Valuable fish and wildlife habitat, unique hunting and fishing opportunities at stake as administration deliberates the future of 27 monuments MISSOULA, Mont. – As the Trump administration deliberates the future of dozens of America’s national monuments, public lands sportsmen and women, along with millions of citizens, continue to speak up passionately in support of the Antiquities Act and the unique hunting and angling opportunities found on these lands and waters. Today marks the close of ...

New analysis shows minimal overlap of sage grouse habitat with areas suited to energy development, confirms impact of sage grouse conservation plans on energy industry is negligible WASHINGTON – Only a fraction of greater sage grouse habitat is capable of producing energy of any kind, now or in the future, with 79 percent of areas with medium to high potential for energy development falling outside of grouse habitat, according to a report released today by Backcountry Hunters & ...

WASHINGTON – Following Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s announcement today of recommendations that would undermine Bears Ears National Monument in Utah – reducing the size of the monument and altering the current management paradigm – Backcountry Hunters & Anglers President and CEO Land Tawney offered the following response: “Over the course of more than a century, the Antiquities Act has proven one of our most potent mechanisms for permanently conserving important fish and wildlife habitat ...

Secretarial order announced today triggers 60-day review of current conservation efforts  WASHINGTON – Following the announcement this afternoon by Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke of a secretarial order outlining new federal strategies for sage grouse conservation, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers Conservation Director John Gale issued the following response:   “Our sagebrush steppe is a resource of incalculable value – an ecosystem that, with its robust fish and wildlife populations, diverse ...

News for Immediate ReleaseMay 23, 2017Contact: Katie McKalip, 406-240-9262, mckalip@backcountryhunters.org White House Budget Strongly Condemned by Public Lands Sportsmen Administration budget would cut Interior funding by 11 percent, gut federal Land and WaterConservation Fund, freeze collaborative sagebrush conservation efforts WASHINGTON – Public lands fish and wildlife habitat, public access funding, and hunting and angling opportunities will face severe negative impacts in the ...

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Backcountry Hunters & Anglers’ Alaska chapter is levying criticism against a bill being considered by the state legislature that would enable the state’s seizure of all publicly owned lands and waters located within Alaska’s borders.  H.J.R. 25 would petition Congress to alter the Alaska Statehood Act to “recognize the State of Alaska’s constitutional right to maintain ownership over all land, water, assets, resources, and activities within the state’s boundaries.” Rep. ...

MISSOULA, Mont. – Following comments by Rep. Mark Amodei that he won’t be reviving a controversial bill that would have transferred public lands in Nevada to state ownership, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers celebrated a win for public lands sportsmen and women while acknowledging that the battle over our shared lands and waters continues. Introduced by Amodei last year, the Honor the Nevada Enabling Act (H.R. 1484) would have legislated the transfer of millions of publicly owned acres to the ...

ELY, Minn. – Public lands sportsmen today strongly criticized efforts by a Minnesota lawmaker to reignite a controversial proposal by an international mining company to develop large-scale copper mines within the watershed of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, the most-visited wilderness area in the United States. Rep. Rick Nolan is in meetings with the Interior Department in an attempt to green-light sulfide-ore copper mining leases located on the edge of the Boundary Waters ...

SALEM, Ore. – A victory for public access and hunting and fishing opportunity was achieved this afternoon when the Oregon state land board voted unanimously to keep the Elliott State Forest under state ownership, rejecting earlier proposals to sell Oregon’s oldest state forest and supporting an outcome that Backcountry Hunters & Anglers had been strongly advocating. Jesse Salsberry, BHA Northwest outreach coordinator, provided testimony at the land board meeting today and applauded the vote ...

WASHINGTON – More than 100 hunting and fishing business owners and sporting organizations sent a letter today to Congress to show their support for national monuments and the responsible use of the Antiquities Act. “As someone who has helped develop the outdoor industry in Colorado and watched it grow into an economic powerhouse, I am concerned by current efforts both to curtail national monuments and weaken the Antiquities Act itself,” said Jim Bartschi, president of Scott Fly Rods in ...