Legislation that would authorize federal wildlife conservation programs and bring certainty to farmers and hunters cleared a key Senate committee vote on Wednesday.
The Hunting Heritage and Environmental Legacy Preservation (HELP) for Wildlife Act was approved by the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee with support from U.S. Sens. John Barrasso (R-WY), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Roger Wicker (R-MS).
“This significant, bipartisan conservation bill will improve habitat and protect wildlife throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed in states like New York, Maryland, Delaware and West Virginia,” Barrasso, the chairman of the EPW Committee, said. “… It is time for this committee to take a major step towards furthering conservation efforts in our states in a bipartisan way.”
The measure would reauthorize and fund the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Act, the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act, the Chesapeake Bay Program, and the Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails network through 2023.
Additionally, the measure would shield farmers from liability for bird baiting hunting practices if they follow U.S. Department of Agriculture and state best practices for agriculture. Anglers could also continue to use lead tackle, and public target ranges for recreational shooting would be promoted under the bill.
“West Virginia offers so many opportunities to enjoy incredible natural beauty and wildlife our country has to offer,” said Capito, who led efforts to restore and protect the Chesapeake Bay and to promote public target ranges, provisions that were incorporated into the overall bill.
“The HELP for Wildlife Act will support the preservation of those resources now and for years to come,” she said.
The committee approved the bipartisan measure 14-7. More than 50 environmental and sportsmen organizations have expressed their support for the legislation.
The HELP for Wildlife Act would also finalize approval of public-private partnerships that promote fish conservation. Further, the bill would mandate the reissuance of final rules de-listing gray wolves from the Endangered Species List in both Wyoming and the western Great Lakes.
“We are blessed with beautiful and bountiful natural resources,” Wicker said. “This bill would put sensible policies in place to protect these resources, ensuring that our wetlands and fishing habitats can be enjoyed by future generations of hunters, fishers and wildlife enthusiasts. Our sportsmen would benefit from more public target ranges and updated federal policies on common hunting and fishing practices.”