WASHINGTON––U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR) and Steve Daines (R-MT) introduced the Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act to prohibit the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) from banning the use of lead ammunition or tackle on public lands unless such action is supported by the best available science.
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“Enjoying the outdoors through hunting and fishing is part of the fabric and culture of The Natural State,” said Boozman. “These cherished pastimes not only help Arkansans connect to the resources we are blessed to enjoy but also play an important role in wildlife management. I am proud to join my colleagues in working to ensure hunting and fishing can continue on public lands without unreasonable, unscientific restrictions.”
“The great outdoors is a staple of our Montana way of life. Montana hunters and anglers play an important role in wildlife management, and a ban on lead ammo and tackle would be unfair to our sportsmen. I’ll keep fighting with my colleagues to make sure decisions impacting outdoor recreation are guided by commonsense science, not anti-hunting groups,” said Daines.
Specifically, the legislation blocks a prohibition on the use of lead ammunition or tackle unless a decline in wildlife population in a specific unit of federal land or water is primarily caused by the use of lead in ammunition or tackle.
The Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act is cosponsored by Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) and Senators Jerry Moran (R-KS), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Jim Risch (R-ID), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), John Barrasso (R-WY), Rick Scott (R-FL), James Lankford (R-OK), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Mike Lee (R-UT), Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Tim Sheehy (R-MT), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Katie Britt (R-AL), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Jim Justice (R-WV), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), John Hoeven (R-ND) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS).
Click here for full text of the legislation.