This is your May 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.
Note - this is not a comprehensive list of legislation or issues that chapters are working on, but rather a spotlight in the moment of what is moving. There are many more bills and issues BHA's chapters are grappling with so be sure to check out individual chapter pages for more news and updates.
California: BHA Drafts Resolution and Submits Petition in Support of a Second Bear Tag. Take Action
After many years advocating for science-based management of fish and wildlife, California BHA celebrates the release of the Final Black Bear Conservation Plan and has submitted a petition to the Fish & Game Commission seeking to amend Title 14, § 708.12 - Bear License Tags to allow for a second bear tag. Take action and read more about California BHA’s work on black bears, including leading opposition to attempts to ban bear hunting, fundraising $8k for a population study, as well as several black bear biology seminars and hands-on hunt camps.
Colorado: Attorney General Weighs in on 10th Circuit Corner Crossing Decision. News
The Colorado Attorney General's office recently released a position regarding the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals decision on corner crossing. While this interpretation is a clear and resounding win for public access to federal lands, it opens the door for future conversations and stakeholder engagement regarding access to state lands that are open to the public but that will appear to remain "corner locked" following this interpretation. Join us at BHA's annual North American Rendezvous this summer for a deep dive and panel discussion titled - Corner Crossing is not a Crime - where we unpack this 10th Circuit ruling and discuss its implications inside and outside of the 10th circuit.
Maine: Right to Hunt & Fish. News
The New England Chapter’s team from Maine has submitted testimony and has been working to support a amendment to Maine’s constitution to establish to right to hunt and fish. LD 820 is similar to other constitutional efforts in other states to protect the right to hunt, fish, and trap in that it only extends those rights within state regulations. The bill has received bipartisan support and has passed out of committee and could see a floor vote in the near future. It will require a ⅔ vote by the house and senate to go on a future ballot.
Montana: BHA Celebrates Priority Bills Awaiting Governor's Signature. News
As the final gavel dropped and Montana’s 2025 legislative session came to a close, the dedicated members and volunteers from the Montana Chapter of BHA took a deep breath—and then a moment to celebrate. The Chapter is proud to report that three of Montana BHA’s top-priority bills made it through the legislature and now await the governor’s signature. These bills include major wins for conservation, public land access and wildlife funding; they represent meaningful progress for Montana hunters, anglers, and anyone who values the state’s wild places and wildlife. Learn more about what passed, what’s next, and how these bills will shape Montana’s outdoor future.
North Carolina: Protecting River Access. News
Thanks to the North Carolina chapter advocacy and outreach, a contentious section of North Carolina's Senate Bill 220 has been successfully removed, preserving public access for recreational activities. The original bill contained a provision (Section 4) that would have prohibited launching canoes or kayaks from public rights of way, such as areas beneath bridges with small pull-offs. This amendment represents a big win for public access rights to North Carolina’s waterways.
North Dakota: Balancing Pronghorn Hunting Opportunities. News
North Dakota has achieved a significant win for hunting opportunities with a fairer distribution of pronghorn licenses between landowners and the general public. Previously, the state law led to an imbalanced distribution, where a large portion of pronghorn tags were allocated free of charge to landowners, leaving fewer available to the public lottery. Specifically, the system allocated the first 50 tags in a unit exclusively to landowners, and the remaining tags were divided equally between landowners and the public lottery. In a unit with only 54 tags available, this resulted in 52 tags going to landowner hunters. However, the introduction of SB 2155 aimed to rectify this by instituting an equal 50/50 distribution between landowner and non-landowner hunters. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of the North Dakota Chapter, this bill was recently signed into law by the Governor, ensuring a more balanced allocation of hunting licenses.
Oregon: Chapter Applauds Passage of Legislation that will Advance Wildlife Crossing Collaboration. News
HB 2978 is a bipartisan proposal aimed at reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions and preserving habitat connectivity by enhancing collaboration between Oregon’s transportation and wildlife agencies through infrastructure like overpasses and underpasses - it is awaiting the Governor's signature. With nearly 4,900 collisions in 2022 alone costing over $91 million, the bill seeks to protect wildlife, public safety, and Oregon’s outdoor heritage. OR BHA strongly supported the measure by signing on to a fact sheet for legislators, submitting testimony in committee and activating grassroots support through an action alert.
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April 2025
Connecticut: Establishing a Black Bear Hunt & Sunday Hunting. News
The Connecticut State Leadership team from the New England chapter recently delivered testimony on two bills to the CT Joint Committee on Environment. The first in support of a bill to establish a bear hunting season. Connecticut has experienced a significant uptick in bear-human conflicts and the population is steadily rising. The current approach of non-lethal management has not sufficiently curbed these rising encounters. The second bill which the chapter also supported would lift the general prohibition of hunting on Sunday, which would allow for at least 25 additional hunting days across the various seasons.
