WASHINGTON – A bill that would inhibit the strategic acquisition of public lands and waters for access, recreation and fish and wildlife habitat is drawing strong criticism from Backcountry Hunters & Anglers. H.R. 2167, introduced last week by Rep. Morgan Griffith of Virginia, would legislate a “no net increase” in the size of the public estate, stipulating that for every acre acquired by the federal government, an equal amount must be sold or divested to state or private interests. The ...

MISSOULA, Mont. – Backcountry Hunters & Anglers continues to strengthen and diversify its leadership with the election of Ben O’Brien to BHA’s national board of directors. O’Brien is currently the hunting marketing manager at YETI, manufacturer of premium coolers and accessories. Currently a resident of Austin, Texas, he grew up on the East Coast. Prior joining YETI, he was managing editor at Petersen’s Hunting and digital editor at the National Rifle Association’s American Hunter magazine. ...

WASHINGTON – National fishing and hunting groups today expressed concern about an administration decision to review recent use of the Antiquities Act to conserve public lands and waters, warning that efforts to reduce in size or otherwise diminish U.S. national monuments could harm fish and wildlife, reduce hunting and angling opportunities and negatively impact cherished American landscapes. The Trump administration’s executive order directs the Interior Department to study dozens of ...

MISSOULA, Mont. – The spring 2017 issue of Backcountry Journal is arriving in BHA members’ mailboxes this week. Here’s a taste of what you'll find inside: Missouri River on the Fly: Renowned author E. Donnall Thomas Jr. and his wife Lori retraced the steps of the Lewis and Clark Expedition through Montana’s Missouri River Breaks, one of the areas least changed since the Corps of Discovery’s visit. They sought walleye on the fly but instead found goldeye and channel catfish – a fine ...

MISSOULA, Mont. – Sportsmen and women across North America are rising up in support of public lands and the outdoor opportunities they represent, founding new chapters of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers and further establishing the young organization as the fastest growing, most outspoken and potent sportsmen’s group active today. Four new BHA chapters – encompassing the Southeast, Capital Region, South Dakota and Alberta, Canada – were officially recognized by the BHA national board of ...

MISSOULA, Mont. – At Backcountry Hunters & Anglers’ 6th annual North American Rendezvous, seven sportsman-conservation leaders were awarded BHA’s highest honors, recognizing exceptional efforts in conservation, communications and the ethics of fair chase hunting and fishing. BHA’s Jim Posewitz Award for Ethical Hunting and Fishing recognizes outstanding ethical behavior in the field and the education of the outdoor public on the importance of ethical behavior. Randy Newberg, host of the TV ...

MISSOULA, Mont. – Backcountry Hunters & Anglers’ 2017 North American Rendezvous showcased the growing grassroots presence that is BHA and public lands sportsmen and women, drawing unprecedented numbers of attendees, shattering fundraising records and confirming that the young sportsmen’s group is literally changing the landscape of conservation in the United States and Canada. More than 6,000 hunters, anglers, locavores, conservationists and outdoor recreationists came with their families to ...

PORTLAND, Ore. – A bill that would conserve more than 100,000 acres in Douglas County, Oregon, took another step forward today as it passed out of the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. The Frank and Jeanne Moore Wild Steelhead Special Management Area Act would permanently safeguard parts of the Steamboat Creek basin, which contains some of the best wild steelhead spawning areas in the Pacific Northwest. The bill is named in honor of Frank Moore, a World War II veteran, ...

WASHINGTON – Following a hearing today by the Senate Agriculture Committee to advance the nomination of former Georgia governor Sonny Perdue as Agriculture secretary, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers President and CEO Land Tawney emphasized the USDA’s role in facilitating public access to privately owned lands and managing America’s national forests and grasslands: “Only a sportsman can fully grasp the fundamental importance of the Agriculture Department to our nation’s proud traditions of ...

SALEM, Ore. – The Oregon chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers is commending a decision by the Oregon state legislature to consider a bill that could keep the Elliott State Forest under state ownership, averting the need to sell the 82,500-acre Elliott and securing the valuable fish and wildlife habitat and outdoor opportunities found in Oregon’s oldest state forest. Senate Bill 847 would provide the state of Oregon the mechanism to transfer ownership of the Elliott State Forest from the ...