The Honorable Harold Rogers, MC
Chairman
House Appropriations Committee
H-307 Capitol
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Norm Dicks, MC
Ranking Minority Member
House Appropriations Committee
H-307 Capitol
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Dicks:
The below sportsmen's conservation organizations, representing million of hunters and anglers, are writing in support of Sec. 438, "Hunting, Fishing and Recreational Shooting on Federal lands," of the House Interior Appropriations bill. If enacted, this legislation will help protect these American traditions by keeping them as important public recreational activities on our national forests and public lands.
Unfortunately, this language is necessary because of the recent increasing trend of Federal agencies to restrict public access to federal lands, with particular regard for recreational shooting. For example, as mentioned in a recent letter from the Wildlife Hunting Heritage and Conservation Council, the U.S. Forest Service has recently closed 800,000 acres of the Tonto National Forest to recreational shooting and the BLM had proposed a total closure of the Sonoran Desert National Monument. This legislation is necessary to prevent these types of closures and restrictions from unjustly, and without merit, from happening.
Please help insure that Sec. 438 remains in the final bill language and thank you for your support of this important provision.
Sincerely,
American Sportfishing Association
Boone & Crockett Club
Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation
National Rifle Association
National Shooting Sports Foundation
Safari Club International
For Immediate Release: June 27, 2012
Subcommittee Chairman Mike Simpson Withdraws Bighorn Sheep Amendment to Interior Appropriation Bill
Representative Mike Simpson of Idaho, Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and the Environment, has withdrawn his rider to the 2013 Interior Appropriations Bill. This amendment would have blocked the Payette National Forest from implementing the third and final phase of its management plan to separate bighorn sheep from domestic sheep on 6,800 acres of public land through grazing reductions.
"Today, I'm calling for a 'time out' from the fighting and allegations - many of which are false", said Chairman Simpson earlier today. "I got involved in this issue because I care deeply for our ranchers and for the tribes and sportsmen who work so hard on bighorn sheep conservation. I got involved to find a reasonable solution and tried to work with ranchers, hunters, and land management agencies to solve this problem."
The Payette National Forest management plan was finalized in 2010 and the first phase, which banned domestic sheep from 54,000 acres, took effect this past year. The second wave of closures will have another 7,700 acres closed to grazing this year. In 2013, the final 6,800 acres will go off-line, totaling approximately 68,500 acres of closures.
The Chairman proposed the new rider, which specifically mentioned the Payette National Forest and would have not allowed federal agencies to spend money to institute grazing reductions that would be implemented after July 1, 2011. However, Representative Simpson decided for a withdrawal of the amendment so that all interested parties can come to the table to discuss potential solutions.
"We appreciate Chairman Simpson taking a step back in order to foster further consideration" said Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation President Jeff Crane. "We believe the Congressman's approach is right on target."
Chairman Simpson added similar language to a fiscal 2012 spending bill that forbid the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management from implementing restrictions on domestic sheep grazing that did not exist before July 1, 2012. This rider was taken to court and earlier this month, federal Judge B. Lynn Winmill of Boise ruled that Payette National Forest was exempt from this rider because this plan was finalized before the aforementioned date.
"American sportsmen have always appreciated Chairman Simpson's leadership for sustainable and collaborative conservation for all public land user groups," said Safari Club International (SCI) President John Whipple. "SCI looks forward to working with Chairman Simpson to ensure continued funding for bighorn sheep research. Without his support, the needed scientific backing for appropriate local decision-making will not exist."
Sustainable Management: Protecting America’s Backcountry by John Whipple
The American West is setting an unenviable record in 2012, experiencing some of the largest wildfires in history. In addition to the toll the fires take on human life and property, fires pose challenges for wildlife management and recreational access. But the fires now ravaging Colorado and New Mexico are only one of many problems that impact the use and management of U.S. Forest Service lands.
Weather variability, invasive species, and predator/prey fluctuations are among the long list of factors that affect wildlife health, recreational use and recreational access in our National Forests. Forests require dynamic management to respond to these ever-changing problems and conditions. Despite this, the U.S. Forest Service is clinging to a one-size-fits-all management rule that prohibits local forest managers from exercising the flexibility necessary to adapt to changing management needs. Safari Club International (SCI) is trying to change this.
Why would the federal government enforce a rule that undermines healthy, sustainable forest management for future generations? This is exactly the question that the U.S. Supreme Court has been petitioned to consider in the case of State of Wyoming vs. the U.S. Department of Agriculture, where Wyoming is challenging the legality of the U.S. Forest Service’s 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule (Roadless Rule). This fall, the Supreme Court will decide whether it wants to hear that case.
The mandate of the 2001 Roadless Rule is inflexible – a centralized, D.C.-based planning approach for 58.5 million acres of National Forest lands, despite the fact that these wildly disparate lands are located in 38 states, composing almost one-third of our National Forest System. The core problem is that the permanent planning aspects of the Roadless Rule make it impossible for local forest unit planners to respond to changing conditions that impact wildlife, habitat and user access. The Roadless Rule deprives local forest planners of tools that they need to prevent catastrophic forest fires, reduce the impact of weather conditions, solve predator/prey imbalances and improve access for all recreationalists.
