[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 12 (Tuesday, January 29, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Page S367]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. MURKOWSKI (for herself and Mr. Manchin):
  S. 170. A bill to recognize the heritage of recreational fishing, 
hunting, and recreational shooting on Federal public land and ensure 
continued opportunities for those activities; to the Committee on 
Energy and Natural Resources.
  Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the 
bipartisan Recreational Fishing and Hunting Opportunities Act.
  My bill is cosponsored by my friend from West Virginia, Senator 
Manchin, and is a commonsense, bipartisan piece of legislation. It 
enjoys support from over 39 separate organizations from the hunting, 
shooting, recreational fishing and wildlife conservation community. In 
addition, my staff has worked diligently with environmental and 
conservation organizations such as the Wilderness Society and the 
National Parks Conservation Association to alleviate their concerns 
with previous versions of the bill by removing references to the 
Wilderness Act and the National Environmental Policy Act. Furthermore, 
this legislation specifically exempts National Park Units, National 
Wildlife Refuges and land held in trust for the benefit of Native 
Americans.
  Our bill would acknowledge the importance of hunting and fishing on 
our BLM lands and in our National Forests by requiring hunting and 
fishing to be recognized activities on those lands. We are talking 
about traditional American activities, and they are activities that 
deserve the same consideration as other traditional uses of our public 
lands. Our legislation would establish an ``open unless closed'' policy 
for recreational hunting, fishing and shooting on BLM and Forest 
Service land. It is important to note, though, that this would not give 
these activities special priority, but merely level the current playing 
field between these traditional activities and other uses of our public 
lands.
  I would like to thank Senator Manchin, an original cosponsor of this 
bill, for his and his staff's hard work in moving this bill forward. It 
is our hope that this bill will receive quick but careful consideration 
as many sportsmen across this country have been eagerly awaiting 
passage of this measure for quite a long time.

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