Action Required: Congress to Vote on Sportsmen’s Act

[bearpaw]

  Action Required: Congress to Vote on Sportsmen’s Act
Sportsmen Contacts Needed ASAP!

Sportsmen must call their U.S. Representative in support of the SHARE Act as soon as possible. Tell them H.R. 2406 includes the top priorities of the hunting, fishing, trapping and recreational shooting communities. Ask them to vote YES on the SHARE Act.

As early as Thursday, Feb. 25, the U.S. House of Representatives is expected to hold a vote on a bill that includes many of the top priorities of the hunting and fishing communities, so immediate calls are essential. For information on your Congressmen, use the Legislative Action Center.

H.R. 2406, also known as the Sportsmen’s Heritage and Recreational Enhancement (SHARE) Act of 2015, contains major sportsmen’s issues that have been worked on by national hunting and fishing groups for several years.

“This bill includes some very important provisions, including strong Open Until Closed language protecting access to federal lands,” said Evan Heusinkveld, Sportsmen’s Alliance interim President and CEO. “Together with a number of pro-hunting and pro-conservation provisions, this bill should be strongly supported by all sides. Sportsmen and women should call their Representatives today and urge its passing.”

Highlights include:

•   Requiring lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) be open for hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting unless specifically closed for cause. This action helps to prevent lawsuits by national anti-hunting groups attempting to use the courts to stop hunting opportunities on public land.

•   Preventing the EPA or other federal agencies other than the Fish and Wildlife Service from regulating the use of lead in ammunition or fishing weights and sinkers. This action is necessary to stop anti-hunting and -fishing groups from using the courts to force the EPA to ban traditional ammunition and fishing tackle.

•   Language allowing for archery equipment to be transported across National Park Service lands.

•   Increasing state wildlife management authority to use Pittman-Robertson funding for acquiring land for shooting ranges, and providing liability protection to public ranges.

•   Allowing the 41 polar bears legally killed prior to the ban on imports to be brought back into the United States.
There are many other provisions to the SHARE Act that are beneficial to the future of hunting, fishing, trapping and recreational shooting. However, the items listed above are pivotal changes that will ensure the future of our hunting and shooting heritage for generations to come.
About the Sportsmen's Alliance:The Sportsmen’s Alliance is a 501 (c) 4 organization that protects and defends America’s wildlife conservation programs and the pursuits – hunting, fishing and trapping – that generate the money to pay for them. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation is a 501 (c) 3 organization that supports the same mission through public education, legal defense and research.  Its mission is accomplished through several distinct programs coordinated to provide the most complete defense capability possible. Stay connected to Sportsmen’s Alliance: Online, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Sportsmen's Alliance
801 Kingsmill Parkway
Columbus, Ohio 43229
614-888-4868
www.sportsmensalliance.org
info@sportsmensalliance.org


List of Washington's US Representatives

Suzan K. DelBene (D - 01).......202-225-6311......https://delbene.house.gov/contact-me/email-me
Rick Larsen (D - 02)...............202-225-2605......https://larsen.house.gov/contact-rick/email-rick
Jaime Herrera Beutler (R - 03)...202-225-3536......http://herrerabeutler.house.gov/contact/
Dan Newhouse (R - 04)...........202-225-5816......https://newhouse.house.gov/contact/email
Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R - 05)...202-225-2006......http://mcmorris.house.gov/contact/
Derek Kilmer (D - 06).............202-225-5916......https://kilmer.house.gov/contact/email-me
Jim McDermott (D - 07)..........202-225-3106......https://forms.house.gov/mcdermott/webforms/new/contac …
Dave Reichert (R - 08)............202-225-7761......https://reichert.house.gov/contact-me
Adam Smith (D - 09)..............202-225-8901......https://adamsmith.house.gov/contact
Denny Heck (D - 10)...............202-225-9740......https://dennyheck.house.gov/contact/email-me

[boneaddict]

Thank you

[Fl0und3rz]

Done.

I recommend not spending a lot of time putting something together and just writing, "Please vote yes on H.R. 2406 - Share Act.  Thank you."

Staffers are the ones reading these and are likely just tabulating for/against votes.  If you get a response, it will likely be a canned one, in any event, with rare exception.


You can find your representatives easily, if you don't know them, here.

http://cqrcengage.com/gunowners/app/lookup?5&m=19187

[TheHunt]

Done,
I gave heck to Denny Heck

[bearpaw]

My rep is McMorris Rodgers, I imagine she will support it.

[Fl0und3rz]

Half-hearted noncommittal answer from Adam Smith (D) that leans to the enviroweenie side on lead bullets.

Thank you for contacting me with your concerns about S.405, Bipartisan Sportsmen's Act of 2015.  I appreciate you taking the time to contact me on this important issue.

