[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 30 (Thursday, February 25, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H919-H929]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SPORTSMEN'S HERITAGE AND RECREATIONAL ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 2015
General Leave
Mr. WITTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and to include extraneous material on H.R. 2406, the SHARE Act.
[[Page H920]]
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Denham). Is there objection to the
request of the gentleman from Virginia?
There was no objection.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 619 and rule
XVIII, the Chair declares the House in the Committee of the Whole House
on the state of the Union for the consideration of the bill, H.R. 2406.
The Chair appoints the gentlewoman from Tennessee (Mrs. Black) to
preside over the Committee of the Whole.
{time} 1616
In the Committee of the Whole
Accordingly, the House resolved itself into the Committee of the
Whole House on the state of the Union for the consideration of the bill
(H.R. 2406) to protect and enhance opportunities for recreational
hunting, fishing, and shooting, and for other purposes, with Mrs. Black
in the chair.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The CHAIR. Pursuant to the rule, the bill is considered read the
first time.
The gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wittman) and the gentleman from
Virginia (Mr. Beyer) each will control 30 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wittman).
Mr. WITTMAN. Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Chair, before the House today is the Sportsmen's Heritage and
Recreational Enhancement Act of 2016, better known as the SHARE Act. It
is a package of commonsense bills that will increase opportunities for
hunters, recreational shooters, and anglers; eliminate unneeded
regulatory impediments; safeguard against new regulations that impede
outdoor sporting activities; and protect Second Amendment rights.
Similar packages were passed with strong bipartisan support in both the
112th and 113th Congresses.
Outdoor sporting activities, including hunting, fishing, and
recreational shooting, are deeply engrained in the fabric of America's
culture and heritage. Values instilled by partaking in these activities
are passed down from generation to generation and play a significant
part in the lives of millions of Americans.
Much of America's outdoor sporting activity occurs on our Nation's
Federal lands. Unfortunately, Federal agencies like the U.S. Forest
Service and Bureau of Land Management often prevent or impede access to
Federal lands for outdoor sporting activities. Because lack of access
is one of the key reasons sportsmen and -women stop participating in
outdoor sporting activities, ensuring the public has reliable access to
our Nation's Federal lands must remain a top priority.
The SHARE Act does just that. One of the key provisions in the bill,
the Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage Opportunities Act, will
increase and sustain access for hunting, fishing, and recreational
shooting on Federal lands for generations to come. Specifically, it
protects sportsmen and -women from arbitrary efforts by the Federal
Government to block Federal lands from hunting and fishing activities
by implementing an ``open until closed'' management policy.
Another provision in the package will give State and Federal agencies
the tools to jointly create and maintain recreational shooting ranges
on Federal lands. In addition, the bill allows the Department of the
Interior to designate hunting access corridors throughout our national
parks so that sportsmen and -women can access adjacent Federal lands to
hunt and fish.
The package also protects Second Amendment rights and the use of
traditional ammunition and fishing tackle. It defends law-abiding
individuals' constitutional right to keep and bear arms on lands
managed by the Army Corps of Engineers and ensures that hunters are not
burdened by outdated laws preventing bows and crossbows from being
transported across national parks.
Finally, the package prevents the implementation of onerous
constraints by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on lawfully possessed
domestic ivory products and eliminates red tape associated with the
importation of 41 lawfully harvested polar bear hunting trophies.
This important legislation will sustain America's rich hunting and
fishing traditions, improve access to our Federal lands for responsible
outdoor sporting activities, and help ensure that the current and
future generations of sportsmen and -women are able to enjoy the
sporting activities our country has to offer and what we hold dear.
I strongly encourage my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this important
election.
House of Representatives,
Committee on Natural Resources,
Washington, DC, 22 February 2016.
Hon. Bob Goodlatte,
Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary,
Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: During the week of February 22, 2016,
the House will be debating H.R. 2406, the Sportsmen's
Heritage and Recreational Enhancement Act of 2015. The bill
was referred primarily to the Committee on Natural Resources,
with an additional referral to the Committee on the
Judiciary, among other committees.
At the request of Vice Chairman Cynthia Lummis, I ask that
you allow the inclusion of the text of H.R. 3279, the Open
Book on Equal Access to Justice Act, as passed by the House
of Representatives, as part of a manager's amendment to the
bill. Mrs. Lummis is a cosponsor of the measure and has
discussed this course of action with the bill's author. The
Senate counterpart to H.R. 2406 already includes such a
provision, and I believe it would be a substantial
improvement to the bill and bolster its purpose of increased
sportsmen's opportunities to hunt, fish and recreationally
shoot. If the amendment is adopted, this action would in no
way affect your jurisdiction over the subject matter of the
amendment, and it will not serve as precedent for future
amendments. In addition, should a conference on the bill be
necessary, I would support your request to have the Committee
on the Judiciary represented on the conference committee on
this matter. Finally, I would be pleased to include this
letter and any response in the Congressional Record to
document our agreement.
Thank you for your consideration of my request, and I look
forward to further opportunities to work with you this
Congress.
Sincerely,
Rob Bishop,
Chairman,
Committee on Natural Resources.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on the Judiciary,
Washington, DC, February 23, 2016.
Hon. Rob Bishop,
Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources,
Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Bishop: I am writing with respect to H.R.
2406, the ``Sportsmen's Heritage and Recreational Enhancement
Act of 2015,'' which the House is scheduled to debate this
week. As a result of your having consulted with us on the
inclusion of the text of H.R. 3279, the ``Open Book on Equal
Access to Justice Act,'' as part of your Committee's
manager's amendment to H.R. 2406, I agree to allow the text
of H.R. 3279 to be included in the amendment.
The Judiciary Committee takes this action with our mutual
understanding that by allowing the inclusion of the text of
H.R. 3279 in the manager's amendment, we do not waive any
jurisdiction over subject matter contained in H.R. 3279 or
similar legislation, and that our Committee will be
appropriately consulted and involved as H.R. 2406 moves
forward so that we may address any remaining issues in our
jurisdiction. Our Committee also reserves the right to seek
appointment of an appropriate number of conferees to any
House-Senate conference involving H.R. 2406, and asks that
you support any such request.
I would ask that a copy of our exchange of letters on this
matter be included in the Congressional Record during Floor
consideration of H.R. 2406.
Sincerely,
Bob Goodlatte,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Natural Resources,
Washington, DC, February 23, 2016.
Hon. Kevin Brady,
Chairman, Committee on Ways and Means, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: On December 10, 2015, the Committee on
Natural Resources favorably reported as amended H.R. 2406,
the Sportsmen's Heritage and Recreational Enhancement Act of
2015.
The reported bill contains provisions affecting import
bans, a matter within the jurisdiction of the Ways and Means
Committee. I ask that you not seek a sequential referral of
the bill so that it may be scheduled by the Majority Leader
this week. This concession in no way affects your
jurisdiction over the subject matter of the bill, and it will
not serve as precedent for future referrals. In addition,
should a conference on the bill be necessary, I would support
your request to have the Committee on Ways and Means
represented on the conference committee. Finally, I would be
pleased to include this letter and any response in the
Congressional Record to document this agreement.
Thank you for your consideration of my request, and I look
forward to further opportunities to work with you this
Congress.
Sincerely,
Rob Bishop,
Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources.
[[Page H921]]
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Ways and Means,
Washington, DC, February 23, 2016.
Hon. Rob Bishop,
Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Bishop: I am writing with respect to H.R.
2406, the ``Sportsmen's Heritage and Recreational Enhancement
Act of 2015,'' which the Committee on Natural Resources
ordered reported favorably. As you note, several provisions
of the bill affect the establishment and operation of import
bans, a matter that is within the jurisdiction of the
Committee on Ways and Means. I agree to forego action on this
bill so that it may proceed expeditiously to the House floor
for consideration.
The Committee takes this action with our mutual
understanding that by foregoing consideration of H.R. 2406 at
this time, we do not waive any jurisdiction over subject
matter contained in this or similar legislation, and that our
Committee will be appropriately consulted and involved as the
bill or similar legislation moves forward so that we may
address any remaining issues in our jurisdiction. Our
Committee also reserves the right to seek appointment of an
appropriate number of conferees to any House-Senate
conference involving this or similar legislation, and asks
that you support any such request.