On June 15, 2012, Safari Club International filed our own amicus brief to encourage the Supreme Court to review the 2001 Roadless Rule. SCI’s brief explains how the Roadless Rule contradicts the U.S. Forest Service’s adaptive management approach to forest planning, and would violate statutory mandates to revise forest unit plans at least every 15 years. The brief also addresses the inequities that roadless restrictions pose for some members of the hunting community and the benefits that roadways provide for many species. SCI’s goal is to impress upon the Court the significant impact that the Roadless Rule has on the resources that SCI members and all hunters seek to enjoy in our nation’s forests.
SCI’s mission is to protect the freedom to hunt. Contrary to the beliefs and propaganda of wilderness activists, the Roadless Rule does very little to ensure that public lands are managed for long-term recreational use. In reality, the rule prevents local land managers from proactively managing our public lands and puts wildlife and forest health at risk.
We know that anti-hunting, anti-recreation aggressors will use this court case to further bend the management of our nation’s national forest against hunting and recreation. Those 501(c)(3) “charitable” organizations that are fighting to protect the Roadless Rule are doing so to appease their own rigid ideology, not the American public. Their threats to our heritage are ever present, but that is why SCI is submitting our own brief to support Wyoming’s challenge.
The position that we have taken in opposition to the one size fits all Roadless Rule will not be a popular one in some quarters. We know attacks will be focused on our organization, but we know through our support for active, healthy forest management, that SCI will be helping to improve wildlife populations for American sportsmen to enjoy for future generations.
John Whipple serves as Safari Club International’s President. He is a Life member of Safari Club International and SCI’s Political Action Committee and has been SCI/SCIF Deputy President-Elect, Treasurer, Executive Committee Vice President. John is a life-long hunter, having taken big game species across North America and abroad.
Weather variability, invasive species, and predator/prey fluctuations are among the long list of factors that affect wildlife health, recreational use and recreational access in our National Forests. Forests require dynamic management to respond to these ever-changing problems and conditions. Despite this, the U.S. Forest Service is clinging to a one-size-fits-all management rule that prohibits local forest managers from exercising the flexibility necessary to adapt to changing management needs. Safari Club International (SCI) is trying to change this.
Why would the federal government enforce a rule that undermines healthy, sustainable forest management for future generations? This is exactly the question that the U.S. Supreme Court has been petitioned to consider in the case of State of Wyoming vs. the U.S. Department of Agriculture, where Wyoming is challenging the legality of the U.S. Forest Service’s 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule (Roadless Rule). This fall, the Supreme Court will decide whether it wants to hear that case.
The mandate of the 2001 Roadless Rule is inflexible – a centralized, D.C.-based planning approach for 58.5 million acres of National Forest lands, despite the fact that these wildly disparate lands are located in 38 states, composing almost one-third of our National Forest System. The core problem is that the permanent planning aspects of the Roadless Rule make it impossible for local forest unit planners to respond to changing conditions that impact wildlife, habitat and user access. The Roadless Rule deprives local forest planners of tools that they need to prevent catastrophic forest fires, reduce the impact of weather conditions, solve predator/prey imbalances and improve access for all recreationalists.
On June 15, 2012, Safari Club International filed our own amicus brief to encourage the Supreme Court to review the 2001 Roadless Rule. SCI’s brief explains how the Roadless Rule contradicts the U.S. Forest Service’s adaptive management approach to forest planning, and would violate statutory mandates to revise forest unit plans at least every 15 years. The brief also addresses the inequities that roadless restrictions pose for some members of the hunting community and the benefits that roadways provide for many species. SCI’s goal is to impress upon the Court the significant impact that the Roadless Rule has on the resources that SCI members and all hunters seek to enjoy in our nation’s forests.
SCI’s mission is to protect the freedom to hunt. Contrary to the beliefs and propaganda of wilderness activists, the Roadless Rule does very little to ensure that public lands are managed for long-term recreational use. In reality, the rule prevents local land managers from proactively managing our public lands and puts wildlife and forest health at risk.
We know that anti-hunting, anti-recreation aggressors will use this court case to further bend the management of our nation’s national forest against hunting and recreation. Those 501(c)(3) “charitable” organizations that are fighting to protect the Roadless Rule are doing so to appease their own rigid ideology, not the American public. Their threats to our heritage are ever present, but that is why SCI is submitting our own brief to support Wyoming’s challenge.
The position that we have taken in opposition to the one size fits all Roadless Rule will not be a popular one in some quarters. We know attacks will be focused on our organization, but we know through our support for active, healthy forest management, that SCI will be helping to improve wildlife populations for American sportsmen to enjoy for future generations.
John Whipple serves as Safari Club International’s President. He is a Life member of Safari Club International and SCI’s Political Action Committee and has been SCI/SCIF Deputy President-Elect, Treasurer, Executive Committee Vice President. John is a life-long hunter, having taken big game species across North America and abroad.
