the Sportsmens Act(s)

Alphabet soup of programs. What’s in the mix for TU?

Currently, there are several bundled “Sportsmen’s Bills” in play in both the Senate and the House. These bills are aimed generally to expand sportsmen and women’s access for hunting, fishing and recreation on federal public lands. However, one of these active bills — the HELP Act — reflects Trout Unlimited’s priorities better than the others.

The House version of the bill — the SHARE Act (H.R. 3668) — introduced by Rep. Duncan (R-SC) does not address Trout Unlimited’s key watershed conservation initiatives. Additionally, the bill’s progress could be hindered by some of its provisions — related to firearm mufflers (i.e. silencers) and firearm transport — that face strong opposition from gun control advocates.

Therefore, TU supports the Senate alternative, which comes in the form of Senator Barrasso’s HELP for Wildlife Act (S. 1514). The HELP act reauthorizes and supports “a number of commonsense programs,” such as the National Fish Habitat Conservation Program, the Fish Passage Program, North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA), the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation reauthorization.

Support the HELP for Wildlife Act (Hunting Heritage and Environmental Legacy Preservation Act, S. 1514); include Trout Unlimited priorities in the bill.

Sponsors: Introduced by Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW), in conjunction with Senators Cardin, Boozman, Klobuchar, Capito and Baldwin; cosponsored by Senators Johnson, Enzi, King and Inhofe.

Status: The HELP Act has passed in the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, and has yet to be addressed on the Senate floor

Overview: The HELP for Wildlife Act is a bipartisan conservation bill designed to enhance recreational hunting and sport fishing activities and to conserve wildlife and wildlife habitat. The Help for Wildlife Act reauthorizes: the National Fish Habitat Conservation Program, the North American Wetlands Conservation Act; the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Act; the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act; the Chesapeake Bay Program; and the Chesapeake Bay Gateways Grants Assistance Program.

For Senator Barrasso’s remarks on the HELP Act, click here