Idaho: SJM 104 Echoes “Transfer to the States” Movement. Take Action
This week Idaho lawmakers passed Senate Joint Memorial 104 (SJM 104) requesting a transfer of Camas Creek National Wildlife Refuge to state ownership. While SJM 104 is not legally binding, there are steps the federal government could take to dispose of this land and place it in state ownership that we fear may gain traction with the support of the state delegation. Idaho BHA is encouraging supporters, and all Americans, to take action now in support of the Public Lands in Public Hands Act which would require congressional approval for the sale or transfer of publicly accessible tracts of federal land greater than 300 acres, or greater than five acres if accessible by public waterway. This would add a layer of protection to the Camas Creek NWF and so many more of our cherished public lands in Idaho and beyond.
Illinois: Improving Stream Access for All. News
Illinois stream access is often misunderstood because the state law differs from federal law. While federal law may deem a stream public, Illinois law considers both the stream bed and flowing water as privately owned. This affects many rivers, such as the Upper Sangamon and Dupage, making them private under state law. Despite having public amenities like boat ramps and fishing guides on these rivers, using them can be considered trespassing. The Illinois Chapter has been leading the charge on a bill that would align Illinois stream access laws with federal stream laws, which would open up 87,000 miles of streams and rivers to public access. It’s difficult to predict how far this bill will travel this session, but one thing is for sure, the chapter is taking it further than it has been in previous years.
Florida: Reinstating a Black Bear Hunt in Florida. Take Action
The last time a bear hunt occurred in FL was in 2015 after anti-conservation groups sued the state and ended the hunt. Since that time, the bear population has steadily grown and human/bear conflicts are at an all time high. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is entertaining the possibility of reinstating the hunt and the Florida Chapter has been working to support this effort. FWC will be hosting a series of virtual public hearings to collect feedback on a proposed hunt on April 2, 3, and 5. Click here for more information. Please consider voicing support for this hunt!
Montana: BHA Rallies Against Anti-Public Lands Legislation. Take Action
Last week, Montana BHA members showed up in full force at the state legislature, advocating for the conservation and stewardship of our public lands, wildlife habitat, and hunting heritage. The bills that the chapter testified in opposition to include: HB 676 - Streamlining the Sale of State Lands; SB 307 - Cutting Funds for Habitat Montana Program; SJ 14 - Release of Federal Wilderness Study Areas; HJ 24 - Support for state of Utah Lawsuit against the federal government regarding public lands; and with support from a lobbyist paid for by the chapter, Montana BHA was able to kill HB 379 - Revising laws related to state land leases for commercial purposes and the sale of state land. Read news coverage of BHA’s testimony on several bills from three different news outlets and Take Action at the link below.
Utah: 2025 Utah Legislative Session Recap & Impacts. News
After an extremely busy legislative session, Utah BHA leaders break down their extensive engagement and the fallout from several attempts to privatize public trust resources in this blog post. Despite being overshadowed by the passing of H.B. 202, a transferrable tag bill that allows landowners to profit off the public trust with no benefit to the public, the chapter covers a couple good bills that passed in this write-up and they also mention a bad stream access bill they killed. During this session, BHA members and supporters sent over 5000 messages to legislators in Utah opposing bills attempting to privatize our public trust resources and helped to influence a number of bills through their seat on the Advisory Council for the Utah Sportsman’s Caucus.
Wyoming: 10th Circuit Court Affirms District Court Decision in Corner-Crossing Case, Upholding Public Access Rights. News
In a huge victory for public land owners, BHA applauded the ruling by United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit affirming the right to “corner-cross" to access public lands. The ruling marks a pivotal decision that cements the legality of public access to millions of acres of public lands in the West within the jurisdiction of the 10th Circuit. "This decision is a major win for hunters, anglers, and anyone who values the freedom to access and enjoy our public lands," said BHA’s President and CEO Patrick Berry. "The American ideal of public land ownership depends on access to the landscapes and wild places that belong to all of us, not just a select few. This ruling makes it clear that corner-crossing is a legally acceptable way to preserve that access."
About Devin O'Dea
Devin grew up abalone diving, spearfishing, and backpacking in CA before discovering a love of bowhunting and wing shooting. He worked as a marketing manager for a carbon division of Mitsubishi, but the allure of adventure and wild places led him to BHA