Explore The NRA Universe Of Websites

APPEARS IN News

H.R. 1825, The Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage and Opportunities Act

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

OBJECTIVES

  • Recognizes the rightful place of recreational hunting, fishing, and shooting on Federal lands managed by the US Forest Service (193 million acres) and the Bureau of Land Management (245 million acres).
  • Directs the US Forest Service (USFS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to facilitate the use of and access to the lands they manage for recreational hunting, fishing and shooting.
  • Ensures sound scientific management of wildlife and their habitat.


PROVISIONS:

  • Establishes an “open unless closed” policy which mandates that these Federal lands are open to recreational hunting, fishing and shooting unless specific steps are taken to close those lands for necessary and demonstrable reasons.
  • Directs the USFS and BLM to facilitate the use of and access to these Federal public lands with certain exceptions such as for national security, public safety, resource conservation, or within the limitations of other Federal statutes.
  • Retains the discretion of Federal land management agencies to establish closures or restrictions, pursuant to all existing legal authorities, where and when the agencies determine that such closures or restrictions are appropriate or necessary, provided that the decisions made are necessary and reasonable, supported by the best scientific evidence, and conducted through a transparent public process.
  • Requires the USFS and BLM to evaluate the effects of management plans on opportunities to recreationally hunt, fish and shoot in order to protect public access and to encourage proactive management of these activities.
  • Prevents the sudden closure of lands to recreational hunting, fishing and shooting without public knowledge or input or when lacking sound scientific support.
  • Requires that written notice be given to the authorizing Congressional committees and the public and that coordination with state fish and wildlife agencies occurs before a Federal land management action closes or restricts 1,280 or more contiguous acres (or the aggregate of small closures) to recreational hunting or fishing or both. 
  • Establishes that BLM and USFS are not obligated to consider the status of fishing, hunting or shooting on adjacent or nearby non-Federal lands when making decisions regarding fishing, hunting and shooting on Federal public lands.
  • Ensures that lands designated as wilderness, wilderness eligible or suitable, and primitive or semi-primitive areas are considered open to all legal forms of recreational hunting, fishing and shooting, including the training of hunting dogs as well as field trials, unless there are legitimate reasons to close such areas.
  • Affirms an original purpose of the 1964 Wilderness Act that the Act’s purposes are “supplemental” to the primary purpose(s) for which a Federal land unit was established.  For example, Congressional purposes of wildlife conservation for a wildlife refuge would be primary and subsequent Wilderness Act purposes would be supplemental as specified in the 1964 Act.
  • Does not open the Wilderness Act to any prohibited activities such as commodity development, use of motorized or mechanized equipment or vehicles, or permanent road construction or maintenance.
  • Restores Congressional intent regarding the National Wildlife Refuge Improvement Act of 1997 that directs the US Fish and Wildlife Service to make hunting and fishing decisions on the basis of individual Refuge plans and EIS’s. Anti-hunting plaintiffs got a D.C. court to force FWS to conduct additional duplicative and costly environmental analyses, beyond individual unit plans, before opening a refuge to hunting or expanding an existing hunt program.
  • Allows Federal agencies to lease or permit its lands for the construction of shooting ranges and to designate specific lands for recreational shooting.
  • Ensures that a greater liability is not imposed upon the Federal Government for designating areas for safe shooting than is imposed for designating trails, campgrounds, boat launches and other recreational sites.
  • Confirms the primary authority of state fish and wildlife agencies to manage resident wildlife on Federal lands.
  • Does not include any land or water held in trust for the benefit of Indians or other Native Americans.

 

Prepared by:

Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation

National Rifle Association

Safari Club International

U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance

TRENDING NOW
Colorado: Mandatory Storage Bill Passes General Assembly and Semi-Auto Ban Temporarily Removed from Calendar

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Colorado: Mandatory Storage Bill Passes General Assembly and Semi-Auto Ban Temporarily Removed from Calendar

In a temporary reprieve for Colorado gun owners, the semi-auto ban HB24-1292 has been removed from the calendar. But we cannot let our guard down as gun control advocates can bring it up for a vote at ...

The U.S. Supreme Court Looks at Government “Blacklists”

News  

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

The U.S. Supreme Court Looks at Government “Blacklists”

Much of the attention this past week in the United States Supreme Court was the oral arguments in National Rifle Association of America v. Vullo, No. 22-842, a First Amendment case on whether government officials ...

Colorado: Semi-Auto Ban Passes Committee and Sensitive Places Bill Hearing Rescheduled for Today!

Wednesday, March 20, 2024

Colorado: Semi-Auto Ban Passes Committee and Sensitive Places Bill Hearing Rescheduled for Today!

Yesterday the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on House Bill 24-1292, the semi-auto ban, that lasted over 12 hours where hundreds of patriotic Coloradans overloaded the committee with opposition testimony. The hearing concluded with an ...

NRA Files Amicus Brief Asking Supreme Court to Hear Antonyuk v. James

News  

Second Amendment  

Monday, March 25, 2024

NRA Files Amicus Brief Asking Supreme Court to Hear Antonyuk v. James

In response to the NRA’s victory in Bruen, which secured every American’s right to carry arms, NY passed the “Concealed Carry Improvement Act,” severely restricting carry throughout the state. The 2nd Circuit upheld many of ...

25 years and one PLCAA Later, Chicago is Still Harassing Gunmakers

News  

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

25 years and one PLCAA Later, Chicago is Still Harassing Gunmakers

On March 19, the city of Chicago filed suit against handgun manufacturer Glock. Seeking to shift responsibility for the city’s woeful governance, Chicago’s lawsuit blames the popular firearm manufacturer for the third-party criminal misuse of ...

Washington: Governor Signs Anti-Gun Legislation

Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Washington: Governor Signs Anti-Gun Legislation

Today, Governor Inslee signed five anti-gun bills into law that were recently passed by the Washington State Legislature. The bills include:

Anti-gun Democrats Seek to Undermine Law Passed to Protect Veterans’ Rights

News  

Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Anti-gun Democrats Seek to Undermine Law Passed to Protect Veterans’ Rights

Last week we reported on a major breakthrough on behalf of veterans who risked losing their Second Amendment rights because of a long-running scheme by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to report certain beneficiaries ...

Colorado: Semi-Auto Ban Scheduled for Floor Vote Today!

Thursday, March 21, 2024

Colorado: Semi-Auto Ban Scheduled for Floor Vote Today!

Today, the House is scheduled to vote on HB24-1292, the ban on semi-automatic firearms. Please contact your legislators today by using the button below and urge them to OPPOSE HB24-1292!

Louisiana: Firearms Bills on the Move - Take Action Now!

Monday, March 25, 2024

Louisiana: Firearms Bills on the Move - Take Action Now!

A number of firearm-related bills, including enhanced preemption, are moving in the Louisiana Legislature. It's critical that NRA members and Second Amendment supporters get involved to keep the momentum going!

Pennsylvania: Senate Committee Passes Full Inclusion Sunday Hunting

Wednesday, March 20, 2024

Pennsylvania: Senate Committee Passes Full Inclusion Sunday Hunting

On Wednesday, the Senate Game & Fisheries Committee voted 7-4 to pass Senate Bill 67 to the Senate floor for a vote. 

MORE TRENDING +
LESS TRENDING -

More Like This From Around The NRA

NRA ILA

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.