Attempt to Ban Lead Hunting Ammunition Returns in Maryland

Why It Matters: Maryland House Bill 741 and Senate Bill 634 contain a provision that will require the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to create a lead hunting ammunition phase-out plan on or before July 1, 2029. The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) encourages the legislature and the Department of Natural Resources to work together to implement incentive-based programs for the use of non-lead hunting ammunition by hunters, provided there exists demonstrable scientific evidence that such an effort is needed to address population-level impacts of lead exposure in specific wildlife species. 

Highlights:

• As previously reported, during the 2024 Legislative Session, CSF worked to defeat Maryland Senate Bill 983 which, if successful, would have mandated that the DNR implement a lead phase out plan for hunting ammunition and an ammunition verification process by December 31, 2026.
• House Bill 741 (HB 741) has a hearing scheduled in the House Environment and Transportation Committee on February 19^th.
• Senate Bill 634 (SB 634) has a hearing in the Senate Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee on March 4^th.
• CSF will be testifying in person, in addition to submitting written testimony, in opposition to the unnecessary legislation in the “Old-Line State”.

Hunters are boots-on-the-ground conservationists that continue to provide the most efficient and cost-effective method of managing wildlife populations. In addition, Maryland sportsmen and women are the primary funders of the DNR. As of 2024, there were 113,460 certified paid hunting license holders in Maryland that generated $6,379,820 in hunting license sales and $9,217,537 in USFWS Wildlife Restoration dollars, totaling more than $15.5M for wildlife conservation

The long-term effects of a statutory ban on lead hunting ammunition may prove to negatively impact conservation funding, which is directly funded and supported by sportsmen and women. As an alternative, there are numerous examples of proven, successful, voluntary and incentive-based programs run by other states to encourage hunters to switch to lead alternatives that avoid these unintended, but foreseeable consequences. CSF strongly suggests that Maryland establishes a similar program that could be managed by the DNR, which would allow them to meet their management objectives without compromising their funding stream.

The eventual ban of lead hunting ammunition through this legislation will ultimately eliminate sufficient opportunity for hunters to take game, as they will not be able to hunt if they cannot readily access affordable non-lead ammo. The proposed lead ammunition ban will ultimately result in the legislature creating a new barrier for hunters to keep wildlife populations such as white-tailed deer within acceptable biological and social carrying capacities. Further, the loss of hunters in the field will likely have profound impacts on conservation funding in the state – both from the lost license revenue, as well as from the state’s subsequent reduced capacity to access federal match dollars through the Wildlife Restoration Program.

CSF will continue to work with the Maryland Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus to encourage the legislature and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to work together to implement incentive-based programs for the use of non-lead hunting ammunition by hunters, provided there exists demonstrable scientific evidence that such an effort is needed to address population-level impacts of lead exposure in specific species.  CSF further recommends that such a program be developed and tested prior to any further consideration of a statutory ban on lead ammunition with its attendant and consequential diminishment of conservation funding.

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