As regular U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance readers know, on April 17th, the House of Representatives passed the most important fishing and hunting bill in 15 years – HR 4089, The Sportsmen’s Heritage Act – by a lopsided 274 to 146 vote.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced a proposal to provide additional hunting opportunities on 10 National Wildlife Refuges. 

The lengthy battle over hunting access on dozens of units of the 100 million-acre National Wildlife Refuge system has ended—and hunters can declare VICTORY!  In April 2011, federal Judge James S. Gwin ruled for sportsmen across America by granting summary judgment in favor of the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and other defendants while denying a lawsuit aimed at closing hunting on National Wildlife Refuge System parcels.

The sportfishing industry champions bipartisan legislation that would halt efforts to federally ban traditional fishing tackle and ammunition. The chairs of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus – Senators Jon Tester (D-MT) and John Thune (R-SD) and Representatives Jeff Miller (R-FL) and Mike Ross (D-AR) –  introduced the Hunting, Fishing and Recreational Shooting Sports Protection Act (S. 838 and H.R. 1558) to help ensure that any future regulations on fishing tackle are established based on scientific data instead of unjustified petitions.

Federal Judge James S. Gwin  has ruled in favor of sportsmen by denying a  lawsuit aimed at closing hunting on dozens of units of the 100 million acre National Wildlife Refuge System. 

Members of Congress are determined to reduce the federal debt with some of our nation’s most essential and effective fisheries management and conservation programs bearing the brunt of their budget-cutting efforts.