Bishop supports increased hunting/fishing in wildlife refuges

U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, has responded to a proposal from the U.S. Department of the Interior to expand hunting and fishing opportunities at some of the nation’s wildlife refuges, including the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge west of Brigham City in Box Elder County. The proposal, announced last week by Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, would open more than 248,000 acres to new or expanded hunting and fishing opportunities and is being touted as an economy booster in the areas around the refuges.

Bishop, chairman of the House Committee on Natural resources, said “Public lands should be open for the public to enjoy. The Department of the Interior’s latest decision to expand acreage and access for hunting and fishing on wildlife refuges was the right move. Secretary Zinke’s decision will help our economy grow and enable those who hunt and fish to spend more time catching game and less time caught in red tape.”

The proposed changes would expand existing migratory game bird and upland game hunting in the Bear River refuge. Other new recreational opportunities being proposed for the first time would open in places like Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge in Illinois and Wisconsin and deer hunting in Philadelphia at John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge. The proposal also outlines expanded hunting and fishing opportunities at 136 national wildlife refuges. If finalized, this would bring the number of units of the National Wildlife Refuge System where the public may hunt to 377 and the number where fishing would be permitted to 312.

“As stewards of our public lands, Interior is committed to opening access wherever possible for hunting and fishing so that more families have the opportunity to pass down this American heritage,” Zinke said in announcing the proposal. “These refuges will provide incredible opportunities for American sportsmen and women across the country to access the land and connect with wildlife.”

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s proposal would open more new acres to hunting and fishing than in the past and takes steps to simplify regulations to more closely match state hunting and fishing regulations. The changes would be implemented in time for the 2018-2019 hunting seasons.

Hunting, fishing and other outdoor activities contributed more than $156 billion in economic activity in communities across the United States in 2016, according to the service’s National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, published every five years. More than 101 million Americans — 40 percent of the U.S. population 16 and older — pursue wildlife-related recreation, such as hunting, fishing and birding, the report said.

“Hunters, anglers and shooting sports enthusiasts play a crucial role in funding the management and conservation of North America’s wildlife,” said Greg Sheehan, principal deputy director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “We are providing sportsmen and women with more access to our national wildlife refuges and streamlining regulations to more closely align with our state partners. And that’s good news for our customers.”