Rep. Jason Chaffetz announced decision to abandon H.R. 621, which would have seized millions of acres of public lands and waters WASHINGTON - Following pressure from Backcountry Hunters & Anglers and numerous other sportsmen's interests and businesses, Rep. Jason Chaffetz announced last night his decision to abandon H.R. 621, legislation that would have mandated the sale of more than 3 million acres of public lands in Utah, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, ...

Public opportunities to legally fish, hunt or float Utah waterways could be decided this week SALT LAKE CITY – Years of legal uncertainty surrounding public access of Utah streams and waterways soon could be resolved, as the Utah Supreme Court prepares to issue a ruling on a controversial state law prohibiting public access on waters that cross private property. On Monday, the court heard oral arguments on Utah’s stream access law. At issue is the public’s ability to access waters that ...

The newest issue of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers magazine is available today MISSOULA, Mont. – The winter issue of Backcountry Journal is arriving in BHA members’ mailboxes now. Here’s a taste of what you'll find inside: Is Wildlife Viewing the New Hunting?: In 1960, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service counted almost 14 million hunting license holders in the U.S. Despite there being 140 million more Americans today, hunter numbers haven’t changed. But wildlife watching is on the rise. Ed ...

Measure recalculates costs of public lands transfers, facilitating giveaways WASHINGTON — The 115th Congress capped its first day late Tuesday with a vote to give away America’s public lands and waters, recalculating the costs of public lands transfers and easing current restrictions for shifting their oversight to individual states or private interests. Passed largely along party lines by the U.S. House of Representatives as part of a rules package, the provision would designate any ...

Following state land board decision to postpone the Elliott’s sale, sportsmen speak up on behalf of Oregon’s oldest state forest KEIZER, Ore. – Oregon hunters and anglers are commending a decision by state officials to postpone the sale of the Elliott State Forest to a private-tribal partnership and to seek proposals to keep Oregon’s oldest state forest publicly accessible and under state ownership. At its meeting last week, the Oregon state land board encountered strong opposition by ...