'Reject The False Choice Between Access And Conservation': Huffman Blasts GOP Hunting Bills

4 months ago

During a House Natural Resources Committee hearing in July, Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA) spoke about a set of bills proposed by Republicans, HR 2462 and HR556, that would loosen hunting restrictions.

Transcript

00:00Thank you, Chair Westerman, and good morning.

00:06Today we have a dozen bills on the agenda covering everything from cormorants to agency

00:11hiring authority and lead ammunition.

00:15And on paper it might look like a grab bag of unrelated proposals, but there are actually

00:20some common threads running through many of these if you look closely.

00:24Now many of the bills pose the same question to members of this committee.

00:29Are we going to prioritize policies that advance real conservation both today and for our kids

00:35and grandkids?

00:36Are we going to advance legislation that undermines long-term stewardship, outdoor access, and

00:42the best available science?

00:43Are we going to advance policies that stand up for the future of hunting, fishing, and

00:49healthy ecosystems?

00:51Are we going to let short-term thinking and political expedience drive our natural resources

00:55management and decision making?

00:58Unfortunately, some of the bills we are considering today move us in the wrong direction on these

01:03questions.

01:05Take H.R. 281, the so-called Grizzly Bear State Management Act.

01:09This bill would force the premature delisting of grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone and

01:13Northern Continental Divide ecosystems, ignoring years of best available science, and as a clear

01:19example of politics overtaking responsible management and the bedrock principles of how the Endangered Species Act is supposed

01:27to work.

01:28We see the same pattern with H.R. 2462, the Black Vulture Relief Act, which would weaken

01:34protections for migratory birds.

01:36We also have H.R. 556 before us, the so-called Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act.

01:43And despite its name, what this bill actually does is undermine science-based conservation

01:48measures that keep wildlife populations healthy and habitats intact by preemptively blocking

01:54sensible rules on toxic lead ammunition and tackle in certain cases, rules that are supported

02:02by overwhelming evidence.

02:04It threatens the very resources that hunters and anglers rely on, and over time that's going

02:09to mean less habitat, fewer fish and game, and ultimately fewer opportunities for the

02:14very recreation this bill claims it is defending.

02:18If we care about outdoor traditions, we have to be honest that they can't survive without conservation,

02:25conservation that lasts beyond the next hunting and fishing season.

02:30Science shows us that wiping out predators throws the entire ecosystem out of balance.

02:34Hurts everyone, including ranchers, farmers, and sportsmen.

02:38Science shows that the lead contamination that we are celebrating with one of these bills

02:44significantly impacts native fish and wildlife, with consequences that ripple beyond any single

02:50season, any single region.

02:53The science shows that if we care about our economy and our natural heritage, that we need

02:58to let the best available science in both short and long-term conservation needs guide the decisions

03:04that we make.

03:05But science isn't just about stopping bad decisions, it's also how we build good ones.

03:11When we invest in fishery research, wildfire preparedness, and habitat restoration, we strengthen

03:17the foundation of sustainable recreation now and for generations to come.

03:22Anglers and anglers know better than most that preserving outdoor access depends on conservation.

03:28Preserving access isn't just about today, it's about making sure that our kids and

03:31our grandkids can enjoy the same cherished places and outdoor access opportunities that

03:37we've been fortunate to have.

03:39And that's why the bills before us that claim to protect access really deserve some scrutiny.

03:46If a bill undermines the very conservation systems that make access possible, it doesn't deserve

03:52our support.

03:53We should reject the false choice between access and conservation that several of these bills

03:58today are premised on, because access and conservation are not in competition, they actually depend

04:03on each other.

04:04So as we work through the bills today, Mr. Chairman, I hope my colleagues will ask a few basic questions.

04:11Does each bill reflect real stewardship?

04:14Does it respect science?

04:15Does it protect outdoor access as a promise to future generations?

04:20If the answer to any of these is no, we should be willing to put our politics aside and do

04:25better.

04:26That's what the American people expect of us.

04:28I yield back.

'Reject The False Choice Between Access And Conservation': Huffman Blasts GOP Hunting Bills

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended