The House Committee on Natural Resources has scheduled a hearing for June 14 at 10:00 am, in which Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) President Jeff Crane will represent the sportsmen’s community and testify in favor of a comprehensive sportsmen’s package.
Titled the Sportsmen’s Heritage and Recreational Enhancement (SHARE) Act, this legislation is intended to enhance hunting, angling, recreational shooting, and trapping by expanding access to public lands and the ability for sportsmen and women to pursue outdoor recreation traditions. It will also enhance fish and wildlife conservation efforts and funding.
“The SHARE Act for the 115th Congress is a clear win for the sportsmen and women of America. It provides easier access to federal lands, extends and reaffirms 2nd Amendment liberties for hunters and sport shooters, reinforces local authority against arbitrary fishing restrictions and tackle prohibitions, and reforms conservation programs for wetlands. This is a strong bill for the sportsmen’s community,” said Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus (CSC) Co-Chair Congressman Jeff Duncan (SC). “I am proud of the language and look forward to seeing it come to the House Floor for a vote.”
“The Sportsmen’s Caucus has a long and storied tradition when it comes to the conservation and protection of our natural resources and hunting traditions. I am proud to continue to advance that cause with the introduction of this discussion draft of the SHARE Act for the 115th Congress. The outdoors is not a partisan issue, and this draft has many great components from the reauthorization of the North American Wetlands Conservation Act to allowing easier access to public lands for hunting and fishing,” said CSC Co-Chair Congressman Gene Green (TX). “I look forward to working with my colleagues on this language going forward so that we can improve the bill and formally introduce it in the coming weeks.”
During the upcoming Committee hearing, many key policy priorities will be discussed, including:
A similar sportsmen’s package of legislation is also currently advancing on the Senate side. The Sportsmen’s Act (S. 733) passed with a voice vote out of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on March 30. This bill, introduced by CSC Member Senator Lisa Murkowski (AK) and cosponsored by CSC leadership, includes ten pro-sportsmen’s provisions.
“In order to successfully advance a comprehensive sportsmen’s package through Congress and to the President’s desk, it must be a bipartisan and bicameral effort,” said CSF President Jeff Crane. “CSF will continue to work the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus leaders and Members to ensure that priority hunting and angling policies are signed into law during this Congress.”
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?
