Welcome to the May 2026 edition of BHA's State Policy Spotter – a high-level scan of state policy and legislation impacting our wild public lands, waters and wildlife across North America.

Backcountry Hunters & Anglers is urging the Rhode Island Supreme Court to uphold the state’s 2023 shoreline access law. In a joint amicus curiae brief filed with the Surfrider Foundation, BHA argues that Rhode Island’s shoreline rights have deep legal and customary roots and that the 2023 law provides clarity for both the public and property owners.

Welcome to the November 2025 edition of BHA's State Policy Spotter – a high-level scan of state policy and legislation impacting our wild public lands, waters and wildlife across North America.

The Atlantic striped bass was declared overfished in 2019, prompting the implementation of a rebuilding plan aimed at restoring the stock to its target spawning stock biomass by 2029.