regulate traditional ammunition with lead components and lead fishing tackle.

House Passes Bill to Block Attempts to Ban Lead Fishing Tackle

With a wide bipartisan majority, the House of Representatives has passed a bill that would block efforts by anti-fishing groups to ban lead fishing tackle by using the Toxic Substance Control Act.

"We applaud the House members for passing this legislation that will protect the sportfishing community from unwarranted and unjustified restrictions on fishing equipment," said Gordon Robertson, vice president of the American Sportfishing Association.

"Time after time the EPA has ruled that the petitioners did not demonstrate that such a ban is 'necessary to protect against an unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment.' The House-passed provision supports and reinforces the EPA's numerous decisions. The petitioners' continuing efforts, through petitions and lawsuits, demonstrated a clear need for this legislative solution."

The Sportsmen's Heritage Act of 2012 (H.R. 4089) passed by the House also contains several provisions addressing other concerns. Among those is angler and hunter access to federal lands. With expanding land development and growing regulations restricting angler access, federally owned lands are more important than ever for recreational fishing opportunity. The Sportsmen's Heritage Act of 2012 promotes increased and more consistent access for hunting and fishing on federal public lands by directing public managers to facilitate recreational fishing and hunting on public lands and waters through their agencies' land management plans.

"We are grateful that the House has worked in bipartisan fashion to address some of the major concerns of sportsmen and women, and we look forward to working with members of the Senate to ensure that the issues of greatest importance to the sportfishing community are addressed there as well," concluded Robertson.

Learn more here.

And here you can contact your Senator to encourage him/her to support this legislation.

Tell Your Congressmen to Support Sportmen's Heritage Act

Contact your representatives in Congress, urging them to support the Sportsmen’s Heritage Act of 2012 (H.R. 4089). In doing so, you will be joining a coalition of 38 sportsmen’s groups that have expressed their support in a letter to House leadership.

“Due to the efforts of the bipartisan Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus leadership and many of its members, H.R. 4089 has advanced to this critical juncture,” says the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation.

“The Sportsmen’s Heritage Act is essential to recognizing the importance of and facilitating the expansion and enhancement of hunting and recreational fishing and shooting.”

Here’s an excerpt from the letter:

“Summarily, the bill includes language that:

• requires hunting and recreational shooting and fishing to be recognized activities on all Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands;
• protects recreational shooting on National Monuments under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management;
• amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act to allow hunters who legally harvested polarbears in Canada prior to its listing under the Endangered Species Act to purchase permits in order to transport their trophies into the U.S.;
• and clarifies that the Environmental Protection Agency does not have the jurisdiction toregulate traditional ammunition with lead components and lead fishing tackle.”

 Also, during these tough financial times, none of the provisions contain authorization for funding. This legislation is about protecting and enhancing our fishing and hunting rights and opportunities.  

Go here to contact your Congressional representative.