Monthly Archives: November 2011
House Natural Resources Committee Passes Legislation Protecting Sportsmen’s Access
This is a great news release. It supports the basic rights that we sometimes take for granted and other are trying to take away.
It is always good to see protection for fishing, hunting and recreational activities.
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U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance |
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 17, 2011 |
House Natural Resources Committee Passes Legislation Protecting Sportsmen’s AccessColumbus, Ohio – Today the House Natural Resources Committee passed H.R. 2834, the Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage and Opportunities Act. This bill would protect fishing, hunting and recreational shooting on federal lands. H.R. 2834 passed the Committee with strong bipartisan support by a vote of 29-14. This vital piece of legislation would require fishing, hunting and recreational shooting to be included in all federal land planning documents and would fix numerous inconsistencies in federal law that are being exploited by litigious environmental groups to reduce hunting opportunities on federal land. This bill is strongly supported by the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance, Safari Club International, the National Rifle Association, and millions of sportsmen across the country. “This legislation is vital given the Administration’s recent actions toward hunters and recreational sport shooters,” said Melissa Simpson, Director of Government Affairs for Safari Club International. “Sportsmen have repeatedly sought to collaborate with the federal agencies and have been greeted with proposed closures in areas such as the Sonoran Desert National Monument, where the BLM intends to close the entire one-half million acre national monument to shooters. There are some 63 shooting sites within the monument, closure of which will end access for sportsmen. Passage of H.R. 2834 is necessary to protect against these anti-hunting policies.” “Sportsmen are increasingly facing attacks aimed at stopping them from using public land,” said Bud Pidgeon, President and CEO of the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance. “This bill closes the loopholes that anti-hunters have used time and time again to try to deny access for hunting, fishing and shooting. Now is the time to put a stop to it. We are extremely pleased and appreciative that the House Natural Resources Committee recognized the importance of this bill.”
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Forest Service opens additional areas to foot traffic within Wallow burn area
Arizona Game and Fish Department announced, the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests (ASNF) continues
to work toward opening more areas within the Wallow Fire perimeter. An order went into effect beginning Nov. 3, allowing non-motorized travel into areas that were previously closed.
Amendment 8 to Forest order 01-11-527 now allows non-motorized travel in the Wallow Fire Closure Areas (except Escudilla). Dispersed camping is still prohibited in each of these areas. To view the order and other Wallow Fire information, visit www.fs.usda.gov/asnf.
The closure areas affected include Auger Creek, Fish Creek, Middle Mountain, Milligan Valley, Prime Canyon, and West Fork. The Escudilla Closure Area remains closed to all entry.
The following campgrounds/recreation areas remain closed: Aspen CG, Deer Creek CG, Diamond Rock CG, Horse Springs CG, Raccoon CG, South Fork CG, and the West Fork Dispersed CG.
For the latest status on roads and areas within the Wallow Area, visitors should contact the ASNF offices or visitwww.fs.usda.gov/asnf toward the end of each week. Deputy Forest Supervisor Jim Zornes cautions forest users that they are responsible for their own safety and to “look up, look down, and look around” for hazards.
Wallow Fire information can also be found on the Arizona Game and Fish website at www.azgfd.gov/wildfires. For questions about hunting, contact the Arizona Game and Fish Department or visit www.azgfd.gov.