I would ask that a copy of our exchange of letters on this
matter be included in the Congressional Record during Floor
consideration of H.R. 2406.
Sincerely,
Kevin Brady,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Natural Resources,
Washington, DC, December 2, 2015.
Hon. K. Michael Conaway,
Chairman, Committee on Agriculture,
Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: On October 8, 2015, the Committee on
Natural Resources ordered favorably reported as amended H.R.
2406, the Sportsman's Heritage and Recreational Enhancement
Act of 2015. The bill was referred primarily to the Committee
on Natural Resources, with an additional referral to the
Committee on Agriculture, among other committees. My staff
has shared a copy of the reported text with your staff.
I ask that you allow the Committee on Agriculture to be
discharged from further consideration of the bill so that it
may be scheduled by the Majority Leader. This discharge in no
way affects your jurisdiction over the subject matter of the
bill, and it will not serve as precedent for future
referrals. In addition, should a conference on the bill be
necessary, I would support your request to have the Committee
on Agriculture represented on the conference committee.
Finally, I would be pleased to include this letter and any
response in the bill report filed by the Committee on Natural
Resources to memorialize our understanding, as well as in the
Congressional Record.
Thank you for your consideration of my request and for the
extraordinary cooperation shown by you and your staff over
matters of shared jurisdiction. I look forward to further
opportunities to work with you this Congress.
Sincerely,
Rob Bishop,
Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Agriculture,
Washington, DC, December 8, 2015.
Hon. Rob Bishop,
Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources,
Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for the opportunity to review
H.R. 2406, the Sportsman's Heritage and Recreational
Enhancement Act of 2015. As you are aware, the bill was
primarily referred to the Committee on Natural Resources,
while the Agriculture Committee received an additional
referral.
I recognize and appreciate your desire to bring this
legislation before the House in an expeditious manner and,
accordingly, I agree to discharge H.R. 2406 from further
consideration by the Committee on Agriculture. I do so with
the understanding that by discharging the bill, the Committee
on Agriculture does not waive any future jurisdictional claim
on this or similar matters. Further, the Committee on
Agriculture reserves the right to seek the appointment of
conferees, if it should become necessary.
I ask that you insert a copy of our exchange of letters
into the Congressional Record during consideration of this
measure on the House floor.
Thank you for your courtesy in this matter and I look
forward to continued cooperation between our respective
committees.
Sincerely,
K. Michael Conaway,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Natural Resources,
Washington, DC, December 7, 2015.
Hon. Bill Shuster,
Chairman, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: On October 8, 2015, the Committee on
Natural Resources ordered favorably reported as amended H.R.
2406, the Sportsman's Heritage and Recreational Enhancement
Act of 2015. The bill was referred primarily to the Committee
on Natural Resources, with an additional referral to the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, among other
committees.
I ask that you allow the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure to be discharged from further consideration of
the bill so that it may be scheduled by the Majority Leader.
This discharge in no way affects your jurisdiction over the
subject matter of the bill, and it will not serve as
precedent for future referrals. In addition, should a
conference on the bill be necessary, I would support your
request to have the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure represented on the conference committee.
Finally, I would be pleased to include this letter and any
response in the bill report filed by the Committee on Natural
Resources to memorialize our understanding, as well as in the
Congressional Record.
Thank you for your consideration of my request and for the
extraordinary cooperation shown by you and your staff over
matters of shared jurisdiction. I look forward to further
opportunities to work with you this Congress.
Sincerely,
Rob Bishop,
Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources.
____
House of Representatives, Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure,
Washington, DC, December 8, 2015.
Hon. Rob Bishop,
Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources,
Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Bishop: I write concerning H.R. 2406, the
Sportmen's Heritage and Recreational Enhancement Act of 2015
(SHARE Act). This legislation includes matters that fall
within the Rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure.
In order to expedite Floor consideration of H.R. 2406, the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure will forgo
action on this bill. However, this is conditional on our
mutual understanding that forgoing consideration of the bill
does not prejudice the Committee with respect to the
appointment of conferees or to any future jurisdictional
claim over the subject matters contained in the bill or
similar legislation that fall within the Committee's Rule X
jurisdiction. Should a conference on the bill be necessary, I
fully expect the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure to be represented on the conference committee.
Thank you for your assistance in this matter and for
agreeing to include a copy of this letter in the bill report
filed by the Committee on Natural Resources, as well as in
the Congressional Record during Floor consideration.
Sincerely,
Bill Shuster,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Natural Resources,
Washington, DC, December 9, 2015.
Hon. Fred Upton,
Chairman, Committee on Energy and Commerce, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: On October 8, 2015, the Committee on
Natural Resources ordered favorably reported as amended H.R.
2406, the Sportsman's Heritage and Recreational Enhancement
Act of 2015. The bill was referred primarily to the Committee
on Natural Resources, with an additional referral to the
Committee on Energy and Commerce, among other committees.
I ask that you allow the Committee on Energy and Commerce
to be discharged from further consideration of the bill so
that it may be scheduled by the Majority Leader. This
discharge in no way affects your jurisdiction over the
subject matter of the bill, and it will not serve as
precedent for future referrals. In addition, should a
conference on the bill be necessary, I would support your
request to have the Committee on Energy and Commerce
represented on the conference committee. Finally, I would be
pleased to include this letter and any response in the bill
report filed by the Committee on Natural Resources to
memorialize our understanding, as well as in the
Congressional Record.
Thank you for your consideration of my request and for the
extraordinary cooperation shown by you and your staff over
matters of shared jurisdiction. I look forward to further
opportunities to work with you this Congress.
Sincerely,
Rob Bishop,
Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Energy and Commerce,
Washington, DC, December 9, 2015.
Hon. Rob Bishop,
Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for your letter regarding H.R.
2406, the Sportsman's Heritage and Recreational Enhancement
Act of 2015.
As you noted, the bill was additionally referred to the
Committee on Energy and Commerce, and I agree to the
discharge of the Committee from further consideration of the
bill so that it may be scheduled by the Majority Leader. This
discharge in no way affects the Committee's jurisdiction over
the subject matter of the bill, and it will not
[[Page H922]]
serve as precedent for future referrals. In addition, should
a conference on the bill be necessary, I appreciate your
support for my request to have the Committee represented on
the conference committee.
Finally, I appreciate the inclusion of your letter and this
response in the bill report tiled by the Committee on Natural
Resources to memorialize our understanding, as well as in the
Congressional Record.
Thank you for your assistance.
Sincerely,
Fred Upton,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Natural Resources,
Washington, DC, December 9, 2015.
Hon. Bob Goodlatte,
Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: On October 8, 2015, the Committee on
Natural Resources ordered favorably reported as amended H.R.
2406, the Sportsman's Heritage and Recreational Enhancement
Act of 2015. The bill was referred primarily to the Committee
on Natural Resources, with an additional referral to the
Committee on the Judiciary, among other committees.
I ask that you allow the Committee on the Judiciary to be
discharged from further consideration of the bill so that it
may be scheduled by the Majority Leader. This discharge in no
way affects your jurisdiction over the subject matter of the
bill, and it will not serve as precedent for future
referrals. In addition, should a conference on the bill be
necessary, I would support your request to have the Committee
on the Judiciary represented on the conference committee.
Finally, I would be pleased to include this letter and any
response in the bill report filed by the Committee on Natural
Resources to memorialize our understanding, as well as in the
Congressional Record.
Thank you for your consideration of my request, and I look
forward to further opportunities to work with you this
Congress.
Sincerely,
Rob Bishop,
Chairman,
Committee on Natural Resources.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on the Judiciary,
Washington, DC, December 9, 2015.
Hon. Rob Bishop,
Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Bishop: I am writing with respect to H.R.
2406, the ``Sportsmen's Heritage and Recreational Enhancement
Act of 2015,'' which the Committee on Natural Resources
recently ordered reported favorably. As a result of your
having consulted with us on provisions in H.R. 2406 that fall
within the Rule X jurisdiction of the Committee on the
Judiciary, I agree to discharge our Committee from further
consideration of this bill so that it may proceed
expeditiously to the House floor for consideration.
