With the backing of our members and supporters, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers saw significant successes in 2024 that conserved intact fish and wildlife habitat, improved access and recreation opportunities for hunters and anglers, and extended funding for important conservation programs. Thank you for taking more than 35,000 actions to support legislation and administrative decision-making that benefits our public lands and waters, and to oppose actions that threaten the shared resources that are the foundation of our hunting and angling traditions.

ADMINISTRATIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

In 2024, BHA advocated for and supported the following actions taken by the Department of Interior (DOI) and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to conserve 41.5 million acres of public lands and waters across the United States. In addition to protecting millions of acres in priority landscapes, federal agencies expanded landscape health and science-driven decision making for the management of our public lands and the wildlife that rely on them.

Sagebrush Collaborative Restoration Landscapes

The Department of Interior (DOI) announced collaborative investments in the millions of acres of sagebrush ecosystems across the American West. This initiative will direct funding to ecologically valuable and vulnerable locations within the sagebrush biome for intensive conservation and restoration. This builds on the Department’s Restoration and Resilience Framework which commits to conservation initiatives that will help to address climate change impacts, restore healthy lands and waters, and enhance communities' quality of life. Read our joint press release here.

Thompson Divide Mineral Withdrawal

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and DOI finalized a 20-year administrative mineral withdrawal for approximately 220,000 acres of the Thompson Divide along Colorado’s Western Slope. This will protect highly valued hunting and fishing terrain from oil, gas, and mineral development that fragment intact habitat and pose damaging downstream effects to one of the largest remaining undeveloped tracts of mid-elevation big game habitat in the state along with the headwaters to four high-quality trout fisheries. BHA and its Colorado chapter have been working for years to secure greater certainty for the conservation of Colorado’s Thompson Divide and the quality hunting and fishing experiences it provides. Read BHA's press release here.

BLM Public Lands Rule

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) finalized the Conservation and Landscape Health Rule or the Public Lands Rule. The rule clarifies that the management of these public lands for conservation is a valid use and should be considered as such under the multiple-use and sustained yield framework of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act. It also directs the BLM to consider land health assessments in decision making – a goal that enables the agency to make informed choices for the long-term management of the landscape. Managing for landscape health will increase the resilience of public lands and waters in response to climate change, ensure the conservation of critical habitat, and plan management in a way that addresses the needs of local communities, states, and tribes. The final rule followed an extended public comment period, including feedback from thousands of hunters and anglers to strengthen and clarify the Rule, including more than 3,000 BHA members. More than 90% of comments supported the Rule, a testament to the importance that conservation of wild places has across the United States. Read BHA's press release here.

Western Arctic Conservation Rule

DOI released a final rule updating regulations to maximize the protection of 13 million acres of public lands in the Western Arctic. These actions expand protections for wildlife, including the Teshekpuk and Western Arctic caribou herds and musk ox, and the nesting grounds for vast flocks of geese, ducks, and swans. Doing so fulfills the legal requirement that the BLM balance oil and gas development with the conservation of fish and wildlife, recreation, subsistence hunting, and other values. Read BHA's press release here.

National Monument Expansions

President Biden used his authority under the Antiquities Act to expand two national monuments in California. The San Gabriel Mountains National Monument was expanded by 109,000 acres that will continue to be managed by the USFS, including tributary streams to the West Fork of San Gabriel River, a popular trout fishery, and a population of native rainbow trout with remnant genes of the southern steelhead, now one of California’s rarest native fishes. The monument is also home to game species such as mule deer and black bear, and supports a healthy population of bighorn sheep. Read more in our joint press release here. The Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument was expanded by 13,000 acres that will continue to be managed by the BLM, including vital habitat and public access which includes the Cache Creek and Bear Valley tule elk hunt zones. Read more in BHA's press release here. Each of these expansions will continue to be managed under their multiple-use mandate and the State of California will retain wildlife management authority, ensuring hunting access is maintained. 

Ambler Road Permit Denial

The BLM announced the denial of a permit for the Ambler Mining Road, a proposed 211-mile long, private industrial corridor. The Ambler Road would bisect important habitat for the embattled Western Arctic Caribou Herd and cross nearly 3,000 streams and rivers, impacting key watersheds like the Kobuk and Koyukuk. BHA members, in concert with the Hunters and Anglers for the Brooks Range coalition, have submitted 14,000 comments opposing the Ambler Road. At the same time, the agency announced the decision to maintain the conservation status of 28 million acres of public land in Alaska that have been withdrawn from mineral and energy development since 1971. In January of 2021, the outgoing Trump administration began the process of revoking those withdrawals. Read BHA's press release here.

