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November 21, 2012

NSSF Responds to Inaccurate NY Times Commentary On The Sportsmen’s Act of 2012


In response to a highly inaccurate piece of commentary on the Sportsmen’s Act of 2012 (S.3525) that appeared in the Tuesday edition of the New York Times and that is scheduled for U.S. Senate floor action on Nov. 26, NSSF Senior Vice President Larry Keane fired off this letter to the editor:

“The inaccuracies in “Dangerous Sport in Lawmaking” concerning the Sportsmen’s Act of 2012 are so blatant that we have to question if The Times ever spoke with anyone in the Interior Department or the Senate and ask from where the misinformation came.

First, S.3525 does not end the ban against using lead ammunition to hunt waterfowl. The EPA has denied petitions to regulate tackle and all other ammunition under the Toxic Substances Control Act in 1994 and 2011. This legislation clarifies that state Fish and Game Agencies and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have jurisdiction.

Second, there will be no “hunting spree” on polar bears. The legislation would do nothing more than allow a small number of trophies, taken legally in Canada prior to a 2008 ban, to be imported to their owners in the U.S.

Third, the bill provides for the Secretary of the Interior to determine when an increase in the fee for a duck stamp is warranted. Proceeds go toward wetland preservation. This is not a case of “tax and spend” abuse. The Sportsmen’s Act enjoys broad bipartisan support and is backed by 46 sportsmen and conservation groups. Passage will promote, protect and preserve our nation’s hunting, shooting and conservation heritage for generations to come.”

At this writing, several other organizations and individuals were also contacting the Times in an attempt to secure a correction of such blatant errors. S.3525 supporters wonder whether a New York Times writer was not purposely misled by one or more anti-hunting organizations seeking a way to scuttle the widely supported bi-partisan legislation.

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Tags: Media Inaccuracies New York Times S.3525 The Sportsmen's Act of 2012

Categories: Government Relations, Media Inaccuracies, Top Stories