The Judiciary Committee takes this action with our mutual
understanding that by foregoing consideration of H.R. 2406 at
this time, we do not waive any jurisdiction over subject
matter contained in this or similar legislation, and that our
Committee will be appropriately consulted and involved as the
bill or similar legislation moves forward so that we may
address any remaining issues in our jurisdiction. Our
Committee also reserves the right to seek appointment of an
appropriate number of conferees to any House-Senate
conference involving this or similar legislation, and asks
that you support any such request.
I would ask that a copy of our exchange of letters on this
matter be included in the Congressional Record during floor
consideration of H.R. 2406.
Sincerely,
Bob Goodlatte,
Chairman.
Mr. WITTMAN. Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BEYER. Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Chair, I rise to oppose H.R. 2406, with great respect for my
friend, the gentleman from Virginia. I respect very much what
Representative Wittman and others are trying to do.
The best I can do to describe H.R. 2406 is a missed opportunity. Many
of the titles in the bill are inoffensive, but others would
significantly hinder conservation efforts that benefit hunters,
anglers, and other lovers of the outdoors.
I myself am an avid hiker, Madam Chair. I just completed 25 miles on
the Appalachian Trail in the snow last week in Representative
Goodlatte's district. I am up to 1,288 miles on the Appalachian Trail.
I would love to see conservation efforts that protect the long-term
legacy of the Appalachian Trail like the Land and Water Conservation
Fund.
Simply put, this bill doesn't include the sporting community's top
legislative priorities. The Natural Resources Committee Democrats have
been clear from the beginning that we are open to discussions that
could lead to compromise legislation--legislation that would indeed
include many of the pieces of this bill, but also additional titles
that would earn it broad bipartisan support.
In a letter several days ago, Ranking Member Grijalva wrote to the
chair expressing optimism that a noncontroversial outcome could still
be achieved and requesting negotiations to produce a bill that would
pass the House without opposition. Unfortunately, this request was
denied.
So I would love to have this bill on the suspension calendar, but not
on the suspension calendar I would like to detail nine specific
objections.
Objection 1, this bill omits the top two priorities of the outdoors
community, the permit reauthorization of the Land and Water
Conservation Fund, and the permit reauthorization of the North American
Wetlands Conservation Act.
LWCF has provided funding to help protect some of Virginia's most
special places: the Rappahannock River Valley, Back Bay National
Wildlife Refuge, Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Historic District, and
the Appalachian Trail.
Studies have shown that for every dollar of LWCF invested, there is a
$4 return to communities. The broader outdoor recreation conservation
economy is responsible for more than $600 billion in consumer spending
every year.
This is one of the Nation's premier programs. Over the years, LWCF
has been responsible for more than 40,000 State and local outdoor
recreation projects: playgrounds, parks, refuges, and baseball fields.
There is strong bipartisan support. I believe 88 percent of Americans
want Congress to preserve it. So now is the perfect opportunity to do
that.
We have had hearings in the Committee on Natural Resources on
Representative Chairman Bishop's bill. We need hearings on
Representative Grijalva's H.R. 1814, which has more than 200 bipartisan
cosponsors. This bill was the perfect opportunity to include that bill.
It was also the perfect opportunity to do the North American Wetlands
Conservation Act, NAWCA. It is a voluntary, nonregulatory conservation
program. Farmers, ranchers, and other private landowners support the
program, and every project is voluntary. It fosters conservation
efforts by the non-Federal sector.
Over the years, nearly 5,000 corporate, small business, nonprofit,
State, and local entities have tripled NAWCA dollars by providing
matching funds. The 50 State wildlife agencies are all active partners
in it, and demand for NAWCA continues to exceed available funds. So
this was debated and thoroughly vetted in the 112th and the 113th
Congresses. It was unanimously reauthorized by Congress in 2006, and
this was a great vehicle to do that.
Objection 2, title X, I believe, which is the ivory title, this would
gut the administration's proposed ivory rule. Last year, the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service seized a 1-ton stockpile of illegal elephant
ivory, most of which was seized from a Philadelphia antique dealer
named Victor Gordon.
For at least 9 years, Gordon imported and sold ivory from freshly
killed African elephants in violation of U.S. law and the laws of the
countries where the elephants were poached and the ivory was stolen.
While a ton of ivory was confiscated, there is no way to know how much
Gordon had sold during the previous decade or where it is now.
How did he get away with it for so long?
The ivory was doctored so it looked old enough to pass through a
loophole in enforcement of the African Elephant Conservation Act, a law
that was passed by us in 1989 to end the commercial import and export
of ivory.
The Obama administration's proposed ivory rule would close that
loophole and prevent U.S. citizens from being involved--knowingly or
unknowingly--in elephant poaching and the trafficking crisis. Ending
the commercial ivory trade does not mean taking away the people's
musical instruments, ivory-handled pistols, or family heirlooms. Museum
collections, scientific specimens, and sport-hunted trophies will also
be allowed to move freely. Neither the Fish and Wildlife Service's
direct order nor the forthcoming Endangered Species Act rule restrict
possession or transport within the United
[[Page H923]]
States, and transport into and out of the country will still be allowed
with the appropriate documentation.
Further, items up to 200 grams--7 ounces--of ivory can still be
bought and sold, and that is more ivory than is in any piano or ivory-
gripped pistol.
What the rule will do is stop profiteering off elephant parts in this
country. As long as ivory has monetary value, people will kill
elephants to get it. Eliminating value will eliminate demand, and it is
a necessary component of the broader U.S. strategy to reduce wildlife
poaching and trafficking.
I am disappointed that Ranking Member Grijalva's amendment to strike
ivory was not made in order in the Rules Committee, but I understand no
one wanting to vote on this floor to be in favor of killing more
elephants. Regardless, the inclusion of that provision in this bill
before us today shows that somehow we are unaware or unconcerned with
the fact that poachers are slaughtering nearly 100 African elephants a
day.
Objection 3, Madam Chair, is section 302 of SHARE Act that would
allow polar bear trophies. It creates a loophole in the Marine Mammal
Protection Act to allow a handful of wealthy trophy hunters to import
polar bear trophies into the U.S. in defiance of current law.
If passed, this will be the fourth major carve-out by Congress since
1994 for Americans who have hunted polar bears in Canada. Although the
number of polar bears affected by this loophole will be relatively
small, the cumulative effect of the carve-outs has been detrimental to
an imperiled species.
And these trophy hunters were not caught up in government bureaucracy
or red tape. All the individuals hunted the bears after the George W.
Bush administration proposed the species for listing as threatened
under the Endangered Species Act despite repeated warnings from
government agencies, hunting groups, and the conservation community
that the trophies could face a bar on importation and that these
hunters were hunting at their own risk.
Granting this request would create a dangerous precedent by
encouraging hunters to race for trophies the moment any species is
considered for listing when such species most need protection, knowing
they can rely on Congress later to let them import their trophies.
Objection 4, the provision gives States the veto power on Federal
fishing management and national marine parks, sanctuaries, and
monuments.
I flew to Homestead, Florida, this past spring, Madam Chair, for
their public hearing on the Biscayne Bay, a national marine that was
set aside by the park service. It was a small, small percentage of the
total Federal lands and waters. About half the fishermen there were for
it and half the fishermen were against it, but it missed the fact that
these were not State waters and that we in Congress have a
responsibility to the entire Nation, not just for any one county or one
region.
Our oceans cover more than 70 percent of the Earth, and 99 percent of
that water is open to fishing, but in some cases science shows that we
must protect certain areas. We all want more people to have more
fishing opportunities, but the fish have to be there.
I was impressed by something the director of NOAA told me a couple
years ago, that the fishing marine reserves in the Pacific set aside by
George W. Bush, you can now see them from space because the fish have
recovered so quickly within those reserves, that the fishing vessels
outline the perimeter of the reserve, which you can see from 100 miles
away.
Objection 5, title 15 bars the Forest Service from restricting dog
deer hunting on certain national forest lands in Louisiana,
Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The aim is to allow for a
continued hunting of deer with dogs, which is an extremely
controversial practice that pits landowners against hunters.
