Hunters and Environmentalists Claim "Attack on Sporting Heritage"
Thursday, December 29, 2011
CASPER, Wyo. - An unusual alliance is taking shape in Wyoming and other Western states. Politically conservative members of pro-hunting and fishing groups such as Trout Unlimited and the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership are partnering with the National Wildlife Federation and others to try to fend off what they see as anti-sporting legislation.
Bob Meulengracht, Colorado representative for Sportsmen for Responsible Energy Development, says one example is HR 1581, which he calls especially troubling because it could open up prized hunting habitats to oil and gas development. He calls the bill the "Assault on Our Sporting Heritage Act."
"We're talking about 40 million acres, the size of the state of Wyoming. Some of those areas don't need to be protected, but a lot of those areas do because of their importance to fish and wildlife."
Not all sportsmen's groups oppose HR 1581, which would release land to local management. Safari Club International and the National Rifle Association back the bill, saying it would allow better access for people with disabilities.
Matthew Copeland, public-lands organizer for the Wyoming Wildlife Federation, says supporters of HR 1581 aren't being completely upfront about its impact.
"They're billing this as 'Oh, we want to give you access as sportsmen to these areas so that you can go in and you can hunt and fish,' when in fact we already have that access."
Low-impact hunting roads already exist in much of the land, Copeland says, and the bill would open up the lands to mining and other high-impact development.
The text of HR 1581 is online at gpo.gov.
get more stories like this via email
United Nations experts are raising concerns about chemical giants DuPont and Chemours, saying they've violated human rights in North Carolina…
Social Issues
The long-delayed Farm Bill could benefit Virginia farmers by renewing funding for climate-smart investments, but it's been held up for months in …
Environment
Conservation groups say the Hawaiian Islands are on the leading edge of the fight to preserve endangered birds, since climate change and habitat loss …
Environment
April has been "Invasive Plant Pest and Disease Awareness Month," but the pests don't know that. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says it's the …
Health and Wellness
The 2024 Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium Public Conference kicks off Saturday, where industry experts and researchers will share the latest scientific …
Environment
Environmental groups say more should be done to protect people's health from what they call toxic, radioactive sludge. A court granted a temporary …