On March 28, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) Committee held a hearing to consider the nomination of David Bernhardt to be Secretary of the Interior.
In her opening remarks, ENR Chairwoman and Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus (CSC) Member Senator Lisa Murkowski (AK) praised Bernhardt, who currently serves as Acting Secretary of the Interior. “Mr. Bernhardt has seen how federal policies impact people’s access to and use of public land, and he recognizes the need to balance conservation with opportunities for economic development,” said Sen. Murkowski. “I intend to move Mr. Bernhardt’s nomination as expeditiously as possible because he is ready for this job and has demonstrated he can handle everything it entails.”
Prior to the hearing, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) organized a letter of support to the ENR Committee for Bernhardt’s confirmation, which was joined by 36 other sportsmen’s conservation groups.
The letter stated, “Bernhardt has a passion for conservation that is guided by his personal commitment to balance the Department’s mission. He also has a strong track record of collaborating with diverse cross-sections of stakeholders to ensure that their best interests, not partisan politics, inform policy decisions that may affect them.”
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?