Landowners complained. This didn't come from overzealous
environmentalists or Federal regulators. It came from landowner
complaints to the Forest Service to ban deer dogging in the Louisiana
Kisatchie National Forest.
{time} 1630
Congress should let expert land managers manage land and other
resources valued by all Americans. This decision to ban hunting deer
with dogs was necessary to create balance among multiple users of the
forest, and Congress should respect that.
Objection 6 is title IV that creates the Recreational Lands Self-
Defense Act. This bill would actually prohibit the Army from developing
or enforcing any regulation that prohibits an individual from
possessing a firearm at recreation areas administered by the Corps of
Engineers. It is just hard to believe that we are going to restrict the
Army from regulating gun use on Army property. If the Army is in charge
of lands management, it should be able to determine whether firearms
are appropriate on a site.
Army lands abut family homes and other sensitive sites. We should not
lightly permit access in places where an accidental shot could wind up
in someone's backyard or in a sensitive location. Accidental shots are
real. A longtime family friend--a West Point graduate and a retired
Army colonel--was sitting at his desk when a bullet, an accidental
bullet, came through the window, hit him in the back of the neck, and
he is a quadriplegic today.
Objection 7 is title IX that changes a successful program, the
Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act. On the Natural Resources
Committee, we have heard much from the majority, appropriately, about
how we need to deal with the incredible infrastructure deferred
maintenance backlog that we have on lands that we own. Basically, that
we shouldn't buy more until we take care of what we already have. This
would allow the existing act to take 100 percent of the land from land
transactions and spend it on deferred maintenance.
This violates the whole original idea of the act: that we would sell
Federal land to get more Federal land back. Furthermore, it makes these
expenditures subject to appropriation. So if we bring in X million
dollars in land sold, we don't have to buy or even use that X million
dollars on new deferred maintenance. It could just go to--wherever.
I am disappointed that the bipartisan land-for-land FLTFA version
that sportsmen in 165 groups have championed for a decade isn't
included in the SHARE Act today.
Objection 8 is title VI. Currently over 75 percent of all Federal
land is open to hunting and fishing, but title VI deems all Bureau of
Land Management and Forest Service land open for hunting unless it is
closed by the head of the agency through a long closure process. Right
now, they can be closed by local land managers.
Once again, I find this a little ironic because so much of the theme
from the majority, which I respect, is to move decisionmaking back
close to the communities that are actually affected. In this case, they
are moving it away from the communities and to Washington, D.C., to
close these lands. It also undermines the Wilderness Act, the National
Environmental Policy Act, and the National Wildlife Refuge System
Administration Act.
Finally, Madam Chair, objection 9 is trapping. The SHARE Act would
dramatically expand the use of body-gripping traps on Federal public
lands, including in sensitive wilderness areas. The provision takes the
step, unprecedented in Federal law, of adding trapping to the
definition of hunting, then creating a presumption that all these
Federal public lands are open. Millions of acres of land would be open
to trapping.
Even under current law, roughly 6 million targeted animals are killed
in traps every year, according to Association of Fish and Wildlife
Agencies. Held in a painful leghold trap, a beaver, a bobcat, a fox,
will try desperately to break free in the hours or days until they
succumb to dehydration, predators, or death at the hands of trappers.
Traps are dangerous and they are indiscriminate in snaring not only
targeted areas, but threaten endangered species, pets, or even
unsuspecting children and adults.
Leghold traps have already been prohibited or severely restricted in
nine U.S. States in over 80 countries. Congress should be acting to
protect the public, endangered species, and pets from dangerous and
indiscriminate body-gripping traps, not expanding their use into
additional areas. Really,
[[Page H924]]
how can trapping be described as sportsmanlike?
Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WITTMAN. Madam Chair, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
California (Mr. McClintock).
Mr. McCLINTOCK. Madam Chair, I thank the gentleman for yielding and
for his work on behalf of American sportsmen.
Madam Chair, three overarching goals should guide our Federal land
policy. First, to restore public access to the public lands; second, to
restore sound and proven scientific management to the public lands; and
finally, to restore the Federal Government as a good neighbor to the
local communities impacted by the public lands.
This measure does all three. It removes the arbitrary and capricious
restrictions that are increasingly imposed on hunting and fishing by
various Federal agencies; it enlists sportsmen in the long-neglected
management of overpopulated species; and it gives more funds to States
for recreational activities on public lands while encouraging greater
participation by the public in developing these policies.
Outdoor sporting activities, including hunting and fishing and
recreational shooting, are deeply engrained in the fabric of America's
culture and heritage that are now under attack by the radical left.
In 2011, over 37 million Americans hunted or fished across the
country. These traditional outdoor activities contributed over $90
billion to the U.S. economy in 2011, much of it in the gateway
communities to our public lands. Unfortunately, Federal agencies like
the Forest Service and the BLM often prevent or impede public access
for outdoor sporting activities. This is a large and growing class of
complaints that my office fields in a district that includes five
national forests in the Sierra Nevada of California.
One of the key provisions of this bill will increase and sustain
access for hunting and fishing and recreational shooting on public
lands by implementing an ``open until closed'' management policy. It
also requires Federal agencies to report to Congress on any closures of
Federal lands to these pursuits. Another provision would provide State
and Federal coordination to create and maintain recreational shooting
ranges on the Federal lands.
This bill protects the property rights of those who have acquired
ivory products and other trophies over generations, long before any of
this hunting was banned, and often passed on down through the
generations within a family. It does absolutely nothing to imperil the
protected species under current laws.
The purpose of the public lands can be found in the original Yosemite
Grant Act of 1864: public use, resort, and recreation for all time. The
SHARE Act recognizes our Nation's hunting and fishing heritage; it
strengthens the fundamental right of public use; it secures the vital
role that recreational hunting and fishing play in resource management;
and it guarantees the freedom to sustain that heritage for the many
generations of Americans to come.
Mr. BEYER. Madam Chair, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from
California (Mrs. Capps).
Mrs. CAPPS. Madam Chair, I thank my colleague for yielding.
Madam Chair, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 2406. This bill is
being described as a simple package to support hunting and fishing on
Federal lands.
For fishing and hunting to be sustained, it must be done with a mind
toward conservation. Unfortunately, this bill fails to achieve this
need, and it threatens the very environment that supports the animals.
Of course, by doing so, it endangers the sustainability and long-term
viability of hunting and fishing, also.
Furthermore, this bill ignores scientifically based best practices,
leaving these lands at risk. While there are numerous bad provisions in
the bill, including allowing ill-advised ivory and polar bear
importation and actually preventing scientifically based regulations,
this bill is particularly troubling because it limits Federal
management, lead ammunition, and fishing tackle.
We hear every day about the dangers of lead. The devastating impacts
of lead poisoning are not just restricted to people. I have seen these
dangers firsthand, as they are extremely apparent in my district on the
central coast of California.
As anyone from California knows, the California condor, the largest
North American land bird and an iconic species along the central coast,
was on the brink of extinction, in large part due to lead poisoning. A
looming threat to this species remains, so we must stay vigilant. In
fact, this danger is so imminent that published research shows that the
species is unlikely to survive unless we continue to substantially
reduce the threat of lead in the environment.
The source of this lead is not a mystery. It is in large part the
result of lead from hunting and fishing equipment. Lead poisoning is a
terrible and cruel way for any animal to die. While the risk to condors
is immediate, this risk is not limited in any way to this one species.
Continuing to pollute our lands and waters with lead ammunition and
fishing tackle makes absolutely no sense. But the bill before us would
keep the Federal Government from doing anything to address this issue.
It is so dangerous and shortsighted.
That is why I offered an amendment at the Rules Committee which would
have removed this dangerous language from the bill; but unfortunately,
we will not be able to fix this problem on the floor because my
amendment has been blocked from a vote. Despite its name, the SHARE Act
would do little good and a great deal of harm. This is a bad bill.
I urge my colleagues strenuously to oppose it.
Mr. WITTMAN. Madam Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Louisiana (Mr. Scalise).
