{"bills":[{"photos":{"featured":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr528-114/featured_recreational-fishing-and-hunting-heritage-and-opportunities-act-1454546866.jpg","featured_large":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr528-114/featured_large_recreational-fishing-and-hunting-heritage-and-opportunities-act-1454546866.jpg","shareable":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/hr528-114.png"},"introduced_on":"2015-01-26","title_override":"Should More Federal Lands be Open for Recreational Hunting, Fishing, and Shooting?","summary_override":"

This bill would make federal public lands more accessible for fishing, sport hunting, and recreational shooting. This would come through mandates to federal public land management officials in collaboration with state fish and wildlife agencies.

National Monuments, Wilderness Areas, Wilderness Study Areas, and wilderness eligible/primitive/semi-primitive are among the lands that could be opened. Lands under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Forest Service (USFS) could also apply. Exceptions to this legislation would include:

Concerns around national security, public safety, or resource conservation.
Any other federal statute that specifically precludes recreational fishing, hunting, or shooting on federal public lands and waters.
Discretionary limitations on recreational fishing, hunting, and shooting determined to be necessary and reasonable as supported by the best scientific evidence and advanced through a transparent public process.

The heads of each federal public land management agency would be directed to use their best judgment to support and facilitate recreational fishing, hunting, and shooting opportunities. Exercising their discretion would be done to the extent authorized under the applicable state law and in accordance with federal law.

Lands managed by the National Park Service would not be affected by this bill. Nothing in this legislation would authorize commodity development, use or extraction, permanent road construction, or motorized recreational access and use that isn’t otherwise allowed under the Wilderness Act.

Under this bill, if federal land (exceeding 640 acres) that had previously been open for hunting/fishing/shooting is re-classified to close off access — the land cannot be re-classified unless it goes through the following processes:

The head of the agency making the closure publishes an appropriate notice of the public land’s status.
The agency has demonstrated that coordination has occurred with the state's fish and wildlife agencies.
The head of the agency has submitted a written notice of the status change to relevant congressional committees.

","official_title":"To direct Federal public land management officials to exercise their authority under existing law to facilitate use of and access to Federal public lands for fishing, sport hunting, and recreational shooting, and for other purposes.","short_title":"Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage and Opportunities Act","popular_title":null,"short_summary":"Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage and Opportunities Act \n\n Requires federal public land management officials to facilitate the use of, and access to, federal public lands for fishing, sport hunting, and recreational shooting with specified exceptions.\n\n Requires Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Forest Service lands, excluding lands on the Outer Continental Shelf, to be open to recreational fishing, hunting, and shooting unless the managing agency acts to close such lands to such activity for purposes of resource conservation, public safety, energy production, water supply facilities, or national security.\n\nRequires the heads of federal agencies to use their authorities to lease their lands or permit use of their lands for shooting ranges, and designate specific lands for recreational shooting activities.\n\n Sets forth requirements for a permanent or temporary withdrawal, change of classification, or change of management status that effectively closes or significantly restricts...","summarized":true,"cost":0,"cost_commentary":"A current CBO cost estimate is unavailable. The CBO did analyze a previous version of this legislation in June 2013, and found that it would have no significant effect on the federal budget. ","impact":"People who would fish, hunt, and shoot recreationally on available federal lands, state fish and wildlife agencies, federal land management agencies (i.e. BLM, USFS) and their directors, and relevant congressional committees. ","argument_for":"Creating more opportunities for fishing and hunting on federal lands will not only make it easier for people to enjoy the hobbies they love, but it would foster an attitude of stewardship and sustainable management of the environment. ","argument_against":"The government needs to preserve as much public land as possible. Even if this bill doesn’t allow economic development on these lands, the increased use for fishing and hunting will damage already fragile ecosystems. 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These parks are for the people and they're grossly underfunded and mismanaged, opening for more recreation and hunting just means more direct revenue. ","argument_against":null,"show_argument_for":true,"show_argument_against":false,"upvote_count":1,"upvotes_for_count":1,"upvotes_against_count":null,"has_upvoted":false,"endorsement_count":1,"links":{"self":"https://www.causes.com/positions/e04fae0c-677c-4d95-b2ec-f0375fcecafd"},"body":"How does the federal government even own land? These parks are for the people and they're grossly underfunded and mismanaged, opening for more recreation and hunting just means more direct revenue. ","stance":"yea","created_at":"2015-04-10T11:23:11.658Z","shareable_image_url":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/positions/e04fae0c-677c-4d95-b2ec-f0375fcecafd.png","note_color":null,"note_text":null,"bill_id":"hr528-114","user_id":"NZalD1W6","endorser_ids":["8ZkVvdWQ"]}}

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Should More Federal Lands be Open for Recreational Hunting, Fishing, and Shooting?