S.405, Bipartisan Sportsmen's Act of 2015, was introduced by Senator Lisa Murkowski on February 5, 2015.  This legislation would revise a number of existing programs to expand access to, and opportunities for, hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting.  S. 405 would also further exempt components of firearms, ammunition, and sport fishing equipment from regulations of chemical substances under the Toxic Substances Control Act.

As background, the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) was signed into law in 1976 and provides the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with the authority to require industries to report, keep record of, and test for toxic substances.  TSCA also allows the EPA to create policies to restrict the use and emissions of toxic chemicals.  However, certain substances and goods are excluded from the EPA's authority under this act including food, drugs, cosmetics, pesticides, and other specific items and materials.

On August 23, 2010, the EPA was petitioned by five major environmental organizations to ban lead in hunting ammunition.  Studies have shown that human exposure to lead can cause brain and nerve damage, reproductive problems, and high blood pressure in adults, as well as slowed growth in children.  Animals that are exposed to lead can experience severe weight loss, and may lose their ability to perform basic functions like walking or flying.  The environmental groups' petition to the EPA cited evidence that at least 9 million birds are killed by exposure to lead ammunition, including bald eagles, golden eagles, mourning doves, common ravens and endangered California condors, among the 75 affected bird species.

On August 27, 2010, because regulation of firearms and ammunition is exempted under the Toxic Substances Control Act, the EPA issued a statement explaining that while the EPA is taking action to eliminate childhood and other exposures to lead, it was not and is not considering taking action on whether the lead content in hunting ammunition poses an undue threat to wildlife.  On March 13, 2012, the EPA was again petitioned by 101 organizations, primarily environmental groups, asking EPA to regulate spent lead ammunition under the TSCA. This petition was also denied with the EPA citing that TSCA does not provide the EPA with authority to address lead shot and bullets as requested.

On December 23, 2014, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, in Trumpeter Swan Society v. EPA, upheld EPA’s rejection of the petition. The court held that the petitioners had pointed to no way by which EPA could regulate spent lead ammunition without also regulating cartridges and shells. Ultimately, the court held that the TSCA provision barring regulation of shells and cartridges could not be circumvented.

Further, to date, Congress has not acted on legislation to amend the TSCA to expand the authority of the EPA to regulate firearms, or the manufacture and sale of ammunition.

S. 405 is currently pending further review in the Senate.  Please be assured that I am reviewing this and other related legislation, in advance of these matters potentially being considered by the full House of Representatives.  Our wilderness areas provide opportunities for recreation, family vacations, and educational outings.  As the father of two young children, I am committed to conserving our natural resources for future generations of hikers, fishermen, and hunters.  While protecting our environment is a priority of mine, I also believe that there must be a reasonable balance between environmental and recreational factors in establishing policies that govern the use of our wild areas.  I will continue to monitor the EPA's actions and will carefully scrutinize any further legislative or administrative action that affects lead in hunting ammunition.

I would like to thank you for sharing your thoughts about concerns over the use of lead hunting ammunition.  If you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

[huntrights]

Please read the attached ACTION ALERT from the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF).

Email or Call Your U.S. Representative Today! Ask for your U.S. Representative to vote YES on the SHARE Act.

Email: action alert
https://www.nssf.org/GovRel/takeAction.cfm?alertID=166453 
Using this email link will only take a few minutes of your time to connect with your U.S. Representative.  NSSF has provided a pre-written message that you can send to your U.S. Representative.

Or call the U.S. House of Representatives at 202-224-3121.

Take action to make sure your voice is heard.  Please pass this on to other sportsmen so they can also take action.

Thank you.


-------------------

NSSF - ACTION ALERT

The SHARE Act to be considered by the U.S. House this week

Email or Call Your U.S. Representative Today!

We need your voice! The National Shooting Sports Foundation has joined 50 sportsmen's groups (http://nssf.org/share/pdf/020516-AWCP_Fishnet_SHARE_Act_HR_2406_support_letter.pdf) representing millions of American sportsmen and hunters to urge members of the US House to vote in favor of HR 2406 (https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/2406), the SHARE Act, bipartisan sportsmen's legislative package, when it is on the house floor this week.

The SHARE Act is the most important pro-sportsmen and pro-hunting legislation in a generation. It passed the House in the previous Congressional session, but was stalled procedurally in the U.S. Senate. Use this action alert (https://www.nssf.org/GovRel/takeAction.cfm?alertID=166453) or call the U.S. House of Representatives at 202-224-3121, ask for your U.S. Representative to vote YES on the SHARE Act.

Act today to help promote preserve and protect America's hunting traditions and the shooting sports.

Email: action alert (https://www.nssf.org/GovRel/takeAction.cfm?alertID=166453)
Call: 202-224-3121
 

[predatorpro]

He was right on the lead part...I have seen first hand animals stop walking from lead exposure...

[jasnt]

Sent ,thanks for posting