The Situation Room The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA) Situation Room is an up-to-date watch and alert center. It provides a quick review of some key issues on which USSA is working.
NationalFighting to Protect Hunting and Fishing on Federal Land
The USSA helped draft legislation now pending in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate called the “Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage and Opportunities Act.” The bill includes numerous provisions that will protect recreational hunting, fishing and shooting on land administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service. Status- Legislation introduced in both the U.S. House and Senate in October. The legislation is now pending a hearing in each chamber’s respective committees. Click here for full story. Urging Effective Predator Control in Wildlife Refuges
The USSA has petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to begin effectively managing mountain lions within the Kofa National Wildlife Refuge. Unchecked mountain lion populations are beginning to decimate the local Bighorn sheep population, which the FWS has a statutory responsibility to conserve. Status- The USSA is awaiting a response from FWS. Click here for full story. In the StatesPreserving the Rights of Sporting Dog Owners
2010 continues the nationwide trend where legislation claiming to be aimed at abusive commercial breeders, commonly referred to as “puppy mills,” would instead threaten the existence of many sporting dog kennels and hobby breeders. The bills do this by lumping private sporting dog kennels and breeders in with large scale commercial breeders and subjecting them to a level of regulation that would make it nearly impossible to continue operating. In addition to “puppy mill” bills, dog legislation as a whole appears to be the anti’s latest tactic to threaten hunting. Legislation mandating the spaying/neutering of dogs and bills aimed at prohibiting tethering dogs or keeping dogs outdoors have also begun showing up regularly across the country. The USSA has been battling these types of bills in the following states – CA,CO, CT, FL, IL, IN, MD, MN, MT, NE, NJ, NY, OH, OK, OR, RI, TN, and WS. Status- The USSA is monitoring each of these bills and issuing state alerts to our grassroots partners as necessary to block these bills. One of the latest issues has emerged with an anti-tethering bill in Illinois. Click Here for the full story. California Sportsmen Face Another Raid on Wildlife Funds
With California facing a looming $21 billion budget hole, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is again proposing to divert millions of dollars in funding from hunting and fishing programs for non game uses, which would likely result in significantly less hunting and fishing opportunities for California sportsmen. Status- The USSA is working with groups in California, including the California Outdoor Heritage Alliance, to prevent sportsmen’s dollars from being raided. Click Here for full story. Indiana Bill Creates Hurdles for Gun Owners
Senate Bill 304, sponsored by Senator Connie Sipes (D- New Albany), would, with limited exceptions, prohibit anyone from purchasing, renting, or obtaining a firearm by transfer without completing a new firearms safety course administered by the state police department. Sportsmen who are licensed hunters and have fulfilled their hunter education requirements, would be prohibited from purchasing a new or used firearm without first taking the state’s mandated safety course. Status- SB 304 has been assigned to the Senate Committee on Corrections, Criminal, and Civil Matters. USSA is continuing to monitor. Click here for full story. Missouri Amendment Would Protect Hunting Rights
House Joint Resolution 76, introduced by Representative Mike Dethrow (R-Alton), would require a four-sevenths majority vote to pass any ballot issue dealing with hunting, fishing, or trapping to become state law. Currently, these types of ballot measures only require a simple majority vote to pass. Nationally, many losses by sportsmen at the ballot would have been prevented if a four-sevenths majority or slightly over 57 percent were needed. This amendment would go a long way toward protecting Missouri sportsmen from these types of attacks. Status- The bill has had one hearing in the House Conservation and Natural Resources Committee. Click here for the full story. Mississippi Restrictions Would Impact Hunting
Senate Bill 2190, recently introduced by Senator Lee Yancey (R- Brandon), would make it illegal for a person to hunt with a firearm within two hundred yards of a dwelling without the permission of the owner or lessee. The restriction could easily prevent sportsmen from hunting on their own property if another dwelling is close to their property line. Status- The USSA is monitoring and urging Mississippi sportsmen to contact their senators and urge them to oppose this bill. Click here for full story. New Jersey Bill would open Door to Resume Bear Hunt
Assembly Bill 181, sponsored by Assemblyman Gary Chiusano (R- Frankford Township) and Assemblywoman Alison Littell McHose (R- Franklin), would clear the way for the use of bear hunting to manage the state’s burgeoning black bear population. Additionally, the bill clarifies that the state Fish and Game Council has sole authority to implement and regulate black bear hunting in New Jersey. Status- The USSA is monitoring and urging New Jersey sportsmen to contact their assembly members and urge them to support this bill. Click here for full story. New Hampshire Bill Would Eliminate Trapping
A new bill, HB 1514, introduced in the New Hampshire House of Representatives is a backdoor effort to limit trapping opportunities in the state and will also negatively impact some hunters. The bill prohibits the sale, possession and transportation of any pelt or unskinned bodies of all furbearing animals if they are to be used in the production of fur. Status- The USSA is opposing this bill. It is having a hearing on January 20 in a House Committee. Click Here for full story. Ohio Bill Threatens Deer Herd
House Bill 410, sponsored by Representative Mark D. Okey (D- Carrollton), and Senate Bill 225, sponsored by Senator Bob Gibbs (R- Lakeville), move oversight and regulation of captive deer breeders and deer hunting facilities from the Ohio Division of Wildlife and place them under the control of the Ohio Department of Agriculture. This is a move that is not only unnecessary but could prove to be devastating to Ohio’s deer herd. The Department of Agriculture does not have the funds or the law enforcement resources to assume the responsibility of managing a portion of the Ohio’s deer population. Currently, the Division of Wildlife works closely with experts from the Department of Agriculture to prevent the outbreak of any diseases. This relationship is working well now and should not change. Status- The USSA is monitoring and urges Ohio sportsmen to contact their legislators and urge them to oppose these bills. The Senate bill has a hearing scheduled for January 27 in the Senate Agriculture Committee. The House bill has been assigned to the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee but does not have a hearing scheduled. Click here for full story. Montana Trapping Threatened by Anti-Trapping Group
An anti-trapping group in Montana is drafting language for the 2010 ballot that will ban trapping on all public land in the state. Status- The USSA is consulting with Fur Takers of America, the National Trappers Association, and the Montana Trappers Association on strategy for defeating the issue if it makes the ballot. Click here for full story.
Ongoing Legal Cases Anti-Trapping Lawsuit in Maine
The US Sportsmen’s Legal Defense Fund (U.S. SLDF) along with the Maine Trappers Association, Fur Takers of America, the National Trapping Association, and several individual sportsmen have battled anti’s who are using the courts to ban trapping in the state due to the incidental take of Canada lynx. Status- On November 10, Maine’s Federal District Court upheld the state’s trapping practices and blocked the establishment of a precedent that could be used to stop hunting, fishing and trapping anytime an individual endangered animal was accidentally taken.” The antis have now filed an appeal and hiring a new law firm to represent them. Click here for full story. Great Lakes Wolves Endangered Species Delisting
Five animal rights groups have filed a complaint in federal Court opposing the removal of Endangered Species Act protections by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) for gray wolves in the western Great Lakes region. Status- The U.S. SLDF intervened in the case and defended the decision by the FWS. However, due to technical issues, the FWS decided to relist the wolves and is currently exploring a new delisting process. The USSA continues to monitor this. Click here for full story. Preserving Hunting in Wildlife Refuges
The Fund for Animals case to stop hunting on the National Wildlife Refuge System continues. Status- Ongoing, the court never ruled on whether or not hunting should be halted while environmental impact studies are completed, this means hunting can continue while the case is decided.
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