Last week, Safari Club International (SCI) joined 22 other hunting and conservation organizations, representing millions of sportsmen and women across the United States, in a letter to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack. The letter outlines strong support for developing recreational shooting ranges on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) lands.
BLM sites in Arizona have recently made great strides in developing recreational shooting ranges. Currently, there are three range sites under construction and two awaiting contracting. There are also three sites under consideration for development in New Mexico.
These shooting sites have specific requirements, such as proximity to communities, developed legal access, relative freedom from conflicts, and natural backdrops. As such, the planning and development process requires the full participation of the BLM and USFS. SCI and the greater coalition appreciate recent efforts in Arizona and encourage the BLM and USFS to continue to identify future shooting sites and to develop multiple use on federal lands.
Developing public access to shooting ranges is critical to advancing conservation efforts around the United States. Since the passage of the Pittman-Robertson Act, over $14 billion has been generated for conservation of wildlife and habitat through a tax on firearm and other sporting equipment manufacturing and sales. As such, hunting and the shooting sports have been the main drivers of conservation funding. Multiple use on federal lands, especially related to the shooting sports, is essential to expanding access and increasing our conservation footprint.
SCI will continue to fight for expanded access on federal lands as we are First for Hunters. Increasing accessibility to the shooting sports is essential to involving a new generation of hunters and continuing the work we do in the outdoors.
Be sure to read the full letter and sign up for the Hunter Action Advocacy Center to support SCI on all our issues!
