On July 26, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW) passed S.1514, the Hunting Heritage and Environmental Legacy Preservation for Wildlife Act (HELP for Wildlife Act), with a bipartisan vote of 14-7.
Before passing the bill, the EPW Committee voted to add three amendments to the HELP for Wildlife Act, including:
In June, EPW Committee Chairman and Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus (CSC) Member Senator John Barrasso (WY) introduced S.1514 with bipartisan support to reauthorize pro-sportsmen conservation programs and to provide regulatory clarity for sportsmen and women.
On July 19, the Committee held a hearing on the bill, in which Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) President Jeff Crane submitted written testimony in strong support of the bill. Additionally, more than 50 of the nation’s leading conservation organizations, including CSF, submitted a letter to the EPW Committee expressing their support for this legislation.
With the passage of S.1514 out of the EPW Committee, the HELP for Wildlife Act can now be scheduled for a floor vote in the Senate.
Studies conducted at both the state and federal level have found that the number of hunters and trappers have been on a generally declining trend over the past several decades. To increase recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) of hunters and trappers, which initiative do you think would have the greatest impact?
