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.

Demonstrating its continued support for conservation, members of the firearms industry, through the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) -- the industry's trade association -- have donated $150,000 to supplement congressional funding of the North American Wetland Conservation Act (NAWCA), a grant program providing federal cost-share funding to support the North American Waterfowl Management Plan.

On April 17, by a wide bipartisan margin, the House of Representatives approved a bill that contains language that would block ongoing, unjustified efforts by anti-fishing groups to ban lead fishing tackle by petitioning the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) using a provision in the Toxic Substance Control Act.

Imagine a nationwide coalition saying “please tax us; we want to pay federal taxes.” Such a thing seems inconceivable today, but that’s essentially what happened starting 75 years ago when hunters and anglers called for what became the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration (WSFR) programs.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation will once again renew its major sponsorship of National Hunting and Fishing Day, the official federal commemoration of hunters, anglers and conservation. NSSF has been involved with National Hunting and Fishing Day for 41 years.

A  new U.S. Department of Agriculture initiative enabling private landowners to enroll lands in the Conservation Reserve Program, including 1 million acres in CRP measures to conserve grasslands and wetlands, is a commendable approach to sustaining private lands fish and wildlife habitat and hunting and angling opportunities, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership announced today.

The American Sportfishing Association (ASA) commends the February 14, 2012, decision by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson to reject a second sweeping petition to ban lead in all fishing tackle.

Protection of fishing, hunting, and shooting on national forest and public lands has taken a step forward with the Senate introduction of the Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage and Opportunities Act.