Mr. SCALISE. Madam Chair, I want to thank my friend from Virginia for
yielding and for his leadership in bringing the SHARE Act forward.
I rise in strong support of this legislation that protects the rights
of sportsmen and protects the rights of gun owners.
Madam Chair, I am proud to come from Louisiana, which is called the
Sportsman's Paradise. We have great traditions of hunting and fishing
throughout our State.
If you look at the barrage of regulations that have come out from
this administration over the years, it has attacked so many different
fundamental aspects of our society, so many things that make our
country great. Of course, the right to hunt and fish is something that
is not only a fundamental right for people, but it is actually
something that brings families together. It is one of the great
traditions that we love to share with our children. Our parents brought
us hunting and fishing.
Yet if you look at some of the regulations coming out of these
Federal agencies today, it is actually undermining those rights. What
this bill is targeted at is restoring those rights, to make sure, for
example, when you have got agencies like the Corps of Engineers that
are trying to arbitrarily shut off lands for the ability of people to
go hunt, they shouldn't be able to do that. In fact, under this
legislation, they won't be able to continue doing that. No unelected
bureaucrat should be able to limit the rights of law-abiding citizens.
Something else we have seen, Madam Chair, is the Environmental
Protection Agency, unfortunately an agency we hear a lot about around
this town, that is out there threatening jobs, taking away the ability
for people to do things that are important to their everyday lives.
The EPA has been threatening to ban lead ammo and tackle. In this
bill, we block the EPA from being able to ban lead ammo. Again, this is
something that is fundamental to our rights as sportsmen, as hunters
and fishermen, to be able to enjoy the fruits of our land.
There are over 50 sports organizations that are supporting this
legislation. I just want to read from the National Rifle Association's
Institute for Legislative Action: ``The SHARE Act would give law-
abiding gun owners more access to carry firearms on land managed by the
Army Corps of Engineers, protect lead-based ammunition, and promote the
construction and maintenance of public target ranges.''
Madam Chair, it is important legislation. I encourage all of our
colleagues
[[Page H925]]
to support it and pass it over to the Senate.
Mr. BEYER. Madam Chair, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
Minnesota (Mr. Walz).
Mr. WALZ. Madam Chair, I thank the gentleman for yielding time.
I rise in support of the SHARE Act and the Sportsmen's Heritage and
Recreational Enhancement Act.
I thank my co-chair on the Sportsmen's Caucus, Mr. Wittman, for his
work on this bill. Like so many you have heard here today, we, as a
Nation, are blessed with an abundance of opportunities in the outdoors.
Like so many, I take advantage of them: hiking, biking, hunting, and
fishing.
For those who do participate in hunting and fishing, it truly is a
passion, it is a way of life, and it is a heritage that we share with
our parents. I don't think there is one of us who participated in it
who doesn't remember a crisp autumn morning, waking up with our father,
cooking breakfast, and going out to the field with the dew on the grass
and the Sun coming up. To this day, I don't remember if we necessarily
got a pheasant, but I remember my dad, and I remember talking about it.
It was on those trips that I think we understood that hunting and
fishing, as a way of life, is not in a vacuum.
Hunting and fishing in Minnesota, 1.7 million Minnesotans participate
in hunting and fishing. That contributes $3 billion to our economy and
creates 48,000 direct jobs. If you take that across the Nation, it is
$90 billion a year to our economy. That is not in a vacuum either,
because we have a really unique system of conservation in this country:
user pays and public benefits. Every shell and cartridge that is
purchased and every fishing rod and boat that is purchased has an
excise tax in it that goes back into the very conservation.
{time} 1645
The people who are out hunting and fishing understand as well as
anyone, if you don't have the proper habitat, you don't have the
pheasants.
An organization like I belong to, Pheasants Forever, has literally
put in all of the money and has leveraged this in order to turn tens of
thousands of acres of the prairie back to virgin prairie, which are now
abundant with game for people to take advantage of. Those are the types
of things that make sense.
I understand the concerns that the gentleman expressed, and I
understand that this is not a perfect bill. But I can tell you that it
has been worked on for a long time and that it is a starting point.
There is a realization and an understanding that we have to
compromise on issues. We are going to have to work with the Senate, and
we are going to get this in front of the President.
Yet, I think most of us agree that our goal with this is to allow
Americans to continue to have their constitutional rights and their
abilities to do those activities they want, whether that be hiking,
whether that be mountain biking, whether that be hunting, or whether
that be fishing and, at the same time, to make sure that there is an
economic engine in it that contributes to the ability to keep those
lands up.
I ask my friends to approach it with an open mind and to understand
that this is truly deeply engrained in this culture. There are
commonalities here. We have the same goals, to make sure these are
available for our children.
If we can come together and work on this, we have to take this first
step. We are becoming a more populated country, and there are fewer
opportunities for people to get out there. Many people are not
landowners themselves; so, the public lands are the only places at
which these activities can take place.
There is enough out there. If we manage it right, we can share the
land, as the act says, and we can do those activities that mean a lot
to us and continue them for future generations.
I encourage my colleagues to support this piece of legislation.
Mr. WITTMAN. Madam Chair, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
Utah (Mr. Bishop), the chairman of the Natural Resources Committee.
Mr. BISHOP of Utah. Madam Chair, I thank Mr. Wittman and Mr. Walz for
working with our committee to bring this bipartisan bill together to
protect hunting and shooting heritages.
One of the things that I, as well as many of my colleagues, hear
repeatedly from our constituents is the complaint that land management
agencies have blocked access to Federal lands. That especially goes for
hunters and anglers and target shooters.
Our national monuments alone have already closed 928,000 acres to
hunting and recreational shooting. Most of those areas are,
unfortunately, easily accessible. You don't have to walk miles to try
and get to them.
There are some who condemn this by saying that the vast majority of
public lands is still open for hunting and shooting. The problem is the
proximity.
The ones that are being closed are those that are easily accessible
to especially those people who live in urban areas who don't have to go
miles and miles to do it.
In addition to that, the problem is that the Bureau of Land
Management and the Forest Service make no assessment on the impact of
closing lands to shooters or to anglers.
They don't identify where the displaced recreationalists are being
able to go, how far they have to travel, or what kind of access would
be available to them. At a minimum, this bill forces them to take that
into consideration.
I wish it were tougher language that would force them to make some
kind of accommodations. But at least for the first time they are
actually going to consider those issues, because hunting and fishing
and shooting are part of the multiple-use mandate for our public lands.
There is no question about it.
I also want to make a couple of points very clear in that the
language in title IV that deals with this bill, that deals with the
Army Corps lands, allows law-abiding American citizens to carry
firearms on Army Corps recreational lands.
The Army Corps is not the Army. There is a difference between the
two. We are not talking about military lands, but recreational lands.
What this does is make these recreational lands that are owned by the
Army Corps of Engineers compliant and parallel to the laws we have for
the Forest Service as well as for the BLM and the Park Service, as it
deals with carrying weapons as long as they are in compliance with
State and Federal law.
Many Members think this is, basically, a hunting issue. It is not.
The primary reason for this language has to do with the fundamental
right of self-defense, and it does make it consistent.
I want to make two final points here.
The Natural Resources Committee strongly encourages the Bureau of
Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service to develop agency-wide
policies, in consultation with the Wildlife and Hunting Heritage
Conservation Council and the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership
Council, that reflect the intent of this act. These policies should
ensure that there is more access to America's Federal lands for
hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting.
These councils represent the interests and needs of sportsmen and -
women who depend on having access to Federal lands for outdoor sporting
activities.
I will also be reaching out to the Bureau of Land Management and to
the Forest Service for regular updates on the progress being made in
developing these policies within 30 days of each respective council
meeting.
I appreciate the gentleman's compliance and understanding.
Vote for what is good about this bill, not for what is not there.
Mr. BEYER. Madam Chair, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from
Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer), my colleague and good friend.
Mr. BLUMENAUER. I appreciate the gentleman's courtesy in permitting
me to speak on this bill.
Madam Chair, I, too, am a passionate advocate of public spaces, of
outdoor recreation, and I understand the importance of protecting some
of our Nation's most pristine places.
