Urge Congress To Support Access For Hunters And Anglers Act - The Fisherman

Urge Congress To Support Access For Hunters And Anglers Act

You may not be aware of the most recent efforts by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Department of Interior to restrict use of lead by hunters and anglers at some national wildlife refuges.  According to the American Sportfishing Association (ASA), there is something you can do about it.

“Recognizing how important anglers are to conservation, the Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act was recently introduced in Congress,” ASA said in a recent email campaign through its Keep America Fishing initiative.  According to the email, “If passed, this bill would prohibit the federal agencies from banning the use of traditional lead tackle on public lands and waters.”

As noted in the press release, anglers do more than any other group to conserve American waters. Revenue generated from license fees, excise taxes and donations support conservation efforts across that country, including increasing access to fishing spots, building boat ramps, restoring habitat, removing invasive species and so much more.

“The introduction of this bill follows a recent US Fish and Wildlife Service rule that would ban traditional tackle on some National Wildlife Refuges,” the release stated, adding that no scientific evidence was provided to support this action, setting a concerning precedent that federal land managers don’t need to base management decisions on science. “This bill would rectify that, supporting science-based management and ensuring state fish and wildlife agencies are given the proper authority to inform these decisions,” ASA noted.

To take action today and help inform members of Congress of the need to support the Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act, visit keepamericafishing.org and click on the issues button on the homepage to learn more about the Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act.

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