Letter to Representatives Nick Rahall and Doc Hastings regarding
the
Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage and Opportunities Act.
April 13, 2010
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April 13, 2010 Honorable Nick Rahall III, Chairman Honorable Doc Hastings, Ranking Member Dear Chairman Rahall and Ranking Member Hastings, The organizations identified on this letter represent millions of hunters and anglers and other outdoor recreationalists that are writing to express our strong support for H.R. 3749, the Fishing and Hunting Heritage and Opportunities Act" and strongly urge you to hold a hearing on this legislation that is a priority to many in the hunting and fishing community. This legislation will protect recreational hunting, fishing and shooting on land administered by the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service. Numerous reports in recent years have demonstrated what sportsmen already know, that historic access to public land is being closed or constrained because of development along the boundary lines, greater diversity of recreation uses, and lack of planning to address these issues. Inadequate access to public lands is cited as a primary reason why hunters stop hunting. The "Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage and Opportunities Act" will help to preserve these precious public resources for the sportsmen whose dollars have stewarded the land for generations. Because Federal agencies are guided by land management plans, this bill directs agencies charged with multiple-use mandates to provide for and promote sportsmen’s use and access of public lands in their land management plans. It would require that planning evaluate the effects of management alternatives on sportsmen’s activities. In addition, the bill assures that the states’ authority to manage fish and wildlife on Federal public lands is preserved and that the states have the exclusive authority to require licenses or permits of sportsmen. While the bill does not legislatively open new lands to hunting, fishing, or recreational shooting, it does greatly enhance the ability of Federal land managers to provide for this traditional use of public lands in safe areas and to plan recreational use that balances the needs and interests of a diverse recreating public. It is time to recognize the heritage of hunting, fishing, and shooting on our public lands and to protect and enhance sportsmen’s access to these resources. As your Committee returns to its work, after the spring district work period, we offer our collective resources in assisting you and your staff in the development of a productive and informative hearing on this legislation at the earliest possible opportunity to ensure its quick passage. Please feel free to contact Jeff Crane, at the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation ( jeff@sportsmenslink.org , (P) 202-543-6850), if we can be of assistance in this worthwhile endeavor. Sincerely, American Fisheries Society |