As the population in North Carolina’s western mountains grows, so too does interest from private entities in laying claim to public water access. For decades, anglers have dealt increasing harassment from landowners that are ignorant of the public’s rights on public trust waters. The ability to recreate has always hinged on the question of navigability, and those rights include access to, and use of the streambed. If a waterway can be floated across by any means of conveyance, in North ...

The Public Lands Rule could be great for conservation – we should give it a chance   The Bureau of Land Management Conservation and Landscape Health rule, commonly known as the Public Lands Rule, went into effect nationwide on June 10, 2024. Originally announced a year ago by the Department of the Interior, the intent of the rule is to address the increasing conservation needs on the 245 million acres of land managed by the Bureau of Land Management (“BLM”) across the country. It’s hard to ...

The following letter was submitted to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Commission on September 12th ahead of the September 13th, 2024 ODFW Commission meeting: September 12, 2024 Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife4034 Fairview Industrial Drive SESalem, OR 97302 Dear Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Commission, The undersigned organizations, representing hundreds of thousands of hunters and anglers across the state of Oregon and nation, support the Oregon Department of ...

    Every year Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA) celebrates National Public Lands Day as a month-long celebration.  So, what exactly is all this about and what is National Public Land Day.  In 1994 the first Public Lands Appreciation Day was organized by the Times Mirror Magazine.  That year the only public land agency to participate was the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).  In the years to follow the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) would take over responsibility of ...

Nothing defines hunting the big woods like wool pants and coats in the classic buffalo check pattern.  Johnson Woolen Mills has been at it in Vermont for nearly two centuries.  They hosted us for the Vermont Northwoods Story Slam at their store Saturday, August 31st and it was a great time! They graciously donated over $1000 worth of goods for raffle and give-aways.  The main prizes were a "Hunting package" with pants, shirt, crusher hat, orange vest, gloves, socks, light weight jacket and ...