The Sportsmen's Heritage Act of 2012 (S.2066/H.R. 4089, a.k.a. "Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage and Opportunities Act") is a drastic and extreme attack on wildlife and the environment, and has already passed the U.S. House of Representatives. According to the Animal Welfare Institute, the bill would:
- Require that the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Department of the Interior open nearly all public lands to recreational hunting, and provide that they may do so without following the environmental review processes required under the National Environmental Policy Act; and
- Eliminate the Environmental Protection Agency's ability to protect wildlife, habitat, and people from lead and other toxic substances released by ammunition waste under the Toxic Substances Control Act, thereby undermining the Agency's obligation to protect public health and the environment.
Also, the National Wolfwatcher Coalition points out:
- It amends the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) to allow for the importation of polar bear "trophies" from Canada that are presented as having been taken prior to the May 2008 Endangered Species Act listing . . .
- It would allow recreational off-road vehicles to invade federally designated Wilderness Areas -- something that has never been allowed before. It would also open the door to new logging, mining and extraction of fossil fuels in these special places;
What you can do: If you are a U.S. resident, contact your U.S. Senators and ask them to oppose S.2066. Your senators' contact information can be found on the official Senate website.
J & L Images / Getty Images
Links:
- Hunting and National Wildlife Refuges
- Arguments For and Against Hunting
- Do Hunters Pay for Conservation?
- Does Hunting Reduce Lyme Disease?
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