My constituents enjoy hunting and fishing and are involved in
exploring the great outdoors. That is why it is unfortunate that what
we have before us today is a piece of legislation that is unduly
partisan and special-interest-oriented and is not speaking in terms of
things that could have brought us
[[Page H926]]
together in something that could have been a lovefest.
Why aren't we making a permanent reauthorization of the Land and
Water Conservation Fund and making sure that it is funded?
Yesterday we had hundreds and hundreds of women from the Federated
Garden Club of America, just one more group adding its voice to
something that is supported by people who hunt, people who fish, people
who hike, people who enjoy the opportunity of what the Land and Water
Conservation Fund represents.
Instead, we are veering off. We are in the process now of having
legislation in this bill that does pose serious problems in terms of
environmental protections. I will give one specific example in terms of
what is happening in the area of ivory.
Voters in Washington recently voted overwhelmingly to ban on a State
level traffic in ivory. You are going to see this fall in my State of
Oregon that an initiative is going to be approved that is going to
close loopholes in terms of allowing trade in my State for ivory.
This has nothing to do with grandma's antique piano or somebody who
has an ivory-handled pistol that has been in the family for years. We
have a thriving international trade in ivory that is resulting in the
destruction of a species. We are losing 100 elephants a day.
At the rate we are going, by the end of the decade--within 10 years--
there will be no more wild African elephants. The trade in ivory fuels
some of the most heinous acts by some of the most vicious people in the
world.
Terrorists use these funds for their horrific activities,
particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, poisoning wells so that the animals
are dying by the dozens, hacking off the tusks at that site.
We have to stop the trade in ivory. The United States is the second
largest destination. We have China that is finally stepping up and
working with us. We should not make it harder for the United States to
crack down on the ivory trade.
There is no reason for a civilized society to continue trading in
things like ivory tusks and products. It enables this black market to
continue. People will find their way into it, and we will continue to
slaughter elephants every single day.
What we should be doing is not restricting what the Federal
Government is doing. We should be tightening it further like we will do
in the State of Oregon.
I find it a little frustrating that people are talking about
protecting traditional ammunition and fishing lure. I mean, there are
some people who might say, in Flint, Michigan, using lead in the pipes
is a traditional way of plumbing, but we figured out that that
traditional mechanism is actually poisoning people.
The CHAIR. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Mr. BEYER. Madam Chair, I yield the gentleman an additional 1 minute.
Mr. BLUMENAUER. There are, in fact, alternatives if what you want to
do is kill animals with guns. We don't need to do lead-based
ammunition, which ends up in the environment. It ends up not just in
what you are killing. It doesn't go away. It persists and adds to lead
pollution.
There is no reason that we can't make changes in these policies that
we know are destructive, that we know there are viable alternatives to
that actually protect the environment.
As people work through this legislation and hear from animal welfare
groups, sports people, and environmentalists and as they look at the
problems that are associated with it, it is not a consensus, bipartisan
bill.
It is an approach that actually leads us in the wrong direction. It
is not rational. It is not popular. It is not based in sound policy. I
strongly urge its rejection.
Mr. WITTMAN. Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I would like respond just briefly to the gentleman's remarks
concerning ivory.
If you look at the current state of regulatory efforts by the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, for those nations that have sustainable
elephant populations, it would actually make it much, much more
difficult to manage them and it would actually encourage more poaching.
We want to make sure that we allow the legal trade of legally
harvested elephants. In doing that, that makes sure that African
nations can put in place sustainable programs for the harvesting of
elephants, where there are overpopulations, to make sure that they have
the wherewithal to put people on the ground to stop poaching.
This is a sustainable effort, I believe, that is critical, and these
regulations will actually stop that.
Madam Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr.
Benishek).
Mr. BENISHEK. Madam Chair, I rise today in support of H.R. 2406, the
Sportsmen's Heritage and Recreational Enhancement Act of 2015, or the
SHARE Act.
This legislation is vital in ensuring that Federal agencies like the
U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management can no longer
continue to prevent or deny full access to Federal lands for activities
like hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting.
Access to public, Federal lands for these heritage activities is not
only an important part of our shared American value, it is also a
significant contributor to national, State, and local economies.
In 2011, in the State of Michigan alone, over 1.9 million hunters and
anglers spent over $4.8 billion in hunting and fishing. To put this in
perspective, spending by sportsmen and -women in Michigan generates
over $576 million in State and local taxes each year. That is enough to
support the average salaries of over 10,000 police officers.
Madam Chair, when I was a kid, my family owned a small hotel and bar.
I worked by making beds, by filling ice buckets, and by hauling beer in
order to save for college. Our business depended on hunters in the fall
and winter and on fishermen in the summer. Without those sportsmen, we
would have had no small business.
There are small businesses like this all over northern Michigan and
across America today. There are also grandparents, parents, and
children all across the country who are excited for their next hunting
and fishing adventures.
That is why we must make sure that we do everything possible to
ensure access to public lands for hunting, fishing, and recreational
shooting for all Americans, including for future generations to come.
Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to support the SHARE Act.
Mr. BEYER. Madam Chair, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).
Ms. JACKSON LEE. I thank the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Beyer) for
his leadership and for the service that he has given to this Congress.
We are so delighted to have him join us. I thank the manager as well,
his colleague from Virginia (Mr. Wittman).
Madam Chair, in coming from Texas and knowing many of those who seek
recreational hunting, fishing, and participation on lands, private and
Federal, one wonders whether or not we could have found a way to deal
with the concerns of our friends of whom I support: environmental
groups and the Humane Society and just a litany of individuals from the
Atlantis, the Alaska Wilderness League, the Alliance of the Wild
Rockies, the Humane Society International, the Endangered Species
Coalition, the Environmental Investigation Agency, the National Audubon
Society, the Kentucky Heartwood, and just a whole array of individuals,
the names of whom I will offer into the Record at another time.
{time} 1700
This bill comes and specifically interferes with what I believe is
the important protection, if you will, of items that impact our
wilderness.
This bill undermines the NEPA Wilderness Act and the National
Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act to solve a problem that does
not exist. It blocks the administration's rule to restrict trade in
African elephant ivory and protects African elephants from being
slaughtered for their tusks. It adds indiscriminate and inhumane
trapping practices to the legal definition of hunting and does not
include a long-term reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation
Fund, a high priority for hunters and anglers.
My simple question is: Couldn't we have found some common ground and
[[Page H927]]
not be supporting legislation that, for one, my amendment on polar
bears will, in fact, impact; that the wealthy trophy hunters who shot
bears had full knowledge of the pending rule? This is an issue that
occurred when 41 polar bears were killed as the Fish and Wildlife
Service finalized a rule listing them as threatened under the
Endangered Species Act.
The polar bears are vulnerable. They are not yet under the Endangered
Species Act, but they are vulnerable. So we have individuals who want
to take advantage and seek to utilize the loophole. That is my
opposition to this legislation, that it does not find a balance.
What it does do is it puts our animals in jeopardy, animals that make
for the ecosystem in a positive way.
So I would ask my colleagues really to go back to the drawing board
and come forward with a bill that actually protects animals, allows
sport but does not undermine the whole ecosystem, undermine the
structure of protecting animals, and certainly, in the memory of
Cecil--although a lion--continue to kill our vulnerable species of
polar bears just to have trophies.
I urge opposition to this bill.
Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to H.R. 2406, the Sportsmen's
Heritage and Recreational Enhancement Act of 2015 (SHARE Act).
While several of the proposals are non-controversial, the bill
includes provisions that would seriously undermine the Wilderness Act,
the National Environmental Policy Act, and the Endangered Species Act,
and fails to include important, bipartisan program reauthorizations
sought by outdoor enthusiasts.
There are many for reasons for opposing this bill but I list just a
few:
More than 75 percent of all federal lands are already open to
recreational hunting, fishing and shooting, making the bulk of this
legislation unnecessary.
Undermines NEPA, the Wilderness Act, and the National Wildlife Refuge
System Administration Act to solve a problem that does not exist.
Blocks efforts to crack down on poachers and protect elephants from
being slaughtered for their tusks.
Adds indiscriminate and inhumane trapping practices to the legal
definition of hunting.
