Valuable fish and wildlife habitat, unique hunting and fishing opportunities at stake
as administration deliberates the future of 27 monuments
MISSOULA, Mont. – As the Trump administration deliberates the future of dozens of America’s national monuments, public lands sportsmen and women, along with millions of citizens, continue to speak up passionately in support of the Antiquities Act and the unique hunting and angling opportunities found on these lands and waters.
Today marks the close of a public comment period initiated by Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke following an executive order mandating the review of 27 national monuments created since 1996. Since the comment period began, approximately 15,000 members and supporters of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers have raised their voices in defense of a conservation tool signed into law by President Theodore Roosevelt and used by 16 presidents, eight Republicans and eight Democrats, over the 111 years since.
BHA President and CEO Land Tawney took a stand for national monuments as the opportunity for public comment comes to an end:
“Millions of Americans, including hunters and anglers, have spoken up in support of our national monuments and the role these places play in our outdoor opportunities, local communities and economic health,” said Tawney. “We urge Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to listen to his constituents, to the citizens who use and enjoy these landscapes, and to the businesses that rely on the continued conservation of our public lands and waters.”
Announced in April, the administration’s executive order directs the Interior Department to study national monuments covering tens of millions and gauge whether their size, boundaries and scope conform to parameters in the Antiquities Act. Recently designated national monuments, such as Rio Grande del Norte and Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks in New Mexico, Berryessa Snow Mountain in California and Upper Missouri River Breaks in Montana, provide important hunting and fishing opportunities and enjoy widespread support from hunters and anglers.
Read National Monuments: A Sportsmen’s Perspective for sportsmen’s tenets regarding use of the Antiquities Act and case studies of national monuments important to hunting and fishing.
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About Backcountry Hunters & Anglers
The Voice For Our Wild Public Lands, Waters & Wildlife.