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August 2, 2010

NSSF Hails Landslide Passage of Land and Water Access Legislation in U.S. House


By a vote of 404 – 1, important legislation targeted at expanding and enhancing access to public lands for hunting, fishing and recreational shooting has passed the U.S. House of Representatives with strong support from Congressmen Ron Kind (D-WI), Frank Kratovil (D-MD) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM). The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the trade association for the firearms, ammunition, hunting and shooting sports industry, strongly supported this bill and continues to support its companion legislation in the U.S. Senate, introduced earlier this week by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev).

Included in broader legislation to permanently authorize and fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), this legislation directs that not less than 1.5 percent of annual authorized LWCF funding be made available to secure access to public land for hunting, shooting and fishing through easements, rights-of-way or fee title acquisitions from willing sellers.

Working in concert with a broad cross-section of sportsmen’s organizations, members of Congress and others, NSSF has been a strong proponent of this important legislative provision, which will provide access to hundreds of thousands of acres annually for hunting and recreational shooting.

“A primary goal of the National Shooting Sports Foundation is to support the development and enactment of federal policies that serve to create opportunities for people of all ages to hunt and shoot,” said NSSF President Steve Sanetti. “Today, thanks to the leadership of Congressmen Kind, Heinrich, Kratovil and others, the U.S. House of Representatives took an important step toward realizing this shared goal.”

Sanetti also called upon Congress to ensure final enactment of the bill, stating, “The NSSF looks forward to working in partnership with our fellow hunters and shooters in Congress to secure final passage of this important legislation during the 111th Congress.”

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Categories: Conservation, Government Relations, Hunting, Top Stories