Does not include a long-term reauthorization of the Land and Water
Conservation Fund, a high priority program for hunters and anglers.
Does not include important, bipartisan program reauthorizations that
would provide critical funding for wetlands conservation and expanding
hunting and fishing access; programs supported by hunters and anglers.
Exempts ammunition and sports fishing equipment from the Toxic
Substances Control Act (TSCA) despite the fact that EPA has no plans to
regulate this equipment under the Act.
Mr. Chair, H.R. 2406 simply patches together a slew of legislative
proposals, allegedly to enhance access to federal lands for hunting,
fishing and recreational shooting.
The bill is opposed by virtually every leading environmental
organization and the President has announced that it will be vetoed if
presented to him for signature.
I urge my colleagues to join me in voting against this unwise and
unnecessary legislation.
Mr. WITTMAN. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Ohio (Mr. Gibbs).
Mr. GIBBS. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 2406, the
Sportsmen's Heritage and Recreational Enhancement Act; specifically,
title IV of the bill, which includes the Recreational Lands Self-
Defense Act. This legislation is vital to preserving and expanding the
Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens.
In 2010, legislation was enacted that allows campers, hikers, and
sportsmen who are legally allowed to possess a firearm to protect
themselves and their families on land operated by the National Park
Service or the Fish and Wildlife Service. Unfortunately, this law left
millions of acres overseen by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers closed
to those who want to legally arm and protect themselves.
Every year, millions of Americans camp, hunt, and hike on Federal
lands. They are often in remote locations with no easy access to
emergency services or law enforcement. These Americans deserve to have
peace of mind and the ability to protect themselves while recreating.
The Army Corps of Engineers' interpretation of the law preempts State
firearms laws; thus, preventing Americans from exercising their Second
Amendment rights. Even if someone is permitted by the State to carry a
firearm, they cannot do so while on the Corps' 11.7 million acres or
camping at one of the Corps' 90,000 campsites.
Title IV will prevent the Corps from prohibiting law-abiding American
citizens from carrying a firearm as long as they are not prohibited
from owning a firearm and the possession of the firearm is in
compliance with the State they are located in.
This title in the SHARE Act will provide uniformity and clarity for
hunters, campers, and hikers who want to merely protect themselves, and
it will preserve the right to bear arms on recreational Federal lands.
I want to thank Congressman Wittman for introducing this legislation
and including the Recreational Lands Self-Defense Act in the underlying
bill.
I urge my colleagues to support the SHARE Act.
Mr. BEYER. Mr. Chair, I inquire how much time the minority side has
remaining.
The Acting CHAIR (Mr. Walker). The gentleman from Virginia has 2\1/2\
minutes remaining.
Mr. BEYER. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WITTMAN. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Latta).
Mr. LATTA. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 2406, the
SHARE Act. Passage of this bill will increase opportunities and reduce
regulatory burdens for all sportsmen and sportswomen.
I want to highlight two specific provisions in the SHARE Act that I
sponsored. This legislation will authorize the Wildlife and Hunting
Heritage Conservation Council, which will serve as an official advisory
board to the Department of the Interior and the Department of
Agriculture on policies that benefit recreational hunting and wildlife
resources. Authorization of the council is vital to ensuring that
hunters maintain an advisory role in future administrations. This
legislation will provide levels of certainty and stability necessary to
ensure the council's ability to engage in assisting the Federal
Government in devising and implementing long-term solutions that are
necessary to address policy issues important to sportsmen and
sportswomen.
The legislation also directs the Secretary of the Interior and the
Secretary of Agriculture to create a new permit that authorizes a crew
of five or fewer people to film for commercial or similar purposes on
Federal lands and waterways at an annual cost of $200. Aside from this
set fee, no additional fees may be added during their time filming and
photographing.
We want to rectify disparity in application and approval regulations
between smaller crews and their larger, well-funded counterparts while
filming on public lands. The financial burden is often too great and
unfairly limits their ability to access our national parks and
waterways.
As the former co-chairman of the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus and
a cosponsor of the SHARE Act, I believe this legislation will serve to
the betterment of current and future generations of hunters and
outdoorsmen and -women.
I thank the gentleman from Virginia for his work on this legislation,
and I urge the passage of the SHARE Act.
Mr. BEYER. I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Chair, in closing, I would like to thank the co-chairs of the
Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus, Mr. Wittman and Mr. Walz, for putting
this together.
I clearly resist the idea that our opposition comes from the radical
left. The 37 million hunters and fishermen out there are not Democrats.
They are not Republicans. They are both. They are not conservative or
liberal. They represent all Americans.
Representative McClintock and Chairman Bishop talked about the
928,000 acres, BLM and Forest Service, which are closed now. I very
much respect that that seems like a big number and that perhaps there
should be movement on that.
I think the question is: Should those decisions be made by State and
local land managers or moved to Washington, D.C., to the head of the
Forest Service, to the head of BLM? I think it is weird that, in this
body, we are talking about moving things to Washington for the decision
to be made.
[[Page H928]]
In fact, in the hearing we had on Chairman Bishop's Land and Water
Conservation Fund reauthorization, much of it was about moving the
decisionmaking back to States and local governments. Perhaps there is a
way to think about opening up these 928,000 acres with more input from
State and local governments in the time to come.
On ivory and trafficking, Representative Wittman and I had a good
conversation about how we really don't want it to address heirlooms
that have been in the family for generations. That is not what the
Obama rule is trying to do. We are looking at preventing trafficking.
Every 15 minutes every day, an elephant is killed. I would love to
explore the economic argument that somehow this ivory rule will make
African elephants more endangered. What we are trying to do is cut off
demand.
Finally, Majority Whip Scalise talked about being hostile to hunting
and fishing. I do think it is probably silly to think of the Army Corps
of Engineers as a radical leftist organization. We want them to open
the lands appropriately, but this is probably not the legislation to do
it.
I think many of these provisions will likely be dead on arrival in
the Senate. If it passes, as it is likely to do with the majority, I am
looking forward to working with Representative Wittman, Representative
Walz, and others to get a good, bipartisan bill at the end of the day
that we can all support for the hunters and fishermen of the United
States.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. WITTMAN. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Virginia for
his perspectives on this and for the good conversation we have had in
trying to find common ground to make sure that we are, indeed,
supporting the great outdoors and the sportsmen and -women that enjoy
the great outdoors. I thank him for his efforts there and look forward
to continuing to work with him.
I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from South
Carolina (Mr. Duncan).
Mr. DUNCAN of South Carolina. Mr. Chairman, I thank Chairman Wittman
for his leadership on this issue. As a vice chair of the Congressional
Sportsmen's Caucus, I commend the caucus co-chairs, Chairman Wittman
and Tim Walz, as well as my fellow vice chair, Gene Green, for the
great work they have done to contribute to the SHARE Act's Sportsmen's
package on the floor today.
The Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus is the largest bipartisan caucus
in Congress. By offering commonsense policy solutions that expand the
joys of hunting, angling, as well as shooting sports and, really,
access to public lands and all the great outdoors, our goal is to be
the voice of millions of American sportsmen and -women who treasure
this unique feature of American heritage.
The SHARE Act is supported by the Nation's leading hunting and
fishing conservation organizations, making it a bipartisan win for the
sportsmen and -women of America. It includes the Recreational Fishing
and Hunting Heritage and Opportunities Act; the Hunting, Fishing, and
Recreational Shooting Protection Act; the Target Practice and
Marksmanship Training Support Act; and the Hunter and Farmer Protection
Act. These, along with many other hunting and fishing conservation
provisions, will strengthen America's bond to the blessings given to
our great country.
Most important to our role as leaders of the Congressional
Sportsmen's Caucus is to promote policies that bring more potential
hunters, anglers, and recreational shooters into the sportsmen's
community. Sportsmen and -women are leading contributors to the
conservation of the great American outdoors.
As a sidebar, I would just ask folks to really research the
contribution that hunters make in the whole African elephant goal,
because the lack of the hunter in that equation means there is more
poaching; and I think, ultimately, that will be detrimental to the
African elephant and detrimental to the goals of those who want to
protect that.
In conclusion, I request your support for this bill to ensure that we
can protect this sacred institution of American heritage.
Mr. WITTMAN. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I thank the gentleman from South Carolina for his leadership as vice
chairman of the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus.
We have heard a lot of, I think, good efforts today in wanting to
ensure that our sportsmen and our sportswomen have access to Federal
properties, to make sure they can enjoy outdoor sports. I think that is
absolutely critical. That is what this bill is about. It is about
clarifying to make sure that it is the legislative body that does the
directing, not the bureaucrats. I want to make sure there is a balance
there because we hear each and every day from our constituents about
what they feel needs to happen with their land.
We must remember this land belongs to the taxpayers, and we must find
responsible ways to make sure that there is access to that land for
everyone. I want to make sure that we do that. I believe that this bill
achieves that.
I understand, too, that we want to make sure that their voices are
heard. Many times from the side of these agencies, they will consider
comments, but many times the comments aren't included. This ensures
that Congress has a role in defining what those opportunities are. I
want to make sure those voices are heard. I can't help but believe that
everyone here is in favor of making sure that their voices are heard
and that opportunities exist across all these Federal lands for our
outdoorsmen, our sportsmen and -women of this Nation.
I want to make sure, too, that we are clear that all of us are
against stopping the illegal trafficking of ivory. All of us here want
to make sure that stops. I think there are reasonable and thoughtful
ways that do that that don't inhibit the sportsmen who want to go there
to be part of the legal process to harvest an elephant in the areas
where there is an overpopulation. The dollars there are used to support
local populations in that area, villages.
None of that animal is wasted. Every bit of it is used. The fees that
are collected for hunters are put into stopping the poaching effort
there. I think those are sustainable models to make sure that elephant
populations continue in those areas and that we, indeed, have the
ability and resources in Africa to stop those efforts by poachers.
{time} 1715
I think sustainable hunting is a way to do that. In any way impeding
the flow of ivory back into the United States from legal hunting
operations doesn't allow us to do that. Making sure, too, that it is
simple and straightforward for owners of ivory to continue to own that,
especially those pieces that are family heirlooms, and not have to go
through a long, drawn-out bureaucratic process to prove that something
is yours that has been passed down through family history where you may
not have documentation to do that.
These efforts that U.S. Fish and Wildlife agencies are putting
forward would make it in many instances very, very difficult for
individuals and families to demonstrate that. Let's make this process
easy and let's get at the issue, and that is the illegally harvested
ivory that is coming out of Africa to the United States.
We talked, too, about access elements. We heard the number used that
99 percent of our ocean waters are open to fishing, to recreational
fishing. But remember that the entire ocean is different in its
habitats. So fish live in certain areas. I would argue that the 1
percent that is being closed off many times is the most productive area
for fishermen. It is where the habitat rests. It is where the fish are.
So if you were to say, don't worry about it, you can hunt the entire
Sahara Desert, that wouldn't mean much to sportsmen. The same that you
are saying if you are allowed to fish these other areas that don't hold
the habitat that allow fish to live in those areas also doesn't keep in
mind making sure that recreational fishermen have access to the place
where fish live. So I want to make sure that that is clear when we talk
about these numbers, 99 percent versus the 1 percent.
Remember, this bill is not about what is not included. It is about
really making those opportunities available for those men and women who
hunt, fish, and use the outdoors. I am in full
[[Page H929]]
support of LWCF. I am in full support of NAWCA. I do believe that we
ought to reauthorize those pieces of legislation, and I do believe that
there are mechanisms to do that. I believe that the vast majority of
folks on our Committee on Natural Resources, as well as in Congress,
want to see those things happening.
The difficulty always is in taking one bill and adding a bunch of
different elements to it. I think those bills are important enough that
they deserve their own level of debate and own level of attention about
what we do in reauthorizing those bills.
I think folks outside the 90 square miles of Washington look at us
and say, you know, why are you putting all these other elements into a
bill rather than debating them individually?
I think we can put too much into a piece of legislation where it
becomes confusing and it doesn't get after the true purpose behind the
original bill. We tried to put together pieces that were similar in
scope but didn't include other areas that really deserve their own
level of debate.
So that is the reason that LWCF and NAWCA was left out of this, not
by any intention to say we shouldn't address those, but by
understanding that we have a responsibility to try to keep these
packages of bills as simple and straightforward as we can.
Also, when we talk about lead, remember that the lead we talk about
is in things like fishing sinkers. Remember, fishing sinkers are used
in water. The gentlewoman from California talked about the issue with
California condors. Well, California condors are not an aquatic bird,
so I don't think we have to worry about them swimming in water and
getting hold of these fishing sinkers.
The same way with bullets. I understand there are a few instances
where they might have found a bullet associated with ingestion with a
California condor, but the vast majority of shooting sports are put
forth in legal ranges where the lead ends up in the ground. It ends up
in the ground at a shooting range. Remember, that is the exact area
where the lead came from. So returning it to the ground where we know
eventually through the years it does indeed decay, it does indeed break
down, those things are legal and I think environmentally responsible
ways that lead is used in both hunting and fishing. Let's not stop
those efforts. I want to make sure that those things happen.
If there are specific issues related to the California condor, I
think we ought to address that, but these carte blanche one-size-fits-
all efforts to say let's ban lead across the spectrum in the shooting
sports, for hunting, and for fishing doesn't get at those root issues
and it creates unnecessary burdens on folks who are using those in a
legal way and in a way that doesn't affect our fish and wildlife
populations. So I want to make sure that those things continue.
I do believe that there are many more areas of agreement than
disagreement on this bill. I think that we have talked to folks on many
aspects of this. It is different in its scope with the Senate bill, and
I look forward to its successful passage out of this House and for our
ability to bring it to a conference committee in the Senate and to work
through those particular differences between the House and the Senate
bill.
Mr. Chairman, I would urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 2406,
the SHARE Act.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Chair, I support H.R. 2406, the
Sportsmen's Heritage and Recreational Enhancement Act or SHARE Act.
Recreational hunting and fishing are some of the oldest traditions in
America. I went on my first hunting trip in the early 70's and have
loved gaming ever since. The sport was a great way to bond with my
father-in-law and a great tradition to pass on to my own son.
I am not alone in enjoying this great tradition. Sportsmen and women
contribute billions of dollars to the U.S. economy, support thousands
of jobs and enrich our culture. Texas is home to 2,713,000 hunters and
anglers, making it the second biggest state for sportsmen and women in
the nation.
H.R. 2406, the SHARE Act, is supported by more than 50 of the
nation's leading conservation groups and includes provisions that will
expand access for hunters and anglers and protect the environment
through conservation efforts.
The SHARE Act will protect access to BLM and U.S. Forest Service land
for hunting and fishing, reauthorize the Federal Land Transaction
Facilitation Act and allows fish and wildlife agencies added
flexibility to construct public shooting ranges.
Ensuring future generations of Americans have access to these great
traditions must be our priority going forward.
Mr. MARCHANT. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of H.R. 2406, the SHARE
Act. This legislation would protect 2nd Amendment rights and prevent
unnecessary federal regulations from limiting access to outdoor
sporting activities.
Activities like hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting
contribute billions of dollars to our economy. But, it's impossible to
put a dollar value on what they mean to millions of American families.
For many Texans--myself included--hunting and fishing are more than
simple hobbies. They are family traditions that get passed down through
generations. These traditions bring us together and teach invaluable
lessons about gun safety and environmental responsibility.
Passing the SHARE Act will protect 2nd Amendment rights and help
ensure that our sporting traditions can continue for generations to
come.
I call on all my colleagues to join me in supporting this important
legislation.
The Acting CHAIR. All time for general debate has expired.
Mr. WITTMAN. Mr. Chairman, I move that the Committee do now rise.
The motion was agreed to.
Accordingly, the Committee rose; and the Speaker pro tempore (Mr.
Hill) having assumed the chair, Mr. Walker, Acting Chair of the
Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union, reported that
that Committee, having had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2406) to
protect and enhance opportunities for recreational hunting, fishing,
and shooting, and for other purposes, had come to no resolution
thereon.
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