Companion bills introduced into the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate in early October are intended to maintain recreational fishing, hunting and shooting on federal public lands and ensure continued opportunities for these activities, reports the Wildlife Management Institute. The Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage and Opportunities Act is intended to prevent arbitrary closures of public lands administered by the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The bill also formally establishes the Sporting Conservation Council and the Sportfishing and Boating Partnership Council as advisory committees for 10 years and authorizes appropriations for their efforts to recruit and retain new anglers, hunters and recreational shooters.

"I introduced this legislation to preserve the heritage of hunting, fishing and shooting on our federal public lands. Numerous reports in recent years have demonstrated what sportsmen already know?access to public lands is being closed or constrained due to increased development along boundary lines," bill sponsor Representative Dan Boren said. "Nearly 50 million men, women, and youth hunt and fish. Almost half of all hunters use federal lands and, in certain states, the federal government owns the only open land available. Millions more engage in target shooting at ranges and informal sites on our public lands. We must protect and enhance sportsmen's access to federal lands and opportunities to participate in these activities."

The legislation establishes an "open until closed" policy and outlines a transparent process through which the agencies must proceed before closing an area to recreational fishing, hunting or shooting. The agencies would be required to develop annual reports to Congress that detail any closure of land to fishing, hunting or shooting and the reasons for the closure. In addition, during the land-use planning process, agencies would need to include a section that evaluates the effects of the plans on opportunities to engage in these traditional pastimes. The bill also authorizes agencies to lease lands for shooting ranges if the lessee provides assurances to remediate leased lands at the termination of the lease, remedying concerns over damage to land used for shooting.

Nothing in the bill will open lands to hunting, fishing, or recreational shooting that, by law or regulation, presently are closed. In addition, the bill does not require that a federal agency give preference to hunting, fishing or shooting over other uses of federal public land or water-management priorities.

H.R. 3749, introduced by Representative Boren has 39 cosponsors and was referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources, whereas S. 1770, introduced by Senators Lisa Murkowski, Mike Crapo and Ben Nelson, will head to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. (jas)