URGENT LEGISLATIVE ALERT! Action Required - Sportsmen’s Act

[Slenk]

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=112&session=2&vote=00200

You will find the whole list here.

[pianoman9701]

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=112&session=2&vote=00200

You will find the whole list here.

Thank you. At least Cantwell Voted for it. Murray didn't vote. Must've been at lunch with her glorious leader planning for his re-election party in Hawaii.

[huntrights]

Here is another source for the voting record:

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/112-2012/s200

There were a few "surprising" NAY votes.  I have sent a communication to one of them asking, "Why the NAY vote?".  We'll see if I get an answer.  One (D) site (http://democrats.senate.gov/2012/09/19/republican-objection-to-s-3525-the-sportsmen-act/)suggested that some of the (R) NAYs happened because there were some additional changes/amendments they (R) wanted to add; they wanted a little more time.  It may be that S.3525 wasn't as good as they thought it could be.

It is important to note that it is good that this procedural motion passed.  We depend on organizations like the NRA, NSSF, USSA, and SCI to let us know what we should support and the actions we need to take immediately.  The immediate action that some of you took was important and timely; thank you. This forum string was posted on 9/21/12, and asked for immediate action.  The Senate conducted their procedural motion vote the next day (9/22/12).

This is a good example of when we see these types of "URGENT" notices, we all need to act immediately and pass the word along to your email list of hunters immediately as well.  In this case, delaying the action for a few days would have missed the very important window of opportunity to get your message to your Senators.  Now I also understand why the NSSF said to "call" your Senators; conventional email or snail mail would not have been received by them soon enough.

All of that said, we now must watch for S.3525 to come up for a vote in the Senate after the November elections.  Those elections are not far off, so we should write our Senators to urge them to vote FOR S.3525, when it comes up for a vote.

[pianoman9701]

Here's the response from my US Congresswman, the incredible and awesome Jaime Herrera Buetler. :

Dear Mr. Wallace,

Knowing of your interest in Sportsmen activities, I am writing to provide you with an update on legislation before Congress that I support.

One important issue is the protection of public lands for recreational activities like fishing, hiking, hunting, and riding.  Growing up, I enjoyed outdoor recreation with my own family, and I want future generations to have those same opportunities.  I recently voted for, and the House passed, The Sportsmen's Heritage Act (HR 4089).  This bill is aimed at putting vital protections on hunting, fishing, and shooting activities by combining multiple other pieces of legislation, including:


The Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage and Opportunities Act- Directs Federal land management agencies to expand and enhance hunting, shooting, and fishing activities on Federal land.  It also establishes an "Open until Closed" policy for lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the US Forest Service (USFS), which means that public lands under these agencies is open for those specific recreational activities unless specific, targeted closures are necessitated by sound facts and evidence.


The Recreational Shooting Protection Act- This act requires congressional approval for any regulation to limit shooting on national monument lands by BLM.  It also encourages BLM to act in a way that supports recreational shooting on the land they manage.


HR 1558, an Amendment to the Toxic Substance Control Act- This amendment protects traditional ammunition and fishing tackle from regulations imposed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  A petition presented to the EPA has asked for a ban on all lead ammunition and tackle. Yet there are currently no scientific studies demonstrating adverse effects on wildlife populations. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has stated these items present no threat to human health.


The Polar Bear Conservation and Fairness Act- This bill amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act to simply allow for importation permits to be issued for polar bear trophies that were taken before the polar bear was listed as threatened by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Currently, many who legally hunted polar bears in Canada prior to their listing as an endangered species are prohibited from bringing parts of those bears back into the US.


Going forward, I am committed to protecting the rights of Sportsmen and others who wish to responsibly enjoy our public lands. The Sportsmen's Heritage Act will clarify Congress' intent to federal land management agencies and protect sportsmen from future burdensome regulations that government bureaucracies may impose.  I am proud to support this legislation and will continue to work on behalf of Sportsmen's rights.  I invite you to contact my office if you have any questions regarding federal issues and my work on behalf of Southwest Washington.


Sincerely,

Jaime Herrera Beutler
Member of Congress

[BOWHUNTER45]

sweet !

[pianoman9701]

And, not only that, but she's a wicked babe!

[csaaphill]

well I still suport it just woudel like to see some access in my area opened up.