HR 4089 - Contact your representatives

[huntrights]

HR 4089 would:

Reaffirm that fishing, hunting and shooting are important and traditional activities that should continue on public lands.

I'm just trying to imagine what our Founding Fathers would think about why we would ever be in a position to NEED a law like this in the first place. Sort of puts it in perspective.

I think our Founding Fathers would be extremely shocked.  That said, the times and people have definitely changed; we absolutley need these laws to protect our rights and freedoms, or we will watch them be whittled away.


By the way, I just received this communication from one of our Senators.  It doesn't sound like she supports the bill.  I suggest we send her more communications to ask her to support this bill and others like it.  Even though it has passed in the House, I am not sure if there is a Senate version that still needs to pass.


"Thank you for contacting me about the Sportsman's Heritage Act of 2012.  I appreciate hearing from you on this important issue.
 
The Sportsman's Heritage Act (H.R. 4089) was introduced by Representative Jeff Miller (R-FL) on February 27, 2012.  This wide-ranging legislation includes a number of measures to facilitate the use of federal public lands and waters for fishing, sport hunting, and recreational shooting.  Specifically, it requires that Bureau of Land Management (including National Monument land) and Forest Service Lands be open for recreational hunting, unless the managing agency closes lands for a specific purpose.  It allows federal agencies to lease their lands for shooting ranges and designate ranges for recreational shooting. 
 
H.R. 4089 also amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act to allow the Department of Interior to issue permits to import polar bear parts from Canada, if the following conditions are met: the polar bear part was taken by an individual during a sport hunt in Canada; the individual submits proof that the polar bear was legally harvested before February 18, 1997.  Finally, H.R. 4089 amends the Toxic Substances Control Act to exclude any firearm, bullet components, or sport fishing equipment from the definition of "chemical substance."  These provisions would effectively remove these articles from regulation under the Toxic Substances Control Act.  The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Sportsman's Heritage Act on April 17, 2012, and it is currently pending in the U.S. Senate. 
 
In Washington State, we are blessed to live near, work by, and play in some of America's most iconic national parks, forests, and wilderness areas. 
Safe access to diverse recreational opportunities on federal public lands is vital to maintaining our natural heritage and quality of life. Our waterways, coastal regions, and open spaces are used by many people for many reasons.  Our coasts and open spaces are areas where many priorities, including hunting and fishing, interact and can conflict with one another, especially where space is limited. I believe these areas are precious resources and that protection of these areas is essential for the collective benefit of current and future generations.
 
Any legislation, which would increase the risk of gun-related accidents or poaching within our federal public lands and national parks, must demonstrate a clear need or purpose.  While I know that recreational use and collection of guns for hunting, sport, and other activities is extremely important to many law-abiding Washingtonians, we must ensure that our public lands and national parks are safe for all visitors. Please be assured I will keep your thoughts in mind should I have the opportunity to consider this legislation in the future. 
 
Thank you again for contacting me to share your thoughts on this matter.  You may be interested in signing up for my periodic update for Washington State residents.  If you are interested in subscribing to this update, please visit my website at http://cantwell.senate.gov.  Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future if I can be of further assistance. 
 

Sincerely,
Maria Cantwell
United States Senator"[/size]

[pianoman9701]

What an idiot she is: "any activity which would increase the risk of gun-related accidents or poaching,...". Typical idiot politician who thinks that poachers give a crap what a law says. She's also taking exception to a legally harvested polar bear. I wish Cant-do-well would just eat her own face.

[KopperBuck]

Tell them to go play at the National Parks then...

I can't stand this lady. Thanks for the heads up. She will receive a response from me.

[huntrights]

Let's get them voted out of office.

[pianoman9701]

My email to Senator Cantwell:

Dear Senator Cantwell,

Your response to a fellow hunter that indicates that you won't support the Sportsmen's Heritage Act was disturbing and will ripple through the hunting community of our great state. Hunters are both Democrat and Republican, yet all of us are concerned for our privileges and diminished access to public lands.

You opposition to the bill, at least by your own reasoning, is without basis. Hunting continues to be one of the safest sports practiced in our state, including being safer that after-school sports (like football, baseball and soccer), water sports (currently practiced in our national parks), and bicycling. Hunting has a lower fatality and injury rate than all of those activities. If you are truly concerned for the safety of your fellow Washingtonians, supporting this bill would be in line with your concerns. If your agenda has something to do with opposing our rights to possess firearms, your stated concerns for safety issues would be a guise. I would hope that not to be the case.

With regards to the hunting of polar bears in Canada, wildlife management everywhere in North America depends on hunters for conservation and management. No one else does it or is as efficient a tool of our government for the conservation of wildlife as our sportsmen and women. Regions of northern Canada have over-populations of polar bears and the government uses hunter dollars spent on tags for hunting those animals to pay for their management everywhere. To continue prohibiting the importation of a legally harvested animal and it's parts would encourage waste of that legally harvested animal, wildlife waste which is actually against the law in our great state.

I understand that you're not a hunter, Senator. But, your opposition to guaranteeing sportsmen privileges and rights is in conflict with a wildlife management system which is the envy of the entire world, the North American Wildlife Conservation Model. I urge you to look into the components of this system that America has used for over 100 years now, which has restored our wildlife to abundance. If you do, you may see that hunting and the work and money of hunters has been and continues to be essential to maintaining such abundance.

Thank you for your consideration of my views. I hope you'll take a look at the good that the sportsmen and women of WA have done for our wildlife for all to enjoy.

Most Sincerely,
John W