After two failed attempts in the past three years, a group of bipartisan U.S. Senators have introduced the Sportsmen’s Act of 2015, which aims to “protect and enhance the opportunities for recreational hunting, fishing, and shooting, and for other purposes.”

The bill includes 14 provisions that parallel those found in the Sportsmen’s Act of 2014, a bill killed by the Senate in July of last year. Key provisions to the bill include:

• Opening lands held by the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service to hunting, fishing and shooting, unless specifically closed.

• Facilitate the construction and expansion of public target and shooting ranges on federal lands and non-federal lands.

• Make the current exemption of lead shot from EPA regulation permanent, while adding lead tackle to the list of exempt products.

• Requires federal land managers to develop plans that optimize opportunities for recreational fishing, hunting and recreational shooting on federal lands.

• Allocates 1.5 percent of the annual Land and Water Conservation Fund to enhance access for sportsmen wishing to hunt, fish and shoot on public lands.

Passing of the Sportsmen’s Act of 2015, which has been widely accepted by both Republicans and Democrats, would secure opportunities for future generations to enjoy access to quality hunting, fishing and trapping.

But not everyone is happy.

The Humane Society of the United States has voiced strong opposition to the Bipartisan Sportsmen’s Act of 2015, primarily because opening public lands to sportsmen would increase opportunities for hunters and trappers – two groups the anti-hunting organization has fought feverishly to strip the rights of during the past 60 years.

Anti-hunters everywhere will surely voice their opposition to the Sportsmen’s Act of 2015. You can help USSA counter their efforts by contacting your senators today and encouraging them to show support for the economic impact and conservation-based ethic our time-honored outdoor heritage brings to the country by voting YES for the Sportsmen’s Act of 2015.

About the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA) is a 501(c)4 organization and provides direct lobbying and grassroots coalition support to protect and advance the rights of hunters, trappers, anglers and scientific wildlife management professionals. The USSA is the only organization exclusively devoted to combating the attacks made on America’s sportsman traditions by anti-hunting and animal rights extremists. This is accomplished through coalition building, ballot issue campaigning and legislative and government relations. Stay connected to USSA: Online, Facebook and Twitter.

Original Post:
http://www.ussportsmen.org/news/sportsmens-act-2015-critical-preservation-outdoor-heritage/ Reprinted on Montana Outdoor Radio Show by Toby Trigger. Toby Tigger is a Local Field Director for the USSA here in Montana.