The California Chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers was amped to see the House pass a massive public lands package last month, H.R. 803, Protecting America’s Wilderness and Public Lands.   H.R. 803 consists of nine bills designating roughly 1.49 million acres of public lands as wilderness, incorporating more than 1,000 river miles as part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System and ensuring that wildlife habitat across approximately 1.3 million acres of public land will remain ...

If you’re a hunter in Utah, you have likely heard of HB0295: Wildlife Modifications. The legislation, introduced by House Representative Casey Snider, ignited a wave of emotions and debate amongst hunters during its first two weeks in the Legislature. The final bill, which prohibits baiting for ungulate big game (not predators) and instructs the Division of Wildlife Resources’ (DWR) Wildlife Board to make rules and regulations for trail camera use, has been signed into law by Governor ...

Montana hunters finally have something to smile about this session! First, the big win on House Bill 505, which would have given 10 non-resident landowner-sponsored elk tags to landowners with more than 640 acres. Additionally, the bill would have given five bonus points to those with private land access who agreed to hunt cow elk. The bill was sponsored by Rep. Galt and was heavily amended in committee yesterday before it was tabled, thankfully. While the amendments made the bill less ...

March 19, 2021 Gov. Greg GianforteMontana State Capitol1301 E. Sixth Ave.Helena, MT 59601 RE: Veto request of SB 115 requiring state Land Board approval for conservation easements Dear Gov. Gianforte, The Montana Sporting Coalition is comprised of more than a dozen hunting, fishing and conservation organizations. Collectively our organizations represent tens of thousands of Montana hunters, anglers and wildlife conservationists with a deep commitment to our wildlife heritage and sporting ...

In the spring of 2018, the Pennsylvania Chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers joined a number of other groups to oppose a planned resort development at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ­– managed Raystown Lake in Huntingdon County, Pa. In the final master plan revision released March 18, 2021, the Army Corps classified the Hawn’s Bridge / Hawn's Peninsula area proposed for development as an Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA), negating the planned resort or any other development. The ...

By Matt Breton                                                                                                                                    This piece was first published in VTDigger   Last June, I wrote a commentary about how much I valued public land during the initial months of my Covid-19 furlough. Now, a year into this pandemic, having returned to work in the health care setting, the value of having access to that land has only increased to me and, I suspect, many other users. I ...

Rhode Island’s Constitution, Article 1 Section 17 states: “The People shall continue to enjoy and freely exercise all rights of fishery, and the privileges of the shore, to which they have been heretofore entitled under the charter and usage of this state, including but not limited to fishing from the shore, the gathering of seaweed, leaving the shore to swim in the sea and passage along the shore” This language was approved by over 2/3 of Rhode Island voters in a ballot initiative following ...

Over the objections of thousands of individuals and organizations, including NMBHA, the proposed statewide ban on public lands trapping took a crucial step toward becoming law Sunday afternoon. After more than three hours of public testimony and committee discussion, the House Environment, Energy and Natural Resources Committee voted to pass Senate Bill 32 in a party-line vote, with all seven Democrats voting yes and the committee’s four Republicans voting no. SB32 had passed the full ...

In the first two months of 2021, the Maine BHA team identified over 75 bills introduced to the Legislature that could impact hunting and fishing, land conservation, and public access.  As of March 1, BHA submitted testimony on 9 bills and was working on several others, with more expected to come as the bills are printed and full details can be reviewed. In a move that reflects the growing respect for BHA’s influence and stance on policy issues, BHA has been invited to join a bi-weekly ...

An all-out ban on public lands trapping throughout New Mexico known as the “Wildlife Conservation & Public Safety Act” inched closer Friday night when the Senate Judiciary Committee voted in favor, 5-1. But now,  "time" is on trappers’ side. SB32 now goes to the full Senate for approval. If the bill passes, it still must get through one or more House committees and a vote by the full House. With the Legislature scheduled to adjourn in just two weeks, that schedule will be tough to ...