Its crunch time. As lawmakers in Washington, D.C. continue to consider legislation before their scheduled August recess, here are “the good, the bad, and the ugly” bills that will impact hunters and conservation that YOU can speak up on RIGHT NOW.
The Good
The Great American Outdoors Act
After passing the Senate last month 73-25, this legislation to provide critical funding to address our public land maintenance backlog, with nearly $3 billion set aside to benefit lands and waters that sportsmen and women depend on, is primed in the House. Enacting the Great American Outdoors Act will be among the greatest conservation victories in our lifetime. It will expand outdoor recreational opportunities for millions of hunters and anglers, while spurring local economic development in communities across the country.
We’ve just gotten word that this legislation is scheduled for a vote on July 22, so act now and urge your member of Congress to SUPPORT the great outdoors and send this bill to President Trump’s desk!
The Bad
FY21 Interior Appropriations Trophy Import Ban
Last week, House Democrats released their FY 2021 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee Bill, proposed language that will fund the Department of the Interior through the end of FY21. In it, there is a provision that would block the United States Fish and Wildlife Service from issuing a permit for the import of a sport-hunted trophy of an elephant or lion taken in Tanzania, Zimbabwe, or Zambia.
If we know the countries that allow the taking of these species have some of the healthiest populations, why do legislators continue to make decisions based off emotions and not science? Let your member of Congress know you want politics out of wildlife management!
The Ugly
CECIL Act
Last, but certainly not least, Rep. Grijalva (D-AZ) recently filed a bill report on H.R. 2245, the CECIL Act, indicating this legislation might see a floor vote very soon.
This legislation will severely hinder the importation of some legally-hunted animals and ban the importation of others. Congress should not pass a bill that would undermine successful conservation programs, substitute prejudice for the rational decisions of wildlife management experts around the world, and turn a blind eye to science.
This move comes as no surprise as Rep. Grijalva and others try to capitalize off the “anniversary” of Cecil the lion. Safari Club International and its members have led the way on opposing this legislation, and now it’s time to make sure Congress knows where we stand.
