WASHINGTON — U.S. Senators Jim Risch and Mike Crapo (both R-Idaho) joined Senator Steve Daines (R-Mont.) to introduce legislation to prohibit the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) from banning the use of traditional lead ammunition or tackle on public lands unless such action is supported by the best available science and state wildlife and fish agencies.
“Hunting and fishing is a way of life in Idaho, but recent attempts by the administration to ban affordable lead ammunition and tackle is getting in the way of practicing and sharing these traditions,” said Risch. “The Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act will ensure Idaho’s sportsmen and women can continue to use lead ammo and tackle rather than expensive alternatives.”
“The attack on the way Idahoans live continues at the hands of the Biden Administration,” said Crapo. “Hunting and fishing are part of the cultural fabric that binds Idahoans to the land and environment they love, while maintaining the conservation and management of wildlife through sound, scientific practices. Banning traditional ammo and tackle alienates sportsmen and women who cannot access or afford lead alternatives."
In spring 2021, the USFWS entered into settlement negotiations with activist organizations over a lawsuit regarding the use of traditional lead ammunition on more than three million acres of federal land. Risch and Crapo joined their colleagues in urging USFWS Director Martha Williams not to cave in to activists’ calls to restrict the use of lead ammo and tackle on public lands.
Last year, the USFWS finalized a plan to open 40,000 acres of federal land to hunting and fishing activities. However, the agency banned the use of lead ammunition or tackle on these lands, despite a lack of scientific evidence that the use of lead ammo and tackle was causing specific harms.
Risch and Crapo also co-sponsored this legislation in the 117th Congress.
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