U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) recently introduced a legislative package that would reauthorize and establish a number of federal conservation programs and clarify regulations for the nation’s sportsmen.
The Hunting Heritage and Environmental Legacy Preservation (HELP) for Wildlife Act would reauthorize five federal conservation measures through 2023. The measure would also mandate the reissuing of rules delisting the gray wolf in Wyoming and the western region of the Great Lakes from the Endangered Species Act, and it would finalize partnerships that promote fish conservation.
“We are so fortunate to live in a country as full of natural beauty and as rich in wildlife as the United States, and it’s important we take steps to preserve those resources,” Capito, a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, said. “This legislative package includes a number of important measures that will help protect our unique ecosystems and enable us to better enjoy our country’s natural gifts, both in wild and wonderful West Virginia and across the country.”
Among the federal conservation initiatives that would be extended through 2023 are: 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 and the Chesapeake Bay Gateways Grants Assistance Program.
The building and expanding of public target ranges would be promoted under the bill. Additionally, farmers wouldn’t be liable for bird baiting if they follow U.S. Department of Agriculture and state agricultural best practices.
“I am proud to have introduced a number of bills reflected in this legislation — including measures to support the building and expansion of public target ranges, as well as the restoration and protection of the Chesapeake Bay,” Capito said.