Sage Grouse Resource Management Plans

The BLM released final Resource Management Plan Amendments, incorporating new sage grouse conservation science that outlines how the agency intends to reverse the alarming decline of sage grouse populations across 10 Western states. Those plans – covering millions of acres across California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming – were initially finalized by the BLM in 2015 after unprecedented collaboration between Western governors, conservationists, hunters and anglers, ranchers and development interests, but were never implemented as intended. Read our joint press release here.

Pecos River Watershed Mineral Withdrawal

DOI initiated a two-year mineral withdrawal that would protect 165,000 acres in New Mexico's Pecos River Watershed. This move will grant immediate protections for a two-year period as the BLM and USFS consider a proposed 20-year withdrawal. As the Pecos River and its tributaries flow through the Santa Fe National Forest, they provide important coldwater habitat for trout and support wildlife habitat that offers hunters opportunity to pursue elk, mule deer, bighorn sheep, black bear, dusky grouse, and wild turkey. In 1991, a toxic mine waste spill had disastrous impacts for the watershed last decades, including killing tens of thousands of fish and costing tens of millions of dollars to mitigate. Read BHA's press release here.

Pactola-Rapid Creek Watershed Mineral Withdrawal

DOI finalized a 20-year mineral withdrawal that will protect 20,510 acres in the Black Hills National Forest of South Dakota. Rapid Creek is the largest watershed in the Black Hills National Forest and is arguably the best brown and rainbow trout fishery in the region. Pactola Reservoir’s extreme depths and year-round cold water create a unique fishing environment. This provides a quality experience for anglers targeting a variety of salmonoid and warmwater species. Most of the region is categorized as a big-game, winter-range-emphasis management area. The management focus in these areas is to provide high-quality winter and transitional habitat for deer and elk, high-quality turkey habitat, habitat for other species, and a variety of multiple uses. These areas provide important habitat to deer and elk, including birthing, foraging, and wintering grounds. Read BHA's press release here.

Ruby Mountain Oil and Gas Leasing Withdrawal

DOI initiated a two-year withdrawal from oil and gas leasing that would protect 264,000 acres in Nevada's Ruby Mountains. This move will grant immediate protections for a two-year period as the BLM and USFS consider a proposed 20-year withdrawal. The Ruby Mountains are immensely valuable to hunters by providing a critical migratory corridor for the largest mule deer herd in the state and habitat for greater sage-grouse. Anglers can pursue the highly sought after Lahontan cutthroat trout, Nevada’s state fish, in the region’s mountain streams and alpine lakes. Despite being classified as having no or low potential for oil and gas, this landscape continues to be threatened by speculative leasing and associated development. Withdrawing these lands from leasing would protect an intact landscape from habitat fragmentation and ensure the health of a crucial watershed while continuing multiple-use management of the region. Read the Sportsmen for the Rubies Coalition joint press release here.

LEGISLATIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

In 2024, BHA advocated for the following bills which were passed into law with the support of hunters and anglers. These bills will improve access and recreation opportunities, support the restoration of public lands and waters, and extend conservation programs critical to fish and wildlife habitat across North America.

Good Samaritan Remediation of Abandoned Hardrock Mines Act (H.R. 7779/S. 2781) was passed by the Senate unanimously in July, and the House of Representatives in December, before being signed into law by President Biden. Led by Sens. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Jim Risch (R-ID), along with Reps. Celeste Maloy (R-UT) and Mary Peltola (D-AK), the bill authorizes a pilot program that would grant permits for remediation projects on abandoned hardrock mine sites. These permits would allow state agencies, local governments, and nonprofits to clean up abandoned mine sites without assuming future liability.

An estimated 33,000 abandoned hardrock mines sites actively contaminate our rivers and streams. Hunters and anglers have long advocated for “Good Samaritan” legislation to address mine waste that compromises the health of treasured public landscapes.

America’s Conservation Enhancement (ACE) Reauthorization Act (H.R. 8811/S. 3791) was passed unanimously by the Senate in May, and overwhelmingly (366-21) in the House of Representatives in December, before being signed into law by President Biden. This bipartisan legislation was led by Sens. Tom Carper (D-DE) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), along with Reps. Rob Wittman (R-VA), Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Jen Kiggans (R-VA), and Mike Thompson (D-CA). It would renew the following conservation programs through fiscal year 2030:

• The North American Wetlands Conservation Act, a competitive grant program that has conserved more than 32 million acres of waterfowl habitat.
• The Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Task Force, which is charged with an action plan for state and federal cooperation in managing CWD. One of the single greatest threats to wild deer and other cervids, CWD is always fatal and cannot be detected in live animals.
• The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, the United States’ largest grant-maker for the conservation of fish and wildlife habitat.
• The Chesapeake Bay Program, Chesapeake Bay Initiative Act, and the Chesapeake WILD grant program. Each of these assists in the conservation of this ecosystem through habitat restoration and improving water quality. 

Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences (EXPLORE) Act (H.R. 6492) was passed unanimously by the House of Representatives in April, and the Senate in December, before being signed into law by President Biden. This bipartisan legislation was led by Reps. Bruce Westerman (R-AR) and Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ), and was championed by Sens. Joe Manchin (I-WV) and John Barrasso (R-WY). In addition to expanding access and opportunity, it would make changes to outdoor recreation management that benefit our public lands, waters, and wildlife, including:

• Expediting and simplifying permitting for accessing public lands and waters, which would reduce costs, wait times, and "red tape" by creating a uniform permitting process while eliminating fees and permits for small groups filming on public lands.
• Improving outdoor recreation data and infrastructure, including updating vehicle-use maps on public lands within five years, and requiring their continued updates within twenty years.
• Creating feeless public shooting ranges in each BLM district or national forest, offering more opportunities for individuals to prepare for hunting seasons. In addition to establishing appropriate and accessible facilities for safe shooting, this would help to consolidate recreational shooting taking place on our public lands and resulting litter.
• Authorizing the donation of hides, horns, and antlers harvested from wildlife management activities within the National Park System to the hunter. This would avoid the waste of wildlife and fully respect harvested animals.
• Establishing a grant program for the inspection and decontamination of watercraft to avoid the spread of aquatic invasive species, while allowing federal agencies to carry out those activities.

In 2024, BHA supported the advancement and introduction of legislation that would: permanently conserve more than 4.8 million acres of public lands and 3,600 miles of waterways; prioritize migratory corridor conservation; expand funding for state wildlife agencies and public land management; and stop the sale of public lands. BHA achieved this through organizing relevant committee hearings and votes, and advocating for the advancement of policies, in the following legislation:

• Wildlife Movement Through Partnerships Act (H.R. 8836/S. 4953) which was introduced in the Senate and received a hearing in the House Natural Resources Committee in September
• Public Lands in Public Hands Act (H.R. 7430) which was introduced in the House
• Mojave National Preserve Boundary Adjustment Act (S. 4222) which was reported after a vote by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
• Modernizing Access to Our Public (MAP) Waters Act (H.R. 6127/S. 3123) which was passed by both the Senate and House
• Habitat Connectivity on Working Lands Act (H.R. 8104/S. 4193) which was introduced in the Senate and House
• Montana Headwaters Legacy Act (S. 3346) which was reported after a vote by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
• River Democracy Act (S. 4449) which received a hearing by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
• Gunnison Outdoor Resources Protection Act (S. 5193) which was introduced in the Senate
• Sarvis Creek Wilderness Completion Act (H.R. 7754/S.3985) which was reported after a vote by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
• Northern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act (H.R. 3173) which received a hearing in the House Natural Resources Committee
• Truckee Meadows Public Land Management Act (S. 3593) which was reported after a vote by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
• Southern Nevada Economic Development and Conservation Act (S. 4457) which was reported after a vote by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
• Flatside Wilderness Additions Act (H.R. 3971) which received a hearing in the House Natural Resources Committee
• Chuckwalla National Monument Establishment and Joshua Tree National Park Expansion Act (H.R. 8031/S. 4132) which was introduced in the Senate and House of Representatives
• Sáttítla National Monument Establishment Act (S. 5001) which was introduced in the Senate
• Tax Stamp Revenue Transfer for Wildlife and Recreation Act (H.R. 6352) which received a hearing in the House Natural Resources Committee
• North American Wetland Conservation Extension Act (S. 4048) which was introduced in the Senate
• America the Beautiful Act (S. 5402) which was introduced in the Senate
• Stop the Spread of Invasive Mussels Act (H.R. 10234) which was introduced in the House
• San Pablo National Wildlife Refuge Boundary Modification Act (H.R. 9826/S. 5205) which was introduced in the House and Senate
• Deerfield Wild and Scenic River Study Act (H.R. 1312/S. 608) which was passed by the Senate
• Nulhegan River and Paul Stream Wild and Scenic River Study Act (H.R. 1063/S. 432) which was passed by the Senate
• Bristol Bay Protection Act (H.R. 8193) which was introduced in the House