EMERGENCY ACTION ALERT: Committee to Vote on Protecting Hunting on Public Land

[huntrights]

EMERGENCY ACTION ALERT: Congressional Committee to Vote on Protecting Hunting on Public Land

http://www.ussportsmen.org/legislative-action/congressional-committee-to-vote-on-protecting-hunting-on-public-land/

Take Action Before June 12th! - Sportsmen and women should contact the following members of the House Resources Committee and ask them to vote ‘YES’ on HR 1825.  The support of these members is important to having a strong bi-partisan bill.  Tell them hunters, anglers and recreational shooters want their access to public lands protected.
 
Congressman Matthew Cartwright – (202) 225-5546

Congressman Jim Costa – (202) 225-3341

Congressman Peter A. DeFazio – (202) 225-6416

Congressman Joe Garcia – (202) 225-2778


Please make those calls.  I will only take a few minutes of your time to make a big difference for the future of our hunting and fishing heritage.  They may ask for your address or zip code to determine if you are a direct constituent.  Tell them the Congressman's vote is important to all Americans, that is why you are calling.

Please pass this on to others that care about protecting our hunting and fishing heritage and protecting our rights to access our public lands.

Thank you!


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"Congressional Committee to Vote on Protecting Hunting on Public Land

Urgent Calls Needed NOW!

On Wednesday, June 12th, the U.S. House of Representatives is set to take the first step towards protecting hunting on millions of acres of federal public land.

The House Natural Resources Committee is expected to hold a hearing on the Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage and Opportunities Act (HR 1825), consider potential amendments, and then vote on the full bill.   HR 1825, introduced by Representative Dan Benishek (R-MI), is the most significant legislation protecting sportsmen's access in the past 16 years.

The key provision of the bill is the "Open Until Closed" language, which mandates that U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands are open to fishing, hunting and recreational shooting unless specific steps are taken to close those lands for necessary and demonstrable reasons.  This language is designed to “shut the door” on abusive lawsuits by anti-hunting groups that aim to push sportsmen and women off federal lands.

HR 1825 clearly states that fishing, hunting, and recreational shooting are legitimate and important activities on National Forests and BLM lands.

The Open Until Closed provision is a "game changer" for the future of hunting, fishing and recreational shooting on public land.  The U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance led the charge for similar 1997 legislation that protects sportsmen's access to National Wildlife Refuge land that has resulted in new refuges open to hunting all across America.

It is important to have a strong vote in the House Resources Committee.  To earn that, sportsmen will need to contact members of the committee to let them know how important HR 1825 is to the future of hunting.

Take Action! - Sportsmen and women should contact the following members of the House Resources Committee and ask them to vote ‘YES’ on HR 1825.  The support of these members is important to having a strong bi-partisan bill.  Tell them hunters, anglers and recreational shooters want their access to public lands protected.

Congressman Matthew Cartwright – (202) 225-5546

Congressman Jim Costa – (202) 225-3341

Congressman Peter A. DeFazio – (202) 225-6416

Congressman Joe Garcia – (202) 225-2778"

[huntrights]

GOOD NEWS!

http://www.ussportsmen.org/legislative-action/house-panel-approves-landmark-protections-for-hunting-on-public-land/

"House Panel Approves Landmark Protections for Hunting on Public Land

Posted on June 14, 2013

Legislation ensuring sportsmen’s access to federal lands cleared its first hurdle this week as the House Natural Resources Committee voted 28-15 in favor of H.R. 1825.  Known as the Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage and Opportunities Act, H.R. 1825 is the most significant legislation protecting sportsmen’s access in 16 years.

The bill shuts the door on abusive lawsuits brought by anti-hunting groups aimed at pushing sportsmen and women off federal lands.  H.R. 1825 spells out in plain language that fishing, hunting and recreational shooting are legitimate and important activities on National Forests and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands.  The key provision of the bill is the “Open Until Closed” language, which mandates that U.S. Forest Service and BLM lands are open to hunting, fishing and recreational shooting unless specific steps are taken to close those lands for necessary and demonstrable reasons.

The “Open Until Closed” provision is a “game changer” for the future of hunting, fishing and recreational shooting on public land.  The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance led the charge for similar 1997 legislation that protects sportsmen’s access to National Wildlife Refuge land that has resulted in new refuges open to hunting all across America.

“It’s high time that Congress put a stop to frivolous lawsuits brought by the anti-hunting lobby and the ‘Open Until Closed’ language will do just that,” said Bill Horn, director of federal affairs for the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance.  “American sportsmen and women are fed up with having to fight lawsuit after lawsuit just to access public lands.  We urge Congress to move this critical legislation quickly.”"


Thanks to all who made those phone calls.

[huntrights]

H.R. 1825, The Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage and Opportunities Act

Posted on June 26, 2013

http://www.nraila.org/news-issues/fact-sheets/2013/hr-1825,-the-recreational-fishing-and-hunting-heritage-and-opportunities-act.aspx