STOP HUNTING ON PUBLIC LANDS

[Richard W. Firth]

The Bipartisan Sportsmen's Act of 2015 (S. 405), introduced by Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and backed by the National Rifle Association (NRA), contains the same destructive provisions for wildlife, public lands, and non-consumptive users of wildlife, as the previous bills that died in 2014.

S. 405 makes hunting, fishing, shooting, and trapping a priority on public lands

S. 405 includes trapping in the definition of hunting, which would protect trapping under the umbrella term of hunting, preventing the public who oppose trapping as a cruel, barbaric, and archaic past-time, from fighting trapping on public lands, including the National Wildlife Refuge System.

S. 405 would make trophy hunting, fishing, recreational shooting, and trapping the default use, above all other outdoor uses of public lands - like photography, hiking, biking, etc. - including the 100 million acres of pristine wilderness areas across the nation. S. 405 would exempt recreational hunting, fishing, shooting, and trapping from compliance with the National Environmental Protection Act by mandating that these lands be open to these activities regardless of their impacts on the environment. Furthermore, S. 405 would remove the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to regulate toxic lead or any other toxic substance used in ammunition or fishing equipment, which are currently regulated under the Toxic Substances Control Act.

Finally, it would allow transporting bows and cross bows across National Parks, and it would allow the importation into the United States of heads and hides of 41 polar bears - a threatened species - killed by trophy hunters in Canada.

THEREFORE, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR TWO SENATORS IN WASHINGTON TO OPPOSE S.405 AND GET OTHERS TO DO LIKEWISE.